Development coach delivers half-term reports
Alan Reeves has told every member of his development squad what they need to improve upon to earn a first-team chance – and he has used winger David Fitzpatrick’s return to form as an example.
AFC Wimbledon are currently top of the Final Third Development League, but Alan has used a spell without a game to talk with his players about their targets for the rest of this season.
Fitzpatrick has been in the first-team squad for every match since returning from a loan spell at Tonbridge Angels and Alan wants more of his youngsters to be knocking on the door.
“They have all had half-term progress reports from me,” said Alan. “The players know about the positive things they have done since the start of this season and the negative things too. They know what they need to work on and I have marked all their cards on that.
“I have used David Fitzpatrick as an example. David was going nowhere really because he was in the Under-21s and not really coming in with a smile on his face. He was a bit fed up with things, but he went out on loan for a month and had a look at what life outside AFC Wimbledon is like. David saw how difficult it can be, but he worked his socks off in the seven games that he was at Tonbridge and scored a couple of goals.
“Since he came back here David has been in the first-team squad and is in and around it. He is working his socks off every day now. There are only four-and-a-half months left in the season, but you never know what is around the corner. When players get a chance they have to be mentally and physically ready, whenever that chance may come.”