Luke Prestridge is still here as head of Sports Science. The injuries we have seemed to have been bad ones (Freeman, Coutts) and nothing to do with general fitness. We have had a few more injuries this year, pulls to likes of Stearman, Duffy, Clarke etc but overall since he came we have had less injuries, seem fitter, finish games stronger, start games better and just look much sharper. For the first time in a while we are actually outworking teams by running (skill of course big factor!) Wilder might be a touch disappointed with number of late goals we have conceded compared to scoring them but not sure this was down to fitness as much as concentration and in some instances the ball just dropping badly for us.
Darren Ward is the keeping coach and has been here since Clough and Adkins. He has been involved in Blackman and Moore’s work of course but worked with Ramsdale and Long before this and now has a few other good young keepers coming through also.
Academy / Development side
The season has not been as successful as in years past in terms of results and the u18’s have struggled a bit playing a younger group of lads whilst many that are eligible are now playing regularly for the u23’s. The u18’s finished nearer the bottom of the league but often it is cyclical and the past has proven there is always another good group coming through soon at Shirecliffe. The u23’s have some players who are still young in the likes of Graham, Semple, Slater, Gimour, Smith, Halllam, Norrington Davies and have been regulars at this level. We have been around the middle of the league at this level of football but considering how young the side is; that is quite an achievement. We have brought through the likes of Walker, Maguire, Calvert Lewin and now Brooks. We await the next talent but history has shown we can and will continue to produce very good players. Something is working. The next job is to get in the top flight and have them playing for us.
It seems Travis Binnion now runs most things down at the Academy in terms of heading up the coaching side since Nick Cox moved onto Manchester United a few years ago. Derek Geary runs the u18’s in terms of match to match.
With the u23/u18’s; we had Binnion and the more experienced John Dungworth who was here under Bassett 25 years ago; seemingly the main coaches for the u23 sides. Mick Wadsworth is also involved in the coaching for various age groups.
Paul Mitchell has continued as the chief scout brought in by Wilder. He has been able to help us identify some good lower league players and most of our signings are not ones we would automatically pick out (Baldock and Lee Evans for instance) but he clearly does his homework. He is also involved in the scouting of opposition. Now we are setting our sights higher hopefully the sort of players we may go for will hopefully be more established proven and known and we may also have to explore the foreign market more but there will always be a place in getting that lower league gem also. Many of the current England squad started quite a lot lower down the leagues (Ali, Vardy, Maguire etc).
Next season
Keeping our manager and management team together is crucial if we are to carry on the success and momentum. We have given them longer contracts but it is crucial we maintain them in charge. You worry when Wilder has made little digs about investment (nothing that pointed or barbed but enough- eg when asked about why we cannot finish teams off and he says ‘ there is one way’ and clearly pointing to investment and spoke about the budget that he has to just get on with it) and you fear if a club came calling from the Premier League he may go but his ties with United are strong and I feel he still feels he can do it here with the bit of help. Not sure going to a Palace, West Brom or Stoke type team would be that attractive really but those type of clubs or others all could give him much more spending power. He will stay for now but worry if we are in the same place in say a season or so; he would go if given the chance and we do not back him properly. Still the thing that helps us is that we have not gone up and thus he is not quite an Eddie Howe, Sean Dyche type pedigree. Yet. Many of the Premier League clubs still go for the same recycled manager or for foreign managers. That will help us retain him. He has to keep developing also and learn from some of his few mistakes this year also. I have complete confidence we will keep developing and improving with him at the helm. Just hope he is here for a long time yet. He will want to get the 4 or 5 top quality players we need this summer to have another really good go. If he does not, I still expect is to be mid table but be hard for us to maintain any higher as I feel as we clearly need better quality up the top of the field and that costs money.