Academy coach happy with performance in the capital
David Lee admitted he felt aggrieved that his Under 18 side didn't secure a positive result against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, but he was more than pleased with the effort put in by his players.
The Baby Whites suffered a 2-1 reverse at the hands of Spurs on Saturday morning, but Lee was upbeat following the final whistle in North London.
“Overall, we came down to Spurs where they have a £40 million set up with supposedly the best players in the country and internationally, so for our boys to acquit themselves against strong opposition, we did very well regardless of the result,” he explained.
With the team having defeated their opponents 8-4 in their last trip to North London for an FA Youth Cup tie back in February, Lee confessed that he had warned his players against becoming too complacent.
“I said to them before the game that after you beat a team 8-4, they’re going to be gunning for it so they will try and do to us what we did to them last season.
“They were always going to be on the mark and they’re going to come up against things like that, so it was a good test for them above anything else.
“At the end of the day, it’s still about the development,” he said. “These players are being tested with the start that we’ve had, but they’re also being tested with the kind of opposition they’re coming up against.
“I think the players have got to keep pitting themselves against strong opposition to get better.
“It’s all about their attitude and their character, and then the technical and tactical side will be taken care of too - they are learning day by day.
“From the players’ perspective it’s been disappointing with the actual results, but their individual performances are gradually getting better and they’re improving week by week.”
The club’s young guns will be looking to secure their first win of the season when they entertain Fulham at Lostock on Saturday morning, kick off 11am.