Manchester United Under-18 coach Darren Fletcher has criticized the Football Association's management of the Youth Cup final, claiming Manchester City effectively "took over" the event.

United suffered a 2-1 defeat in the final at Joie Stadium, marking a frustrating conclusion to their season.

Fletcher's squad had previously fallen to Crystal Palace in the Premier League Under-18 Cup on penalties following a late equalizer, and they also finished runners-up to City in the Premier League North.

Although the former United and Scotland midfielder acknowledged that Oliver Reiss's City team outperformed them in Thursday's Youth Cup final, he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the event's organization.

City turned down United's proposal to stage the match at Old Trafford, citing construction work that prevented it from being held at the Etihad Stadium.

This choice frustrated United's academy personnel, who believed it denied players from both clubs a prestigious showcase in a fitting venue. Joie Stadium, with its 7,000 capacity, serves as the home for City's academy and women's teams and is located next to the main stadium.

In reality, despite claims from Manchester City officials of a full house, only the United supporters' area was packed, leaving many seats vacant in the home sections during the game attended by both clubs' first-team managers, Pep Guardiola of City and Michael Carrick of United.

Fletcher was particularly irked by the exaggerated announcements of City's players and staff as they received their winners' medals from EFL chairman Rick Parry.

"I'm disappointed with the FA over everything surrounding this match: the venue, all of it," stated United Under-18 coach Fletcher.

"You must respect the opponents. But not when Manchester City hijacks an FA Youth Cup.

"This is an FA tournament. It should not have unfolded that way.

"I've never seen individual coaches and every player named aloud like that. It is not standard for cup finals.

"As an FA event, it came across as a Manchester City production throughout the buildup and especially at the ceremony's close.

"That is my main issue this evening. Still, the superior team prevailed - credit to them."

Fletcher reportedly voiced his concerns aggressively, confronting FA officials during the post-match presentations.

He is also frustrated by the scheduling of the Premier League 2 play-off final at Brighton.

This under-21 competition match is part of a double-header at Amex Stadium this Saturday evening, kicking off at 19:30 BST after a Women's Super League fixture earlier that day.

The tight turnaround from the Youth Cup final complicates participation for many of Fletcher's players, who regularly feature in PL2.

Moreover, it limits availability of promising youngsters for United's Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Sunday lunchtime.

"We are navigating numerous challenging scheduling conflicts with these youth games, which is regrettable," Fletcher remarked.

"With the under-21 match just 48 hours later, some of our lads will miss out.

"I hope those involved step back and reflect. There is much to learn for the Premier League and FA regarding these traditional tournaments."

Manchester City chose not to respond to Fletcher's grievances.