Elliott Dickman has admitted his young group of players must learn quickly if they are to reclaim their Premier League 2 top flight status next season.
Sunderland under-23s were relegated from division one on Monday night when they lost to Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.
George Byers’ second-half header was decisive enough to secure the points which confirmed the young Black Cats’ relegation into division 2.
And speaking to safc.com, Dickman reflected on a disappointing evening in South Wales while highlighting the need for his young guns to learn from this experience.
“Swansea had a lot of the ball but we made it difficult,” he said.
“The plan was to frustrate them, stay in the game and pinch a goal.
“We did that and then Luke Molyneux had a chance but unfortunately he wasn’t able to take it and then less than 60 seconds later they went down the other end and scored.
“It has been a tough season but we have got a lot of lads in the first-team squad. That’s what is important to us.
“That has given us a chance to play some of the younger lads and when you look at Bali Mumba he is still at school.
“It’s great for them to be given a chance but they must learn quickly,” he continued.
“We need to improve in the final third and be more clinical. We haven’t scored enough goals so of course that’s an area that’s of concern to us.
“The lads we have got in our team are still learning and developing and it’s important they continue to do so.”
