‘No-lose’ derby for youngsters
lar to now? We are now discussing who goes out on loan and which clubs are interested, which club is the best fit.
“That is what you have to weigh up. One size doesn’t fit all.”
The Academy has changed a little down the years and there have been modifications since the Graeme Souness era.
Back then, the United manager decided the first-team training pitches weren’t up to scratch and were the reason for so many injuries, which resulted in the Academy and first team switching ends at Benton.
But the room Souness used for his Press conference has now been transformed into the Under-23 changing room, with one wall knocked down to try to mirror the first-team area across the fields at Benton.
Dawson explains that when Lazaar, Aarons and even Sean Longstaff train back at the Academy they must play by the rules.
He added: “The way we work and the environment we create, the lads are very grounded. The hunger is there. We value hard work, discipline, honesty, humility and respect.
“That is what we strive for on a daily basis.
“Even when Sean Longstaff comes back to us after sampling that success he knew to remember where he was.
“Elias Sorensen was the same after his training with the first team.
“We told him nothing different and what we expected.
“The group we have wouldn’t let that happen as they’d be quick to remind you to get back down to earth. That comes from the daily habits of what is expected and it’s the foundation for everything.” The average day starts for youngsters at the Academy with breakfast, with a wide range of nutritional options and protein-building meals on offer for the youth team. They then get changed and move to the video room where they are briefed on what the day’s session will consist of and look at video clips from previous games (or even training sessions) to see what is expected of them. Academy youngsters are also educated on the site, with the club’s blueprint reading: “Newcastle United Academy aims to make a positive contribution to the personal, social, academic and technical development of all schoolboy and scholarship players.”
A huge sign in the classroom at Little Benton reads: “The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.”
There are no guarantees that a player will walk away from the Academy as a Premier League superstar.
Somebody like Tavernier had to fight for his career after being overlooked by Pardew and went through the loan system before landing a big move to Rangers.
Ferguson is at Millwall, while Ameobi is plying his trade for Bolton and Armstrong is being fielded as a left-winger at Blackburn.
Then there are the ones who don’t make it at all and slip into nonleague before fading out of the game completely.
So there can be no revelling in the success of Sean Longstaff making his Premier League debut – it’s all about who’s next.
Dawson said: “The challenge for us, though, is always to do better with what we have available.
“I don’t think there is a magic formula to it but you have to find a way that works.
“In terms of what we have available here, we do OK.
“Could we do better? Definitely. That is what the staff here are striving for every day.” NEWCASTLE United coach Ben Dawson insists his young Magpies “can’t lose” against Sunderland’s first team – regardless of the outcome of tonight’s Checkatrade Trophy tie at the Stadium of Light.
The United young guns have already exceeded expectations in the competition by beating the likes of Doncaster Rovers, Grimsby Town, Notts County and Macclesfield Town in previous games.
The chance to take on Sunderland’s League One players offers the unique experience of a senior derby for the Toon youngsters, with no first team Tyne-Wear derby in sight for potentially at least two more years were Newcastle to stay up this season.
Looking ahead to the clash, and going toe to toe with Jack Ross, Dawson said: “For us this is very much a no-lose situation.
“Nobody expected us to get out of the group or perform as well as we have done.
“We have already beaten Doncaster, who are from League One. But this is a one-off game. In one-off games anything can happen.
“There is no pressure on us as we were not expected to get through. It is another step in the lads’ development.
“How many will get to sample a game like this? Who knows?
“If you get the experience behind you it should help going forward and being calmer.
“They’ll recognise the surroundings of a big game and I am expecting a half decent crowd there. Even that alone when they walk out is important.
“Hopefully they won’t get caught up in what is going on around them. Then there’s the Press and media side of things.
“They still then have to go out and perform.”
In recent times Newcastle’s second string have enjoyed the taste of derby victories in a variety of different ways.
Last season they triumphed on penalties at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League International Cup after a 2-2 draw.
This term they dished out a 5-0 thumping at St James’ against the Black Cats and, only last Friday, they won 3-2 in the last minute at the Academy of Light.
Dawson said: “If we get the basics right and work hard that will be good.”