Some of the major talking points following Sunderland U21s’ defeat in the Premier League 2 final to Tottenham U21s at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Sunderland’s under-21s were narrowly defeated by Tottenham in the Premier League 2 final, but there are plenty of positives for the young Black Cats. Graeme Murty’s side fell 3-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, thanks to two close-range goals from Spurs attacker Will Lankshear either side of halftime. Tottenham captain George Abbott added a third in stoppage time, while Timur Tuterov scored a consolation goal for the visitors.
The result felt unfair on Sunderland, who created numerous opportunities and were confident in possession, with Harrison Jones and Tom Watson hitting the post. Here are some of the major talking points following Graeme Murty’s team’s extremely successful campaign. Ellis Taylor positions himself in the shop window. Ellis Taylor is the lone player from Sunderland’s starting XI who will leave the club next season, since his contract expires this summer.
However, the 21-year-old has given himself a solid chance of finding a new club after some impressive performances in Premier League 2’s knockout stages. Taylor has mostly played as a right-back for Sunderland’s under-21s this season, and he was forced to demonstrate his defensive abilities against talented Spurs winger Yago Santiago at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, the kid has shown great finishing ability this season, netting nine goals in 15 outings for the youthful Black Cats. Hopefully, he has done enough to secure a deal with another EFL team.
The future is bright. Regardless of the outcome, Sunderland’s march to the final is an outstanding performance given that they played in the second level of Premier League 2 last season, before the tournament was unified into a single league with 26 clubs and category one academies. The youthful Black Cats have advanced further than many of the country’s top academy teams, with the majority of their players on contract for next season.
Eight players from the starting XI against Tottenham are under contract for the upcoming season, while centre-backs Luke Bell (17) and Henry Fieldson (18) have been handed new contracts after their youth terms expired. Chris Rigg, who represents England’s under-17s, and Marshall Burke, who suffered an injury, have also been regulars for the under-21s this season but did not play against Spurs.
This youthful team has a distinct character, with clear instructions to play out of the back and compete for the ball. They’ve also shown an incredible battling spirit, coming from down in three consecutive knockout matches to reach the final. It should prepare them well for the future. Players to watch during the preseason We can surely expect to see some of Sunderland’s under-21s players this summer, beginning with pre-season friendlies against South Shields and Gateshead on Saturday, July 13, when the first-team group will be divided.
Caden Kelly (20), Oliver Bainbridge (18), Tom Watson (17), and Harrison Jones (19) were all picked to the first-team squad for the 2023/24 season and are players to keep an eye on. Kelly is one of the elder members of the under-21s team, thus a loan move could be good at this point in his career to obtain more senior football experience. Other squad players, such as Watson, may transfer between the first and under-21 teams next season as they progress. The 17-year-old winger was Sunderland’s primary offensive danger against Spurs, making direct runs down the left from which he can cut inside or dribble outside.
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