James Collins is expecting a challenging 90 minutes, as Wolves under-21s open their Premier League 2 campaign at home to Fulham on Friday evening.
The head coach believes the Cottagers are always a ‘good barometer’ in terms of where his own team are at in their development and admits the season opener at Aggborough will be a real test. With pre-season now complete, Collins has seen a number of his players return back from first-team training and has been pleased with the transition of all players, whether they have progressed from younger age groups or applied their first-team experience back into the 21s.
On pre-season
“Pre-season’s always interesting at under-21 level because our players have spent a lot of pre-season with the first-team.
“We’ve had an opportunity to look at some of the younger players for when they get transitioned to us during the season. We’ve managed to implement a lot of the tactical work which has gone well.
“We’ve been getting the players to a certain level of fitness and those who have been with the first-team have returned with a spring in their step. They’ve had an incredible experience training with top players.”
On the players training with the first-team
“It’s an individual programme so they’re getting an invaluable experience training with top players and being coached by top coaches.
“Hopefully their pre-season work has been worthwhile and they can transfer it back with us.
“In the past, the transition has been quite seamless. As long as the boys show that humility when they return, then they’re ready to play.”
On the work during pre-season
“For a very young group, they’ve worked extremely hard in trying to implement what I’ve been asking them to implement.
“At times, that’s not been easy but they’ve done it really well. In the last couple of weeks, you can see a few are reaping the rewards of that.”
On the new PL2 format
“In my opinion, it doesn’t help or hinder developing under-21 players. The balance of the games is good and playing everyone once almost gives you a real variety of styles.
“I suppose the only disappointment for us is that we worked really hard to get in the division and worked really hard to stay in it last season.
“To then be told it’s going to be one division is a little bit disappointing but from a development point of view, it makes no difference either way as long as they’re getting a competitive games programme, which they are.”
On the test Fulham will pose
“Fulham are always a really good barometer of under-21s football. They’re always right up there in the league and always produce good players.
“They’re athletic, technically very good and always well organised. They’ve got a new coach this year and I have no doubt that Hayden Mullins will have them the same.
“It will be a real test for us and it’s a really hard first game of the season. We’ll know after the game about the group we’ve got and where we’re at.”
