CHAIRMAN Eddie Mitchell insists Cherries will benefit from the controversial decision to restore Paul Groves and Shaun Brooks to the club’s youth department.

Mitchell was speaking after confirming that both Groves and Brooks had gone back to their previous “status” at Goldsands Stadium.

The management duo were last month relieved of their first-team duties having presided over a poor start to the League One season.

However, Mitchell reported that Groves and Brooks remained involved after taking up an offer to return to roles within Cherries’ youth set-up, having been under-18s manager and head of youth, respectively, prior to their elevation to the senior side.

The move has been criticised by sections of a fan-base which grew increasingly frustrated at Cher-ries’ performances under Groves.

It also means Cherries now have a bumper backroom staff as Mitchell confirmed that John Donoghue and Ross Embleton, both recruited in the summer, remained in place.

According to Cherries’ website and matchday programme, Donoghue and Embleton still officially hold the titles of head of youth and youth team manager.

When asked if everybody could be accommodated within the department, Mitchell told the Daily Echo: “It gives us the opportunity to do as much as possible with the youth team and I think there is work there to do. It is somewhere I want to focus a little bit more in the near future to really get the most out of it and push it along. I think we have got the right people in there to do that.”

Groves returned to the Goldsands Stadium dugout last month and watched as Cherries’ youngsters suffer a penalty shootout defeat at the hands of AFC Totton in the FA Youth Cup.