The message, from manager Graeme Murty, is that anyone getting carried away with Sunderland’s 6-0 hammering of Derby County’s Under-21 side should be wary of raising their expectations too high.
Having spent much of his coaching career in academy football, the Sunderland youth boss knows how things tend to work at this level.
And, after he was finished picking the faults in a performance Murty feels was not quite as convincing as the 6-0 scoreline may suggest, the former Rangers and Norwich City coach was keen to keep a lid on the excitement swirling around rampaging left-back Jenson Jones.
Jones scored one and set up another in that Derby thrashing. But he still has a lot to work on, particularly with regards to his physicality.
Sunderland coach Graeme Murty on Jenson Jones and Tom Watson progress
“I think everyone is keen to see a snapshot of a player,” Murty said post-match, quoting the legendary Lionel Messi when reminding supporters against expecting too much too soon.
“Jenson has been here a long, long time. Was it Messi who said it took 17 years to become an overnight sensation? What we tend to see is players developing, maturing and coming through at different rates. Some of them physically, some technically, but we have to make sure we are looking over the whole year.
“Jenson is coming on steadily, which you tend to see. We have to make sure, with Jenson, we are careful to nurture his development because, physically, he is behind some of his peers,” Murty adds of Jones, who assisted for Nazariy Rusyn before scoring himself.
“We have to make sure we support his development in a more long-term way, and set him long-term markers along the way.
“We can, as an industry I feel, be guilty of pushing too hard too soon to say these kids are ready when they might not be. We have to be a little bit more patient and hopefully, in the longer term, it will pay off.”
Murty was equally reluctant to raise the expectations around Jones’ fellow 18-year-old Tom Watson.
Watson was highlighted as an example by Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris last week. The teenager’s emergence into the first-team, Le Bris says, should be an inspiration for other youngsters looking to follow in his footsteps.
But, even as Watson scored twice and set up a goal for recent free-agent signing Aaron Connolly against The Rams, Murty was the first to point out that the gifted playmaker has a lot to learn before he can join fellow teenagers Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg in Sunderland’s midfield.
Sunderland’s senior midfield was described as ‘amazing’ after beating Derby’s first team a week earlier.
Graeme Murty wants to ensure a bright future for Sunderland’s Watson
“We have to be really, really careful,” adds Murty. “Tommy is a good player. He is doing well. He is having a good moment.
“We have to make sure this does not become the highlight of his year. If this is the highlight, then we need to actually have a look at our programme and how we are supporting our players because we want this to be a consistent thing.
“We want this to be the springboard for Tommy to go forward. We are really careful in our messaging to friends, family, and everyone who is watching him. This is still a young man developing his game. He’s going to be making mistakes.
“He’s going to be really raw at times, and we have to make sure we are consistent with him. Not too high. Not too low. Just give him the right information at the right time.
“Tommy’s really, really good to work with. He’s not the most outgoing at times but he listens, he studies, and he’s trying to make sure he is doing the right things.
“And we hope that, once again, over the year we see a consistent growth, a development and a place for Tommy to mature and develop at his pace. That’s sometimes hard because everybody wants everything right now, including the player.
“We have to make sure we support him in his challenges and his successes, and help him deal with both.”