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As a quick aside. I was at the u18s game before the WBA game too.

As Doug said, it was a weird one. I kinda thought City dominated really for the first 70 minutes before it all went tits up. I thought the turning point was pretty clear; Boadu went off injured and we just seemed to lose control of the midfield after that. It really stood out to me how clear it was that he was the best player on the pitch - he was basically the same age as many out there but it felt like he was playing amongst boys, whereas he is most definitely well on the way to becoming a man. Bigger, more assured, more confident. It felt like he'd outgrown many of the players around him after becoming part of Wilcox's Youth Cup team alongside Barker, Angelino etc. As honest and as hardworking as they were, for example, Vasi and Tattum were no Maffeo and Angelino, and Dilrosun isn't even fit to lacing Barker's boots at the moment. It bodes (you have no idea how much I wanted to make a Boadu/bodes pun there...but didn't, kind of) well though as it looks like he enjoys the responsibility - he appears to be getting better with each game and i think he's becoming a real prospect.

West Brom in the end were good value for their win as the way City capitulated was a little tragic in the end, though I did miss the last goal as I was legging it home to catch the first team. I knew it'd happen though, you could see it unfolding. We were incredibly vulnerable to any pressure when they got their act together and decided to get forward. I also found myself experiencing something i'd never experience during a first team game - i felt sorry for an oppo player! I was sat near some nice lady during the first half who happened to be the WBA keeper's mum and if im being honest, her son had a shocker. Felt for her! It was bloody early and a long way to go to see your son drop a couple of clangers. But I guess they won so ya know...

Back to our lot. On the contrary, I was a little disappointed with Buckley if im being honest, Doug. I felt he worked really hard, so fair play to him, but the ball bounced off him so many times and he kept overrunning it. He felt very.....English, If you know what i mean. Technically he wasn't on the same level as Garcia or Fernandes. Though he did work harder as you alluded to but i was just hoping for me.

This team in general was just 'decent', i think. When you see the u18 youth cup team there's a huge difference in natural ability. Both the same age groups but one is much further along the way. I'm not convinced any of the back four will make it at our level. They just seem to be lacking 'something', that natural star quality. I could be hugely wrong, but when you see someone like Angelino, Boadu, or even Adarbioyo (or however you spell it), make a mistake it doesn't bother you as much cos you can still see that clear huge potential shining through. I didn't quite get that same impression from some of these.

I thought Marcus Wood was a real mixed bag. There was one moment of real quality from him when he did a Zidane-roulette past one, then skipped past another as he was advancing towards the goal and it was brilliant, as he was his pass for the marvellous third goal. Very direct and full of natural confidence...the next moment he was getting caught in possession and looking a little lost. I do think there's something there though maybe as he's a pretty well built lad so could keep developing.

Fernandes and Garcia were like little clones of each other. Kept getting em mixed up!



That's em fucking up a corner just like the first team usually do.... in general they were a bit poor. Technically great, yeah, but lacked a little but ive still got hope for them. I thought Dilruson was average too - i dont get it with him really.

It'll be interesting to see how they develop but all this game seemed to highlight for me was how good our Youth Cup team actually is. This team was by no means bad - probably actually good really, but they are a fucking world away from that team.

Edit - first time ive ever stood during a game too and i must say, when the suns out its great. You feel a lot more inclined to get involved, so to speak.

Is that an average crowd there? Doesn't seem to be all that many? Maybe timings with the first team game weren't great. From these reports it sounds as if the lads in all age groups are doing well and maybe the club could do more to encourage more fans to attend.

It's never 'busy' from the 10 or so games i've been too, the first one aside (which even that didnt sell out despite it being the CFA launch), but it was definitely quiet yesterday. I'd expect if it was the EDS and not the u18s there would have been more along, but the 10.30am start and general apathy towards the youth team games anyway meant that it was a pretty poor crowd.

It's a huge shame in my opinion. The overall experience is just so much more fulfilling. I'm not kidding, I prefer it to the first team games - dunno why, I just do. I don't feel like im surrounded by negative, moaning cunts and the atmosphere is much more relaxed and enjoyable.

The Sun claim Villa are after Brandon Barker with a promise of first team football. Must tie him down.

If Villa went down and he was offered a few months loan there, similar to Ibe, i'd let him do that as long as we had a recall option if it wasnt working out. Could be a good experience.

The implication was they wanted to sign him which is not acceptable obviously.

