Paul Clement says Thursday’s behind-closed-doors friendly meeting with Notts County proved beneficial – not only for his first team players but for three of the club’s upcoming talent as well.
Paul Clement says Thursday’s behind-closed-doors friendly meeting with Notts County proved beneficial – not only for his first team players but for three of the club’s upcoming talent as well.
Andreas Weimann and Tom Ince both bagged hat tricks in the fixture, whilst Darren Bent also got on the score sheet as the Rams ran out 7-1 winners over the Magpies.
Crucially, Craig Bryson and Jake Buxton played the full 90 minutes as they continue to step up their fitness as did others within in Clement’s squad.
Speaking about the game, Clement, Derby’s Head Coach, told Rams Player HD: “It (the game) was really about our planning and what we felt the players needed.
“We left some players out, including: Chris Martin, Johnny Russell, Bradley Johnson, Jason Shackell and Scott Carson because they have played a lot of football recently and we didn’t think it was necessary for them to play, but they completed a light training session before the game.
“We had a mixture of players who hadn’t played a lot of football as well as others who were recovering from injury and others who needed to get 90 minutes under their belts.”
The second half saw Clement introduce three players from the club’s Academy, who have impressed in recent weeks.
Callum Guy and Offrande Zanzala, both with the club’s Under 21 side, were introduced before the hour mark, whilst Alex Cover, a defender with the Under 18s, also got a run out towards the end of the contest.
Clement believes the game represented the perfect opportunity to see how some of the club’s Academy players coped in a first team scenario and looking back, the Rams boss believes all three rose up to the challenge.
He added: “It was also a chance to see some of our younger players in and around the first team, it was a beneficial exercise.
“Offrande, who has been doing well with our Under 21 group, got 20 minutes up front alongside Darren Bent and looked very dangerous.
“We had Callum Guy, who also looked comfortable in centre midfield and young Alex Cover at centre back. They all did very well.
“You have to look at how they are developing in all areas. You have to look at their personality and whether or not they have got the confidence to make that step up.
“Then there are the other attributes to consider, like physicality and how they are tactically. It’s about asking them whether they can step up to the challenges and those three did that against Notts County.”