The Best Performance So Far, Says Barradell
- Leicester City Under-18s beat Sunderland in the U18 Premier League Cup
- Reece Evans scored twice in the victory at LCFC Training Ground
- The young Foxes next face Crystal Palace in U18 Premier League South
- Coach Adam Barradell said it was a complete performance
City’s Under-18s picked up their maiden win in the U18 Premier League Cup, beating the Black Cats at LCFC Training Ground, courtesy of first-half goals from Reece Evans.
After the match, Barradell shared his thoughts on the proceedings, and was pleased to see the team learn from their mistakes in previous outings.
“I thought the boys were outstanding, especially in the first half,” the coach told us. “It was probably the most complete performance we’ve had this season, and I thought the way they controlled the game with and without the ball was fantastic.
“They showed a real certainness in their pressing game, and a good understanding of the tactical idea. To do that in the first cup game was really pleasing.
“We spoke about the goals we conceded against Fulham, and we wanted to rectify that, and be a bit more of an attacking threat with the ball. Even though we scored three goals against Fulham, it was about having more control.”
Leicester's coach also praised the efforts of youngster, Evans who enjoyed an impressive pre-season ahead of the new campaign.
He added: “It was great to see Reece Evans score the goals in a competitive fixture because he scored a lot of goals in pre-season, so it’s good to see him get off the mark.
“We were unfortunate to lose Kirsten Otchere who got sent off against Fulham, but it’s always good when one comes in to fill the gap. We’ve got three strikers that are in the goals and hopefully that continues.
“We’re looking for midfielders to join in on the act a bit more now and be more of an attacking threat within the games, but it’s been promising from a goal scoring point of view so far.”
Having picked up four points from their opening three games in U18 Premier League South, which was kickstarted with a 2-1 win over Norwich City on the opening day, Barradell is looking to go far in a tournament which they have a strong history in.
“We want to go as far as we can and be competitive in the cups,” the coach continued. “We’ve got two teams in our group stage who we don’t usually play in Sunderland and Stoke City, and we know Brighton & Hove Albion having played them in the league already.
“It’s a competitive group to get out of, but two years ago we got through to the semi-finals before losing to Fulham, so it’s one we want to replicate.
“It’s really positive in the group at the moment and going on a camp in Scotland was great in pre-season, and now the boys seem to be really developing and hopefully we can see that come to fruition on the pitch more consistently.
“The boys have showed their quality in every game so far this season in stages, but last weekend’s win against Sunderland was the best performance so far.”
Now with a week's break in matches before they welcome Crystal Palace to Seagrave on Saturday 16 September, the coach explained what was in store for the team and Academy coaches while international fixtures are played.
“It’s a little bit of a different week for us,” Barradell explained. "It’s a chance for us to reflect on the games gone. Some boys will go on international duty, and it’s an opportunity to collaborate with the Under-21s staff.
“It's different working week, but then we come back together as an Under-18s group on Monday ready to work on the training pitch ahead of Crystal Palace.
“We’ve got a strong group of coaches here at the Academy, and we’ll work together and train together which is a great opportunity for the boys to show their potential in front of other groups of staff.”