Town’s U21s have made an impressive start to life in Premier League 2, but is there a pathway into the first-team set-up? TWTD spoke to new academy manager Ben Chenery.

John McGreal and Chris Casement’s side are currently second in the division behind only Manchester United having recorded notable victories over Chelsea and Liverpool in their opening six games.

“John has done a fantastic job, John and Chris and the wider support team, because they max out every game,” he said.

“They’re maxing out in training, they’re maxing out on a matchday and you get your rewards.

“You become quite lucky when you turn up and train hard every single day or when you turn up on a matchday, you give everything and run through the line for 90-plus minutes, and that's what they’re doing.

“I’ve been really pleased with John and the 21s, very mindful that it isn’t just about results, of course. But performances are high, so when we perform well, results will be a byproduct of that. But performances, we’re making them better and that’s what’s impressed me more than anything.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have someone like John in the building with his experience of senior football and academy football.”

Tudor Mendel has been nominated for the PL2 Player of the Month award, while Somto Boniface has been named in the England U20s squad. Is there a pathway for them and their teammates to break into the first team?

“You have Tudor, you have Somto, you have Luca Fletcher, who we brought into the building [on loan with a view to a permanent deal from Manchester City],” Chenery continued.

“They’re just some of the names that we can talk about. Of course, daily we are striving for them to get closer to the first team and we’re very blessed that they can have opportunities to go and train with the first team when it’s warranted, when it’s earned.

“And I think it’s the case with these young players that we have to develop them, not just as footballers, but as people to make sure that when they step into a first-team environment and they go and train, they don’t come back to us. And that’s for me and the staff to find a way with them.

“Players have to always be ready, have to be adaptable, have to find a way now at U21s level because they may be called upon at some point and they’ve got to take the opportunity.

“And what an opportunity, to be involved in a really strong squad with an excellent manager and first-team staff that they can take so many learnings from. But they’ve got to earn it and they have to make sure that they’re consistent every day within the academy, and they are performing.

“Are there things I’d like them to do better? One hundred per cent, of course, and we’re working with them.

“But they’re striving those boys every day. Somto’s just been selected and gone away with England U20s, so that’s fantastic for him and for the football club, and we hope there will be more opportunities for others.

“Those boys, they’re getting as close as they can, but it’s daily habits, it’s earning the right and making sure that when they do get the chance to train over there, they find a way to stay over there.”

In previous years, the club has had targets for the number of players from the academy making it into the first team, but Chenery says there are no hard and fast goals from that perspective at present.

“I have KPIs in terms of what it needs to look like,” he said. “Of course, that’s where we want to get players to.

“But those goals, once we have this academy in a really good place, once we add value and improve on those daily habits and daily behaviours, some of those old school values that I want to instil in players and staff, those things will materialise and happen. And at this football club, rightly so, it has to be earnt.

“And that’s what I love about this football club now, if you are good enough you’ll get your opportunity, and that’s how it should be.

“We’ve got to make sure that we make them good enough and I’m not going to put any target, any number on that at the moment because we are not at that place. We’re close, we are going to improve, we’re going to have more players in this building.

“We’re going to start making a lot more noise, we’re going to start running harder, working harder, we’re going to get the 18s stronger, the 21s are in a really good place and once that happens, it will just materialise because the pipe's full, there are players coming through.”

While the U21s have made a strong transition to life in category one, it’s been more of a struggle for the U18s, who are yet to win a game this season.

Chenery says they are improving and believes they will grow over the course of the campaign.

“We have to compete first because some of these boys have never been in a cat one programme and we’re asking them to try and max out and try and get there, and we’re probably not there physically yet,” he said.

“We’re not fit enough yet, our profile’s a bit different, but I’m OK with that because we have time.

“I went to Arsenal with them and we lost 4-2, so we’re getting a lot closer. There’s been opportunities where we can do it, but we can’t do it for 90 minutes, can only do it for 60 at the moment.

“We’ve got to make sure we get them physically get them stronger and better, more togetherness, which is coming.”

Photo: TWTD

Tractor_Boy_in_HK added 13:16 - Oct 13 Encouraging interview. The academy has been a disaster, so if there's a pipeline coming it's all good for the future of the club.
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BotesdaleBlue added 15:23 - Oct 13 An interesting insight into the workings and current state of play within our academy. We haven't had that sort of feedback for fans for a fair old while. It was one key area of the club that has been very quite, looking almost moribund from a fan's point of view. Hopefully, the Category 1 status and all that goes with it, will kick it into life with some prospects emerging for the first team squad in due course. If that lot up the A140 can do it, so surely can we.

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armchaircritic59 added 18:08 - Oct 13 Ultimately it would be great to have something like Barcelona's " La Masia " and no, I'm not trying to compare them to us, just the way they bring up youngsters. Rather than type a very large piece about it, anyone interested in it can easily get the information from a google search. In my opinion that's the way to do it. Yes it will take time and money, but even on a smaller scale it would be a huge benefit. As for now, it's clear the U21's are at least where they want to be, and the rest aren't, as the article says above, they are working on it. I remember the days when young players used to come through here like it was a conveyor belt, it would be great to get back to that again as soon as possible. It would save a fortune in the transfer market too. Good luck to everyone who's working hard to bring it to fruition!

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Nutkins_Return added 22:19 - Oct 13 Tractor Boy - has it been a disaster? That's an honest question because I'm not sure how I rate it. Doesn't feel a disaster. We had back to back promotions with multiple academy products helping us to do that. Woolfy , Clarke and Humphreys all playing a part. Also plenty of players have come out of it and playing a good standard. Downes, El Miz, Dobra, Chirewa, Flores. But yes at the same time it hasn't quite felt like we are close to someone who will make a big impact in the first team for some time. Who in the champ does it much better?

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Tractor_Boy_in_HK added 06:16 - Oct 15 @Nutkins_Return - Disaster, perhaps, but clearly underperformed. We now rely on a technicality in order to have a full bench (as opposed to one less for not meeting the rules)- we literally have no academy product in the 18 match day squad. Woolfy is the only academy player to contribute over the past few years. Harry C left a long time ago and technically is not our academy product, and Cam H was a bit part and can't make our 18. He really should have been loaned out. Downes, indeed. The others you named are doing well as pros, but in the lower leagues. I'd say every team in the Championship has more minutes for academy products than we do this season - every single other club. So I may go back to saying disaster. Our club needs to produce top players and sell on, as well as finding young players to develop and profit on. Without that the project really isn't sustainable (aka Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth model).

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