Just watched it back again. Apologies for repeating what others may have said.
1) We lost our way after conceding the first goal. We looked quite comfortable up until that moment but we seemed to panic a bit. I liked how we knock the ball about across the back and we are increasingly resembling a Martinez side. That should allow for easier transition.
2) Holgate was impressive. The penalty is very harsh and outside of the box. His instinct to get his arm across is right there. His mistake is being in the wrong position initially and being flat footed. However he is very comfortable on the ball, quick and carries the ball well out of defence so it is easy to see what Martinez sees in him. I suspect he will have a similar path to Galloway who he is probably closest too (albeit a right footed version). I happen to think he has more potential than Galloway showed this time last year. He will make mistakes, but he has ability to do things that are well beyond say Pennington who played alongside him.
Of the rest of our defence Pennington was solid and grew into the game. I am still unsure whether he will get game time, I hope so. He probably needs a loan at a championship club to kick on. Failing that we could do worse than getting him back to Coventry.
Connolly I was very impressed with. He is part of our "golden generation" of 17 year olds, regularly capped for England etc. That was one of his better performances I've seen. Composed on the ball, quick, good in the air and able to slot inside and play centre half. Also adapted well to a back 3. So he was he surprise positive of the day.
3) Evans was disappointing. He couldn't get into his natural game. Not helped by that yard dog Rossiter giving him special attention. Even though it wasn't a particularly good game for him you can tell what a talent he is. He has rare touches, or moments where you can see the quality he has. He is not a rounded talent yet, but his movement, awareness and vision are a cut above. Like with Holgate you can see huge potential there. He is also very physically developed for his age, tall and strong.
The same could be said of Walsh. Not his best display, but there were moments were you saw his quality. He is always looking to receive the ball of the centre half and is happy to receive in dangerous areas. Occasionally it goes wrong, and as of yesterday we conceded. These are the mistakes that need to be ironed out at under 21's. However the confidence to take responsibility on the ball is always important good to see.
4) Unsworth played it well. I think he got his changes right. Tom Davies gave us a bit more physicality in the second half. He has really developed physically over the last 12 months and gets around the park well. We were more combative with him in. I love that he flew into a tackle with one of their big lads. Walsh crunched a few tackles too, which is always a good sign.
Likewise the move to a back 3 worked well for us. We packed the midfield better and caused them more threat going forward. There wide strikers became a bit nullified. It also got the best out of Pennington who could organise centrally.
Whats interesting longer term, is that Martinez obviously wants the youth sides to play like the first team. I have always felt Martinez's preferred solution is 3 at the back, but is waiting the personnel to do it. Given how quickly we adopted it and how natural it looked I think it is something we may see in the first team. Colgate (like Galloway) looks a natural for a right sided centre half in a 3.
5) On the strikers, McCaleny floated on the edge of the game. I can't make my mind up on him. I want to be proven wrong, but I worry in games like Watford at Home last week he's not given game time. Took his goal very well, but I wouldn't say he looked a cut above the rest. Perhaps thats his game though, as a finisher, and it's hard to look that way.
Someone compared young Lowery's build to that of Rooney. I have to say that is where the similarity ends. Lowery has a lot of potential, but is a long way off where Rooney was at an equivalent age. Byrne is a workhorse but will not get into our first team.
Lots of good stuff is happening in the under 21's. I thought in terms of general play, we put the best move together, and passed from the back more competently than them. They ruthlessly exploited and punished our mistakes, which come from playing such an expansive style with a set of much younger and less experienced players.
Unsworth seems really on board with Martinez's plans which is good to see and I think he is a really good option for our under 21's so deserves credit for that.
