U23 football is a far from perfect idea (thanks Jed). You end up having too many 20-22 year olds at the club that will never make it. We saw that last season.
I would rather our u23s next season are some u18s, some of last years u18s and fringe 1st teamers.
The older ones should either be out on loan or in the first team squad. Of Clayden isn't in the "official squad" or out on loan what's the point?
In the weeks where we don't have a first team game midweek I want to see the keeper, the spare CB and a couple of midfielders get games in the u23s.
We can't have the farce of Morgan, and to a lesser degree the "senior pros" of last season go months without games then chucked in the first team again.
U23 football is a far from perfect idea (thanks Jed). You end up having too many 20-22 year olds at the club that will never make it. We saw that last season.
I would rather our u23s next season are some u18s, some of last years u18s and fringe 1st teamers.
The older ones should either be out on loan or in the first team squad. Of Clayden isn't in the "official squad" or out on loan what's the point?
In the weeks where we don't have a first team game midweek I want to see the keeper, the spare CB and a couple of midfielders get games in the u23s.
We can't have the farce of Morgan, and to a lesser degree the "senior pros" of last season go months without games then chucked in the first team again.
Where we've been very poor is with players who are on the fringe of the matchday 18, who are kept out of U23 football in case they are needed for the 18, but generally aren't picked, so they end up with no football at all.
Looking back, with fewer subs in the old days, the matchday squads were also smaller, meaning that the "19th and 20th" members of the squad would be spare, and available for the stiffs.
It's a bit farcical, but cup games have become the new stiffs. Instead of reserve fixtures, you use the EFL trophy and EFL cup to play your backup players.
U23 football is a far from perfect idea (thanks Jed). You end up having too many 20-22 year olds at the club that will never make it. We saw that last season.
I would rather our u23s next season are some u18s, some of last years u18s and fringe 1st teamers.
The older ones should either be out on loan or in the first team squad. Of Clayden isn't in the "official squad" or out on loan what's the point?
In the weeks where we don't have a first team game midweek I want to see the keeper, the spare CB and a couple of midfielders get games in the u23s.
We can't have the farce of Morgan, and to a lesser degree the "senior pros" of last season go months without games then chucked in the first team again.
Where we've been very poor is with players who are on the fringe of the matchday 18, who are kept out of U23 football in case they are needed for the 18, but generally aren't picked, so they end up with no football at all.
Looking back, with fewer subs in the old days, the matchday squads were also smaller, meaning that the "19th and 20th" members of the squad would be spare, and available for the stiffs.
It's a bit farcical, but cup games have become the new stiffs. Instead of reserve fixtures, you use the EFL trophy and EFL cup to play your backup players.
The cup games are good for that, in August and September. But then you have the farce where Morgan came back in after not playing a minute of football for 3 months.
If your an unused sub on Saturday there is absolutely no reason you can't play on the Monday if we don't have a first team game mid week.
It's a win win if you can loan out some of the older u23s as well and gives more opportunity to the better u18s.
As a gesture of goodwill here are the Coventry City U23 fixtures for next season. One of a number of clubs who have published theirs in order to respect and serve their fans who are interested in the actual football enterprise at their respective clubs. You can see a match against Charlton there. So bit by bit we can suss out our U23 fixture list by visiting other clubs websites.
As a gesture of goodwill here are the Coventry City U23 fixtures for next season. One of a number of clubs who have published theirs in order to respect and serve their fans who are interested in the actual football enterprise at their respective clubs. You can see a match against Charlton there. So bit by bit we can suss out our U23 fixture list by visiting other clubs websites.
@clive has kindly provided the link so I have trawled it to try to create a Charlton Athletic 2022-2023 U23 Fixture List.
It is likely I have made a mistake or two in transcribing!
Now I would say that this is subject to change, dates, kick off times and venues, but as far as I know our home games will be at Dartford. A lot of changes can be last minute, and there is a kind of organic flexibility to it all. Some dates clash with first team fixtures, and the football people can make alterations whenever I suppose, from all clubs.
Sometimes there are streams made available, but it is hit or miss, as is seeing any highlights. In the past Cardiff A and QPR A has had decent streamed coverage.
I have no idea if any of the listed fixtures are Cup Ties, or how any cup competition fits in.
I also don't really have a clue as to league structure, as you can see we don't play everybody twice, how it unfolds is a mystery to me.
2022
Monday 8th August v Burnley A 2pm Monday 15th August v Sheffield United H 2pm Friday 19th August v Sheffield Wednesday A 2pm Monday 29th August v Coventry City H 2pm
Friday 2nd September v Barnsley A 2pm. Monday 12th September v Colchester United H 2pm Tuesday 20th September v Millwall A 2pm Tuesday 27th September v Watford A 1pm
Monday 3rd October v Queens Park Rangers H 2pm Monday 10th October v Ipswich Town H 2pm Monday 17th October v Swansea City A 2pm Monday 24th October v Reading H 2pm
Tuesday 1st November v Bristol City A 1pm Monday 7th November v Cardiff City H 1pm
2023
Monday 9th January v Swansea City H 1pm Tuesday 17th January v Queens Park Rangers A 7pm Monday 23rd January v Reading A 2pm (I think it will be earlier because of daylight...dunno) Monday 30th January v Millwall H 1pm
Tuesday 14th February v Colchester United A 1pm Monday 20th February v Watford H 1pm Tuesday 28th February v Cardiff City A 2pm
Friday 3rd March v Ipswich Town A 1pm Monday 20th March v Bristol City H 2pm
Monday 3rd April v Wigan Athletic H 2pm Tuesday 11th April v Crewe Alexandra A 12noon Monday 24th April v Birmingham City H 2pm
Tuesday 2nd May v Peterborough United A 2pm Monday 8th May v Hull City H 2pm
@seth plum in the past seasons the structure for PDL Div 2 (what we play in) has been 2 Divisions North and South. You play all the teams in your division twice home and away. Because the leagues are not large, you play the teams in the other division once a mixture of homes and aways. The cup competition is the Premier League Cup and involves Div 2 and Div 1 (Cat A academies) teams. This is normally a group of four and you play all teams home and away with top teams going through to the knockout stage. At the end of the season top 2 in each Div 2 division play semi-final and then final play offs. After writing that it could all be a load of old crap and the structure could all be different this season
Steve Avory has agreed with the change saying it is clear by the age of 21 if a player has a first team future.
