McSweeney: A Great Experience For The Guys

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McSweeney: A Great Experience For The Guys

Leon McSweeney has provided insight into how our Development Squad are managing the challenges of facing senior opposition after our latest National League Cup outing.

2025-09-18T17:35+01:00

by Sam Jones

Published

18 Sep, 2025

McSweeney: A Great Experience For The Guys

Leon McSweeney has provided insight into how our Development Squad are managing the challenges of facing senior opposition after our latest National League Cup outing.

Sam Jones

2025-09-18T17:35+01:00

McSweeney: A Great Experience For The Guys

Leon McSweeney has provided insight into how our Development Squad are managing the challenges of facing senior opposition after our latest National League Cup outing.

Sam Jones

2025-09-18T17:35+01:00

McSweeney: A Great Experience For The Guys

Leon McSweeney has provided insight into how our Development Squad are managing the challenges of facing senior opposition after our latest National League Cup outing.

Sam Jones

2025-09-18T17:35+01:00

McSweeney: A Great Experience For The Guys

Leon McSweeney has provided insight into how our Development Squad are managing the challenges of facing senior opposition after our latest National League Cup outing.

Sam Jones

2025-09-18T17:35+01:00

Our Under-21s lost out 2-1 to Wealdstone in the National League Cup on Tuesday
Leon McSweeney reflected on the competition and what the players have taken away
Tottenham Hotspur visit Seagrave this Friday as Premier League 2 action recommences

On Tuesday, the young Foxes’ second group stage fixture, against Wealdstone, ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat, with Logan Briggs’ equaliser not enough to take a share of the spoils at Grosvenor Vale as the hosts grabbed an 84th-minute winner.

Although disappointed to come away without a point in both cup fixtures so far this term, having also lost out to Braintree Town, there were invaluable learnings to take away.

“It was a very frustrating game for us,” McSweeney reflected. “I thought we contained them well without the ball but unfortunately, when we won the ball back and regained possession, we were probably too eager to counter attack quickly.

Our U21s are back in action on Friday.

“We knew they would be expansive when they had the ball so there would be a lot of opportunities to transition quickly against them. We didn’t maximise those opportunities, particularly in the first half.

“And then the manner of the second goal, this is what we play in the competition for, to deal with a lot of set plays and really putting the pressure on the centre-backs and the goalkeeper to deal with the aerial threat.

“If I could be critical, we allowed those crosses to come in. We could have worked harder to stop those balls coming into the box as much as they did in second half.”

Coming up against National League sides is a vital experience for the Foxes youngsters, according to McSweeney, who explained how important such matches can be for the overall development of players at this age, with a trip to Forest Green Rovers still to come in the competition next month.

“It’s a great experience for the guys,” the 42-year-old continued. “They won’t have had the opportunity to play in these kinds of games against such physical opponents. It shows them the level. There’s good players and good teams in the National League.

“It opens their eyes to the opportunity that they’ve got at the Football Club. It’s a different perspective on football in general and we use these competitions to broaden the players’ experiences.

“You can get caught up in the Academy bubble at times, particularly as young pros and it’s important because hopefully it lights the fire in their belly to realise what they are competing against.

“It’s not just themselves and the players in their dressing room but people all around the country and young players who are striving to get to the top of the game.

Michael Golding rounded off the scoring in our last PL2 success, at home to Liverpool.

“If nothing else, it just gives an added incentive to realise we’re very fortunate at this Football Club with the resources that we have. Hopefully they think: ‘I’m going to maximise it and push myself into First Team contention’.”

It’s back to Premier League 2 duties on Friday, with Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s the visitors to LCFC Training Ground for a 7pm BST kick-off. Currently unbeaten in PL2, with two wins and a draw so far this season, it’s been a promising start which the coach is keen to continue.

He added: “If you look at all the games on the whole this season, the performance level has been really good. The blip was against Wealdstone on Tuesday, that’s the one below expectations. But for the most part, the lads have been excellent.

“The results are a product of the performance. It’s about maintaining their levels, keeping believing in what we are trying to do. The proof is in the pudding. If they keep on a similar trajectory in the upcoming weeks, when we’ve got plenty of fixtures, there’s no reason why they can’t go and achieve good things again this season.”

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