Keith Curle on bounce games and Academy progression
With the decision making process on who the next Academy Manager will be here at Brunton Park now at an advanced stage first team boss Keith Curle spoke to us about the importance of reserve games to the squad next season.
“The interview process has shown up some good prospects and there will be some who will be invited back for a second interview,” he explained. “We want to get that sorted as soon as possible, but we can't afford to make the wrong decision.
“It isn't just my decision, there are other factors involved, and the pleasing thing is that the football club wanted me to be involved to make sure it's somebody who shares my thoughts on the progression I want to see with the young players.”
“No matter what happens there can't be a pathway for players who, in the football department's opinion, aren't good enough” he commented. “We can't sign players who we don't think will be ready because we haven't got a development squad.
“That will be the next line of progression. If we're able to get promotion you could say we could then have a development squad for players of 18, 19 or 20 to give them that extra year or eighteen months with us to help them to fulfil their potential.
“We need to play more games in terms of reserve football. Part of our end-of-season coaching meeting was trying to get a game programme which gets us more game time, with the focus being on the first team.
“Because of the amount of travelling we did last year it was difficult to get home in the early hours of the morning then play a game on the Wednesday. The floods also caused a lot of disruption with organising games. I think there will be a healthier games programme this season that will see more game time for the squad as a whole.”
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