The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by SCIAG » 02 Dec 2016 23:01

U23 third string beat Stoke 1-0 at the Mad Stad, Sam Smith scoring.

Southwood; Sheppard, Bennett, Axel, Richards; East, Rimonhota; Loader, Holsgrove, Frost; Smith

A very small side containing three U18 including two first year scholars. Axel Andresson was the giant of the team at six foot one, while Sheppard and Rimonhota were the only second year pros.

Sheppard was MOTM for me. Holsgrove also played very well, sliding a few delicate passes through the defence.

Not the most thrilling game, but it excites me to think of an U18 side containing Holsgrove, McIntyre, Frost, Loader, and Coleman.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Nameless » 03 Dec 2016 06:49

Especially good result as Stoke included England keeper Jack Butland on the team sheet ! *






*although he seems to have had second thoughts as by the time the game kicked off there was a different keeper playing.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Saaaaaaaammmmmm » 09 Dec 2016 13:42

Bit of a weird situation for our U18 and U21 sides in that the draws for the next round of the FA Youth Cup and EFL Trophy have been made, yet we still haven't played the previous round in either competition

FA Youth Cup (4th Round - Last 32)

Reading or Manchester City v Liverpool or Crystal Palace
(3rd Round vs City takes place Thursday 15th December - 7pm at Madejski Stadium)

EFL Trophy (3rd Round - Last 16)

Yeovil v Southampton U21 or Reading U21
(2nd Round vs Southampton takes place Wednesday 21st December - 7pm at St Mary's Stadium)

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Saaaaaaaammmmmm » 14 Dec 2016 18:33

Not a huge amount of interest ahead of our 2nd (and final) game against European opposition tonight, shame really as a game against Hertha Berlin at the Madejski with free entry may have drew a decent crowd by youth match standards if it weren't a complete dead rubber

Anyway, here is the Reading team for said rubber...

Luke Southwood
Jake Sheppard
Omar Richards
Dom Hyam
Axel Andresson
Aaron Kuhl
Harrison Bennett
Josh Barrett
Ryan East
Sam Smith
Andrija Novakovich

Subs: Sindri Scheving, Joe Tupper, Terence Vancooten, Andre Burley, Joseph Wilson, Kosta Sparta, Cameron Green


Kuhl is back then, last seen warming the Boreham Wood bench back on the 15th November, based on that I imagine his loan there was cut short a few weeks ago (although no one wants to tell us)

I'm gonna need some expert insight on certain members of our bench tonight, the internet tells me...

Burley is a 17 year old midfielder who is yet to start a game for our U18s this season
Wilson is also a 17 year old midfielder who is yet to start a game for our U18s this season (but does have 5 sub appearances)
Kosta Sparta I think I mentioned on here a few weeks back - great name, Australian, midfielder, also 17, hasn't played a minute for our U18s ever

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Nameless » 14 Dec 2016 22:35

Impressed that there were a dozen Hertha fans at the game....


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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by CountryRoyal » 15 Dec 2016 07:08

Nameless Impressed that there were a dozen Hertha fans at the game....


Tbf I'd probably go if it was in Berlin.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by maffff » 15 Dec 2016 08:52

Nameless Impressed that there were a dozen Hertha fans at the game....

Parents?

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by CountryRoyal » 15 Dec 2016 11:09

maffff
Nameless Impressed that there were a dozen Hertha fans at the game....

Parents?


Good question. He doesn't have a name so I'm guessing no.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by winchester_royal » 15 Dec 2016 11:18

Looks like we played a weaker team to keep our better U18's fresh for the youth cup game against Man City tonight.

Which, as it happens, is live at the Mad Stad so hopefully a few people will go along and support.


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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by SCIAG » 15 Dec 2016 12:19

Painfully ordinary.

Narrow 4-1-2-1-2 which morphed into a 3-5-2 when Kuhl dropped and the full backs pushed on.

Aside from keeping the ball, which we did quite well, our main strategy seemed to be for Kuhl and Axel to hit long passes for Novakovich and Smith to chase but nothing much came from that. Our best chances came from overlaps, particularly from Sheppard. We hit the woodwork at least once and Nova had a bicycle kick well saved. Barrett and East didn't really get on the ball in the sorts of places they could make anything happen.

Axel's surprisingly good in the air for a fairly short centre back, though after Ivar I guess that shouldn't surprise me. Hyam put in a couple of excellent tackles but lost his man for the second goal (which came from a corner).

maffff
Nameless Impressed that there were a dozen Hertha fans at the game....

Parents?

Looked like young men aged 25-33-ish. Might have been some parents over in the Lower West/boxes but these ones were just fans. Completely outsung the Reading faithful.
winchester_royal Looks like we played a weaker team to keep our better U18's fresh for the youth cup game against Man City tonight.

Which, as it happens, is live at the Mad Stad so hopefully a few people will go along and support.

Weaker bench, but the only U18 with any chance of starting would have been Tyler Frost (Tom McIntyre is injured).

Hopefully the U18 match will give us something to get excited about.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Sutekh » 15 Dec 2016 13:46

what was the final score?

