Youth development in football had never been something that could be transformed overnight.
Ever since New Manchester United established their academy, Ethan had continued investing in it year after year. In the early days, the players it produced were nowhere near good enough for the first team. Even the best of them were usually destined for the lower divisions.
In recent years, however, the academy itself had become a prestigious destination, and countless promising youngsters dreamed of joining New Manchester United.
As that reputation grew, so did the club's expectations.
That did not mean New Manchester United simply demanded that every recruit already possess outstanding ability. Instead, Mourinho, Cassell, Meulensteen, Moniz and the academy coaches had worked with the Lab's specialists to create a comprehensive assessment system. Rather than judging young players solely on what they could do at that moment, the club examined their natural qualities, attitude towards training, physical development and long-term potential.
A youngster might, for example, be technically gifted but physically underdeveloped. That would not necessarily count against him. The Lab could build an individual conditioning programme around his technical strengths, helping him develop physically without compromising the qualities that had made him stand out in the first place.
Another player might appear technically ordinary at first glance, only for Moniz and the other coaches to discover exceptional awareness, balance or close control beneath the surface. Such a player could still be admitted.
There was no single template.
New Manchester United tried to judge each youngster on his own merits and give every player with genuine potential the chance to develop within the club's system.
That philosophy was one reason Ethan had never stopped investing in the academy. In recent years it had begun producing an increasing number of promising players, although most were not yet ready for New Manchester United's first team and had instead been sent into the lower divisions to gain experience.
The youth-development programme Ethan had previously proposed to the FA had been conceived along the same lines: long-term, sustained investment rather than a short-lived initiative.
The Premier League's involvement had helped persuade the FA to adopt parts of the proposal, but implementation had been far more hesitant than Ethan wanted.
"Our academy has a group of English youngsters born around 1990," Ethan said. "Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere and Jack Rodwell are among the most promising. Technically, they're already ahead of most players their age, and they're still improving quickly. That's because they're developing inside a proper system."
He paused before continuing.
"If we want results immediately, then of course we have to recruit foreign players. But look ten or twenty years ahead. If we maintain this development structure, I believe there's every chance that at least half of our first team could eventually be made up of English players developed by the club. Perhaps even more."
Ethan was willing to say it because he had seen enough evidence to believe in the process.
The Walcott developing at Newton Heath, for example, was already markedly different from the player Ethan remembered from his previous life. His extraordinary acceleration remained, but his technical education had been far more thorough. His close control, decision-making and finishing had all improved significantly, allowing him to score at an exceptional rate in youth football.
Some within the academy had even begun comparing his potential with Messi's.
To Ethan, that illustrated a simple point.
England was perfectly capable of producing technically accomplished footballers. The problem was that too few young players were being raised in environments designed to cultivate those qualities.
Chad Yeager was visibly surprised by Ethan's confidence, but he had also heard enough about New Manchester United's youth teams to take the argument seriously. Their sides were among the strongest in the country at almost every age group.
"Mr Yeager, England's problems run much deeper than the top academies," Ethan said. "If you only make cosmetic changes, nothing fundamental will improve. The whole development structure needs to be rebuilt from the bottom up. Otherwise, I'm afraid I don't see the situation improving very much."
Yeager took no offence. Given Ethan's record in football, he had earned the right to make the argument.
"We'll take your proposals seriously, Mr Yu," Yeager replied with a smile.
The FA was independent of government, but it occupied an important public role and received government funding in a number of areas. Youth development in particular was an issue where stronger political backing could accelerate reform considerably.
Ethan then turned to another subject.
"As for choosing the FA's next chief executive, I have to say I'm disappointed with the way these appointments are usually approached."
David Dein, sitting beside him, gave a rueful smile. He clearly understood the criticism.
"What would you do instead?" Yeager asked.
"Bring in specialists."
Yeager raised an eyebrow. "Specialists?"
"The FA is a governing organisation. Its chief executive doesn't need to personally master every part of football," Ethan said. "The important thing is building the right structure beneath him. Commercial matters should be handled by people who understand commercial development. Football matters should be handled by people who understand the game."
He continued, "Mark Palios has done a reasonable job, but reasonable isn't enough. One person cannot be expected to cover every aspect of football administration, commercial development and governance equally well. If the FA recruited more genuine specialists and gave them proper responsibility, it would become a much more efficient organisation."
Yeager understood what Ethan was really saying.
Too many areas of English football were still administered by people whose expertise did not necessarily match the work they were responsible for. The weaknesses were not always immediately visible, but the rapid growth of the Premier League had increasingly exposed the structural tension between the league and the FA.
A more professional structure could reduce some of those conflicts while also helping English football develop more effectively.
Dein nodded several times as Ethan spoke. He clearly agreed.
The FA might not have been a government department, but government funding still gave ministers a degree of oversight. With the Faria Alam scandal damaging the organisation's credibility and England's disastrous start to World Cup qualifying placing further pressure on the national game, ministers had already demanded that the FA restore order quickly.
As sports minister, Chad Yeager had every reason to be interested in what came next.
While Ethan, Dein and Yeager continued their discussion inside Highbury's executive area, the match below had developed into a tense battle.
Wenger had placed enormous importance on the fixture. Arsenal were level on points with Manchester United but sat second on goal difference, and victory over New Manchester United would strengthen their position significantly.
