Another big win, we’ve got a lot of youngsters in the first team squad as it is, so I wonder if we’ll see 1 or 2 go out on loan. They can still go to the NL outside the transfer window. Kedwell had a decent run of games there last season for comparison.
We played 3-5-2 again, with a few changing position later due to all the subs.
Although this is a very young side (18 and 19 most of them) they can compete physically with the Wendies and other sides (no idea on their ages).
And we can clearly outplay them.
A lot of these lads have played alongside each other for many years now and it shows.
Maclorg didn't have much to do but did it well. He can pass it out from the back but when he needs or wants to can kick it long and way into the other half.
Good that they play in a similar style and formation to the first team, defence strong, lots of runners and unlike our first team, lots of goals from midfield.
I hear Leaburn likely to play for the U21s on Friday. Not sure about when Dixon will play.
Caught up on the stream. Looked a mismatch, yet we weren't playing any 'nearly senior' players what with the silly buggers Cup against Cambridge tomorrow. I don't know the strength of the Sheffield Wednesday side. What it made me think of was this 'Category One' status we're continually denied. Does the U21 system come under category one? Anyway we have been a big fish in terms of results in a small pool now for a number of years at U21 and U18 level and below. Regularly almost dominating leagues and getting to the finals of loads of cups. I wonder if we would be able to play teams of a higher standard if we had category one. I accept that at that level we would probably be in the lower reaches, but the opposition would be better, we may learn more, we may be less open to people nicking our players, and it seems we have little more to prove at the levels we play at the moment.
Looked up Sheff Wed's team - not all that different from us, and they don't appear to have played any 17 year olds - we started 2, and Mwamba has only just turned 18.
Caught up on the stream. Looked a mismatch, yet we weren't playing any 'nearly senior' players what with the silly buggers Cup against Cambridge tomorrow. I don't know the strength of the Sheffield Wednesday side. What it made me think of was this 'Category One' status we're continually denied. Does the U21 system come under category one? Anyway we have been a big fish in terms of results in a small pool now for a number of years at U21 and U18 level and below. Regularly almost dominating leagues and getting to the finals of loads of cups. I wonder if we would be able to play teams of a higher standard if we had category one. I accept that at that level we would probably be in the lower reaches, but the opposition would be better, we may learn more, we may be less open to people nicking our players, and it seems we have little more to prove at the levels we play at the moment.
.we could defo do with better opposition but sadly the div that created the whole cat a academy based the whole thing on money and not history of talent or anything. We then employed him and his son
Caught up on the stream. Looked a mismatch, yet we weren't playing any 'nearly senior' players what with the silly buggers Cup against Cambridge tomorrow. I don't know the strength of the Sheffield Wednesday side. What it made me think of was this 'Category One' status we're continually denied. Does the U21 system come under category one? Anyway we have been a big fish in terms of results in a small pool now for a number of years at U21 and U18 level and below. Regularly almost dominating leagues and getting to the finals of loads of cups. I wonder if we would be able to play teams of a higher standard if we had category one. I accept that at that level we would probably be in the lower reaches, but the opposition would be better, we may learn more, we may be less open to people nicking our players, and it seems we have little more to prove at the levels we play at the moment.
I looked over the last 10 seasons of league tables for our u18s on the youthhawk website.
Including the northern section, no club has come close to consistently finishing as high as we have.
We finished 1st for the last 4 seasons, before that we finished 2nd for 4 years out of 5, with the other finish being 6th. In the year before that we finished 1st, giving us 5 1st places and 4 2nd places for our u18s over the last 10 years.
I believe Sheff Utd and Wigan have the next most 1st places, with 2 each.
I've only looked back at the last few seasons for our u21s, and while their record isn't as good, you could argue that's because our better u21s get involved in the first team at around 18-20 years old. And of course this season they've started brilliantly, despite a good number of academy players being part of the first team squad.
Category One was a big aim for TS, while I think it was Methven who recently talked about aiming to become one of the top five most productive academies in the country (vs wherever we are now, 8th I think?). If that's the ambition then I expect Category One is a big part of that.
It's going to be very interesting to see who comes in as Head of Player Development, the new role mentioned when the news about Steve Avory was announced. We must have offered Will Abbott a good salary to come here, I would guess we'll aim high for this role too.
