Nydam: Palace Performance Shows Youngsters Are Pushing for Places Wednesday, 23rd Aug 2017 15:25 Tristan Nydam hopes last night’s impressive display in the 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Crystal Palace showed manager Mick McCarthy, his assistant Terry Connor, the rest of the staff and the Blues' fans that the club’s young players are pushing for places in the senior side on a more regular basis. McCarthy fielded Town's youngest-ever first-team line-up with an average age of just 20 against a strong, if not full strength, Eagles side and matched the Premier League outfit until the 76th minute when James McArthur scored the first of his two goals. On-loan Manchester City winger Bersant Celina pulled a goal back for the Blues in injury time and New Zealand international Monty Patterson, one of seven debutants on the night, even went close to equalising with a header in the dying seconds. “It shows the fans, shows the gaffer and TC and the rest of the coaching staff that everyone is pushing for a place, everyone is trying to make themselves a professional footballer,” Nydam, at 17 the youngest player involved, told BBC Radio Suffolk. “It was great, the boys did themselves proud, did the club proud and I think the fans are proud of us as well.” He added: “It was a stepping stone for all of us and we’ve just got to keep working at it.” Were there additional nerves playing in front of a crowd of almost 10,000 facing some familiar Premier League names? “I wasn’t that nervous and we had no pressure on us, we just had to go out and enjoy ourselves and impress the gaffer,” the academy product said. “He told us to go out an enjoy ourselves, do what we usually do, and that they’ll be nervous because they’re going up against names they don’t know, so just go and enjoy yourselves. “We were up against full internationals, who have got loads of Premier League experience, but I think we dealt with them well, to be fair.” As the game progressed and remained 0-0, did he think the Blues might even sneak a victory? “Of course, even when it was 2-0 we went and got a goal but we were just a bit too tired at the end, although [Monty’s header] was very close and we were all off our seats on the bench.” There were impressive performances throughout the side with centre-halves George Fowler and Pat Webber solid. “They were fantastic, dealt with the strikers well, played out from the back,” England U18 cap Nydam reflected. “I think they did themselves proud.” Up front, Australian striker Ben Folami put in a battling, hard-working display: “He put himself about the pitch against Premier League centre-halves who have been playing in the Premier League for I don’t know how long, lots of years. I think he’s done himself justice.” Nydam, who had friends from Ipswich and Colchester watching him from the stands, has now made three starts and one sub appearance for the Blues since making his senior debut in the Carabao Cup first round tie at Luton earlier in the month. He believes he has already improved as a player in those few games: “Massively. Physically it’s been very tough but I’ve just use that as experience and keep doing what I’m doing and make myself a better player. “One hundred per cent, I’ve got better with every game, I’ve just got to get used to playing in the Championship, used to playing with the first team. “I’ve got to keep my head down, the boys have got to keep their heads down and keep pushing and impressing the gaffer and TC and the rest of the coaching staff." Is the physical side of the game the biggest difference? “Yes, I was surprised by the jump from the U23s to the first team, it’s a massive jump. "We played Luton and that was a physical game and then against Barnsley the level up was just massive.” He says the senior players have been a great help to him and Flynn Downes, who also broke into the first team in the opening couple of games of the season. “They’ve been great, helped me loads,” he said. “Skusey helped me in the centre of the park, the boys have just been telling me and Flynn to go out and enjoy ourselves and I think we’ve done that.” Nydam was at left-back last night but says he prefers his primary role as a central midfielder: “I feel more comfortable in the centre but if the gaffer wants me to play left-back I’ll do it for him.” Considering Town’s excellent first few weeks of the season, he added: “It’s been a great start, I couldn’t ever have imagined it but we’ve just got to keep it going and try and impress the fans, keep the run going and hopefully push for a play-off place.”
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