Manchester United coach Darren Fletcher condemned the FA Youth Cup final handling after his side lost 2-1 to Manchester City at Joie Stadium. While acknowledging City's superiority through Oliver Reiss' side, Fletcher criticized the Football Association's organization. The match completed a disappointing campaign for United's youth, who also finished second in Premier League North after losing the Under-18 Cup to Crystal Palace on penalties.

United's academy staff expressed frustration after City rejected their offer to host the final at Old Trafford, citing ongoing construction at Etihad Stadium. Despite claims of a sell-out, large sections remained empty at City's 7,000-capacity academy venue. Fletcher particularly objected to what he perceived as City's excessive celebration during medal presentations from EFL chairman Rick Parford.

Fletcher further criticized scheduling conflicts with the upcoming PL2 play-off final at Brighton just 48 hours later, complicating player availability. The United Under-18s coach stressed these issues require attention from both the Premier League and FA for historic competitions. "There's a lot of learning to be done," he stated, while City declined to comment on his complaints.