Newcastle United's under-21s coach Robbie Stockdale has highlighted the unseen role of Matthias Jaissle's assistant manager Engin Yanova in strengthening the bridge between the first team and the academy, while excitement grows over the potential of 16-year-old midfielder Jayden Kouossu.
Yanova has watched all of the under-21s' home games this season, including Friday's 4-1 Premier League Cup win over Luton Town at Whitley Park. Stockdale believes the communication lines between the first team and the academy are as strong as ever.
Trust in young players
Five of the club's youngsters – Miodrag Pivas, Mason Miley, Michael Mills, Kyran Thompson and Vakhtang Salia – were named on the bench for last month's win over Hull City. Dylan Charlton and Henry Johnson featured regularly for the first team during pre-season, while Sean Neave, Rory Finneran and Leo Shahar have since left on loan.
"It's as good as what I can remember," Stockdale told Chronicle Live. "They see that the players growing up have got quality and I think on the back of that to trust them that whenever they are called upon they can do a job."
Kouossu's high ceiling
Jayden Kouossu, an England youth international who joined from West Brom two years ago, has made five appearances at under-21 level this term. He started back-to-back games against Solihull Moors and Luton Town's under-21s.
"He is physically a really strong player," Stockdale added. "He's got good technical ability, which all the players in the academy have. We'd say that would be a given to play for our academy teams, but he's got such a high ceiling and I'm not sure he recognises where that can be yet."
Hartlepool win and Finneran's milestone
The under-21s earned a 2-1 win at Hartlepool United's Victoria Park on Tuesday, with an opener from former Arsenal youngster Thompson and an own goal from Reiss McNally. Hartlepool's newly-appointed head coach praised Newcastle: "I thought Newcastle were outstanding tonight. I thought they played an excellent brand of football."
Rory Finneran scored his first professional goal on Saturday, rifling a 20-yard left-footed effort beyond Oxford goalkeeper Jamie Cumming in Notts County's 2-1 defeat. The 19-year-old has made six appearances since moving to Meadow Lane in August.
