FA Youth Cup Final vs Liverpool (24th May 19:45)

[punkiller1981]

10 hours ago, smg said:

They need to go out on loan as they are obviously  well ahead of U23 football and need to be tested, physically, technically and mentally. As for Chuka he needs to be around the first team and needs some ‘tough’ matches. He is potentially a top player but there were times tonight when it was clearly too easy for him and he f****d it up , the last thing we need is a Pogba on our hands instead of a Yaya Toure.

Agree with this I think he looks a real player but a little casual at times which is perhaps a reflection of confidence and outstanding ability. I would like to see him a little bit more aggressive when not in possession to press and challenge the opposition 

[useless]

Chukwuemeka was brought into the club when he was twelve, so think we're allowed to call him a product of our academy... Marschall came from Cambridge when he was fourteen or fifteen, Swinkels and Bogarde obviously came in last summer, Lindley came from Man City a few years back, Raikhy, Barry, and Young came from West Brom, Chrisene from Exeter. Kesler, Ramsey, and Revan were all with us as U7s, and I think Reddin has been at the club since a very young age as well.

 

[The Fun Factory]

You just don't really know who will really make it.  

Last night could be a stepping stone for some of them for a top level career with all the millions and adulation that comes with it.

Or they could drift into obscurity in non league.

About 15 years ago I went to a U17 England game and about 10 years ago I went to a U16 game. I dug out the programmes for both.

The U17 had players like Tomkins, Sturridge and Walcott. But for example the captain Josh Walker played 8 time for Middlesbrough and is now at Tranent Juniors,

The  U15 later had players like Loftus-Cheek and Alex Iwobi. But for example Niall Heaton never played of Liverpool and is now at Guiseley.

[the_sun_never_sets]

Who do we reckon can make the step up to the first team next season then? 

Chuk is a given as he's already there. 

I wonder if we'll send Jacob Ramsey on loan and bring Aaron onto our bench - just seems to have more about him.

My next thought would be Kesler as understudy to Cash

Does Revan provide enough that we dont need to sign another LB to cover Targett this summer?

I'd veer towards a loan for Barry - Belgium/Portugal maybe..

[Awol]

1 minute ago, the_sun_never_sets said:

Who do we reckon can make the step up to the first team next season then? 

Chuk is a given as he's already there. 

I wonder if we'll send Jacob Ramsey on loan and bring Aaron onto our bench - just seems to have more about him.

My next thought would be Kesler as understudy to Cash

Does Revan provide enough that we dont need to sign another LB to cover Targett this summer?

I'd veer towards a loan for Barry - Belgium/Portugal maybe..

Kesler is very good technically but still a bit lightweight for men’s football, imo. Might need another 12-18 months to grow into his body and get stronger, but he’s going to be some player. 

[mjmooney]

For all the fun of the first half, I'm actually glad it wasn't a 7-0 walkover. Defending is as important a part of football as attacking, and Liverpool's fight back gave the back four and goalie a chance to show what they're made of. And they rose to the challenge. For all the criticisms of Marschall, he made some vital saves. Great all-round performance from the lads. 

Edited May 25, 2021 by mjmooney

[useless]

FA Youth Cup winners/finalists usually yield a decent amount of players that go on to have good careers, just looking at the past few years and... Jeremie Frimpong, Tariq Lamptey, Reece James, Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Emile Smith-Rowe, Bukayo Saka, Ike Ugbo, Mason Mount, Phl Foden, Jadon Sancho, Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham,  Kelechi Iheanacho, Jeremie Boga... Have all been involved, and then are a decent amount of others playing at championship level.

 

 

[Pez1974]

1 hour ago, DCJonah said:

Gregg Evans has written a really good piece in the athletic this morning.

To summarise, this is all down to the owners. Over the last 18 months they've provided the funds to hire coaches and played a big role in our aggressive recruiting. 

The owners message was pitched to all potential players. 

Bogarde was seen as a massive coup.

All very positive stuff. And it sounds like the following years will be just as fun.

I can still remember reading comments when we were signing some of these kids, along the lines of "we don't need them, we need {add name of rumour of the week player} to keep us up".

