Under 21's v Everton

[Douglas Higginbottom]

The 1st win for Vieira at City and a well deserved on too.Not that it was a great game in any way but at least we got 3 goals and a clean sheet.3 up at half time too with Rusnak the star of the show scoring 2 and effectively assisting for Lopes goal.He was far and away the games star player and I thought he worked well with Shay Facey the full back on his side who also had a very good game.

Everton though were rubbish and hardly attacked.Saying that they hit the post from a well worked corner but we needn't worry about corners eh!Evans sort of orchestrated things in the first half from his deep midfield role but Everton were rubbish if I haven't already said.

The 2nd half was a bit different as Everton came out stronger,better organised and more aggressive and as they were physically bigger and stronger it made a difference.So much so that we had little of the ball and what little we had ended feebly.To be fair though we were quite strong at the back even though Evans had to play centre back when Denayer went off injured.They did create a few things and came close but but because they didn't score it seems a stroll.It wasn't and worrying for me was our lack of ability to create anything at all 2nd half even when presented with great breakaway chances.

[Beefymcfc]

Cheers Doug, about time they won one ;-)

Didn't they play Spurs the othe day and got spanked 6-3, or something? They did play some of their first squad though and was wondering if Everton had done the same?

[Bleed_Blue]

Thanks for the report Doug ! Its always great to see your post.

[Dameerto]

I liked Facey (and Huws) when I saw them in preseason. I wish City would put the darned EDS games on the site live, or even a delayed recording. I think there would be a lot of interest in seeing them.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Cheers Doug, about time they won one ;-)

Didn't they play Spurs the othe day and got spanked 6-3, or something? They did play some of their first squad though and was wondering if Everton had done the same?

Yes Spurs had plenty of first team experience in their side.Including Sandro,Townsend,Kane.Carroll and I think Falque.6.3 might sound bad but I think we also could have scored more and hit the woodwork 2 or 3 times.Reasonable therefore to go for a clean sheet v Everton.

Everton had maybe one that I have ever heard of (Magaye or something) and were not up to much at all.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I liked Facey (and Huws) when I saw them in preseason. I wish City would put the darned EDS games on the site live, or even a delayed recording. I think there would be a lot of interest in seeing them.

There would be plenty of interest I am sure. I think it is being considered but not sure whether it would be pay to watch.

It does surprise me how few go to watch these games compared to other clubs as I heard Chelsea got 3000 plus for one they played at Aldershot I think

[Goaters 103]

Cheers Doug.

Im assuming the youngsters can defend a corner as well, which has them already one up on the seniors.

[Ted Hughes]

Cheers Doug.

My old folks went to this game & were very impressed by the standard of players we have.

They haven't been watching much reserve stuff for a few years but used to go to pretty much every home reserve game, so they do have a lot of experience watching such football, & they recon the players on view were right up there compared to what they have been used to seeing, at least in the recent past.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Cheers Doug.

My old folks went to this game & were very impressed by the standard of players we have.

They haven't been watching much reserve stuff for a few years but used to go to pretty much every home reserve game, so they do have a lot of experience watching such football, & they recon the players on view were right up there compared to what they have been used to seeing, at least in the recent past.

Interesting. I guess I am quite tough in my views based on what I see and that overriding question usually asked...are any of them good enough to make it at City? I don't like to judge /assess on one game or even just a few but sometimes a first impression says a lot.

I have seen other reports on yesterday's game which are much more positive than mine so maybe I am too harsh.The main positive from yesterday is that our under 21's side it still quite young compared to most others.Everton for sure and definitely Spurs last week with the experience they threw in.

Also yesterday it does sound like the plan in the 2nd half was to protect rather than go searching for more goals and if so it was a job well done. But it has to be said again, one game doesn't tell the full story but a season does.

Just like assessing City against Newcastle and claiming we would win the league by a street was crazy so too it is to suggest we will struggle for the top 4 after the dismal defending against Cardiff. Similarly we should not read too much into losing heavily against a strong Spurs side or easily beating a poor Everton side.

I look at the way we try to play ( which is with the ball on the floor) and how individuals play both in the team sense as well as individually showing their abilities. We do have some talent of that there is no doubt and most of the better individuals are playing above their age group so that has to be taken into account also.

