Manchester City’s Under-21s were beaten 5-0 at Port Vale and knocked out of the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night, a harsh lesson for a group that had been riding high only a week earlier.
Seven days before the trip to Vale Park, City’s academy was celebrating as Floyd Samba, Ryan McAidoo and Kaden Braithwaite all featured in the Champions League victory over AEK Athens. Oli Reiss’s side then went to a sparsely populated Vale Park knowing a win would send them into the last 32.
Their first-team colleagues host Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, but the Under-21s were two down inside the opening 10 minutes and trailed 4-0 at half-time, as Vale played to their aerial strengths and City’s young defenders struggled with the physical test. Vale added a fifth after the break and went through from the group.
How did the Man City Under-21s lose 5-0 at Port Vale?
The Manchester Evening News called City’s first-half display naive and lacking in determination and desire. Late in the half a lengthy stoppage let most of the players get together for a mid-match meeting, but it did not stem the tide.
Reiss’s side were far better after a triple change at half-time. They were brave on the ball and played with more intent, though Vale had perhaps eased off with such a healthy lead. It did not bring a comeback, but it gave the coaching staff a baseline to build on, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Man City Under-21s and a fifth straight EFL Trophy group-stage exit
For the fifth season in a row, City’s youngsters have failed to get out of the EFL Trophy group stage. They had shown what they could do in a fine win at Mansfield in their opening game, so the contrast with Vale Park was stark.
The competition lets the next generation test themselves against League One and League Two sides full of experienced players. Vale showed them the standard needed in what is often a cut-throat profession.
Five years of group-stage exits have not stopped the pathway to the first team either. Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly broke through, and Samba, McAidoo and Braithwaite are now following them.
What did Oli Reiss say about the Port Vale defeat?
Reiss was not too downbeat after the match. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News on the touchline, he admitted disappointment at the result and at losing the chance of more games against Football League opposition.
Oli Reiss said: “This is first of all a learning competition for us although we want to win every game. In this game you get the feeling of what you need to be competitive, and to be where they want to play.”
He added that the aim is for the players to think “wow, this is what I need more, I thought I was good but this is what I need to do more.” City’s Under-21s now turn to a UEFA Youth League clash with RB Leipzig next week, as they look to put the Port Vale night behind them.
Author opinion
A 5-0 defeat stings, but this was never going to define the academy. The same group produced three players who featured in the Champions League a week earlier, and that pathway is what matters. If the youngsters carry Reiss’s lesson into the Leipzig game, Vale Park may prove more useful than painful. The Under-21s also have a senior presence in the defender now acting as their elder statesman.