Clubs can do more than 1 thing at once, and I can't believe the progress already. 

We know they won't all 'make it', and given where we want to be as a club in a couple of years, that will be even more difficult. But I can't remember seeing a youth team where I can make a case for almost any one of them to progress so well.

[DCJonah]

21 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

You just don't really know who will really make it.  

Last night could be a stepping stone for some of them for a top level career with all the millions and adulation that comes with it.

Or they could drift into obscurity in non league.

About 15 years ago I went to a U17 England game and about 10 years ago I went to a U16 game. I dug out the programmes for both.

The U17 had players like Tomkins, Sturridge and Walcott. But for example the captain Josh Walker played 8 time for Middlesbrough and is now at Tranent Juniors,

The  U15 later had players like Loftus-Cheek and Alex Iwobi. But for example Niall Heaton never played of Liverpool and is now at Guiseley.

I went to an u21 game when Luke Moore was called up. 

Carlton Cole looked like Lukaku combined with Ronaldo and Aaron Lennon looked like he was going to be the next Diego Maradonna.

[BOF]

Physicality goes a long way at that age group too, because they're not done growing, so if you have someone who is physically more developed then it can give quite the advantage if you can get them into the right areas of your team.

On a completely unrelated note did you know the Netherlands is the tallest nation in the world *cough*

[Brumerican]

Just now, BOF said:

On a completely unrelated note did you know the Netherlands is the tallest nation in the world *cough*

I was shocked how high everyone was in the Dam tbf.

[The Fun Factory]

23 minutes ago, BOF said:

Physicality goes a long way at that age group too, because they're not done growing, so if you have someone who is physically more developed then it can give quite the advantage if you can get them into the right areas of your team.

On a completely unrelated note did you know the Netherlands is the tallest nation in the world *cough*

Well having those clogs must be an advantage.

[PaulC]

1 hour ago, the_sun_never_sets said:

Who do we reckon can make the step up to the first team next season then? 

Chuk is a given as he's already there. 

I wonder if we'll send Jacob Ramsey on loan and bring Aaron onto our bench - just seems to have more about him.

My next thought would be Kesler as understudy to Cash

Does Revan provide enough that we dont need to sign another LB to cover Targett this summer?

I'd veer towards a loan for Barry - Belgium/Portugal maybe..

Brad Young seems to have a bit of the Olie Watkins about him 

[VillaJay]

8 minutes ago, PaulC said:

Brad Young seems to have a bit of the Olie Watkins about him 

The stand out for me last night, tenacious with good feet, looks physically to be ahead of Barry for me. But some talent in that team 5/6 look like they'll have good careers.

Id expect Chuk to play at PL level, could do with a gym routine over the summer like Jack a few seasons ago. Kesler needs to bulk up too but looks a real talent and Barry will play at the top, I'm sure.

[HanoiVillan]

1 hour ago, the_sun_never_sets said:

Who do we reckon can make the step up to the first team next season then? 

Chuk is a given as he's already there. 

I wonder if we'll send Jacob Ramsey on loan and bring Aaron onto our bench - just seems to have more about him.

My next thought would be Kesler as understudy to Cash

Does Revan provide enough that we dont need to sign another LB to cover Targett this summer?

I'd veer towards a loan for Barry - Belgium/Portugal maybe..

Barry has already failed to settle overseas once, I don't think he'd be keen to do that again. I think we'll keep him around to be honest, he's still quite young.

[KenjiOgiwara]

2 hours ago, useless said:

Chukwuemeka was brought into the club when he was twelve, so think we're allowed to call him a product of our academy... Marschall came from Cambridge when he was fourteen or fifteen, Swinkels and Bogarde obviously came in last summer, Lindley came from Man City a few years back, Raikhy, Barry, and Young came from West Brom, Chrisene from Exeter. Kesler, Ramsey, and Revan were all with us as U7s, and I think Reddin has been at the club since a very young age as well.

I think it's fair to call anyone coming through our academy for a product of our academy, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't recognize the work done by other clubs.

You have to be very impressed by the setup at Exeter.

