Ose Aibangee reserved special praise for Brentford’s Academy staff for helping to make the 2014 Dale Farm Milk Cup such a great experience.
For the first time Brentford took two sides out to the prestigious youth football tournament with the Under-15s taking part in the Junior Section while the Under-17s took part in the Premier Section.
To help cope with the demands of playing ten games in five days Academy coaching, conditioning, physiotherapy, analysis and transport staff all travelled over to Northern Ireland with the squads.
Ose said that their hard work went a long way to helping the two sides achieve so highly on the pitch.
Speaking to Bees Player after returning from County Antrim Ose said: “It was a great experience.
“I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff for all their efforts in taking two teams out to Northern Ireland.
“The care and attention they gave, not only in the Milk Cup but before it, showed in the performances.
“It is a multi-disciplinary approach that we have got in terms of analysts, sports scientists, coaching staff and even recruitment staff over there looking at the players.
“It was a real team effort and everyone pulled together to make it a real success.
“It is a really difficult schedule in Northern Ireland with the boys playing game after game which is something they are not used to.
“In England they will play one or two games a week but playing a game every week is a very difficult schedule and I think the boys were really well prepared.”
The majority of Brentford’s Premier Section Under-17 side were returning to Northern Ireland two years after winning the Junior Section crown as Under-15s.
After wins over Lusaka Academy and County Fermanagh The Bees hopes of defending their crown were dashed by a 2-1 defeat against 33-time Portuguese Champions Benfica.
That defeat saw them finish seventh in the overall table and qualify for the Globe Tournament where they lost on penalties to Mexican giants Club America, despite having led 4-2 with two minutes to go, before a defeat to Cherry Orchard meant they finished eighth overall.
Ose thought it was a frustrating week overall for the Under-17s especially as he felt that The Bees were the better side in every game they played.
“The Under-17s were frustrated because it could have been so much better if Manchester United had won when by two clear goals when they played CSKA Moscow,” said Ose.
“If they had done that then all of a sudden we are in the top cup.
“They didn’t and I think the boys were a bit deflated to be in the second cup.
“We felt that we could have been in that top cup and I felt that the boys did really well.
“We were carrying a few knocks but that wouldn’t have showed with any of our performances.
“I thought they were a credit to themselves and to the club in the way they played against Benfica and Club America.
“There was nothing in either of the games: the Club America game went to penalties and the Benfica game we were down to ten men and narrowly lost 2-1.
“Both games were even and, if anything, we were slightly better in our performance than Benfica so full credit to the players.”
By contrast to the frustration of the Under-17s Brentford’s Under-15s enjoyed a fantastic week at the tournament.
An unlucky defeat to Queen of the South ended their hopes of winning the top cup but they followed that up by putting four past County Down, three past Rangers and then four past Southampton to win the Globe and finish fifth overall.
The Bees game against Rangers was played in central Coleraine in front of a crowd approaching 1,000, the vast majority of whom were right behind the Scottish side.
Ose felt that experience was a fantastic test of Brentford’s character which they passed with flying colours.
“I thought the Under-15s were brilliant,” said Ose.
“Some of them went last year and I think that was a really good experience for them.
“They didn’t do as well last year but they were a lot younger and they came back this year with much more experience and did really well.
“They convincingly beat an experienced Academy in Southampton and I thought it was a really good performance and result.
“Playing against Rangers was a great experience and one that they relished in the end.
“They used it is as a real motivation.
“They knew everyone was against them and they used it push them forward.
“If they are going to be professional footballers then this is part of a learning curve because they are going to go away to places where the crowd will be against them.
“If they can use this learning experience then it will stand them in good stead.”
Alongside the experiences learnt on the pitch Ose felt that the younger age group also learnt off the pitch, helped by their older teammates.
Staying in the same hotel and spending much of their free-time socialising with each other both groups were able to feed off each other and learn from each other.
For Ose the way the two groups of players kept each other’s spirits up and fed off each other was very positive and went a long way to making it a successful week.
The Bees Academy Director also felt that the team-spirit, as well as the fitness, gained during the intense week together will go a long way once the Under-18s and Under-16s seasons begin next week.
“The two groups helped each other,” said Ose.
“There were times when the Under-17s were a little bit down and the Under-15s picked them up and visa versa.
“I think the Under-15s really learnt not only about how to perform on the pitch but how to perform off it around the hotel and in the meetings.
“The Under-17s showed that little bit of extra maturity and the younger players looked up to it and that will stand them in good stead.
“The build-up to this is invaluable ahead of the new season.
“The camaraderie and the team spirit of the boys is unbelievable having been together for a week.
“They have a good bond together.
“It was also great in terms of fitness as physically the games are really demanding.
“The boys were back in training last week and they were excellent.
“Fitness wise the week will help them massively and from team-spirit point of view it is excellent.”