Interview

Porter’s positives to take from pre-season

Academy coach Max Porter has reflected on our under-18s’ 3-1 defeat to Bishop’s Stortford on Wednesday, pointing out the benefits of coming up against senior opposition.

“Mixed emotions really. We came with a very young team, particularly in the first half. I thought we started the game with good control without threatening and having enough final third entries and end product.

“The story tonight is we conceded some really basic goals. Huge respect to Stortford and any team we face in pre-season, but if we concede those types of goals then we’re not going to have a chance of winning games.

“Our most important games in the season where we really see where the players are at are the Papa John’s Trophy games. In previous pre-season, having games against these teams that play a more progressive, direct style really helps us. In our league, we can’t replicate the threat and danger from set-pieces and direct play consistently, so these games are really important from that development side of it.

“Unfortunately tonight we didn’t deal with it, but hopefully it’s a lesson we can help the players with.”

Up next, we travel to Lincoln City to face their first team at Sincil Bank.

“We’re all going to have to look at ourselves and perform better with and without the ball, doing the basics. We’re going to play a very good side in Lincoln.

“The EFL Trophy games in the season are going to be really tough experiences, but they’re the games you want. Our job is to develop players to play in Arsenal’s first team, and if we can’t do that we want them to have the best career possible at the highest level they can.”