[Brumerican]

8 minutes ago, PaulC said:

Brad Young seems to have a bit of the Olie Watkins about him 

With a hint of Tuco Salamanca.

It's like the upcoming MCU thing "What if ?"

What if Ben Stokes started cooking meth ?

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

As in the Brad Young thread .

I love the fact that, it seems all the young forwards are being coached into being flexible to play all across the front line.

Versatility and fluidity!

[John]

Here's a good report on last night's win from "The Times" (Carney the new Pogba though, no pressure there eh?):

Early goals from Ben Chrisene and Brad Young helped Aston Villa to end a 19-year wait to lift the FA Youth Cup with victory over Liverpool. Villa previously lifted the trophy in 2002, beating an Everton team featuring Wayne Rooney 4-2 on aggregate in a two-legged final. Though none of that team went on to become Aston Villa legends, there are high hopes for this crop: six of the starting XI appeared against the senior Liverpool team in the FA Cup in January after an outbreak of coronavirus in the Villa first team. “Tony McAndrew was the coach last time [in 2002] and Tony was one of my mentors,” Sean Verity, Villa’s co- manager, said. “The club has a different feel about it now, from top to bottom. Christian Purslow, our CEO, was behind me and I could hear him shouting at the lads, encouraging them. “Hopefully, it’s not the end of the journey [for the players]. This is fantastic for them, but the goal has got to be first-team football, whether that’s here or whether it’s somewhere else.”

Carney Chukwuemeka is one of those who has already made his mark in Villa’s first team. He came on in the 73rd minute in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League before taking centre stage last night. The 17-year-old is tipped as a future star, and Luca Stephenson, the Liverpool midfielder, found out just how hard it is to dispossess him, picking up a yellow card for pulling his shirt as Chukwuemeka dribbled past him in the first half. It is easy to see why the midfielder has been likened to Paul Pogba — his languid style oozed confidence as he used his 6ft frame to shield the ball, attracting defenders to him before producing a trick.

Both Villa’s first-half goalscorers were equally impressive, although less well known. Chrisene was the first to show maturity well beyond his 17 years, taking a touch before firing into the bottom corner for Villa’s opener in the seventh minute. Young, the striker, also impressed. Clipped by the Liverpool defender Billy Koumetio, he picked himself up to score the penalty, using a similar technique to that of the Chelsea midfielder Jorginho to slot the ball into the corner.

Villa were simply better than Liverpool in the first half, winning their individual battles across the pitch. One piece of skill from Louie Barry, the forward who signed for Barcelona from West Bromwich Albion before returning to Birmingham with Villa, left Conor Bradley sitting on the turf. Liverpool rallied in the second half and a volley from a corner by the impressive substitute Melkamu Frauendorf halved the deficit, his strike deflecting in off the defender Seb Revan.

“Win or lose, the game was always going to be a wonderful learning curve,” Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, the Liverpool manager, said. “Firstly [I’m] disappointed, secondly, really proud that the boys gave it a good go and we managed to fight our way back into the game and make it interesting in the second half.” The goal turned the Villa support from jubilant to a wave of nervous energy, an unfamiliar feeling for many of these players, used to empty stadiums. Ultimately it was another test passed in their fledgling football careers and soon they will hope to play in front of a full Villa Park.

Aston Villa (4-1-4-1): F Marschall 7 — K Kesler-Hayden 9, L Bogarde 8, S Swinkels 8, S Revan 7 — H Lindley 8 (M Sylla 79min) — B Chrisene 8 (A Ramsey 61), A Raikhy 7, C Chukwuemeka 9, L Barry 8 — B Young 8 Booked Bogarde, Young

Liverpool (4-3-3): H Davies 6 — C Bradley 5, J Quansah 7, B Koumetio 6, J Norris 6 — T Morton 6, L Stephenson 6, D Corness 5 (M Frauendorf 45,  - J Balagizi 7, M Musialowski 7, M Woltman 6. Booked Stephenson

Referee J Brooks
Att 4,406

Edited May 25, 2021 by John

[onmeedson]

That 70 minute brick wall seemed to hit again.