Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew is demanding his youngsters prove their worth tonight against Capital One Cup opponents Morecambe.
Pardew wants to see the likes of Gael Bigirimana, Paul Dummett, Sammy Ameobi and Haris Vuckic - all starters - grasping their opportunity.
He said: "I do feel if you carry a squad of 22-23 professional players and you don't use eight of them, that's wrong. We have paid something in the region of £15-16m on young players at this club and they really need to come to the fore now.
"I feel last year they didn't do themselves justice in the Premier League when they played and in the cup competitions. That's not good enough. If they don't do it this year, we'll draw a line under one or two of them. It's a big game for one or two individuals, who we think are good enough to play in the Premier League, but haven't shown it.
"I expect to win with the team I put it out, trust me. I wouldn't pick it otherwise, but these young players have to come to the fore. The players are under a bit of pressure and they have to react to that."
