Ose Aibangee thinks Brentford’s experience at the Milk Cup will be key as they go about trying to achieve a historic double at the Northern Irish Youth Football tournament.
The Bees are taking two sides over to Coleraine for this year’s edition of the Dale Farm Milk Cup looking to become the first side in history to win the Premier and Junior competitions in the same year.
A number of last year’s Under-15s side return including Kingsley Eshun and Joshua Bohui to compete again in the Junior trophy.
Meanwhile for the first-time Brentford are also competing in the Under-17 Premier Section with James Ferry, Tom Field, Audrius Laucys and Courtney Senior, who were all part of the victorious side in 2012, returning.
For Ose that experience will play a key role in the coming week.
The Brentford Academy manager said that preparations had gone well, apart from a few injuries, and that he was looking forward to what would be a successful week.
“I am a little bit disappointed that two or three of the older group have picked up knocks that mean they won’t be travelling,” said Ose.
“That has weakened our squad slightly and one of the Under-15s got himself injured too.
“In terms of the overall preparation it has gone well but it is just a little bit unfortunate that we have picked up one or two injuries.
“A lot of these players have been there before and for a lot of the older boys they have won the tournament before.
“They know what to expect and they are looking forward to it.
“They are motivated because they want to do well and everyone is really keen to do well this year.
“When we play Academy matches there is no real consequence associated with winning, drawing or losing.
“When you play in the Milk Cup every game is important; when you win you progress and if you lose you play in the lower cup which none of the players want to do.
“There is a real consequence to it and it does put a little bit more pressure on the players.
“The fact that they have played before and understand the pressure a little better than they did last year will stand them in good stead.
“It is going to be an unbelievable week and I am sure, with all their preparations, the boys will do really well.”
In just five years Brentford have gone from finishing 22nd in the Milk Cup to winning the tournament and now taking two sides over for the first time.
Ose sees The Bees’ progression at the Milk Cup as helping to mirror the progression that the Academy is making in general.
The Brentford Academy Director feels his side can compete against Manchester United and Newcastle United who are both alongside The Bees in the Premier Section and that shows how far Brentford’s Academy has come.
“We have had a real progression at the Milk Cup,” said Ose.
“Winning it two years ago was a massive achievement and some of those boys are going out there this year for a second time.
“That was a great achievement and we are progressing as an Academy.
“Hopefully we will do well when we get out there.
“We have often watched groups in that older age group and there are some really good teams in there.
“Manchester United play in it every year so there are some top teams that play in that division.
“It would be good to get into that top four, and that is our aim.
“I feel with the players that we have got and the preparations that we have done leading up to the tournament I am pretty sure that we will get there.”
Ose feels that progression has now made Brentford a team to beat at the Milk cup.
Whereas in the early years Brentford were taken lightly by many of the sides now Ose feels they are a side everyone takes seriously.
Losing that unknown tag has made it more difficult for Brentford Ose feels but he is confident that his teams have enough about them to rise to that challenge.
“The fact that we have been there before and we have won the tournament before means a lot of teams will take us seriously and be prepared for us,” said Ose.
“None of the games will be easy.
“I imagine they will be very difficult as people are now looking at Brentford as a scalp.
“When we first went to the Milk Cup people just saw little old Brentford and they didn’t really know whether we were a good side or not.
“Now teams are going out and really planning and preparing to play against us.
“We had that last year with teams setting themselves up to play against us and it makes it a lot more difficult and our boys have to be prepared for that and stand up to that challenge.”
One of the other great features for Ose about the Milk Cup is the time spent away getting to know players.
Ose said that he and the coaching staff learn a lot about players on and off the pitch at the Milk Cup.
For the Under-15s, who will find out if they are to be offered scholarships at the end of the season, the Milk Cup can go a long way to forming opinions in the minds of the coaching staff.
“You really get to know the players when you are away,” said Ose.
“When you see them here on a part time basis it is three or four evenings a week.
“When you go away you see them not only on the pitch but also off the pitch and you start to really understand about their character.
“That will help make our minds up on a lot of these decisions moving forwards.
“Some of these players will become youth team players and then professional players so how they react off the pitch is vitally important to us.”