Manchester City's Under-21s exited the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night after a thumping defeat to Port Vale
Xavier Parker of Manchester City is tackled by Charlie Bussell of Port Vale during the Jersey Mike's Trophy match between Port Vale and Manchester City U21 at Vale Park
Manchester City's Xavier Parker is pulled back by Port Vale's Charlie Bussell during the EFL Trophy tie between the sides
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Seven days ago the pride in Manchester City's Academy was sky high as Floyd Samba, Ryan McAidoo and Kaden Braithwaite featured in the Champions League victory over AEK Athens.
On Tuesday night at a sparsely populated Vale Park, lifted by the noise of a vocal away following from Manchester, City's Under-21s were thumped 5-0 by Port Vale and dumped out of the EFL Trophy.
Boss Oli Reiss had spoken in the build-up to the contest about the excitement and challenge of playing at a Football League ground against seasoned campaigners. Unfortunately for him, City couldn't cope with Vale's physical superiority.
This competition offers a chance for the next generation of Blues to show they can compete with League One and League Two opposition and while the youngsters showed their capabilities in a fine victory at Mansfield in their opening EFL Trophy contest, this defeat in the Midlands was a harsh lesson in the realities of facing first-team players.
City can be excused in coming up short against an experienced XI, but they defended naively as Vale played to their aerial strengths while the visitors lacked determination and desire in a 45 minutes that saw them ship four goals as the game emphatically got away from them. Late in the first half there was a lengthy stoppage which allowed the majority of City players to get together for a mid-match meeting as they sought to stem the tide.
There is always a balance in academy football between results and the development of players and City must hope those who took to the field in the Midlands benefit from the experience and grow and learn as a result.
All of those in blue will be dreaming of a chance at City and targeting a professional career. Vale showed them the standard required to make it in a cut throat profession that often has a fine line between success and failure.
City, helped by a triple change at half time, were much better in the second half even if Vale had perhaps taken their foot of the gas given their healthy lead.
The Blues were brave on the ball, carried more intent and impetus and displayed some character and confidence that offers a baseline for what they can achieve in the game.
It didn't yield a comeback, with Vale adding a fifth, but it did offer a glimpse at what these young players are capable of. There is always plenty of talent come through the City ranks but for the fifth season in succession they have failed to make it out of the group stage in the EFL Trophy.
Those five years of failure haven't hindered the pathway from academy to first team given Rico Lewis and Nico O'Reilly have broken through and Samba, McAidoo and Braithwaite are now following in their footsteps.
Reiss was not too downbeat when he spoke to the Manchester Evening News on the Vale Park touchline, and while he was disappointed with the result and the missed opportunity of more games against Football League clubs, he believes his young charges will take plenty from the contest.
"This is first of all a learning competition for us although we want to win every game," said Reiss. "In this game you get the feeling of what you need to be competitive, and to be where they want to play. It is not just learning to do things better but as well to give them the feeling of 'wow, this is what I need more, I thought I was good but this is what I need to do more.'"
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