VIDEO: Coady can take the positives
Wednesday, 09 February, 2011
U19 captain focuses on squad depth despite defeat to Germany.
By Glenn Lavery
Click here to watch the FATV interview with Conor.
England U19 captain Conor Coady was not too despondent after Tuesday night's 1-0 defeat to Germany.
A Denis Thomalla goal late in the first half was enough to secure victory for Ralph Minge's side, nine of whom helped Germany win the UEFA European U17 Championship in 2009.
His hand somewhat forced by five squad withdrawals, due to either injury or elevation to the Under-21 squad, for this friendly England Head Coach Noel Blake fielded a very young side, the majority of which naturally fall within the U18 age category - and handed an U19 debut to no less than 13 players.
But Coady was left encouraged by England's performance.
"I thought we matched them in parts really well," he told FATV after the game.
"We worked on stopping them playing through the lines and I think we did that. In all, for a '93 side with four '92s, I thought we played really well as a team."
Among those 13 debutants were four players receiving their maiden England call-up - defender Kieran Kennedy, midfielders Jake Nicholson and Jordan Slew and forward Wilfred Zaha - and Coady believes they have done themselves no harm at all, with the European U19 Championship Elite Qualifying Round just over three months away.
"I think they might have given Noel a bit of a problem," he predicted.
"I thought they all played really well on the night, applied themselves really well and I think they'll have a chance of getting in the next squad."
The Liverpool midfielder captained England to European glory at U17 level last season and also captained the U18s in a friendly against Poland last November. And this trend was continued when Blake handed Coady the armband ahead of last night's game.
"I couldn't believe it when Noel told me [about the captaincy]. It's a privilege to wear the armband whenever, but especially for the 19s, it makes it even more special so I was really made up when he gave it to me."