Newcastle United's youngsters can hopefully progress into the first team under Adam Lawrence
Adam Lawrence the head coach of Newcastle United U21
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A month is a long time in football - just ask Newcastle United Under-21 lead coach Adam Lawrence.
Last week marked the end of the first month in his new role guiding the Magpies second string after being persuaded to swap life within the Manchester United academy setup for a move to Tyneside.
After working with the likes of highly-rated Denmark youth international Chido Odi and current Sheffield Wednesday loan star Harry Amass during his time with the Red Devils, Lawrence is well aware of what is required to help progress players into the first team setup at a Premier League club.
However, there has also been a personal adjustment for Lawrence as he settles into the life in the North East and adapts to the demands placed upon him as he looks to provide a steady stream of talent for first team manager Eddie Howe to call upon when required.
After stepping into the role Lawrence joked he would prioritise learning Geordie before assessing what would be required to improve matters in the final stage of the academy setup - and the opening month of his time has already given him an intriguing insight of what could lie ahead.
“It feels longer than that,” he joked when Chronicle Live asked him how felt his first month had gone following Sunday’s defeat against Spurs.
“The league games we have played, there hasn't been much in it at all and I think if people watch those three or four games they can see what the lads are trying to do. There have been some positives in there but ultimately we are playing to win and there have been a few things for us to concentrate on going forward.
“The staff have been fantastic within the academy and the supporters, you can see the spirit of Newcastle throughout the city and the passion for the club when you meet them.
“I am enjoying working with the boys and it’s important we realise there are days and nights where we feel really good and it goes well for us - but there will be other days where it might not go our way but we have to embrace that and learn.
“Development is a long-term thing, not a short-term one. We will keep working and we will keep learning.”
One of the many challenges facing Lawrence and his Under-21s coaching staff is managing the expectations of players at differing stages of their development.
A number of Magpies youngsters are believed to be attracting attention from elsewhere with the likes of captain Cathal Heffernan, midfielder Alfie Harrison and striker Sean Neave all being viewed as possible targets for loan moves during the January transfer window. Others will enter the final six months of their current deals at St James Park in the new year and are likely to discover what could lie in wait for them in the early months of 2026, with some likely to be approaching the end of their time with their boyhood clubs.
There is also a younger crop of prospects that are finding their way at Under-21s level and imported stars such as Miodrag Pivas and Seung-Soo Park, who are working hard to adapt to life in a new country and a new style of football. For Lawrence, managing the progress of the individuals and looking to secure positive results is a fine balancing act that he feels he has to get right if he is to be a success on Tyneside.
He said: “The Under-21s group, what you learn is that individually they are all at different stages and some will accelerate their development with a loan and exposing them to senior football.
“If we get everyone in the building, when I see the players we have got, we would have a really exciting and unbelievable Under-21s team. Of course, we want to win, but we want to do it where we are managing those individuals properly and longer-term in terms of their development.
“So it’s about trying to get that balance between winning. We have a style but we are managing the individuals within that and trying to do what is right for their individual progress.”
Lawrence has been given a crash course in the variety opposition his side will face over the remainder of the season after taking charge of fixtures in four different competitions during his first month in his new role. United’s Premier League 2 campaign is yet to really ignite following defeats against Norwich City and Spurs and draws with Reading and Birmingham City and there was a brave loss in a UEFA Youth League opener against Spanish giants Barcelona.
The Magpies youngsters came out on the wrong end of a 6-2 defeat against senior opposition as they emerged empty handed from a Vertu Trophy visit to League One club Huddersfield Town - but there was success in midweek with a Sean Neave-inspired National League Cup win at Boston United. The highly-rated striker plundered his way to a first-half hat-trick in the win at the Jakemans Stadium as he handed Lawrence his first win in any competition.
United are back in action in midweek with a Vertu Trophy trip to Mansfield Town and they will also take on the likes of Real Sociedad, Paris Saint-Germain and Croatia Zagreb in the Premier League International Cup before the festive break arrives.
Lawrence believes the variety of the challenges his players will face over the coming months will only aid their development and can boost their chances of progressing towards the senior setup at St James Park.
He said: “I think the good thing about the programme the boys are experiencing is that every game has got something different to it. So I think it’s about us being able to adapt and to be able to test the players in those different environments.
“At the end of the day, the players are aspiring to play at the top level and that’s what we want to help them with.
“Games like the Spurs game, they come up against top end quality in terms of technique, one-on-ones and dynamic play and then the two games (against Boston and Mansfield) are different tests because they are good for us to see where they players are at individually and collectively.”
But more importantly, have those Geordie lessons got underway? “Aye,” he replied with a smile. It's a start.