**Newcastle United were rocked this morning by the decision of Under-21s head coach Adam Lawrence to step down from his position.**
Lawrence joined the Magpies in September 2025 to take over the head coach position for the Under-21s after a successful spell as head coach of Manchester United's Under-18s.
Results haven't been going Newcastle's way for the Under-21's, and it seems that the 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough on Friday was the last straw for Lawrence.
Robbie Stockdale will fill in while the club looks for a permanent replacement.
Steve Harper must now find a replacement
Steve Harper made an announcement thanking Adam Lawrence this morning
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Academy head Steve Harper told the [Newcastle United official site](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/adam-lawrence-steps-down) that they wish Adam Lawrence the best in his next step.
> "I'd like to thank Adam for his time with us leading the Under-21 group.
>
> "We wish him the best of luck as he pursues the next step in his coaching career."
Our Under-21s team performances have always puzzled us
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It's always baffling to us how our Under-21s are mediocre at best but mostly pretty poor. Our academy is filled with exciting talent; we have several youngsters on the verge of the first team, and yet it just never seems to click as a team.
It could be that we have our top stars loaned out or being involved with the first team, but surely other Under-21s sides have similar issues.
Hopefully, it's something that will improve as the club grows, but we suppose the main thing is that the players in the Under-21s develop into first-team quality stars. You don't _need_ to be part of a successful team to do that. Though it can't hurt.