The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Good performance. To say the Ajax Academy ("De Toekomst" - the future) is one of the most famous in the world, I thought we absolutely dominated them.

Rushesha absolutely class above all of them. Garcia looked completely at ease. Thought Sackey looked very good first half. If we have to play Dean in the first team he looks very composed.

Got a bit confused as to who some other others were with no names on shirts or the squad list. They all l looked pretty good to be honest.

And that I suppose shows the value of being Category 1 - beating Ajax FFS. Hopefully any potential new owner will have taken that on board.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Good performance. To say the Ajax Academy ("De Toekomst" - the future) is one of the most famous in the world, I thought we absolutely dominated them.

Rushesha absolutely class above all of them. Garcia looked completely at ease. Thought Sackey looked very good first half. If we have to play Dean in the first team he looks very composed.

Got a bit confused as to who some other others were with no names on shirts or the squad list. They all l looked pretty good to be honest.

And that I suppose shows the value of being Category 1 - beating Ajax FFS. Hopefully any potential new owner will have taken that on board.

Are Bergkamp and his m8s still trying to buy a club?

[JedMaxwell]

I really enjoyed it last night. It looked like two absolutely top under age teams playing each other, which is remarkable given the circumstances. I thought Rushesha looked superb and I hope he gets some chances in the first team as I think he has a lot to offer.

You can also see how the likes of Akande and Garcia have benefitted from playing in the first team; I was really impressed with their decision making and watching Garcia against the winger I could see how he has developed defensively, despite playing all over for the first team.

I'd like to think any prospective buyers would see that and be very impressed. The academy key, not just to the club's overall health but also our identity.

[Sutekh]

I really enjoyed it last night. It looked like two absolutely top under age teams playing each other, which is remarkable given the circumstances. I thought Rushesha looked superb and I hope he gets some chances in the first team as I think he has a lot to offer.

You can also see how the likes of Akande and Garcia have benefitted from playing in the first team; I was really impressed with their decision making and watching Garcia against the winger I could see how he has developed defensively, despite playing all over for the first team.

I'd like to think any prospective buyers would see that and be very impressed. The academy key, not just to the club's overall health but also our identity.

And a big thanks must go to Mr Dai for the unique way he has helped develop some of the Academy youngsters

[Armadillo Roadkill]

I really enjoyed it last night. It looked like two absolutely top under age teams playing each other, which is remarkable given the circumstances. I thought Rushesha looked superb and I hope he gets some chances in the first team as I think he has a lot to offer.

You can also see how the likes of Akande and Garcia have benefitted from playing in the first team; I was really impressed with their decision making and watching Garcia against the winger I could see how he has developed defensively, despite playing all over for the first team.

I'd like to think any prospective buyers would see that and be very impressed. The academy key, not just to the club's overall health but also our identity.

And a big thanks must go to Mr Dai for the unique way he has helped develop some of the Academy youngsters

As an unintended consequence, it has its merits. How many other clubs give first team time to their youngsters rather than just shipping experienced pros from the lesser European leagues?

We have a superb record of turning academy products into pros, even if it out of necessity as much as design.

[JedMaxwell]

Indeed. Necessity (or in this case an uninterested billionaire knob head) is certainly the mother of invention in our situation.

[Snowflake Royal]

And if we'd done it from the start of his tenure rather than just when the FL forced us to, we'd have likely had more success than bringing in deadbeat shite for too much.

[Clyde1998]

Very happy with that last night. Thought we controlled the game well and caused Ajax a lot of problems, without them really causing us too many. The goal we conceded was basically their only chance until we went 2-1 up.

Thought the midfield looked good - Rushesha and Sackey stood out, with Spencer doing a good job deeper in midfield. Rushesha looked good when he came off the bench at Wrexham - certainly furthers my lack of concern about midfield depth. Those who've been in the first team looked to have benefitted from it; especially when it came to physicality. We looked a lot stronger than the Ajax players and could keep playing at a higher intensity for longer.

