As I head into my second season managing Adswood United U14s, I have to say—it’s been an absolute pleasure coaching these lads. They’re a great group with brilliant attitudes, and some of them have real ability. With the right mindset and effort, there’s no doubt in my mind that a few of them could catch the eye of scouts in the future.

Last season brought its challenges. We lost a few players who wanted to explore new opportunities with other teams, which is part of the game at this level. That meant we brought in a lot of new lads—some of whom hadn’t experienced football at this level before. It’s a big difference playing with your mates in the park compared to a structured team environment.

Despite that, finishing 5th in the league last season was a fantastic achievement. Every player adapted, improved, and contributed, and I couldn’t have asked for more in terms of effort and attitude.

This season, the focus shifts. We’ve got to push on now. We’ve added a few more new players to the squad, so the early part of the season will be about learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses. But as long as we stick together, do the basics right, and put the work in at training, we’ll have a solid season ahead.

The key is to set the standard from the very first game. We don’t give up—we fight together as a team. For me, it’s all about enjoyment and providing a positive environment for the lads to grow, both as players and people. But make no mistake—we want to compete, play our football, train hard, and aim to finish as high as possible in the league. A good cup run wouldn’t go amiss either!

I honestly can’t speak highly enough of every single player in this squad. It’s a pleasure to manage them, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve this season.

Let’s go, Adswood United U14s!

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