In my opinion, there has been a slowness to react in a wider sense and a profound lack of innovation in dealing with what has become the ‘new normal’, but this has not been the case with a department that has placed the well-being of its youngsters at the forefront of its thinking.
The club, as a whole, was quick to respond to the growing problem of COVID-19 with head of Academy Nick Cox and head of first-team development Nicky Butt setting up specific programmes that were adopted by the various age groups. With a clearly defined purpose, there was hopefully no time for feelings of isolation or worry to grow.