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Accrington Stanley assistant manager Ged Brannan has warned Leeds United Under-21s about a physical game in this evening’s EFL Trophy encounter.
Leeds United Under-21s travel to the Wham Stadium to play their final group stage game of this season’s EFL Trophy looking for a morale-boosting win.
Both teams will go into the match unable to qualify for the next round, having already lost their first two group stage games.
Accrington played out a 3-3 draw at Chesterfield in League Two at the weekend, and Brannan is expecting a different kind of test from Leeds Under-21s, who he watched play against Fleetwood Town in the EFL Trophy in October.
Leeds Under-21s were praised by Fleetwood boss Pete Wild, who was impressed with them.
Brannan is keen to turn the match into less of a technical affair, noting Leeds’ youngsters are a very good, technical side who focus on playing out of the back, and wants a physical encounter rather than an average under-21s game.
“We have seen them play against Fleetwood and they are a typical 21s team. They are all technically very good, good passers of the ball and they try and build up from the back”, Brannan told Accrington’s in-house media (4:27).
“So, what we can’t do is turn into a 21s football match. We have got to turn it into a man’s game, a very physical game and see what we can get out of that.”
Club Points
Port Vale 6
Fleetwood Town 5
Accrington Stanley 1
Leeds United U21s 0
Brannan has also revealed that Accrington are keen to look at how under-21s teams do in EFL Trophy games to assess possible loan swoops in the future.
The Accrington assistant further promised a good game of football to their fans and is aiming to extend the side’s three-match unbeaten run.
“We look and always watch these games and look them up on Wyscout and see what’s available. ”
Tonight’s dead rubber could also possibly prove to be crucial for some of the young Leeds players’ futures and will provide them with a perfect chance to bounce back to winning ways, having not won a game since mid-October.
Following the Accrington clash, Leeds Under-21s will then meet another senior team in the shape of Gateshead in the National League Cup.