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by CrowthorneRoyal » 15 Dec 2016 15:45

Lost 2-0

Hertha were quite a lot stronger on and off the ball than the Reading youngsters. Their left back was dirty bastard....

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Royals and Racers » 15 Dec 2016 19:23

Pretty even after 30mins- city with the best chances-2 great saves from Driscoll in the Reading goal. I like the 4 for the Royals- Coleman he looks a decent prospect.


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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Royals and Racers » 15 Dec 2016 19:38

H-T 0-2

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Royals and Racers » 15 Dec 2016 20:08

0-4

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Saaaaaaaammmmmm » 15 Dec 2016 20:38

Young lads getting a bit of a pasting tonight it seems, however when you look at City's investment in Academy and Youth infrastructure over the past few years you realise things are a bit different in this competition nowadays

The City teamsheet doesn't exactly scream 'homegrown'


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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by SCIAG » 15 Dec 2016 22:00

I think things were closer than 4-0 would suggest but there's no doubt that City deserved to win on the night.

First 30 minutes were very close with Driscoll making a couple of great saves (another goalkeeper for the future!) and Reading players fluffing a few chances after good build-up play. Loader took a couple of touches when he got on the end of a cross and then hit it high and wide - should have just stuck his leg through it. Rollinson had another chance but couldn't control it. City scored two goals in quick succession around the 35 minute mark and then we struggled to get back into it. Their third was a good strike from range and similarly Driscoll had no chance with the fourth.

The team was not put together well at all, all five in the midfield were creative or attacking players and it left us exposed (although the forwards did chase back). I think they must have tried to shoehorn the best eleven in without any regard for how they'd fit together. Frost didn't look his usual self in the centre, so I would have shifted him out to the right and dropped Rollinson to the bench in favour of Shokunbi. Combine that with McIntyre in for one of the centre backs and we'd probably have had a fighting chance.

No ratings because they're young, but some quick commentary on the players (bear in mind that I'm going to keep this positive in case any of the youngsters haven't learned to stay off HNA?):

Driscoll - several good athletic saves reminiscent of AAH. Good distance to his kicks. Looked fairly comfortable on the ball but no Federici.

Howe - extremely quick, one incredible chase down of a lost cause to create a scoring chance. Defended well.
Odimayo - athletic and made good decisions with the ball. Sometimes sucked into the ball when forwards dropped off.
Philby - very brave and strong, made a couple of crucial blocks, and a vocal leader at the back, but some concentration issues.
Medford-Smith - probably the highlight. Very good defensive left back who provided good cover a few times when the centre backs got caught out. Good on the ball and a good physical presence.

Rollinson - quick, direct, and made good runs, but sometimes let down by his touch. One excellent low delivery from a free kick.
Coleman - kept things ticking over and showed good work rate, but wasn't given much support defensively.
Frost - not sure what he was doing in midfield. Some good link play, particularly early on, but didn't threaten.
Holsgrove - classy. Clearly very talented but ran into a few dead ends. Good movement, intelligence, and awareness.
Loader - started brightly and won a few free kicks but not at his best and was isolated when he moved up front.

House - worked hard, a real physical presence up front. Unfortunate slip when through on goal.

Subs:
Shokunbi (for Coleman) - strong and rangy and should probably have started. Reminds me a bit of Tshibola with his combination of presence and effortless grace.
Nolan (for House) - the game was lost by the time he came on and we didn't get the ball to him very much. Also only 15?
Balogun (for Odimayo) - some good runs up from defence.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Sutekh » 16 Dec 2016 09:07

Way to go City, what's that 4 or 5 British players in an U18 starting line up :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: and people wonder why the England team suffers.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by Saaaaaaaammmmmm » 16 Dec 2016 09:38

Went to school with Howe Jr (obvs a few years below) and he was rapid back then, smashed every sports day record available, surprised he's ended up a right-back (although my faint memories of him playing football was that he never passed and relied entirely on his speed)

Holsgrove gets good reports whenever I read about him, shame McIntyre's injured again, I think along with Frost they seem to be the standouts of this age group (Loader still only 16). Good to hear about yet another keeper, I notice him and Rollinson (along with Kosta Sparta) are all Aussies, wonder how we acquired them?

I was just looking up some of these players and I notice Driscoll got sent off against Norwich, meaning we had to put a 15 year old in goal (born in 2001 :shock: ). In the end we got stuffed 9-2

Also not sure it's been reported anywhere but I've spotted we have a representative in the Wales Under-17 squad in Pablo Martinez, so maybe we shouldn't judge those continental-sounding City surnames....

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

by muirinho » 16 Dec 2016 10:54

Saaaaaaaammmmmm

Also not sure it's been reported anywhere but I've spotted we have a representative in the Wales Under-17 squad in Pablo Martinez, so maybe we shouldn't judge those continental-sounding City surnames....


Indeed. Had a bit of a trawl, and from Man City's first 11, there's 1 Polish lad, 1 Spanish, 1 Welsh - and the rest are English! (Obviously as they are all underage, a number of them could change allegiance in the future)

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