Darren Fletcher reveals key to United U18s’ unstoppable run this season Manchester United Under-18s boss Darren Fletcher has disclosed the driving force behind his side’s relentless march this season.Stunning streakUnited’s Under-18s have been in fine form this season, winning 16, drawing two and losing four of the 22 league games they have played.The Red Devils have a perfect record since the turn of the year and currently sit in second place, just three points below cross-town rivals Manchester City.United beat Crystal Palace in extra time at Old Trafford last week to reach the FA Youth Cup final, where they’ll meet City. Fletcher has instilled an attractive, attacking brand of football that balances goals with defensive stability.The former midfielder spoke to club media and revealed that a combination of United identity and a possession-centric style of play has been key to the success he and his players have enjoyed so far.Fletcher breaks down coaching philosophyHe said, “We’ll always keep Manchester United traditions that have been passed down from the club from a long time.

There’s threads of that in there for sure, but we have to evolve them the way modern football is played – so definitely more emphasis on possession. But I think football, in general, has gone that way. So you have to be really, really good in possession.”“I must admit I’ve enjoyed the way we’ve played this season and we’ve played in an extreme, extreme way, but that’s also recognising what the opposition do as well.

So we won’t just keep the ball for the sake of it, if there’s space to exploit in behind and it needs a long pass.”On the Under-18s playing at Old Trafford, Fletcher remarked, “I think we’ve progressed with each round, of having the experience of being on there.”“It shows how important it is for these young players to experience that for their development. More so than anything in front of fans, the games being on TV, the games being high-profile.”“The most pleasing thing for me is how we’ve improved with each game, as we’ve gone along on the journey. Great learning, but, obviously, we’re going to have to go away now for a final, which will be another great experience and another great challenge, and part of their development.”Fletcher stressed the importance of being defensively resolute.“We want to dominate the ball.

We want to build up from the back. We want to play our way through the opposition. I think the out-of-possession principles are probably more powerful – we want pressure on the ball at all times.

Pressing is how we’ve scored a lot of our goals, actually.”“I’ve really enjoyed watching us play. I said that to you before we came on here, that the amount of times the opposition coaches have complimented us on our off-the-ball [work]. We’ve not conceded that many goals, which has come from a combination of the way we keep the ball off the opposition, so we starve them of possession.”“But as soon as the opposition have the ball, we try and win it back as quickly as possible, and we sprint back every time the opposition have an attack.

So the players have bought into that right from the beginning of the season.”The Under-18s are next in action on Wednesday when they face Palace again, this time in the Premier League Cup final at Selhurst Park.Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Imagesonline pollsThe Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social