Still, if their is a special talent you might expect to see it shine no matter what the age group they are asked to play in.One who has to me is Pozo and I can't wait to see him return from injury and I just hope there is no lasting effect.One of the older lads ,Albert Rusnak is now 19 and seems to have been around for a while may be a player who keeps developing well and might surprise me.

Loads of skill and confidence and he has already played a part in a first team game (end of season v Chelsea I think).I am surprised he hasn't gone somewhere on loan which I think would be very good for him.Still not sure he has quite enough but you never know.

Onto the 18's tomorrow at Platt Lane to see who else is coming through.

[Ted Hughes]

Cheers Doug.

My old folks went to this game & were very impressed by the standard of players we have.

They haven't been watching much reserve stuff for a few years but used to go to pretty much every home reserve game, so they do have a lot of experience watching such football, & they recon the players on view were right up there compared to what they have been used to seeing, at least in the recent past.

Interesting. I guess I am quite tough in my views based on what I see and that overriding question usually asked...are any of them good enough to make it at City? I don't like to judge /assess on one game or even just a few but sometimes a first impression says a lot.

I have seen other reports on yesterday's game which are much more positive than mine so maybe I am too harsh.The main positive from yesterday is that our under 21's side it still quite young compared to most others.Everton for sure and definitely Spurs last week with the experience they threw in.

Also yesterday it does sound like the plan in the 2nd half was to protect rather than go searching for more goals and if so it was a job well done. But it has to be said again, one game doesn't tell the full story but a season does.

Just like assessing City against Newcastle and claiming we would win the league by a street was crazy so too it is to suggest we will struggle for the top 4 after the dismal defending against Cardiff. Similarly we should not read too much into losing heavily against a strong Spurs side or easily beating a poor Everton side.

I look at the way we try to play ( which is with the ball on the floor) and how individuals play both in the team sense as well as individually showing their abilities. We do have some talent of that there is no doubt and most of the better individuals are playing above their age group so that has to be taken into account also.

Still, if their is a special talent you might expect to see it shine no matter what the age group they are asked to play in.One who has to me is Pozo and I can't wait to see him return from injury and I just hope there is no lasting effect.One of the older lads ,Albert Rusnak is now 19 and seems to have been around for a while may be a player who keeps developing well and might surprise me.

Loads of skill and confidence and he has already played a part in a first team game (end of season v Chelsea I think).I am surprised he hasn't gone somewhere on loan which I think would be very good for him.Still not sure he has quite enough but you never know.

Onto the 18's tomorrow at Platt Lane to see who else is coming through.

The limited amount I get to see of the youth & reserve teams these days, it seems to me that we have a lot of potential players but not particularly good teams. Most of the times I see them play (which is mostly on tv or highlights these days tbh) there are usually a couple of complete duffers mixed in with the talented ones & it's usually a completely different team to the one I saw previously.

That added to the fact, as you say, that they do seem to have a policy of playing players above their age group, doesn't make for a very good team imo. Now we have a policy of every age group playing to a plan though, it may be that the teamwork starts to improve over the coming years, as they learn it. I've been impressed many times with bits of individual play I've seen though. Too many times to list.

I don't know who will come through from the players we have now, of course you can never really tell for sure, but I do know Pozo can play football & if I had to pick anyone as special it would be him.

There was a lad playing for the kids team on tv two summers ago, & I know he has played a few games for the U18s, maybe as a sub, but he really did look the business at that age. He played about 4 different positions in one game & was brilliant in all of them.

I would imagine he is somewhere close to the U18s now but I've no idea what his name is. All I know is he was not very big but decent build, black, great at football & fast. I think he may actually be English but I'm not certain. Anyway, he looked way ahead of his age, talent wise.

[ant london]

Funny interview with Rusnak...like a mini Mancunian Molby with his manclovakian accent!

[getdressedmctavish]

Ha Doug, I liked it when it was easy, watchin Best and Pardoe playing youth football.Thought that Best might have a chance! That said Mike Doyle was feckin hopeless against him and Anderson at youth level, ha ha.

[Jorgobot]

Yes Spurs had plenty of first team experience in their side.Including Sandro,Townsend,Kane.Carroll and I think Falque.6.3 might sound bad but I think we also could have scored more and hit the woodwork 2 or 3 times.Reasonable therefore to go for a clean sheet v Everton.

