The reserves recommence their league season away at Newcastle United this evening after a three-week break.
The new format of second string football has freshened up the fixture list, making trips like this to the north east an attractive part of the calendar, and coach Steve Holland is looking forward to the challenge.
'The season got off to a great start in terms of playing at Stamford Bridge against Everton, another side not usually in our region and this follows it up nicely, at St. James' Park, which makes it two great venues to have played in,' he reported.
'It's been a frustrating two weeks with the international break, it would have been nice to have had another couple of games in the bag by now, but the break impacts on the reserves group as much as the first team, so I am sure the lads will be looking forward to playing again.
'Newcastle has a very good academy with good players, they are back in the Premier League now, and you are always guessing with regards to the make-up of a reserve team squad and whether they will have senior players in it or not.
'They played Sunderland recently and played very strongly, so either way we expect them to have very good players. Their youth team got to the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup last year, losing narrowly to Aston Villa, so we could quite easily have played them in the Final last year. I am sure it will be two well-balanced teams and a good game.'
Wednesday night's Champions League game against MSK Zilina means Holland will be without a number of promising talents, but he still expects a number of exciting youngsters to be involved.
'The Champions League squad travelled to Slovakia, so Patrick van Aanholt, Fabio Borini, Josh McEachran and Sam Walker, who all played in that first game of the season will not be involved on Thursday, so that's terrific in a way but it does mean they are unavailable, and now Michael Mancienne is out on loan at Wolves, so it will be a younger team than that one against Everton.'
One man expected to be involved is the scorer of last season's FA Youth Cup winning goal, Conor Clifford, who this week signed a new contract that lasts until 2012. It has been confirmed he will come up against former Arsenal, Spurs and England defender Sol Campbell, who is still working towards full fitness and will start for the Magpies.
The new format of second string football has freshened up the fixture list, making trips like this to the north east an attractive part of the calendar, and coach Steve Holland is looking forward to the challenge.
'The season got off to a great start in terms of playing at Stamford Bridge against Everton, another side not usually in our region and this follows it up nicely, at St. James' Park, which makes it two great venues to have played in,' he reported.
'It's been a frustrating two weeks with the international break, it would have been nice to have had another couple of games in the bag by now, but the break impacts on the reserves group as much as the first team, so I am sure the lads will be looking forward to playing again.
'Newcastle has a very good academy with good players, they are back in the Premier League now, and you are always guessing with regards to the make-up of a reserve team squad and whether they will have senior players in it or not.
'They played Sunderland recently and played very strongly, so either way we expect them to have very good players. Their youth team got to the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup last year, losing narrowly to Aston Villa, so we could quite easily have played them in the Final last year. I am sure it will be two well-balanced teams and a good game.'
Wednesday night's Champions League game against MSK Zilina means Holland will be without a number of promising talents, but he still expects a number of exciting youngsters to be involved.
'The Champions League squad travelled to Slovakia, so Patrick van Aanholt, Fabio Borini, Josh McEachran and Sam Walker, who all played in that first game of the season will not be involved on Thursday, so that's terrific in a way but it does mean they are unavailable, and now Michael Mancienne is out on loan at Wolves, so it will be a younger team than that one against Everton.'
One man expected to be involved is the scorer of last season's FA Youth Cup winning goal, Conor Clifford, who this week signed a new contract that lasts until 2012. It has been confirmed he will come up against former Arsenal, Spurs and England defender Sol Campbell, who is still working towards full fitness and will start for the Magpies.
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