If we are not going to use Barker, a loan there would be very good, provided we agree he can come back if they are not giving him games.

Re that group of players; they are not as good as the older lads but there are still one or two big prospects amongst them & they are young. Garcia on his day is good enough to actually star amongst the older lads.

Not sure about the defence. I thought it was the weak link when I saw these lads at the younger age group. But we can't have ten top prospects in every half age group & the U14s put nine past Liverpool the other day.

Of course. It wasn't a huge criticism as such, merely an observation. None of this lot are by any means bad, it just shows how good that other lot are. And I agree, there are prospects amongst them. I suspect too that some of them will be joined by the odd new face every now and then as well. We seem to constantly pick up players around the age 15/16 with bag fulls of talent (Boadu/Celina/Lopes/Angelino/Maffeo etc) and its just the way it is at that level I guess.

The team, notably, did look to play the same way though and were at times pretty decent at it. Third goal was a peach. About 40 passes before a quick fire move that took em right through the middle and resulted in a goal.

Nine past the dippers - blimey. Bet the really young kids are really feeling the benefits of the new academy. It'll become a bit of a conveyor belt.

On our back 4 in this game. Tattum is growing on me. Not as good as Maffeo but decent in all aspects of the game and seems to have a big heart.More improvement to come I hope and then who knows.
Vasi on the other side I am told has already been let go.

Humphreys was one center back and he is still only 16 I think or just 17 at best. Plenty of time yet to see if he can become a dominant center half as Tosin has done over the last 2 years.I quite like him but can see there are plenty of weaknesses in his game which get shown up when playing against older lads with real quality.Definitely a center back prospect and not full back.

Charlie Oliver I think is a bit older but maybe not a center back. He's combative/competitive but not at all dominant in the air and not that quick( like Humphreys).I could see him more as a holding mid player but I fear he hasn't got it for City.

On Buckley, yes I see his control being a bit iffy at times but I still think there is real potential there. He does score goals and is quick and a hard worker.Definitely not writing him off.

Garcia has disappointed me a little in recent weeks. Clearly a very talented footballer but I feel he doesn't get involved quite enough or dictate games as he could.That's just a game or so though.Well worth watching as is Fernandez and the 2 work very well together.

Just on the crowds I am very disappointed that they are so low. Maybe understandable when we played at Hyde but now at the CFA we really should be getting more watching especially as they are so good to watch.

Well it was too early for me on a Saturday morining.

I like the look of Tattum. Totally different than Angelino & Maffeo but that could be the ideal thing. Humphreys I thought was useless when I first saw him a few years ago but I think he's done fine next to Tosin. Playing him fullback may just be for training purposes.

Buckley definitely has the raw ability & pace. We will have to see if he refines it. I expect next season we will see some of this year's U16s with this group.

Tattum was the best of the back four, and definitely not bad, but just didn't strike me as being good enough for City technically. But admittedly time will tell on that - I am new to youth football so i've not really witnessed the huge steps a player can make between the ages of 15-19 etc yet. I thought the same about Buckley. One thing i'll give Tattum is that he's properly lion-hearted. He deserves the captain's armband that he has as he was working incredibly hard all game. Definitely no lack of desire.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:On our back 4 in this game. Tattum is growing on me. Not as good as Maffeo but decent in all aspects of the game and seems to have a big heart.More improvement to come I hope and then who knows.
Vasi on the other side I am told has already been let go.

Humphreys was one center back and he is still only 16 I think or just 17 at best. Plenty of time yet to see if he can become a dominant center half as Tosin has done over the last 2 years.I quite like him but can see there are plenty of weaknesses in his game which get shown up when playing against older lads with real quality.Definitely a center back prospect and not full back.

Charlie Oliver I think is a bit older but maybe not a center back. He's combative/competitive but not at all dominant in the air and not that quick( like Humphreys).I could see him more as a holding mid player but I fear he hasn't got it for City.

On Buckley, yes I see his control being a bit iffy at times but I still think there is real potential there. He does score goals and is quick and a hard worker.Definitely not writing him off.

Garcia has disappointed me a little in recent weeks. Clearly a very talented footballer but I feel he doesn't get involved quite enough or dictate games as he could.That's just a game or so though.Well worth watching as is Fernandez and the 2 work very well together.

Just on the crowds I am very disappointed that they are so low. Maybe understandable when we played at Hyde but now at the CFA we really should be getting more watching especially as they are so good to watch.

