Under-21s captain Jack Hinchy reckons his team’s upturn in form in 2023 can be put down to the belief that Albion are now a top club in the Premier League.
Having won five of their final eight Premier League 2 matches of last season, a frustrating defeat to Leeds on the opening day of the new campaign was put right with a stunning 3-2 victory over Chelsea, despite being 2-0 down at one stage.
“It starts with the mentality that the coaches have instilled in us and when you’re at a top club you need to have that. But as a club we are going higher than we’ve been before.” Hinchy said. “Everyone has got quality but that is what makes the difference.
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“We got a bit of confidence from the run at the end of last season which we’ve carried on.
“Even before we got the first goal back against Chelsea we knew what we were doing was working, and we got the three points.”
That run of form continued on Tuesday when they beat Walsall in the EFL Trophy – the club’s first win in the tournament since 2021.
“We had a lot of meetings about how we had lost those games in the past few years. It is about being physical in our own box and not being the stereotypical under-21s side. It was a strong performance,” added Hinchy.
“Teams like to play out more in Premier League 2 and out of possession you’re working on your press, but with Walsall we focussed on dealing with long balls and being a bit deeper. It was a good test, different from what we’re used to. The result was really positive.”
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The central midfielder says his aim is to get more opportunities to work with Roberto De Zerbi’s squad before potentially getting some first-team experience on loan.
“I want a consistent run in the under-21s and get a good number of minutes under my belt. Then I can use that to get some more experience with the first team. In January maybe we can look at a loan. The EFL Trophy games will help with that if we carry on performing.
“Last year I was lucky enough to make my debut in the Carabao Cup and being on the bench for a Premier League game is the next aim. The style of play in the first team is similar to what we try to replicate it but the speed and intensity they do it at is amazing.
“You give everything and try to absorb every last bit of information and learn as much as you can because he [De Zerbi] one of the best managers there is.”
Albion will be looking to build on the win over Chelsea when they take on Everton at Southport FC tonight, kick off 7pm.