Interesting comment given the likes of Clayden are around still
There may be one or two but we have had many 20-22 year olds that were never going to play first team football in recent years.
One Clayden is ok but 4 or 5 isn't.
To me Clayden has only featured so regularly in pre-season due our dismal lack of depth at LB and indeed of left footed players, rather than because Garner really rates him
"We’ve always regarded it as an U19 to U21 programme in terms of the development aspect of it, because it’s our belief that when a player gets to 21 he should be ready for senior football. We obviously aim for that senior football to be here in our first-team, but if it’s not here it will be elsewhere.”
Comments
Ness has done well in pre-season I'd agree, interesting that he played CB on Friday, so maybe he's a genuine rival to Elewere as our 4th choice CB
Taken from the international supports forum thread.
https://cdn.charltonafc.com/sites/default/files/2022-07/Charlton_International Fans' Forum notes 14072022.pdf
I would rather our u23s next season are some u18s, some of last years u18s and fringe 1st teamers.
The older ones should either be out on loan or in the first team squad. Of Clayden isn't in the "official squad" or out on loan what's the point?
In the weeks where we don't have a first team game midweek I want to see the keeper, the spare CB and a couple of midfielders get games in the u23s.
We can't have the farce of Morgan, and to a lesser degree the "senior pros" of last season go months without games then chucked in the first team again.
Looking back, with fewer subs in the old days, the matchday squads were also smaller, meaning that the "19th and 20th" members of the squad would be spare, and available for the stiffs.
It's a bit farcical, but cup games have become the new stiffs. Instead of reserve fixtures, you use the EFL trophy and EFL cup to play your backup players.
If your an unused sub on Saturday there is absolutely no reason you can't play on the Monday if we don't have a first team game mid week.
It's a win win if you can loan out some of the older u23s as well and gives more opportunity to the better u18s.
You can see a match against Charlton there.
So bit by bit we can suss out our U23 fixture list by visiting other clubs websites.
https://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/2022/july/fixtures-under-21s-professional-development-league-fixtures-confirmed/
It is likely I have made a mistake or two in transcribing!
Now I would say that this is subject to change, dates, kick off times and venues, but as far as I know our home games will be at Dartford. A lot of changes can be last minute, and there is a kind of organic flexibility to it all. Some dates clash with first team fixtures, and the football people can make alterations whenever I suppose, from all clubs.
Sometimes there are streams made available, but it is hit or miss, as is seeing any highlights. In the past Cardiff A and QPR A has had decent streamed coverage.
I have no idea if any of the listed fixtures are Cup Ties, or how any cup competition fits in.
I also don't really have a clue as to league structure, as you can see we don't play everybody twice, how it unfolds is a mystery to me.
2022
Monday 8th August v Burnley A 2pm
Monday 15th August v Sheffield United H 2pm
Friday 19th August v Sheffield Wednesday A 2pm
Monday 29th August v Coventry City H 2pm
Friday 2nd September v Barnsley A 2pm.
Monday 12th September v Colchester United H 2pm
Tuesday 20th September v Millwall A 2pm
Tuesday 27th September v Watford A 1pm
Monday 3rd October v Queens Park Rangers H 2pm
Monday 10th October v Ipswich Town H 2pm
Monday 17th October v Swansea City A 2pm
Monday 24th October v Reading H 2pm
Tuesday 1st November v Bristol City A 1pm
Monday 7th November v Cardiff City H 1pm
2023
Monday 9th January v Swansea City H 1pm
Tuesday 17th January v Queens Park Rangers A 7pm
Monday 23rd January v Reading A 2pm (I think it will be earlier because of daylight...dunno)
Monday 30th January v Millwall H 1pm
Tuesday 14th February v Colchester United A 1pm
Monday 20th February v Watford H 1pm
Tuesday 28th February v Cardiff City A 2pm
Friday 3rd March v Ipswich Town A 1pm
Monday 20th March v Bristol City H 2pm
Monday 3rd April v Wigan Athletic H 2pm
Tuesday 11th April v Crewe Alexandra A 12noon
Monday 24th April v Birmingham City H 2pm
Tuesday 2nd May v Peterborough United A 2pm
Monday 8th May v Hull City H 2pm
Be interesting to see how we do against those two.
The Premier League have announced that the Professional Development League will become an U21 competition from the start of the 2022/23 season.
https://www.charltonafc.com/news/change-academy-age-parameters-u23-u21
Up to five over age players allowed.
Steve Avory has agreed with the change saying it is clear by the age of 21 if a player has a first team future.
One Clayden is ok but 4 or 5 isn't.
"We’ve always regarded it as an U19 to U21 programme in terms of the development aspect of it, because it’s our belief that when a player gets to 21 he should be ready for senior football. We obviously aim for that senior football to be here in our first-team, but if it’s not here it will be elsewhere.”
PS @admin can you change the thread title to U21s