I'm not knowledgeable about any of our younger mens squads, but do you think that some are ready for loans out to the National League or lower National League South and would they benefit from such a loan at this stage of their career.
I'm not knowledgeable about any of our younger mens squads, but do you think that some are ready for loans out to the National League or lower National League South and would they benefit from such a loan at this stage of their career.
If you are between 16 and 18 you have your school work as well as your football coaching and matches so only once you have finished the academy part of your career about 19 would that be an option and in many cases playing in the U21 with lads you know is more beneficial than going out on loan with different coaches and team mates.
There is a time when a loan may be needed for personal and football development but not every player will benefit like Scott Parker at Norwich and Karlan Grant at Crawley.
If you are 21 and 22 and not making the 18 man 1st team squad too often then a loan is needed as your career has stalled. Lucas Ness had reached that stage at 22 and if Notts County hadn't signed him he would've gone out on another loan.
Loans for young players have to take into account their education, many are still in school, their ability to travel (can they drive?), their physical development (are they ready to play men's football?), their attitude and confidence and will a loan to a lower level actually help them improve more than staying in the U21s.
The right time will vary for each individual.
The club also need to ensure we have a decent size U21 squad to make those games competitive and so the players in the squad can develop. No good having two or three real talents in a team if the rest aren't up to it although there will always be a few players kept on to fill out the squad.
So basically, when the player is ready and the other club is right, a judgement only their coaches can make.
For example, M'bick looks physically ready but is 17 so still in education. Is he mentally ready? How ready mentally is he ready to live away from home if the move is a long one? Would he be better off on our first team bench and U21s than in Aldershots' 1st team.
Another angle to add is that some players don’t need loans, and that’s not just obvious stand outs like Gomez, Lookman or Shelvey. Players like Solly and Cousins didn’t either.
If we do loan any out I doubt it’ll be more than a couple at a time for some of the reasons Henry gave.
A lot of them also aren’t necessarily ready for NL but wouldn’t suit the football played at NLN/S which is a bit more ‘classic’ non league and more physical than it is technical. Casey and Mbick would be the standouts for a loan but as Henry said that can’t really happen for Mbick and I think I saw Casey training with the first team recently
A lot of them also aren’t necessarily ready for NL but wouldn’t suit the football played at NLN/S which is a bit more ‘classic’ non league and more physical than it is technical. Casey and Mbick would be the standouts for a loan but as Henry said that can’t really happen for Mbick and I think I saw Casey training with the first team recently
I know Henry spoke about the mentality for Mbick living away from home, but is that something known about him?
A lot of them also aren’t necessarily ready for NL but wouldn’t suit the football played at NLN/S which is a bit more ‘classic’ non league and more physical than it is technical. Casey and Mbick would be the standouts for a loan but as Henry said that can’t really happen for Mbick and I think I saw Casey training with the first team recently
I know Henry spoke about the mentality for Mbick living away from home, but is that something known about him?
Was more the age thing I was focussing on, he still has to be in education. That's harder if he gets shipped off to Torquay for example
A lot of them also aren’t necessarily ready for NL but wouldn’t suit the football played at NLN/S which is a bit more ‘classic’ non league and more physical than it is technical. Casey and Mbick would be the standouts for a loan but as Henry said that can’t really happen for Mbick and I think I saw Casey training with the first team recently
I know Henry spoke about the mentality for Mbick living away from home, but is that something known about him?
Was more the age thing I was focussing on, he still has to be in education. That's harder if he gets shipped off to Torquay for example
A lot of them also aren’t necessarily ready for NL but wouldn’t suit the football played at NLN/S which is a bit more ‘classic’ non league and more physical than it is technical. Casey and Mbick would be the standouts for a loan but as Henry said that can’t really happen for Mbick and I think I saw Casey training with the first team recently
I know Henry spoke about the mentality for Mbick living away from home, but is that something known about him?
No, not at all.
It was just an example and there is no reason to think that.
With M'bick it is more likely to be his age and academic education.
A major difference between now and last season is that there's a tiny chance that any of yesterday's team will be needed for first team duties in the league. Indeed, hardly any will even be needed in the EFL Trophy this season, as the first team has such depth, and (so it seems now) more durability. A side effect of this is that our U21 team will be much stronger this season.
The likes of Rylah, Mbick and Casey all made brief appearances in the league last season, Rylah starting a game against Cambridge.
Comments
Probably should read ANOTHER great performance !