I had a look at the Ajax team that started their most recent league game (Dutch second tier) and six of those players started and three came off the bench. The two remaining players were the sub goalkeeper and their left-winger, who seems to have just come through from their U18s and makes the odd appearance. I guess as it's a development squad, they do seem to usually rotate their starting XI between league games anyway; eight of their most used fourteen players started last night.

I have 950 as my final estimate of tickets sold last night, with the club not (to my knowledge) publishing the actual attendance. All in all a good night for us.

[Clyde1998]

And if we'd done it from the start of his tenure rather than just when the FL forced us to, we'd have likely had more success than bringing in deadbeat shite for too much.

I do wonder what would've happened.

The 2014-15 season sticks in my mind (albeit before Dai and EFL sanctions). We started that season with a load of young players in the squad due to injuries - Jake Taylor, Aaron Kuhl, Michael Hector, Jake Cooper, Ryan Edwards, Craig Tanner were all in the squad in the early season, with many getting decent minutes. It seemed like when our established players returned from injury, our form went with it.

Those who managed to stay in the first team squad (due to lack of depth among established players in their position) - Hector and Cooper - went on to have good Championship level careers; those who fell out of the first team once established players returned were never able to push on beyond the level they'd reached at the time, as they basically never got another opportunity despite doing little wrong when they got to the first team - not even from the bench. All very short-term thinking and even thinking short term didn't benefit us.

[SCIAG]

And if we'd done it from the start of his tenure rather than just when the FL forced us to, we'd have likely had more success than bringing in deadbeat shite for too much.

I do wonder what would've happened.

The 2014-15 season sticks in my mind (albeit before Dai and EFL sanctions). We started that season with a load of young players in the squad due to injuries - Jake Taylor, Aaron Kuhl, Michael Hector, Jake Cooper, Ryan Edwards, Craig Tanner were all in the squad in the early season, with many getting decent minutes. It seemed like when our established players returned from injury, our form went with it.

Those who managed to stay in the first team squad (due to lack of depth among established players in their position) - Hector and Cooper - went on to have good Championship level careers; those who fell out of the first team once established players returned were never able to push on beyond the level they'd reached at the time, as they basically never got another opportunity despite doing little wrong when they got to the first team - not even from the bench. All very short-term thinking and even thinking short term didn't benefit us.

Taylor and Hector were relatively old, older than Obita for instance.

Kuhl and Tanner were both sent on unhelpful loans and then suffered career-limiting injuries.

Never really thought Edwards was much cop personally.

For me the real tragedy is the Stam years, yes he achieved a lot on the pitch but I think Fosu would have done just as well as Harriott, Dickie and Hyam would have done as well as Ilori, and Stacey could have picked up minutes in a few different positions ahead of Aluko and Bacuna.

The line between Tanner and Olise is much smaller than we like to imagine.

[Clyde1998]

And if we'd done it from the start of his tenure rather than just when the FL forced us to, we'd have likely had more success than bringing in deadbeat shite for too much.

I do wonder what would've happened.

The 2014-15 season sticks in my mind (albeit before Dai and EFL sanctions). We started that season with a load of young players in the squad due to injuries - Jake Taylor, Aaron Kuhl, Michael Hector, Jake Cooper, Ryan Edwards, Craig Tanner were all in the squad in the early season, with many getting decent minutes. It seemed like when our established players returned from injury, our form went with it.

Those who managed to stay in the first team squad (due to lack of depth among established players in their position) - Hector and Cooper - went on to have good Championship level careers; those who fell out of the first team once established players returned were never able to push on beyond the level they'd reached at the time, as they basically never got another opportunity despite doing little wrong when they got to the first team - not even from the bench. All very short-term thinking and even thinking short term didn't benefit us.

Taylor and Hector were relatively old, older than Obita for instance.

Kuhl and Tanner were both sent on unhelpful loans and then suffered career-limiting injuries.

Never really thought Edwards was much cop personally.

