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57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." 59 These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

60 20 Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"

61 Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you?
62 What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
64 But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.
65 And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." 66 As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.

What was he saying just before they left?

He told them to indulge in cannibalism of himself which nauseated observant Jews, then started down the road of identification of His Deity. Notice that He refers to Himself as the Son of Man but keeps his verbiage short of coequality and coeternity and also does not talk about the Trinitarian formula. So what is the meaning of Son of Man?

The earlier OT refers to sons of men as simply mortal men. Ezekial uses it repeatedly as God applies it to him (Ezekial) as a humbling term.

Hebrews refers to Son of Man as a created being that God has given great favour to.

So in answer, Jesus was hacking them off; your emphasis on verse 65 refers to the people that would not believe then. For backup on this, let us look to: John 12:31 Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world 18 will be driven out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."

What Jesus says in Chapter 6 refers to the immediate disbelief of those who will walk away, but He also says in Chapter 12 that He will draw all men to Himself.