We played 3-5-2 again, with a few changing position later due to all the subs.
MacLorg
Fullah Kedwell Enslin
Mwamba Huke
And we can clearly outplay them.
A lot of these lads have played alongside each other for many years now and it shows.
Maclorg didn't have much to do but did it well. He can pass it out from the back but when he needs or wants to can kick it long and way into the other half.
Good that they play in a similar style and formation to the first team, defence strong, lots of runners and unlike our first team, lots of goals from midfield.
I hear Leaburn likely to play for the U21s on Friday. Not sure about when Dixon will play.
Looked a mismatch, yet we weren't playing any 'nearly senior' players what with the silly buggers Cup against Cambridge tomorrow. I don't know the strength of the Sheffield Wednesday side.
What it made me think of was this 'Category One' status we're continually denied. Does the U21 system come under category one? Anyway we have been a big fish in terms of results in a small pool now for a number of years at U21 and U18 level and below. Regularly almost dominating leagues and getting to the finals of loads of cups.
I wonder if we would be able to play teams of a higher standard if we had category one. I accept that at that level we would probably be in the lower reaches, but the opposition would be better, we may learn more, we may be less open to people nicking our players, and it seems we have little more to prove at the levels we play at the moment.
Phillips 18?
Siqueira (c) 19
Emery 18?
Flannery 19
Johnson 18
Thornton 18
Buchan 19
Shipston 19
Moses 18
Fernandes 18
Brown 18?
MacLorg 18
Hobden 19 (nearly 20)
Hunter 18
Bower 19
Fullah 17
Mwamba 18 (yesterday!)
Kedwell 19
Huke 19
Enslin 18 (19 next month)
Mbick 17 (18 in November)
Casey 18
.we could defo do with better opposition but sadly the div that created the whole cat a academy based the whole thing on money and not history of talent or anything. We then employed him and his son
Including the northern section, no club has come close to consistently finishing as high as we have.
We finished 1st for the last 4 seasons, before that we finished 2nd for 4 years out of 5, with the other finish being 6th. In the year before that we finished 1st, giving us 5 1st places and 4 2nd places for our u18s over the last 10 years.
I believe Sheff Utd and Wigan have the next most 1st places, with 2 each.
http://youthhawk.co.uk/w/index.php/2023-24_Under-18_League_2
I've only looked back at the last few seasons for our u21s, and while their record isn't as good, you could argue that's because our better u21s get involved in the first team at around 18-20 years old. And of course this season they've started brilliantly, despite a good number of academy players being part of the first team squad.
Category One was a big aim for TS, while I think it was Methven who recently talked about aiming to become one of the top five most productive academies in the country (vs wherever we are now, 8th I think?). If that's the ambition then I expect Category One is a big part of that.
It's going to be very interesting to see who comes in as Head of Player Development, the new role mentioned when the news about Steve Avory was announced. We must have offered Will Abbott a good salary to come here, I would guess we'll aim high for this role too.
If you are between 16 and 18 you have your school work as well as your football coaching and matches so only once you have finished the academy part of your career about 19 would that be an option and in many cases playing in the U21 with lads you know is more beneficial than going out on loan with different coaches and team mates.
There is a time when a loan may be needed for personal and football development but not every player will benefit like Scott Parker at Norwich and Karlan Grant at Crawley.
If you are 21 and 22 and not making the 18 man 1st team squad too often then a loan is needed as your career has stalled.
Lucas Ness had reached that stage at 22 and if Notts County hadn't signed him he would've gone out on another loan.
The right time will vary for each individual.
The club also need to ensure we have a decent size U21 squad to make those games competitive and so the players in the squad can develop. No good having two or three real talents in a team if the rest aren't up to it although there will always be a few players kept on to fill out the squad.
So basically, when the player is ready and the other club is right, a judgement only their coaches can make.
For example, M'bick looks physically ready but is 17 so still in education. Is he mentally ready? How ready mentally is he ready to live away from home if the move is a long one? Would he be better off on our first team bench and U21s than in Aldershots' 1st team.
If we do loan any out I doubt it’ll be more than a couple at a time for some of the reasons Henry gave.
It was just an example and there is no reason to think that.
With M'bick it is more likely to be his age and academic education.
The likes of Rylah, Mbick and Casey all made brief appearances in the league last season, Rylah starting a game against Cambridge.