There was always going to be a huge element of risk when Manchester United drew up transfer plans for their youth players last summer.
After winning promotion back to the Premier League 2 Division One most would have expected Neil Wood's side to retain their best youth talent and look to seize their return to the top level of youth football. They didn't.
Instead the United chiefs took the selfless approach, allowing the older members of their squad to pursue vital loan moves elsewhere, leaving manager Wood with an exceptionally young squad, even by U23s level.
It was a huge risk. Even given mitigation it would be global news if United were relegated again, but it is credit to an incredible pool of players that they are now daring to dream of winning an unlikely league title instead.
Scoring six goals in successive wins over Liverpool and Blackburn helped restore the goal difference to neutral after a testing start to the campaign, now United are starting to show real signs of progress with a squad inspired by the talents of Hannibal and Shola Shoretire - both shining in the vacancies left by the absent loan stars.
Their win over Arsenal on Friday night was a huge show of character from a United side which possesses both the silky individual talent of their recently promoted first-team stars and the streetwise brawn required to grind out difficult wins in testing conditions.
It was always going to take something special to warm up Leigh Sports Village on a freezing Friday night, thankfully the under soil heating wasn't the only thing which rose to the occasion.
Dylan Levitt missed out on the match as he nears a loan move to Croatian side NK Istra on loan until the end of the season, so it fell upon Ethan Galbraith to pull the strings in midfield. The ever impressive passer did just that.
Channelling his inner Tom Brady with a smart ball from deep midfield the Northern Ireland international carved open the Arsenal defence, allowing Hannibal to take the ball down before rounding the keeper.
The 18-year-old, ones of those promoted to the first-team bubble, looked certain to put the ball into the back of the net, but was downed by the cynical Daniel Oyegoke. A red card for the Arsenal defender and the chance for Joe Hugill to showcase why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is backing him to take penalties at this level.
Maybe he shouldn't have. Hugill's weak effort easily saved by Arthur Okonkwo as he dived low to his level.
United should have been ahead, it is credit to Wood's side that they responded in the perfect manner, suffocating the Arsenal threat and commanding the tempo of match.
Soon they'd have their goal, Harvey Neville firing in low from the edge of the box after a clever pull back from the left wing. It's been a while since a Neville opened the scoring for United.
Then a blow for United, as Hannibal fell awkwardly onto his arm. He tried to continue, but grimaced, shortly being replaced by Bjorn Hardley - making his debut at this level.
With Amad out through illness and Hannibal off the pitch through injury, United were now down to just one of their first-team stars in Shoretire. He certainly relished the limelight.
A quick Ronaldo-chop from the 17-year-old on the edge of the box drew a free-kick. Shoretire took responsibility himself, drilling an effort off the bar. Arsenal's rattling woodwork the only thing preventing United from more than a one-goal lead at the break.
After the pause came a period of play which defined the game. A sensational save from the vocal Matej Kovar denying the lively Flo Balogun, before Tim Akinola headed wide from an Arsenal corner.
United were on the ropes, but soon they'd be on the attack. Shoretire twinkling on the left wing and inspiring his teammates to lift their heads and regain their composure.
A second was to follow as Hugill made immense for his penalty miss in style, capitalising on a loose ball in the six-yard box to expertly poke the ball beyond the hapless Okonkwo. Not the most spectacular he'll ever score, but one of the sweetest.
As the clocked ticked down United asserted their dominance, Shoretire tormenting the Arsenal defence with his perpetual dribbles into the box.
His reward was a late penalty, as an Arsenal leg clumsily floored him. There was nothing clumsy about the finish, as Shoretire took the ball and calmly slotted it into the bottom right corner - the goal his performance deserved.
With another impressive win under their belt United are now up to fourth in the league, only one point behind leaders Man City - although there are still plenty of games to play before the table really paints a clearer picture.
United's priority remains steady progress of their uncut diamonds, rather than consequentialism of winning at all costs at youth level - but soon they could be reaping the reward of a league title for their brave transfer risk which has already allowed the next group of hopefuls to shine well ahead of schedule.
