EVERTON’S U-18s will be keen to get back to winning ways when they host Bolton Wanderers at Finch Farm on Saturday.
The young Blues have faltered slightly after their impressive 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at the start of the month.
Since then, Kevin Sheedy’s side have underwhelmed during an eventual 2-2 draw with Huddersfield Town and then sank to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United on their travels.
Sheedy was particularly unhappy with his team’s failure to raise their game against Huddersfield, and did not mince his words in his assessment of a weak performance.
“Defensively we were very poor,” said the Blues legend. “We conceded two sloppy goals and although we scored twice we got exactly what we deserved.
“The overall performance was very disappointing and we let the boys know that we expect much higher standards from them and we were keen to see how they responded.
“The Newcastle game was probably our best attacking display of the season so far ironically, given that we didn’t score.
“We hit the bar and made their keeper work hard. Up until the final third we were good to watch, and since then there has been plenty of positives to take and work on in training to improve our connections with the ball when we’re shooting at goal and so forth.
“We probably created eight good chances, so obviously we need to sharpen up our finishing and get better in that respect.
“But it’s early in the season and we’ve got quite a few first year scholars who are still learning the pace of our training and matches. It will take time for them to get up to speed.”
From the side which won the Barclays Premier Academy League last season, Sheedy has lost the goal scoring talents of Conor McAleny, who has stepped up to the reserves.
But at the other end they have added the goalkeeping potential of Polish teenager Mateusz Taudul, 17, who impressed during a summer trial and won himself a contract with a string of eye-catching early performances.
