Newcastle United academy coach Robbie Stockdale reflected on another period of change at Under-21s level after his second interim spell kicked off with a 5-0 defeat against Benfica.

With the surprise news of Adam Lawrence’s decision to bring an end to his six-month reign as Under-21s lead coach over the weekend, Stockdale stepped into an interim role once again and oversaw preparations for his side’s penultimate Premier League International Cup fixture.

Faced with a Benfica B side that are currently sitting in mid-table in Portuguese football’s second tier, a Magpies side containing the likes of Leo Shahar and Sam Alabi was blown away at Whitley Park.

A two-goal deficit at the break felt almost like a positive for United as Leandro Martins and Olivio Tome found the net for the visitors after both players had wasted earlier chances.

The Portuguese side roared out of sight during the second-half as the highly talented Goncalo Moreira scored twice after finding the net in a UEFA Youth League tie against the Magpies earlier this season.

And Francisco Silva rounded off a dominant...