The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[Royal Ginger]

I'd like to see Liburd out on loan to a league 2 club. No chance in the first team with Vydra, HRK playing well, Kermorgant and Rakels in the team, Cox as cover, Samuel lurking in the loan shadows, and as it would appear not much more to be gained from U21 work.

[Saaaaaaaammmmmm]

No Liburd for the U21s today against Liverpool today, Cardwell chosen ahead of Novakovich to lead the line

[Royals and Racers]

U18's beat Chelsea 2-0

report from Chelsea`s end http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-ne ... elsea.html

[Royals and Racers]

No Liburd for the U21s today against Liverpool today, Cardwell chosen ahead of Novakovich to lead the line

Lost 2-0

[SCIAG]

I'd like to see Liburd out on loan to a league 2 club. No chance in the first team with Vydra, HRK playing well, Kermorgant and Rakels in the team, Cox as cover, Samuel lurking in the loan shadows, and as it would appear not much more to be gained from U21 work.

Clarke said they'd had interest from multiple League 1 clubs (unsurprising when you consider how well Samuel's done there) so I'd be surprised if we sent him to League 2.

Obviously Rakels is an unknown quantity, but if he's more of a winger than a striker then I'd like to see Liburd making appearances from the bench ahead of Cox.

By all accounts our result against Chelsea was extremely fortunate. Barrett scored directly from a corner thanks to a sudden gust of wind! Second year in a row an U18 has scored from a corner after Husin did it last year. The other goal was our 9th by a centre back this season (although at least one was a penalty) so maybe our U18s coaches should be working on set pieces with the seniors?

[Ian Royal]

No Liburd for the U21s today against Liverpool today, Cardwell chosen ahead of Novakovich to lead the line

Lost 2-0

What's happened to them? They could barely string two passes together on the highlights.

[Royals and Racers]

Looking good for the U18`s FA youth cup progress- 2-0 up at Wolves at half time

[Royals and Racers]

Looking good for the U18`s FA youth cup progress- 2-0 up at Wolves at half time

FT 3-0

[Saaaaaaaammmmmm]

No Liburd for the U21s today against Liverpool today, Cardwell chosen ahead of Novakovich to lead the line

Lost 2-0

What's happened to them? They could barely string two passes together on the highlights.

Seen them on TV a few times this season and tbh they've looked really really poor. I know lots of people like to call for the inclusion of youngsters but at the moment the current crop just aren't good enough. They're up against teams who have sent most of their star youngsters out on loan in the football league and the leftovers are still comfortably turning over our lot. Only Liburd to me has looked first-team quality but then again he's 22 so should be bossing games against players much younger than him, he's a good natural finisher though so I have high hopes.

As for the U18s, hopefully can go far this year. I notice Nigel Howe's son was on the bench tonight...

[SCIAG]

Fantastic win for the U18s.

Think the above is an unfair assessment. I mean, for one thing we've sent most of our best players on loan this season, and for another they're still 6th in the league. Could drop to ninth if everyone wins all their games in hand but that's impossible.

I've noticed three problems:

1) players struggling to recapture their best form after loan periods (Fosu, Kuhl, Stacey, Hyam, Novakovich... also seen last season with Tanner and Tshibola)
2) players being used out of position so we can squeeze in our eleven strongest players, rather than picking the best team
3) an ever-changing line-up, preventing players forming consistent partnerships. Our best form came when we were picking the same nine outfield players and just changing the right winger.

[Royal Ginger]

Honest question, do the rules prevent teams from entering a U21a and and U21b? I may be wrong but the quality between U18 and U21 seems to be fairly substantial.

[Nameless]

I would be surprised if you could enter multiple teams at U21, but whether it's strictly forbidden I don't know. Not sure how many clubs would be able to field competitive teams - you'd need pushing 40 eligible players in the right permutations of positions. You'd also have issues with naming squads and whether you could swap players between them on a match by match basis.
There is likely to be a big gap between the ages. U18 is the top end of boys football, and you can't select over age players. You can however push your very best players up into the u21 side. U21 is adult football, you can have overage players and it's likely you'll have players who have played first team football and trained with the first team.
U21 football is definitely very hit and miss and I don't think it's a successful way of developing young players for first team football. What the solution is I don't know, I don't think allowing clubs to enter second teams in the league makes sense as the league would have to expand to 4 or 5 divisions which I can't see being realistic without impacting negatively on existing clubs

[SCIAG]

I would be surprised if you could enter multiple teams at U21, but whether it's strictly forbidden I don't know. Not sure how many clubs would be able to field competitive teams - you'd need pushing 40 eligible players in the right permutations of positions.

Believe we've used at least 35 U21s this season, including Liburd and Samuel but not "guest" players like Fernandez or Rakels. Pretty even spread of players too. If we didn't send anyone on loan or use U21 players in the first team and didn't mind fielding weakened U18 sides on occasion, then we could probably maintain two squads. It's probably better to just arrange friendlies for the likes of Husin and Owusu to get game time.

U21s won at last. Perhaps not a coincidence that the winless run ends when Liburd returns - he scored the only goal.

