BERLIN, GERMANY - APRIL 10: Oliver Reiss from Hertha BSC watching the mat during the A-Juniors German Championship semi-final (first leg) between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at Stadion am Wurfplatz on April 10, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Inaki Esnaola/Getty Images)
The times are changing at Manchester City, and with a growing German feel within the walls of the City Football Academy.
When long-term academy director Jason Wilcox got an offer to be Southampton's new Sporting Director, City took their time before hiring Thomas Krucken to replace him from Stuttgart. Krucken was a former coach in the academy before embarking on his youth coaching career back in Germany.
He has a clear philosophy and quickly began changing the club's focus in youth development to finding the 'player of the future' to steal a march on rivals. In the summer, he turned to former colleague and compatriot Oliver Reiss to lead the youth team - and the early signs are positive.
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Reiss replaced Ben Wilkinson, who stepped up to the Elite Development Squad having led the under-18s to the FA Youth Cup and previously the under-18 Premier League national final.
It was a curious appointment given Reiss spent his entire coaching career at Hertha Berlin. But he has adapted to life at City like he has always been there, with the youth team currently on an eight-game winning run and second only to Manchester United in the league who boast a 100 per cent record.
In that run they have scored 42 goals, including two seven-goal returns, and the take that form into the first game of their FA Youth Cup defence on Friday night at home to Crystal Palace.
“I think as every season the fans can be excited in terms of this because as a youth team from Manchester City, the expectation is always to win this of course at the end," Reiss explained. "And every year a squad who can do this. We have a lot of very talented players, they showed it already in the past weeks in different competitions. I'm sure that with this team we have a big opportunity to go to the next stage."
City dismantled Leeds at the Etihad in last season's final for their second title in four seasons, but Reiss insists there will be no added pressure on entering the tournament as defending champions. Captain Jahmai Simpson-Pusey put it behind him the next day ('the first team players don't care if you've won the Youth Cup'), and others have stepped up.
"It's more excitement," Reiss said. "I can't feel more pressure from the team but probably there is more pressure. I think there will be some situations which brings us and the players into situations the players haven't had before and for us in terms of development it's so important to have special games like this.
"At the end of course we want to win the title but if you win the title or not, it makes no difference in terms of your development. But all the games we have to win to win this title, in special situations and special pressure, makes something of the players and that's maybe one of the biggest differences when you compare it to a league game.”
Reiss has leaned upon Wilkinson for advice on the Youth Cup - a competition that he already knows about due to its reputation in Germany.
Now it is his opportunity to put his stamp on the academy, with no better tournament to do that than the Youth Cup. City, at all levels, are never happy sitting still or resting on their successes, from players to staff to the board.
"I was expecting one of the best academies in the world," he reflected. "Now after now five months I'm sure I've made the right decision [to come to City]. Working with the players, not just because of how talented they are but also because of their characters and all the members here in the Academy.
"There are a lot of things here for me to also learn and to develop myself also."
Back-to-back Youth Cups is something City have never done before, a chance for another set of youngsters to step up and make a name for themselves.
And perhaps, a chance for Reiss to add his own stamp on another talented group hungry for success.