Brian Barry-Murphy gave his thoughts at CCS after the Bluebirds fell to defeat in the Vertu Trophy.
“It was obviously not the result we wanted,” Brian began. “The challenge facing us was we had to field a team, and we put everyone that was available to us in the squad. The plan wasn’t to include so many players tonight who also feature in league games.
"From that point of view, it was a difficult fixture for us. But, there were some exceptional bright spots for the young players who made their debuts for the Club.”
16-year-old Rob Tankiewicz became the youngest player to ever play for the Bluebirds, with that record later broken in the 65th minute as 15-year-old Axel Donczew entered the field.
“Rob Tankiewicz had a really good debut, and was also close to coming onto the pitch on Saturday. And for Axel to come on and show real signs of what we see in training is an insight into how high our hopes are for him.
“It’s probably a bit surreal for them in this moment. You can see from their families’ reactions that it’s a really proud moment for them. It’s an insight into what we want this club to become."
Looking ahead to our next fixture in the competition, a clash with Arsenal U21s in November, the gaffer concluded by speaking about how the Vertu Trophy helps young players.
“The beauty of this competition in my experience is that these games give these players the chance to play with First Team players.
"Those two have really earned their place in the squad. We have really high hopes for them in the future. They are very grown up, have a real awareness of how good they are through their humility and how they approach their training on a daily basis.”