Crystal Palace Under-18s head coach Javier Alonso has given his thoughts ahead of the Young Eagles’ U18 Premier League Cup clash with Leeds United on Saturday.
Alonso’s side return to cup action at the Academy (11:00 BST) knowing victory is essential if they are to keep their title defence alive.
Palace lifted the trophy for the first time last season, beating Manchester United on penalties in the final in front of 4,000 supporters at Selhurst Park.
We are building a team
—Javier Alonso
The U18 Premier League Cup features eight groups of four, with only the winner of each section progressing to the quarter-finals. Palace are in Group C alongside Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Aston Villa, having opened their campaign with a slender 2-1 defeat at Forest.
“We have been training hard all the week,” Alonso said. “I'm more focused on how we have been doing rather than them. I think we are doing well.
“We are training well. We did a couple of sessions very well. The players are pushing themselves more and they are understanding more what we want from them.
“Now, we are building a team and I think we are ready for this game.”
Leeds currently sit 10th in the U18 Premier League North – the regionalised top level of Category One U18 football in the country – after five matches, with two wins and three defeats. The Whites went into the international break on a high, beating Leicester City 3-1, with Logan White scoring twice.
“Obviously, we analyse Leeds,” Alonso explained. “They are a good team and very good team in possession too.”
We had time to work with new ideas
—Javier Alonso
The three-week September-October international window provided Alonso and his coaching staff with valuable time on the training pitch, despite first-year scholars Lucca Benetton and Alfie Mulvenna being away with England and Northern Ireland Under-17s respectively.
Palace also welcomed a number of Under-16s into the group during the period, allowing Alonso to continue working with players from across the Academy.
“Yeah, I think it was a very good period because I think the players need a break,” he said. “I think we had time to work with new ideas and also bring new energy for the team after a draw against Fulham.
“Also, we played two games, the team is improving, the players are improving and I think the team needs this break to move on to the next, what is coming.
“I think we had time to coach the players, also some U16s played and we coached them. It was a good period and now we're ready for what is coming.”
It was a very good reaction from the team
—Javier Alonso
The Young Eagles entered the break after a dramatic 3-3 draw with high-flying Fulham in the U18 Premier League South.
Having trailed 3-0 at half-time, Palace produced a remarkable second-half response as Jamar Lee, Dotun Lamidi and Donte Martin all found the net in superb fashion to secure a point.
For Alonso, the performance was about more than the comeback, with the head coach pleased with how his side responded after the interval.
“To be honest, in my opinion, in the first half, we didn't deserve to be losing 3-0,” he said.
“We had a couple of chances at the beginning of the game, we didn't punish, we had some mistakes, they punished and football is like this, if you don't take your chances, the other team can take the chances.
“We finished 3-0 at half-time, we spoke with them, the staff spoke with them and they improved with the tactics and also with the mentality.
“We scored the first goal and after we drew and we could win the game. It was a very good reaction from the team and I think it was a good point after 3-0.”
Development remains the priority
—Javier Alonso
While Saturday’s fixture carries significant importance in the Premier League Cup, Alonso remains focused on the wider purpose of Academy football: developing players and providing opportunities to progress through the age groups.
The opening months of the campaign have provided plenty of evidence of that pathway, with 10 U16s already stepping up to the Under-18s and making their debuts, while Ajean-Ray Greaves, Raihaan Anderson and 15-year-old Nat Kalembo have all made competitive Under-21 appearances.
“I think this is the main thing in academy football,” Alonso said. “Of course, the results are important, but I think the main thing is to try to develop the players and I think we can do both.
“I think the U16s are doing very well, Under-17s, U18s, everyone is pushing the players up.
“Some players are playing with U21s, some U16s are playing with us and I'm very happy.
With Palace having opened their Premier League Cup group campaign without a point, Saturday presents an important opportunity to put their title defence back on track before the final group fixture away to Aston Villa.
After the work put in during the international break, Alonso believes his players are ready to take on the challenge.
“The players are pushing themselves more and they are understanding more what we want from them,” he said.
“Now, we are building the team and I think we are ready for this game.”
Saturday's match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+, with coverage beginning at 10:45 BST ahead of an 11:00 BST kick-off – click HERE to find out more and subscribe.
Supporters can follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights and extended reaction will be available on Palace TV+.
Another great way to stay across all the action on matchday is via the official Crystal Palace F.C. App. With the app, goal alerts and key match notifications are delivered straight to your phone – keeping you up to date with every major moment for both sides.
Crystal Palace U18s v Leeds United U18s