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Oliver Reiss of Manchester City during an U18s training session at the Manchester City Football Academy on 07 April 2026 in Manchester, England (Photo by Lexy Ilsley / Manchester City FC)
Manchester City U18s coach Oliver Reiss
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As a hoarse Oliver Reiss celebrated Manchester City making their second straight FA Youth Cup final under him, he allowed himself a moment of light relief. "All I ask is for the lads to please take the last step this time!"
City Under-18s have had another formidable season under their German coach, who took over from Ben Wilkinson in 2024 and has made successive finals in their two biggest competitions. A number of youngsters have impressed enough to make their first team debuts under Pep Guardiola and others are already shining elsewhere; last year's goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff was the hero for Rochdale last weekend at Wembley as they won promotion back into the Football League.
But if the tale of the last two years is littered with positive stories, trophies don't half help to cement that feeling. City lost both of theirs last season to Aston Villa, ending an absurd 27-game winning run in the first, and it was tough for all to swallow to be left with no silverware to show for their efforts.
"One of the main differences last season, with Villa’s Under 18s was that we had the feeling after the first final [in the FA Youth Cup], we realised we had to be more together as a team," Reiss said. "We have some of the best players in the country but that is not enough to win titles. So what about the typical things? Team spirit, togetherness. Which way do we go?
"These are the things that are so important in one game. Over a season there are other important things but for one game, with more pressure, to show that we are enjoying playing and working together."
That has been a key theme of team meetings this season and City know that they will need to bring that feeling for Thursday's final with United. There have been some handbags over the final being played at the Joie Stadium rather than the Etihad (or Old Trafford), and United came close to top spot in the Under-18s league, beat City away from home and boast the league's best player in 15-year-old forward JJ Gabriel.
Just as they will have to do in their senior careers, the City youngsters will have to decide what to focus on, what noise to shut out and how much of it to use as fuel. Playing the occasion as much as the opponents will determine whether City are able to clinch the honours and the trophy against United.
"I don't want to take this away really. I don't want to increase this, I don't want it bigger than it is but I want to try to take it as it is and then preparing more our players too in terms of different scenarios - what can happen, what is maybe the difference between playing in front of 7,000 comparing to 100?" said Reiss.
"Okay, it's loud, more people are watching here, you can feel the pressure more but it's not like 'oh come on I know it's loud but it's still possible to do this' or 'Yeah, this is pressure, yeah this is a lot of people watching' but at the end it's just 22 players who are trying to score or to avoid conceding goals. No, it is more.
"So what does it mean for you? I am always more on the side of, what a challenge, make it bigger please. Please make it exactly [as], this is what you want, what you need for the future. So make it as big as, 'take it, come on, what else? I get it.' But what is it? I have to do better to deal with the situation and this is exactly what we need."
City are exactly where they want to be with less than two weeks of the season to go. Their two games remaining are both finals, first at the Joie Stadium and then down to Chelsea next week to decide the national champions.
It already feels like a successful campaign, with City having worked through the season to overcome problems and maintain an impressive level across nine months. The work that has already been done will ultimately prove more important in the development of these players than whatever happens in these two matches.
"As an academy coach I always have the same approach and I want to bring the players as much as possible to games where they can develop," Reiss said. "These are normally the challenging games like finals It is not possible to have more challenging games, like last season, with two finals.
"Have we done everything to develop them in the best possible way? Yes we did it because we have got to finals. This is for me a success already, everyone wants to win a title. We want to go forward of course but in terms of what we can achieve with developing players we have done everything already.
"We have to find a combination and a balance between 'wow you are here again (in finals) against Chelsea and United, what a game. Just two games to tell whoever in 10 years about this game. We have to find a balance between enjoying this and just going for it."
As Reiss knows though, all of their efforts will feel that bit sweeter if they can take the two steps that they fell short of this time last year.
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