Richard Beale: Winning has to matter to kids
Albion under-21s boss Richard Beale has stressed the importance of winning even at youth level as the Baggies’ juniors crashed out of the PL Cup.
Beale’s side had qualification to the knockout stage from the final group game against Reading in their hands but fell to a 3-0 defeat to the Royals, as a result elsewhere in the group condemned their fate.
The academy coach, who guided the age group to silverware in the competition two years ago, often states the importance of performance levels in youth football and development both individually and as a unit. But he added that youngsters just under first-team level must feel the significance of a positive result.
Beale said: “You get a lot of constraints at under-21s football, players coming in and out the team, having to go off at certain times, for first-team training or otherwise.
“But they are one stage under the first team – they have to learn to win games, see games out, I’m a big believer in that, winning is always important.
“Of course it’s not the be all and end all at under-21s but the boys need to know the importance. We’re not going to win every single game, we’ve lost a few players and there’s not big numbers. The lads that we’ve got are getting great opportunities.”
Former Blues and Villa youth coach Beale has had playing restrictions this term with a raft of his more senior options away on loan or regularly training with Carlos Corberan’s first team, which reduces minutes.
There are some injuries, too, including attacker Reyes Cleary, out for around another month with a hamstring injury, and defender Jamal Mohammed (ACL). Youngsters leave for senior non-league experience all the time, including defender Aaron Harper-Bailey for Kidderminster last week. Beale had to name two full-backs, Reece Hall and Josh Shaw, at centre-back against Reading.
Beale had scholar goalkeeper Ben Cisse, full-back Deago Nelson, midfielder Cole Deeming and winger Ollie Bostock all in his starting XI. Kevin Mfuamba, Jenson Sumnall and Eseosa Sule of the same age group also came on.
“The boys had worked really hard to get to this stage, it was in our hands and we didn’t perform to the levels we should have, which is disappointing,” Beale added. “It’s not always as simple as putting out your best team and having lots of options to change things.
“It was a difficult game, fair play to Reading they made it tough for us and were very direct and played on first and second balls.
“The lads understand and know they have to learn that side a little more. I’ve given them a little bit of credit lately but they’ve got to get better at that.
“With a young team it is important they get both sides of the game and it was a good test of that, ultimately in difficult conditions with the pitch and wind they managed the game better.
“There were some times we had good football and link-up play, but they were a little bit tougher and stronger.”
