Darren Wassall has challenged his Derby County Under-23s side to build up some momentum ahead of their Premier League Cup curtain-raiser against Birmingham City on Friday afternoon.
The Rams travel to Birmingham County FA’s headquarters to take on the Blues – their first of six group matches, which will also see them take on East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest as well as Middlesbrough.
Wassall’s side travel off the back of their impressive 2-1 victory over Manchester United, but the club’s academy director has expressed the importance of ensuring that the result is not a flash in the pan.
For that reason, the 49-year-old says Friday’s Cup fixture is just as important as any of their Premier League 2 Division 1 fixtures.
Wassall told RamsTV: “We approach every game in the same way and talk about the standards that we expect.
“They (the players) know that Friday is an important game for them. We have challenged them to get themselves on a run.
“We have just come off the back of a brilliant victory over Manchester United and now it is time to find the consistency we need.
“Anybody can put one or two performances together, but what we want, to prove that they're capable of progressing to the next level, is whether they can do it over a period of five or six games at a time.
“That’s the challenge. It’s all well and good going to beat Manchester United. We don’t want to go and get beat by Birmingham City on Friday. The players know that.”
On top of that, Wassall is also hoping to enjoy a prolonged Cup run this term.
The Rams didn’t progress to the knockout stages of the Premier League Cup or the Premier League International Cup last campaign.
So, against Birmingham, a Category 2 Academy, Wassall says he wants to see his players make a good start.
He added: “It’s a good thing that the Premier League Cup has been opened up to all the Categories this year.
“We don’t get the chance to play Birmingham and Nottingham Forest very often any more at Under-23 and Under-18 level.
“It’s going to be a tough test. They are a good Academy – one that always gives opportunities to young players – so this is a game we have been looking forward to and we’re hoping to get off to a good start.”