Everton had maybe one that I have ever heard of (Magaye or something) and were not up to much at all.

That's an outrageously stacked roster to go against our u-21s

[EEE]

There was a lad playing for the kids team on tv two summers ago, & I know he has played a few games for the U18s, maybe as a sub, but he really did look the business at that age. He played about 4 different positions in one game & was brilliant in all of them.

I would imagine he is somewhere close to the U18s now but I've no idea what his name is. All I know is he was not very big but decent build, black, great at football & fast. I think he may actually be English but I'm not certain. Anyway, he looked way ahead of his age, talent wise.

@Ted. Could it be this lad? Ashley Smith-Brown? Born 1996 and captains the U18s who´re playing Stoke right now.

http://www.football.co.uk/barcelona/barcelona_want_man_city_s_ashley_smith-brown_rss2181036.shtml:

One of the main reason for Barcelona's interest in Smith-Brown is his ability to play anywhere at the back, although naturally a left-back, he can play on the right and as a central defender. He can also take on the duties of a defensive midfielder.

[Ted Hughes]

There was a lad playing for the kids team on tv two summers ago, & I know he has played a few games for the U18s, maybe as a sub, but he really did look the business at that age. He played about 4 different positions in one game & was brilliant in all of them.

I would imagine he is somewhere close to the U18s now but I've no idea what his name is. All I know is he was not very big but decent build, black, great at football & fast. I think he may actually be English but I'm not certain. Anyway, he looked way ahead of his age, talent wise.

@Ted. Could it be this lad? Ashley Smith-Brown? Born 1996 and captains the U18s who´re playing Stoke right now.

http://www.football.co.uk/barcelona/barcelona_want_man_city_s_ashley_smith-brown_rss2181036.shtml:

One of the main reason for Barcelona's interest in Smith-Brown is his ability to play anywhere at the back, although naturally a left-back, he can play on the right and as a central defender. He can also take on the duties of a defensive midfielder.

No it's not him.

I've done a bit of research & his name is Aaron Namane, & he is from Blakely in Manchester. Most of that team I was watching are from Manchester & the North of England. It was of course too early to know who will make it, but Scott Sellars had them playing like Spanish or Brazillian kids rather than a bunch of English, so they are being taught the right way.

In this video from 2012, Namane is 14 years old. The other lad who scores (born in Germany) is 13, so presumably they are 14 & 15 respectively now. I have seen Namane on the OS, come on as sub for the U18s & run riot, so at 14/15, that's pretty encouraging. I see he has made 2 sub appearences for the U18s this season.

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/citytv/Match-high ... highlights

Whilst researching this, I've noticed that our U13s just won an international tournament, beating AZ Alkmaar 2:1 in the final.

Manchester City were crowned champions of the United Youth Cup 2013

Top scorer in the tournament with eight goals was City striker Henri Ogunby whilst John Hilton of City was also voted player of the tournament.

City progressed to the final by winning Group D beating FC Twente(4-2),Nec/FC Oss(3-2) and KRC Genk(3-0), In the quarter finals they saw off Borussia Monchengladbach(3-2) before destroying Red Bull Salzburg (6-1) in the semis to set up a final with AZ Alkmaar.

I also just found out that Vlad Marin has gone to Juve; something about work permit problems according to the thing I read. Strange.

[EEE]

Good research and very encouraging to see the style of football being played in that video. I think this video been posted before as well; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9p1Bksx4_U

I'm super excited about our work and ambitions when it comes to developing our youth players - the club is relatively good at giving an insight into the work that´s being done but I wish it would be even more content out there. Appreciate when people on here (Douglas and others) are sharing the info they sit on, reflections from watching games etc. Keep it up.

[Ted Hughes]

Good research and very encouraging to see the style of football being played in that video. I think this video been posted before as well; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9p1Bksx4_U

I'm super excited about our work and ambitions when it comes to developing our youth players - the club is relatively good at giving an insight into the work that´s being done but I wish it would be even more content out there. Appreciate when people on here (Douglas and others) are sharing the info they sit on, reflections from watching games etc. Keep it up.

Doug is there now i think.

I was going to go, as I have a free day today, but I completely forgot until I started googling the U18s info! I could be watching them at the sodding match instead.