I am shocked to hear about Vasi, I thought he was excellent in the first half. We saw more of him as he was on our side in the first half.
On Tattum, again, the second half was the better time to see him as he was on our side, I am with twosips on the technical ability, he didn't look as comfortable on the ball. He is more of a Richards, good energy, big lad, not an out and out sprinter but he looked like he had a decent turn of pace. I left thinking that Vasi was better than Tattum, but there you go its all about opinions.

Their first goal was a Tony Pulis Style pump into the box and hope for the best and they got lucky. When I saw our third goal go in after about 50 passes and en exquisite pass to Fernandes and a quality composed finish, I was expecting a couple more TBH as we were in total control. Then Boadu went off and we totally went to pieces, Kongolo was chasing shadows and all of a sudden we were a shambles.

The last 10 mins was farcical from City and I blame Wilcox more than any of the players, he didnt even make another sub or even try to change the system or the personnel. Our attackers looked spent in the last 10 mins as they put a really good shift in during the game.

Things that stood out for me.
Garcia and Fernandes looked very composed on the ball and were the best players on the pitch.
The corner routine worked the first time, as WBA didn't have a clue about the 3 man short corner. However, they worked it out immediately and it served no purpose for any of the other corners.
If we ever get a capacity crowd it will be impossible to get a coffee at half time.
The fella who does the PA Tannoy and the fella who works the big screen must have fell out as they got everything wrong for the WBA subs!
Jason Wilcox could be heard shouting RUN RUN RUN on a few occasions, which struck me as rather odd.

how much of an impact do you think it has playing for the eds one game, u19s the next and maybe then u18s?

Nigels Tackle wrote:how much of an impact do you think it has playing for the eds one game, u19s the next and maybe then u18s?

Physically, not much, as they play quite far apart, and if they don't, then they most likely just don't play in one of the games. It seems there are about three squads in general really and players are split across them depending on age/experience. I reckon its probably good for them to be honest as they're constantly playing in different scenarios with different ages and different players. Surely it's a good learning experience.

It's a weird one as there are essentially about 4 squads from the u18s up with many overlapping players depending on age/who's available/what's needed etc etc but they try and keep it consistent I think.

There's the EDS, there's the uefa youth league thing (u19s), FA Youth Cup (u18s) and the actual u18s league. There are some, Celina for example, that have played in all four. Many have outgrown the u18s league now - people like Barker, Ambrose, Angelino, Maffeo, Bryan etc don't really play in it anymore. Then there are the players that seem to kinda sit in the middle two comps and have odd appearances in the ones either side - Nemane is a good example. Still getting the odd appearance in the u18s, with now getting the odd appearance in the EDS u21s, but in general he's mainly around the UYL and FA Youth Cup squads.

Someone like Humphreys has mainly been in the u18s and FA Youth Cup but found his way into the UYL at the end. I think as a rule they tend to leave the u18s to the young lads who are around 16/17 though and perhaps they'll put anyone who didn't get on the pitch from the bench from an FA Youth Cup game in the u18s squad too. Celina for example did that recently. Came on during FA Youth Cup, but only for twenty minutes and then more or less the next day did the same thing for the u18s.

So yeah...complicated :) ha

Only just seen the score as I assumed theyd won when I saw they were 3-1 up. Forgot it was City of course so anythings possible. What an arsehole of a collapse.

Great to hear that the coaches are impressing on them to work hard & run.

I don't think producing players with ability is ever going to be a problem. It's the other aspects of the game which will decide whether they make it or not.

Greg Dyke says rules for non EU imports will change from next season to stop so many 'mediocre' overseas players getting work permits. Also wanting the Premier League to change the rules and insist on 12 home grown players, not 8, out of squad of 25. Definition of home grown would change from three years training by 21 to three years by 18. Could be quite a fight about the home grown changes. Quotas don't work. It encourages hoarding of home grown players and not playing them and protects mediocre home grown players. It doesn't stop Clubs buying in overseas players at younger ages.

It will just mean even more clubs resort to 'baby snatching' so to speak. And none of them will qualify for England.

Boadu out for the rest of the season. Gutted about that. One of my favourite players from the Youth Cup team.

twosips wrote:Boadu out for the rest of the season. Gutted about that. One of my favourite players from the Youth Cup team.

Oh shit.

That's really bad news, as well as for the Youth Cup team. Really weakens it.