Under-21s beat Norwich handily

Unless of course Tony Hibbert breaks his duck anytime soon. IÂ’m betting that Kone will be the 500th goalscorer for the Blues but not sure what year that may come.

Long, in my opinion, should be getting more involved in first team games. Robbie talks about giving young players opportunities but there is little evidence, this season at least, of any young forwards getting a chance.

In that eventuality I think all of them could come in and do a job for us. The kids did okay for Moyesy against Bate a few years back.

Shame we didnÂ’t get an easier group really when you look at some of the other teams we could have got.

Griffiths; Pennington, Browning, Galloway, Garbutt; Ledson, Kenny; Jones, Grant, Henen; Long.

ItÂ’s a shame they havenÂ’t had more games recently but about 7 or 8 have been away on international duty I think. I would love to have seen Garbutt getting a chance when Coleman was out by moving Baines to right back.

EEEk, yep moving the England left back is unlikely, but he can clearly cross with his right foot (JagÂ’s goal against Villa) and to see him cutting inside from the right to shoot with his left foot would scare most defences. I just think in most teams Garbutt would be capable of holding down a slot if given a run of games.

Unsworth sounded delighted with him, in comments I think I read on the official site.

As for Ledson, from what IÂ’ve seen he and Conor Grant both have the ability to step up and provide long-term replacements for Barry/Gibson.

He was busy moving from inside to wide and coming deeper for the ball, so doing a shift. But I thought he tried to do the more complicated thing with the ball (not in terms of passing but while in possession) rather than the more simple lay-off.

Not that he played badly, just that, given the interest when we were trying to sign him, I expected a bit more, and the likes of Long threatened more up front.

Having said that, it was the first time IÂ’d seen him play, he was getting some robust treatment from the CBs, and itÂ’s all my personal take which is by no means the only take on it.

Under-21s are looking like a decent group – we should at least get some out on loan. Otherwise 10 minutes here and there would help them get used to bigger atmospheres.

YouÂ’d expect Garbutt will get some games to give Baines a rest and IÂ’d like to see more of Browning.

Anyone in that group ready to shadow Pienaar, Osman, Howard and Hibbert? Because they arenÂ’t going to last forever.

He's only 17 and will turn 18 towards the end of this season. Luke Shaw became a regular at 18 and made it to the World Cup, so it's not outside the realms of possibility that Hibbert's squad place this season is as a stop-gap until this lad is ready.