Midfielder Flynn Downes felt the Blues more than held their own during Saturday’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Premier League West Ham, the club he and his family support, and the 19-year-old is confident going into next Saturday’s Championship opener at home to Blackburn Rovers.
"I thought we were very good for the majority of the game,” Downes said of the West Ham match.
"The second goal was a bit of a mish-mash but I thought for the whole game we did well, we pressed and played out as well.
"I don’t think you could tell that they were a Premier League team and we’re in the Championship, I thought they wasn’t really a lot in it.”
He added: "We started a bit slowly and they went 1-0 up and we were thinking, ‘Oh no!’, but I think we reacted really well.”
He says you could see West Ham’s Premier League class: "What they do on the ball is something special and I think at the end in the last 10 minutes they started getting on top a little bit.
"But I think throughout the game we competed well. I think we matched them toe-to-toe and I thought the boys were excellent.”
Downes feels the squad is getting the hang of new manager Paul Hurst’s style of football and are fitter going into this season after a tough pre-season programme.
"He knows what he wants us to do and I think that’s finally getting through,” he said.
"In the first couple of games I thought we were kind of getting used to what he wanted us to do.
"But I think now we know and we’re fit enough to do what he wants us to do, the pressing. I think we do know what we’re doing now and I think it showed out there today.
"I think we’re gradually learning, I don’t know how long it’ll take but as you can see today, it’s a different style we’re playing from last year.
"It’s rubbing off already and obviously we’ve got to keep going the way we’re going and hopefully we’ll get a lot better at it.”
Downes says the extra level of fitness will prove beneficial as the season progresses: "In the first 20 minutes I was blowing a little bit but then I got my second wind and I felt fine.
"It does make a big difference. If you’re feeling lethargic you’re going to be struggling but the boys felt fit out there today and it showed with the pressing.”
Downes is from Brentwood in Essex with the Hammers the club he has supported since he was a child: "My whole family have supported West Ham, so it was good to play against a few of the big players, that was good.”
He was also delighted to get under the collar of Jack Wilshere, who was booked for fouling him in the first half.
"He was getting the hump, wasn’t he?” Downes laughed. "I’ll take that! He was getting hump, which is always a good sign.
"It was a good experience to play against him, just to see what that level’s like. It was a good experience.”
Downes was joined in the centre of midfield by two other teenagers, Andre Dozzell, also 19, and Tristan Nydam, 18. He admits facing a side such as West Ham’s was a big ask for the trio of teenagers but says they didn’t get intimidated by the prospect going into the game.
"It was but before the game we didn’t really feel the pressure,” he said. "We were relaxed, we were confident and to be fair I’ve known Tristan and Doz since the U8s, so it was crazy going out there against West Ham with them, crazy.”
He says new boss Hurst makes the younger players feel just like every other member of the squad.
"He says to go and play your natural games,” Downes continued. "Obviously he wants us to do certain things, like in that game when to sit a bit more with Doz and Trist pushed on.
"He makes us feel like every other player. I feel like I’m at the senior level and I think that does help massively. It’s good for our confidence. I don’t feel like a youngster any more and I like that.”
Ellis Harrison, who netted Town’s goal against the Hammers, is one of four summer additions so far and Downes says the new signings have settled in well.
"I think we’re like a family here so, speaking on behalf of the new boys, when they come in they fit right in and I think that shows as well, we are a real team.”
He says the speculation regarding Martyn Waghorn’s future hasn’t really had too much of an impact on the rest of the squad.
"I think we’re all just getting on with it,” he reflected. "Obviously we don’t want him to go, he’s a top, top player but we’re just getting on with it and we’re doing our own thing.”
Town opted not to allow Downes and Nydam to join up with the England U19s squad for the European Championships in Finland over the last fortnight and he admits he would ideally like to have made the trip, while realising that his club comes first.
"It was a little bit disappointing because you always want to represent your country, that’s a dream,” said Downes, who has won five caps at U19s level.
"But Ipswich is the main concern. I was a bit disappointed but it’s alright, I’ll get through it!”
New loanee from Chelsea Trevoh Chalobah did make the trip to the Euros, where England went out in the group stage, before appearing as a late sub for Town on Saturday.
Downes has been impressed with what he has seen of his England U19s team-mate.
"He’s good, he’s a proper athlete, he’s good on the ball as well, so we’re expecting big things,” he said.
Looking ahead to next week Downes says he is going into the new season and the opening fixture against Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn Rovers full of confidence.
"I think we look really good,” he said. "Personally, that’s the fittest I’ve felt out there, that’s speaking on behalf of the boys as well, we’re all feeling fit, strong, powerful and with the ball as well, our quality’s good. Yes, I think we’re looking good and feeling confident.”