Stone: Stay Strong

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Stone: Stay Strong

No excuses as U23s' effort comes up short

2020-10-24T08:20:33.882Z

Stone: Stay Strong

No excuses as U23s' effort comes up short

2020-10-24T08:20:33.882Z

U23s Return Against League Leaders Leeds - Image 1

Steve Stone admitted his players need to stand strong when the going gets tough after a positive performance at Middlesbrough brought them no reward.

The Clarets were the better side in the first half at Bishop Auckland’s Heritage Park as their desire to play more of a passing game was clearly evident.

But Stone’s men were unable to force a breakthrough and after falling behind nearly 15 minutes into the second half slid to a third successive defeat as Boro climbed to second place in the PL2 second division table with a 3-0 victory.

“I thought we played some really good stuff for the first hour up until the first goal went in in,” said the Under-23s’ boss.

“We should have been out of sight in the first half in terms of the chances we created.

“But from the quality of chances we haven’t worked their keeper again. We don’t seem to be able to work their keeper enough, so the quality of the balls coming into the box at the top end of the pitch needs to be better and that’s something we just have to work at.

“In terms of what they’ve tried to give and in terms of what we’re trying to ask them to do, it’s been really good. There’s no problem with it. I’m delighted with it because it’s early days.

“But football is about winning football matches as well and they have to understand that when you go 1-0 down, what are the minerals it takes to get back into a football match?

“I thought we had a little bit of a soft underbelly in certain players whose heads went down and stopped doing what we were trying to do.

“That’s the time I’m looking for them to step up and do the thing they’ve been doing all game.

“Everybody can play at 0-0. It’s when you go 1-0 down what you’re about and they have to learn those harsh lessons. But overall, I’m delighted with how they’ve been trying to do things.”

The Clarets included four trialists in their squad and four scholars in their starting line-up against a Boro side which has now taken 10 points from its first five games.

A number of Burnley’s more experienced players are currently training with the first-team squad and midfielder Mace Goodridge was absent through suspension.

Collective training is also currently limited due to different ‘bubbles’ in place around Covid-19 protocols which have contributed to making a tough start to life in Premier League Two.

But Stone insists no-one is ducking the challenge of trying to produce results and develop future players at Turf Moor.

He added: “It’s never ideal at Under-23s level with what you get thrown at you but as a coach that’s what you deal with.

“I never use the excuses for them. They’re footballers and if they do the right things; run around hard, compete for the second balls, play two touch, run forward and run back when they need to there are no complaints.

“The basics of the game don’t change, so I don’t use excuses like that, whether there are trialists or people who haven’t trained together. They have to understand that might happen some day, so they have to get used to that.”