Tony Carss believes Aston Villa have momentum on their side heading into the Premier League 2 play-offs next month.
The Young Lions won seven of their final ten matches to secure a fifth-place finish, setting up a semi-final against either Leeds United or Southampton in May.
Carss, who joined from Blackburn Rovers last summer, is pleased with the progress made during his first season at the club.
“It’s been a good season,” he reflected.
“There were a lot of challenges early on. We had a really successful loans strategy, where a lot of players went out on loan to a good level, which is great.
“We had three new staff coming in to work with the group, so they had to get used to us and we had to get used to them.
“During the month before Christmas, we really started finding some form and more consistency. From pre-season to that point, a lot of things off the pitch had really improved, in terms of mentality, understanding and standards.
“And then winning games gives you confidence and belief. They’re as important for development as they are at the first team level for different reasons.
“We started picking up good results and performances. Since Christmas, we’ve really maintained that and built momentum.”
As Carss alluded to, there have been challenging moments during a campaign in which the Under-21s have competed in three cup competitions.
However, tough moments in the Papa Johns Trophy against Football League sides have only served to benefit the squad’s development.
He said: “Even when we were struggling, you could see different challenges bring out different things in different players. In those difficult moments you can find the biggest learnings.
“The group have developed and improved but we’re always looking at individuals and seeing how far they’ve come.
“The Papa Johns Trophy was a difficult experience; playing at Portsmouth against a very strong team with a really young team.
“For the players, those really difficult games speak to the reality of football at first-team level – it’s ruthless.
“You’ve got to be good, you’ve got to be mentally tough, you’ve got to be athletically capable and have resilience.
“The players with aspirations of going on loan got a real taste of the level, so they’re not under any illusion as to what’s expected in League One or League Two. It’s demanding.
“Those experiences have helped the lads as we’ve progressed through the season as difficult as they were.”
