Derby County’s Under-18s are looking to end a winless run of five games when they face Manchester United at Moor Farm tomorrow.
The Rams last victory was on 10 October at Wolves and they currently sit 11th in the Under-18 Premier League North, a spot and a point behind The Reds.
Performances have not necessarily delivered points for the Rams in recent weeks yet Under-18 boss, Justin Walker is relishing the prospect of taking on a United team who themselves are struggling. Yet to win on the road this season, Paul McGuinness’s team have slipped to four consecutive defeats.
“We’re excited to play Man United and we’re always looking to challenge ourselves against the best clubs in the country and certainly they fall into that category,” Walker said.
While last weekend’s 3-2 reverse at Blackburn was hardly ideal preparation, Walker is not too worried by results at this stage of the season though he did admit that the demands of full-time football and developing a winning mentality can be challenging for first-year apprentices.
“I think the players developing a winning mentality and getting used to playing in a league is quite strange for some of them having come out of schoolboy football at academy level,” Walker continued.
“So it does have a part to play and it’s a massive importance to them and their future careers, but I mean the main part of it is we go back and reflect on the game and look at individual performances and what they contributed. The players have had a couple of days off after a busy period and they can reflect on that.”
