Tony Carss has challenged Aston Villa Under-21s to build on their recent form when Leeds United visit Bodymoor Heath on Friday night.
The Senior Professional Development Phase Coach, who joined from Blackburn Rovers in the summer, saw the Young Lions thrash Sunderland 4-0 on Monday.
And Carss is looking for Villa to produce another strong showing when they face Leeds.
Watch Villa U21s v Leeds United
He said: “We’re looking to build on the performance from Monday night.
“We know it will be a tough game. Leeds play high intensity; it’ll be a running game. They’ve got a lot of good players and we’re hoping that they bring a strong side like they had out on Monday night against Norwich because that’s the challenge we want for our young players.
“We’ve done the prep and we’re looking to show them what we can do. It’s about the collective but you’re looking for individuals to really stand out in these games and show that they’re getting closer to where they need to be.”
Declan Frith and Brad Young grabbed two goals apiece on Wearside earlier in the week as Villa recorded their first Premier League 2 victory of the season.
Memories of a 3-3 draw against Middlesbrough, which saw Villa let a three-goal lead slip, in the first game of the campaign are still fresh in the memory, but the success against Sunderland has now set the bar for the Under-21s going forward.
“It was really pleasing. We were really frustrated after the week before against Middlesbrough, it was a bit up and down,” Carss said.
“That was the story of pre-season, in terms of that defensive understanding, intensity and keeping clean sheets. The mentality on Monday night and the intensity that we started the game with was pleasing.
“We scored two early goals, really dominated the ball and played how we want to play. You could see the players growing in confidence throughout the game.
“The quality was really high and that’s the standard. We’ve got to build on that, individually and collectively, moving forward.”
