The Under-21s have had an extended lay-off around the current international fixtures and do not return to action until Friday 27 October; they face Leicester City at Kingsmeadow with kick-off scheduled for 7pm.

The pause in the Under-21s' schedule has given Robinson and his coaching team an opportunity to reflect on their processes, the season so far, and the players who remained at Cobham over the past fortnight.

International break

Discussing what happens when players begin to prepare for post-international break matches, Robinson explains: 'You ideally want to hear that they had a positive impact on and off the pitch, but you also want them to have the ability to reflect honestly on how things went for them.

'It is not only about gauging their performances away from the club from our perspective. We also like to know how they feel they did. That reflection process is a massive part of a player's development.

'Once we have gone through that process you want complete focus on what they need to do here back at the club. From a more technical point of view, we need to know their physical stats, so that we can get their preparation right for our next game.'

Remaining focused

Robinson was careful to avoid using the term 'break' to describe this period, as he underlined that this time in the season is just as important as any other, for both the players and the coaching staff.

'The first thing we do is take the word "break" out of our vocabulary. For the players who are still with us it is a great opportunity to get even more detailed work into them, around their individual action plans and also any other particular focus we feel they might need, which is not always pitch related.'

'For staff, it gives us a bit more time to reflect on our processes and highlight where we can improve on the education we are supplying for the players.'

Alfie Gilchrist, Josh Brooking and Alex Matos have all been on the bench for the men's team this season. Others have also trained regularly with Mauricio Pochettino's squad and Robinson spoke about his expectations for the players with this opportunity.

'For me, I want them to have the mindset that they are going over there to make an impact, not make up the numbers. I need to know they can be trusted in terms of how they conduct themselves and their desire.

'If I get feedback that a player needs to improve on a technical or tactical aspect, that is acceptable. They are young and learning the game.

'However, if I get feedback that from a behaviour aspect they were not of the level expected, then that is not acceptable.'

Continuing to develop

A major theme from the Academy is the development of the players and how they progress, with Robinson concluding on that point.

'What is key is that we keep developing the players every single day. We are younger this season and I have stated that many times, so there may be some results where we come up short.

'I still look at the group and believe that if they maintain their hunger to learn, improve and build a squad spirit, then the season should bring some real positive outcomes across all competitions.

'We have huge belief in the group and any defeats so far have stemmed from an understanding of the league and the different challenges it can throw up, tied in with the inability to carry out certain actions consistently. But not a lack of ability.'