With many of his players already back at Compton Park to help supplement first-team training – something his group have done consistently so far this season – the under-18 head coach is already making plans for the second half of the 2021/22 season, which could see some new and younger faces added to his squad.
Although he admits this could lead to a hit in results, Davis is prioritising the development of the players and giving them the best opportunity to progress in their careers.
On having a Christmas break
“The players have had a few days off over Christmas, the lads from abroad have had the chance to go home, while the local lads will be back in today, Thursday and Friday with the under-23s and as part of supplementing training with the first-team to make sure they have numbers over the Christmas and new year period.
“The majority of the squad will be training for at least three or four days over this Christmas period, before we’re all back in as an under-18 squad this weekend.
“The players have had some time off, but it hasn’t been a complete shut-down. They still had to be available to supplement first-team training and keeping them ticking over. We also can’t allow them to lose too much fitness as we need them ready for our first game against Birmingham City on 6th January.”
Our under-18s signing off for 2021 with a 4-0 win at Stoke!
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) December 21, 2021
🎓🔥 pic.twitter.com/HzBm5p6pvp
On supplementing first-team training
“Training with the first-team has been invaluable for our young players so far this season, to keep going down there, working with Bruno and his staff and allowing the coaches to know how our young players are developing.
“It’s been a very good year and season for that; the way everyone has been mixing, in terms of us giving them players and the transition from under-18s to under-23s and then getting opportunities with the first-team.
“It’s been brilliant for the lads and has really helped them, challenged them and pushed them on to develop quicker.”
On players moving up to the under-23s
“January is always a difficult month because the transfer window reopens and we will see some of our young players who do need the next step from the under-23s – and that is obviously first-team exposure.
“If it’s not here, it will be going out on loan, but we have an idea of what is likely to happen in January and we’re always in regular meetings with Matt Jackson [strategic player marketing manager], Scott [Sellars], Jon [Hunter] and James [Collins] about which players are ready or which players should be going out and getting challenged.
“That will obviously have an impact on the under-18s and the players who are already there with the under-23s and maybe one or two who haven’t been there as much will get more opportunities themselves.
“We’ve still got our own fixtures to play this season and we’ve still got to fulfil those fixtures for the remainder of the season, but from my point of view, I want the players to go up to James and the under-23s as soon as possible – but they have to be ready physically and they have to be ready in terms of their performances.”
On bringing talent through the Academy
“With players moving up to the under-23s, it then allows me to look at the best under-16s and under-15s we have at the Academy. There are several who have already had good experience with the under-18s this season, and we need them to be pushing through.
“Obviously, that will mean things will be tough for us for a little while in the new year, in terms of results and performance. But under-18 football isn’t about results, we’re more about giving those players the opportunities they need and making sure they continue to get those opportunities.
“Even at a young age, if they’re good enough, they will play and they’re around it. In the Nottingham Forest game, we lost 3-0, but we were very young that day and had a few 14 and 15-year-olds playing in that team. But it was brilliant for them to see how difficult it is and how far they’ve still got to go, in terms of where they are in their development, physically and mentally.”
On preparing for 2022
“What we’re looking for in 2022 is for the young lads to kick on and keep improving, but I’m really happy at where they are at the moment in their development.
“I’m sure James is pleased with the under-18s coming into his group this year, because they’ve all done really well.
“But they’ve got to keep working hard, improving and taking themselves to the next level, which is about being consistent in the 23s, play regularly, improve and get better, and then see where they takes them towards the end of the season and into the next one.
“For me, the under-15s and 16s will be coming into our programme for two days a week in the new year, so we’ll get to work with them closer, see more of them, and try to integrate them into the 18s group.”