For me the real tragedy is the Stam years, yes he achieved a lot on the pitch but I think Fosu would have done just as well as Harriott, Dickie and Hyam would have done as well as Ilori, and Stacey could have picked up minutes in a few different positions ahead of Aluko and Bacuna.

The line between Tanner and Olise is much smaller than we like to imagine.

I did think Taylor was a bit younger, but evidently not; Hector was fairly young for a centre-back though (who often don't peak until they're 28-30).

Didn't realise those two both had injures; I do remember Kuhl going on loan to Dundee United and completely falling off the radar afterwards and Tanner had two or three years out on loan in League Two (wasn't given/able to get a loan in League One). Injuries are always something that can completely change a trajectory of a career; Jem Karacan went from probably a good midfield option for a lot of lower end Premier League sides to not being good enough for the Championship from injuries - and he was established.

I can't remember too much about Edwards specifically. Not every player that reaches the first team will develop much more. I do seem to recall him playing in Scotland for a bit after leaving us - although I can't remember who for and at what level (Premiership or Championship).

The very fact we can discuss different periods of when we could've had a number of young players come into the side is a testament to our academy. That period under Stam may have seen a lot more young players come through - like Fosu, Stacey, Dickie and Hyam had Dai not taken over the club had chucked money at new players. Other players, like Tennai Watson, may have been closer to the first team too and developed more than he ended up doing.

I thought Harriott would've been a good Championship player (at least) had he not got that injury in the abandoned game against Fulham - never really recovered to the same level and missed a good eighteen months of football at a crucial age. As said above, the margins are very small. That said, some like Fosu would've likely had the opportunity if we never signed him and probably had the same ceiling.

I think the 2014-15 sticks in my head more due the young players actually being in the squad for a period, the drop off in form after those young players fell out the squad (which may have happened anyway) and the relative similarity to the 2009-10 season - which gave players like Karacan, Sigurdsson, Church, Robson-Kanu and Pearce their major breakthrough; I know Karacan had periods of playing regularly in the previous season.

[Royals and Racers]

Reece Evans who we got in the summer from Leicester has left and joined Queens Park ‘ B’ team in Scotland

[Sutekh]

Reece Evans who we got in the summer from Leicester has left and joined Queens Park ‘ B’ team in Scotland

Can't compete with Queens Park 'B'.

[Royals and Racers]

Reece Evans who we got in the summer from Leicester has left and joined Queens Park ‘ B’ team in Scotland

Can't compete with Queens Park 'B'.

Turned 19 this week. Maybe if the sale had gone through he would have stayed. He scored on his debut but presumably will be involved with their 1st team soon.

[Royals and Racers]

Next up for the Royals is a return to PL 2 action on Monday 30th September with an away match to Everton KO 7pm. The match is being played at Southport FC’s Big Help stadium in Haig Ave Southport.
No stream as there is a PL match on that night.

[SCIAG]

Next up for the Royals is a return to PL 2 action on Monday 30th September with an away match to Everton KO 7pm. The match is being played at Southport FC’s Big Help stadium in Haig Ave Southport.
No stream as there is a PL match on that night.

PL rightly making the decision to ensure that no Bournemouth fans stay home and watch Reading U21s instead of the South Coast derby.

[Royals and Racers]

U 18’s in PL U 18 league action away at Tottenham this morning KO 11.30am
Welland
Zie
Neptune
Duah
Harrison
Howard
Nour
Bowdery
Source
George
Saint-Louis
SUBS
Bailey
Agyekum
Dave
Martin
Pullinger

[Royals and Racers]

Spurs 1 Reading 0 39 mins
H-T 1-0
F-T 1-0

[Snowflake Royal]

Not a great start. Long ball from Craig nowhere near Smith and then Button slices a clearance into touch.

[Brogue]

Not a great start. Long ball from Craig nowhere near Smith and then Button slices a clearance into touch.

Button is too old to play for the u18’s no?