U21 Development League 2022/2023

[useless]

For the second game in a row our lack of creativity in the final third is costing us, putting in a lot of crosses but every time we do I never get the sense that we're going to cause any problems with those crosses, need more guile.

[MWARLEY2]

2 minutes ago, useless said:

For the second game in a row our lack of creativity in the final third is costing us, putting in a lot of crosses but every time we do I never get the sense that we're going to cause any problems with those crosses, need more guile.

Yep. Its quite concerning that we have zero cutting edge. And don't Brentford not compete in the PL2 either ? 

All our best players are out on loan at this age group and the ones that arent are either too young and physically weak   to be effective or the ones that have failed on loan elsewhere. Cam needs service to be effective. 

[Pinebro]

Gerrard has ruined Archer.

Can't even score in an U21 game

[I Make Pies]

I wonder what's going to happen with the kids going forward. We ditched Delaney so we could teach them how to play Gerrard-ball, but they have the same problems as the first team - can't break teams down and only one man in the box for crosses. It's been easy for Brentford to sit deep and stifle us.

[useless]

Kadan Young and Tommi O'Reilly the only two who like like making something happen, whereas you look back at the Youth Cup winning team we had Chukwuemeka and Aaron Ramsey in midfield, Barry and Philogene and then Brad Young as the front three, all those players could make something happen out of nothing, there was also Kesler-Hayden always a threat from right-back coming forwar, but they weren't all just very good individual players they all had good interplay between themselves as well.

I'm hoping we'll improve our creativity when some of the more promising U18s get promoted to this level.

 

[useless]

Back on the Youth Cup team as well as being full of very good individual players another big advantage I think they had is that most of them came through our lower age groups together, so had a very good undstanding as had been playing as a team for a while, whereas a lot of the players we're using the last two season haven't had that advantage so look a little disjointed.

The good thing is it's looking like we've got some good teams coming through from the U15s and U16s, a mixture of those won the PL Tournament thing over the weekend, and the U15 players involved also won the U14 PL Cup last season, seven of them have been called up England, eight if you include Markie Meade but didn't take part in the tournament presumably as still only 13, got his England call up a year earlier than most, when these players are first and second year scholars in a few years time we could have not just some good players coming through, but also a very good team, that have been used to playing and winning together, I think some of the lower age groups won their version of the PL Cup too.

[useless]

To be fair if you look at our available players now we could make what on paper looks like quite a decent U18 team

Wright, Barber, Smith, Feeney, Triston Rowe Munroe, Simpson, Barnes, Patterson, Kellyman, K Young, Wilson, Lutz, Moore, Lynch, Broggio, ten of those playes are internationals and have won caps for their countries playing in official international games, so a talented group

The area where we seem to be lacking a little is attacking midfield, but sounds like they're trying to develop Kellyman for that position, he was actually described as being able to play there when he signed for us, so he's no stranger to the role, will be interesting to see how he does.

If we can get them all fit and on the pitch together they might have a chance of having a good run in the Youth Cup, could do with a kind draw though, hopefully an easy game in the first game or two, give them a chance to play some games together and build up some momentum

[AndyClarke]

Really poor tonight, Brentford didn't do much but we gave them the first 2 goals. Lots of possession, not much threat, Young decent early on, O'Reilly did OK particularly when Rowe came on and took the game by the scruff of the neck.

There are several who have no business being at this level.

[MWARLEY2]

The great thing is that our Youth cup winning team was a kind of fluke. In that despite us not having the structure in place that we do now for youth we still managed to bring through kesler chuk AJ all at once.

Now we are built to bring in the very best of the local youth players . Our scouting network goes down the M5 as well .  5 million people in the  west midlands conurbation.  And i would say that we will have first refusal on many of those now. 

I have said it before but in time we can be as productive an area for football talent as South London , without 20 clubs scrapping over them. 

[I Make Pies]

It's worth remembering as well that arguably the best two attacking players in this team, Shakpoke and Burchall, have been hampered by injuries.

[OutByEaster?]

I thought we worked hard and competed - they've been on a decent run apparently and I thought they looked very solid - we lack creativity up front - Kaden Young is bright but tends to run up blind alleys, Tommy O'Reilly is great on the ball but doesn't play the final pass well and Afoke worries me a bit, hopefully he finds a way to push forward in his development, but at the moment, he's struggling to impact games. 

I thought Revan was very good and I thought Ealing did well, Kerr Smith had a couple of good gallops forward, but unfortunately both their second and third goals were as a result of really sloppy errors by the centre backs and keeper - the second one in particular was a bit of a mess.

They'll learn from it I think and there's some room for growth in this team, but they're a bit of an in-between group. We've had a great group before them, now out on loan, and we've got a very promising group coming through, but this group still have an awful lot to prove.

 

[messi11]

Rory Wilson starts!
Bogarde playing DM?
 

[OutByEaster?]

Team news seems very late on this one.

U18's, U21's and the first team all playing on the same day is unusual.

Big chance for Wilson - you'd have thought with the U18's playing he'd have been in that one so this is a big opportunity for him. Looks like they've moved Moore back down and Wilson up.

[OutByEaster?]

 

Bogarde might help our weak midfield some - looks a decent enough side if a little young up front.

Afoka and Raikhy could both do with a performance and I'd have maybe preferred Frith on the right over Afoka.

[MWARLEY2]

3 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

 

Bogarde might help our weak midfield some - looks a decent enough side if a little young up front.

Afoka and Raikhy could both do with a performance and I'd have maybe preferred Frith on the right over Afoka.

They are persisting with Afoka. Seems to be one of the first on the team sheet most weeks. 

Bogarde will defo help. Is this his first game back ? 

Defo already gone back to a 4231 formation by the looks of it . 

Edited October 29, 2022 by MWARLEY2

[OutByEaster?]

Yep, Bogarde's first game back.

It must be quite a strain on the coaching staff - the U21 team helped with the first time on Sunday and I wonder if some of them will be in Newcastle today, with the U21's and U18's playing at the same time and no first team coaching set up in place at least one of these sidelines is going to be pretty thin today!

 

[BOF]

We did a goal 

[OutByEaster?]

1-0 Afoka.

That'll teach me!

 

[BOF]

2 up in the u18s home to Arsenal too

[useless]

Sounds like we're dominating the game, sixty percent possession, eleven shots, six of those on target, as opposed to their one goal attempt. Hopefully we don't regret not scoring one of those chances come the end of the game.