[Nameless]

Could we field two competitive squads though ?
I'd tend to agree that a decent range of friendlies is as good as a second U21 side. Bear in mind you'd have to register squads so if you promoted a keeper or lost a couple of centre backs from one squad you'd probably be stuffed for cover !

[SCIAG]

Could we field two competitive squads though ?
I'd tend to agree that a decent range of friendlies is as good as a second U21 side. Bear in mind you'd have to register squads so if you promoted a keeper or lost a couple of centre backs from one squad you'd probably be stuffed for cover !

Is there squad registration currently, or can clubs use any eligible player they hold the professional registration for? I see no reason why they couldn't allow players to register for multiple squads. You could also use the system they use in Spain where a player can be "promoted" to a higher squad for a certain number of matches.

I think this is a competitive Division 1 squad:

Moore; Keown, Sweeney, Cooper, Griffin; Tshibola, Kuhl; Stacey, Tanner, Fosu; Liburd
Subs: Legg, Jules, Husin, Barrett, Cardwell

And this would not finish bottom of Division 2:

Ward; Long, Dickie, Hyam, Owusu; Semedo, Sammi, Kelly, Sheppard; Samuel, Novakovich
Subs: Southwood, Osho, Watson, Shaughnessy, Smith

Leaving the likes of Rimohota, Collins, Lawal, and the remaining U18s to cover for injuries. Could also draft in Evans.

Obviously the second team would start to look like the U18s if Cooper, Keown, Tshibola and Liburd had to travel with the senior squad and a few players picked up injuries.

[P!ssed Off]

Could we field two competitive squads though ?
I'd tend to agree that a decent range of friendlies is as good as a second U21 side. Bear in mind you'd have to register squads so if you promoted a keeper or lost a couple of centre backs from one squad you'd probably be stuffed for cover !

Is there squad registration currently, or can clubs use any eligible player they hold the professional registration for? I see no reason why they couldn't allow players to register for multiple squads. You could also use the system they use in Spain where a player can be "promoted" to a higher squad for a certain number of matches.

I think this is a competitive Division 1 squad:

Moore; Keown, Sweeney, Cooper, Griffin; Tshibola, Kuhl; Stacey, Tanner, Fosu; Liburd
Subs: Legg, Jules, Husin, Barrett, Cardwell

And this would not finish bottom of Division 2:

Ward; Long, Dickie, Hyam, Owusu; Semedo, Sammi, Kelly, Sheppard; Samuel, Novakovich
Subs: Southwood, Osho, Watson, Shaughnessy, Smith

Leaving the likes of Rimohota, Collins, Lawal, and the remaining U18s to cover for injuries. Could also draft in Evans.

Obviously the second team would start to look like the U18s if Cooper, Keown, Tshibola and Liburd had to travel with the senior squad and a few players picked up injuries.

Think you've missed the point of the question. Any excuse to write an essay...

Question: Are we allowed to enter more than one U21 team?
Answer: No.

[Royals and Racers]

We now know that the Royals will be playing Chelsea away in the FA youth cup quarter final- Chelsea won 4-1 away at Wimbledon last night in front of over 3300- a great effort at £5 a ticket.

[SCIAG]

Think you've missed the point of the question. Any excuse to write an essay...

I didn't miss the point of the question, thanks. I didn't answer it because Nameless already had. Any excuse to constructive hypothetical line-ups.

[The Cube]

It was a week ago, but I've just discovered that the FA have done a draw for the Youth cup semis and final ("number 2 will play number..... errrrr.... 1")

The Semi-Final draw

First leg – to be played by Saturday 19 March
1 Blackburn Rovers or Preston North End or Luton Town v AFC Wimbledon or Chelsea or Wolverhampton Wanderers or Reading
2 Manchester City or Norwich City v Coventry City or Arsenal or Liverpool

Second leg – to be played by Saturday 9 April
1 AFC Wimbledon or Chelsea or Wolverhampton Wanderers or Reading v Blackburn Rovers or Preston North End or Luton Town
2 Coventry City or Arsenal or Liverpool v Manchester City or Norwich City

The Final

First leg
1 Manchester City or Norwich City or Coventry City or Arsenal or Liverpool v Blackburn Rovers or Preston North End or Luton Town or AFC Wimbledon or Chelsea or Wolverhampton Wanderers or Reading

Second leg
2 Blackburn Rovers or Preston North End or Luton Town or AFC Wimbledon or Chelsea or Wolverhampton Wanderers or Reading v Manchester City or Norwich City or Coventry City or Arsenal or Liverpool

To be fair, some ties have taken place since then, so the final 1st leg is now:
Manchester City or Norwich City or Coventry City or Arsenal or Liverpool v Blackburn Rovers or Luton Town or Chelsea or Reading

We've managed to come out with an away tie every time since the 4th round (although when it's over two legs, that's an advantage). Apparently no dates yet for any of the future games, apart from Coventry-Arsenal in round 5 which is on 15 February.

[Nameless]

Why don't they just draw the whole thing at the start ?

Like tennis tournaments do.