At half-time, however, the score remained 0-0.
Arsenal had spent much of the first half protecting the centre with Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva, who frequently dropped towards the back four and congested the space in front of the penalty area. It had worked reasonably well, denying New Manchester United the central openings they normally exploited.
The Red Rebels were also dealing with the effects of a demanding schedule, while several players had required careful management during Ramadan. Under Arsenal's compact defensive pressure, Mourinho's side had struggled to establish their usual attacking rhythm.
Then, during the interval, Wenger received news from elsewhere.
Portsmouth were leading Manchester United 2-0.
The score immediately changed the mood inside Arsenal's dressing room.
"This is our opportunity," Wenger told his players. "Manchester United are in trouble. If we win this match, we go top. Don't let it slip away."
Arsenal emerged for the second half with renewed aggression.
Henry, Pires, Reyes and Ljungberg began attacking New Manchester United's defensive line with far greater frequency, repeatedly trying to combine around the edge of the penalty area. Terry and Curtis held firm in central defence, breaking up several dangerous moves, but Mourinho could see Arsenal beginning to gain momentum.
He signalled for his team to retreat several yards and tighten the space between midfield and defence. Beckham and De Rossi, operating as the midfield pair, were told to offer greater protection in front of the centre-backs.
Even so, Arsenal eventually found their breakthrough.
In the 68th minute, Henry carried the ball forward from the left and exchanged passes with Reyes before driving infield. De Rossi stepped across to block his route, so Henry slipped the ball centrally towards Pires.
With Beckham closing him down, Pires struck under pressure.
The shot took a deflection off Curtis.
Čech reacted, but the change of direction left him helpless.
1-0.
Highbury erupted.
Arsenal's confidence surged after the goal and they continued pressing forward, but Mourinho reacted quickly. He withdrew Ronaldo, who had begun to tire, and introduced Michael Johnson, strengthening the midfield and giving New Manchester United three players capable of protecting the space ahead of the defence.
Robben was later replaced by Messi, whose fresh legs and close control gave the Red Rebels a different threat on the right.
The changes gradually stabilised the match.
Arsenal still controlled large stretches of possession, but New Manchester United's counterattacks became increasingly dangerous, particularly once Messi began finding space.
The 17-year-old had already shown the previous season how devastating he could be from the bench, and his performances this year had only strengthened Mourinho's belief in him. His age was one of the few reasons he had not yet become an automatic starter.
With Messi on the pitch, New Manchester United's front three of Kaká, Villa and Messi moved constantly between positions. There was no rigid attacking shape. One would drift wide, another would drop between the lines, and the third would attack the space created by the movement.
Behind them, Beckham began covering more ground and searching for openings with his passing. De Rossi and Michael Johnson alternated their forward runs, giving Arsenal further problems.
Wenger saw the momentum beginning to shift and decided not to take unnecessary risks. Arsenal dropped deeper and began making substitutions designed to protect their advantage.
The minutes ticked away, but New Manchester United's pressure did not ease. If anything, it intensified.
Brede Hangeland was outstanding. Alongside Sol Campbell, the former Red Rebel dealt with wave after wave of attacks and made several crucial interventions.
For the travelling supporters, there was something almost frustrating about watching him play so well.
He had once been one of theirs.
As the match entered its closing stages, New Manchester United showed no interest in accepting defeat. Beckham and Curtis repeatedly urged their teammates forward, while Arsenal were pushed closer and closer to their own penalty area.
For long stretches, Wenger's side could do little more than defend and hope to protect their 1-0 lead.
And judging by the clock, they seemed increasingly likely to succeed.
But football had already provided New Manchester United with enough reminders that matches rarely followed expectation. Few had expected Mourinho's side to be held at Fulham, either.
Then came the 89th minute.
Messi received the ball on the right.
Kaká and Villa immediately moved towards him, the three exchanging a rapid sequence of short passes that pulled Arsenal's defenders out of shape.
Messi suddenly accelerated.
Ashley Cole tried to stay with him, but Messi slipped past and reached the byline. Then, just as Cole recovered, Messi stopped sharply and shifted the ball again, buying himself the fraction of space he needed to deliver the cross.
Pascal Cygan tracked the flight carefully.
The ball was bending towards the near post, and Cygan stepped across to clear it.
Before he could reach it, however, someone arrived in front of him.
A red shirt rose above the crowd and met the cross with a powerful header.
Lehmann had no chance from that distance.
The ball flew past him and into the net.
1-1.
David Beckham.
The captain had timed his run from midfield perfectly, arriving in the penalty area at precisely the right moment to head New Manchester United level.
He had rescued a valuable point.
More importantly, the Red Rebels' unbeaten Premier League run had reached 49 matches.
Beckham sprinted away in celebration, his teammates racing after him as the travelling support exploded behind the goal.
Inside the executive box, Chad Yeager watched Beckham celebrate and found himself thinking back to his conversation with Ethan.
The contrast was difficult to ignore.
The Beckham England had seen in recent months had often looked frustrated, constrained and increasingly disconnected from the team around him.
The Beckham playing for New Manchester United looked liberated.
He dictated matches. He covered ground. He created chances. He scored goals. Above all, he seemed to enjoy his football.
Perhaps Ethan really had been right.
(To be continued.)
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