It’s awards night at Old Trafford tonight and one can only feel there’ll be an air of regret and dissatisfaction in the room after yesterday’s high’s-and-low’s saw players and fans alike begin to dream the impossible before being Earth shatteringly brought back down to Earth in the space of just a few short seconds.

But is it all bad news? Is it all doom and gloom within Manchester United?

Look, the first team will come back stronger next season after the experience of this one, but in truth the stats suggest they’ve enjoyed an enormously successful season despite finishing it empty handed.

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It only feels like yesterday when United advanced into the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup with a determined victory over a very decent Charlton Athletic side who refused to be beaten until James Wilson’s dramatic late winner was enough to finally see them off.

United started favourites that night at Old Trafford but tonight I think they’ll start as underdogs as they welcome a relatively experienced Chelsea side who boast plenty of talent who played in last years fixture at the same stage of the same competition. United don’t have that luxury, but what they have shown during this cup run is a determination and a typical Manchester United ethic of playing right until the final whistle.

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If ever there was a stereotypical ‘game of two halves’, this was it! United took the initiative and started the better of the two teams, so much so that after 30 minutes United were literally ‘dipping their bread’ as-and-when they fancied scoring.

Within those 30 minutes United took a well deserved and impressive three goal lead, the passing and the movement was killing Sunderland who simply didn’t have an clue what was happening to them.

Frustrated and somewhat stunned by United’s superb start Sunderland began to test United’s physical strengths, this for me was the first of many turning points that eventually led to the game ending 3-3 with United the happier to hear the final whistle.

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The last few weeks and months of the Academy have highlighted its purpose for me; experiment and develop in the league fixtures but put the boys to the test in the cup.

Today United welcome Group D counterparts Sunderland from the North East as they look for their first win of 2012, in fact, you need to go as far back as November 5th 2011 to find United’s last league victory. That day saw Joe Rothwell stretchered off after suffering a hip and knee injury combination that’s left him sidelined for 4 months, his return is imminent but unlikely to be today. Perhaps it’s a coincidence that Joe’s absence has coincided with United’s current inability to win games, but his return will definitely be welcomed and provide a boost to an area of the field where United certainly struggle to dominate.

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Buckle up girls and boys it’s getting serious in the FA Youth Cup! Tonight promises to produce real barnstormer of a match as Manchester United host Charlton Athletic at no less than the Theatre of Dreams.

Tonight will make-or-break the hopes of these teams as we play to a finish, but at 16 to 18 years old, some of these boys will get their first (and for some possibly their last) taste of how it feels to have their dreams come true; as they not only walk out onto the Old Trafford turf, but also get 90 minutes of football on it…..one of them might be fortunate enough to get the winner on it and some might even go on to make hundreds of appearances on it.

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Forget the result, forget United are still without a league win in 2012, forget they led this game 3 three times only to be pegged back after each goal, forget all three Wolves goals were conceded via set-pieces; this was one hell of a performance and an exciting game that could’ve gone either way although, as biased as it might be, I reckon United probably edged the right to be the more disappointed they didn’t walk away with all three points.

Goals from an incredibly lively and responsible Sam Byrne and one each for two players who could hardly get into the game, should have been enough to seal the win today but, some great deliveries and some misfortune cost United after they battled bravely to defend their goal from start to finish.

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Paul McGuiness and Manchester United’s Academy boys go in search of their first win of 2012 in the Academy League today as Wolves make the journey to Carrington to face a team they easily beat 5-2 the last time the two sides met at Wolves’ Academy Centre back in October.

United were out played that day and Wolves capitalised on United’s defensive frailties and their inability to recover from losing possession not to mention United’s individual errors in critical areas of the field that gifted goalscoring opportunities to what looked like a decent Wolves team with plenty of promise.

Since that fixture though, the group has improved both mentally and physically, their experience has developed and the manager has found solutions to defensive problems that had him literally shaking his head during the reverse fixture.

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In a repeat scoreline from earlier in the season Manchester City capitalised on a lazy first half performance from Manchester United that saw them head into the break with a comfortable looking two goal lead.

United came out stronger and upped the tempo in the second half and immediately began to give City problems. After pegging their rivals back with a well worked goal from Luke Hendrie United pushed forward looking for an equaliser, but Devante Cole muscled his way to a close range finish that ultimately sealed a 3-1 defeat for United as they searched for their first win in the league in 2012.

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Academy League football returns today with an exciting trip to Manchester City.

United’s local rivals were surprisingly dumped out of the FA Youth Cup at home to Fulham on Wednesday night after squandering a 1-0 lead going into the break through top goalscorer Jordie Hiwula. That goal was Hiwula’s 20th of the season including one in the reverse fixture at Carrington earlier in the season that saw United outplayed for the majority of the game with City coming away eventual 3-1 winners.

Hiwula also scored for City’s EDS (Reserves to you and me) in the Manchester Senior Cup last week to seal a 4-2 victory and will surely be the player to watch today as United look to find their first league win of this calendar year.

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A ruthless ten minute bombardment saw this determined group of United youngsters stun their opponents into submission just before the break at The Liberty Stadium in Swansea on Thursday night.

With this tricky looking fixture away from home and key players missing from the squad, the game was far from a foregone conclusion, but an immense display from my Man of the Match Tyler Blackett and a showing of similar proportions from Mats Daehli ensured United safely navigated their way into the quarter finals to face either Charlton Athletic or Spurs at home (venue undecided as yet) later this month with a 5-1 win.

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