Brian Barry Murphy’s exciting group of Under 21s are riding high at the top of the PL2 rankings and are unbeaten so far in 2023 as we step up the chase for what would be a historic third consecutive title.
Meanwhile the City youngsters have also qualified for the knockout stages of the UEFA Youth League for the first time since 2018.
Norwegian midfielder Bobb has been at the forefront of that superb run of form, with his latest standout display coming in last Sunday’s fine 3-1 win over Liverpool where he opened the scoring.
The 19-year-old was also a key driver in last term’s memorable title success and for his part he says the class of 2023 are proving every bit the equals of our illustrious 2021/22 group.
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“I am really enjoying it and think we are maybe even playing better at times than we did last year and we have surprised people,” Bobb said.
“Last year when we went into the season we had the likes of Macca (James McAtee), Sam (Sam Edozie), Liam (Liam Delap), Romeo (Lavia), sometimes Cole (Cole Palmer) and Josh (Wilson-Esbrand).
“And there was more of an expectation that we were going to win and we were favourites.
“Whereas this year I feel like we are not underdogs as such but maybe a bit under the radar.
“I think as a team we’ve done really well since coming back from Christmas and the New Year.
“We’ve had not as tough a schedule in terms of having just one game a week and that has really helped us get more training in as a team.
“I feel very comfortable (within the team). The young guys that have come in are maybe one or two years younger than me, but they are still very professional.
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“I see us more as a group of equals. I may be older, but we all act professional and do what we can to win games and develop as players which is the ultimate goal.”
The immediate focus for City’s Under 21s is trained on Friday’s latest PL2 assignment away at Fulham, a game that CITY+ and Recast subscribers can watch live.
But also looming large on the horizon is our upcoming UEFA Youth League last 16 tie away to Hajduk Split of Croatia.
It’s a hugely exciting prospect for Bobb and his colleagues.
And the Norwegian midfielder believes the extended break that City enjoyed during the Qatar World Cup has proved one of the key catalysts in helping bring the very best out of Barry Murphy’s group.
“It has been great. I think it was good to get a few weeks of rest leading up to Christmas and the New Year as we really bonded as a group,” Bobb added.
“We went away to Morocco for a training camp and then half the squad went to Abu Dhabi with the first team which was great.
“We have come back an even stronger unit.
“And I feel like we are getting to know each other even better and how we are playing is reflected in that.
“So, I think it is really exciting (looking ahead).
“The UEFA Youth League is a big stage to play in and we really want to try and push on in PL2 and win that again.”
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