Sunderland U21s boss Graeme Murty is looking forward to his first taste of a Tyne-Wear derby next week as the young Black Cats travel to St. James' Park. The young Wearsiders picked up their second win of the Premier League 2 Division 2 campaign and their first under Murty's tenure.
The former Rangers boss has talked up the importance of developing a playing style and need to develop a toolbox of attributes for his young players. The positive so far this season for the young Black Cats, has been the inclusion of a number of first team players to help bolster their ranks.
Against Leeds United, Murty was able to call upon nine first teamers as Tony Mowbray gave the green light for his players to get further minutes under their belt. The new summer contingent of young players; Jewison Bennette, Abdoullah Ba, Edouard Michut and Amad Diallo have all featured of late, while Jay Matete and Leon Dajaku are also eligible to play.
READ MORE: Edouard Michut scores first Sunderland goal as U21s halt winless run with Stoke win
“The group has been really enjoyable to work with so far," Murty told safc.com. "They’ve been open and embraced what we’re trying to say.
"That impact of when they can perhaps ask better questions will come soon, where they’re becoming more comfortable with me. But certainly, the lads are really working hard to dictate the tempo of games and control the manner of the game both with and without the ball.
"Sometimes they’ll make mistakes, as with Stoke’s second goal. We’ve sent a full-back flying on to exploit space in behind, but the ball forward drops short, and our centre-half drops too far and lets their player into the box for an easier shot.
"So, we need to give him the detail of how to defend that 1v1 situation as an example – that will come. Mistakes are fine, and as coaches we need to embrace these learning opportunities for the boys, not castigate them."
Looking ahead to Monday's Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle u21s, Murty added: “They’re all big games for the players, and Newcastle next week will be a special atmosphere.
"I’m really looking forward to it, as are the players, and it’s another test for them in a new environment. They might be nervous, but that’s great – they’ll have to deal with that in their careers. And we’re looking to build that resilience into the players whereby they can channel that anxiety in the right way out on the pitch.”
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