WE welcome Blackpool to Grenoble Road this afternoon as we start a month of really intense action.

We face Spurs under 21s in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday night, before a trip to Doncaster Rovers next Saturday.

Then we are well in to the Christmas period, playing three games a week right through until January.

That will take its toll, but we have planned ahead.

We have an excellent sports science and medical team at the club and we can’t wait for this busy run of fixtures to come along.

There was no midweek game for the first team, but I took advantage of that to travel

up to Burnley on Tuesday night to watch our youngsters in action in the FA Youth Cup.

I think that’s important for a manager – you need to know how strong that age group is.

The game also gave me the opportunity to see how they handled a big match at a Premier League ground against very strong opposition.

I am pleased to report that they were, to a man, excellent.

They conceded very early, but it was a fluke goal really and they used it to motivate themselves still further and dominate a lot of the match.

I won’t single out players, that would be unfair.

They all worked so hard on the night and equalised very late in the game before winning it on penalties.

It was nice to be able to sit and enjoy a game from the sidelines and there were goals, penalties, chances and two red cards which made for a fantastic game of cup football.

I went to the dressing room afterwards and shook all of their hands.

They weren’t blasting out music and bouncing around. That’s not the way we want things done.

They were respectful, they were humble and they were a credit not just to the club, but to their parents and families – many of whom were there to support.

A massive well done to Dan Harris, Leon Blackmore-Such and Chris Hackett as well as all the academy staff who are doing great things and really helping put the foundations in place for a very bright future.

If they needed bringing down to earth again then the journey home probably did it.

The motorways were all closed and they got home at 4.20am!

It took me six hours as well, which seemed to amuse Derek Fazackerley when I told him.

He stayed in Blackburn with his family and it took him 20 minutes to get there!

I WANTED to mention the Oxford Children’s Hospital because this city is so fortunate to have such an amazing place.

We visited the staff and patients on Thursday and it was fantastic to hand out toys and presents that the fans had donated.

I have spoken before about us working hard over Christmas.

But that is absolutely nothing compared to the hours that the staff put in at the hospital every single week.

Our thanks to everyone who made us so welcome, and we hope as many of those children we met as possible get home for Christmas.