GRAEME Murty believes Norwich City Under-18s having a cutting edge could be the key to success when they host Swansea City at Colney Training Centre on Saturday (10:30am).

During the regular Barclays Under-18s Premier League season the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in Norfolk, before Swansea secured a 3-2 victory in the reverse fixture in November.

Speaking to canaries.co.uk ahead of the game, Murty said: "They were very difficult opponents to face, particularly away from home.

"However, when they came here I felt we should have won the game. We weren't clinical enough, and that's an element from those two matches I'm looking for us to improve upon.

"We'll always create chances, it's just a case of building confidence by taking them. Swansea are a good Category One team with good players, but we want to force our style of play upon them.

"The group is looking surprisingly healthy given the stage of the season we're at, and that's a credit to the backroom team. They're very lively so it's been a good week for us so far."

City's meeting with Swansea comes at the end of a busy week for the Academy, with an independent audit taking place regarding the Club's Category One status.

"We have to be really confident in what we're doing and be assured on our philosophies and ethos," explained Murty when detailing what the audit means for the staff.

"It's the things we do habitually which are going to be looked at. We need to know those off by heart, which we feel like we do.

"I always want the team to show their best, whether we're being audited or not. I'm an old-school kind of person who believes the players are capable of showing their ability on any day.

"We'll approach the game the same as we would any other. The only difference if there will be a few more people watching, so we want the players to treat it as a normal matchday."

CANARIES' FORM
D – 1-1 v Newcastle (A) 05/03/2016 - Barclays Under-18s Premier League
L – 2-0 v Manchester City (A) 29/02/2016 - FA Youth Cup
L – 2-5 v Brighton & Hove Albion (H) 27/02/2016 - Barclays Under-18s Premier League

D - 1-1 v Reading (H) 20/02/2016 - Barclays U18s Premier League
L - 0-1 v Tottenham Hotspur (A) 13/02/2016 - Barclays U18s Premier League

LAST NORWICH CITY U18s XI (v Newcastle United): Beauchamp; Ramsay, Syme, Pollock, Wallis, Ellesley, Aransibia, Kamal (Sambu, 75), Couzens, McIntosh (Jaiyesimi, 60), Da Costa (Higgs, 70). Subs not used: Hale-Brown (GK).

U18s PREVIEW: SWANSEA

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