Adam Birchall was pleased with the mentality of our under-18s as they thrashed Peterborough United 4-0 in the Premier League Cup on Tuesday.
Alex Marciniak gave us the lead just five minutes into the contest, before a Ceadach O’Neill double and a late Brando Bailey-Joseph strike ensured a comfortable victory at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.
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Birchall credited the attitude of our young Gunners as we made it three wins from three in all competitions this season.
“Credit to the boys, they put on a really good display, but we go one game at a time, the next game is Birmingham.
“We’ll have a rest tonight, education tomorrow, then on Thursday, start the training process again leading up to Birmingham on Saturday.
“Always we want to see the players trying to learn, small things around confidence in a certain action or certain moment of the game, building our intentions to help us improve.
“Winning games helps that, but it’s something that should be internally there anyway as a player, so constantly testing that and probing that and I’m hoping to see that as we move forward.”
Ceadach O’Neill’s double against the Posh took his tally for the season to five, just three games into the campaign. Birchall praised the forward’s start to the season and how he’s adapted to a new role.
“I’m really pleased for Ceadach, he’s playing a bit more as a nine now, but one thing he does have is that he’s going to threaten in behind.
“He’s got really good technique and ball-striking, so in those moments, giving him the opportunity to practice as a nine, to find the composure, I think that’s five goals in three games for him, so I’m really pleased for him.”
Another stand-out player on Tuesday afternoon was Brando Bailey-Joseph. Our under-18s head coach praised his ability to work off both wings in the past two games.
“Brando last game played off the right and we thought it gave him a good opportunity to practice going round the outside and getting his crosses in.
“But he also can go inside on his left foot, he showed that on Saturday against Southampton. It gives him more of a selection in terms of tools he can develop.
“I was really pleased with him when he went off the right as well as the left today. He showed great personality off the right as well as the left today.”
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