The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[Nameless]

The goal was a bad error but in his defence I think the ball was moving in the air and was very greasy, he seemed to come for the ball then found it wasn't where he had been expecting it. Should have done better than punch it into his own net though !

It is good to see us continuing to compete on equal terms with the top clubs who can pump unlimited resources into their youth set up and rely on the power of the badge to attract youngsters.
We were the better team but also individually most of our players were just as good technically as the Liverpool lads.

[CountryRoyal]

Think it's safe to say that the success of the academy and youth teams had been the biggest positive in recent seasons. Im surprised the spin machine at RFC don't go on about it more. Maybe we don't want anyone to know our players are any good

[Glen Littles Nose]

Personally I thought Pierce Sweeney was our best player. He looks comfortable on the ball but knows how to defend when he has to.

Overall, I genuinely believe that all of the starting XI are well on their way to consistently playing for the first team in the next few years - which is very impressive for our club.

[Hoop Blah]

Think it's safe to say that the success of the academy and youth teams had been the biggest positive in recent seasons. Im surprised the spin machine at RFC don't go on about it more. Maybe we don't want anyone to know our players are any good

They've made a lot of noise about the youth teams and their successes over the last few years.

I'm not 100% sure because I've not looked at the opposition sides much of late, so I'm more than happy to be corrected on it, but there has usually been an element of age and experience working in our favour in the youth games where we seemed to play players at their normal age group more than a lot of the other clubs.

That's not to take anything away from the success we've had or the fact that we do look like producing some talented lads who should go on to have solid professional careers, either with us or elsewhere.

[ZacNaloen]

Most of the Liverpool team was, like ours, over 18 iirc

[maffff]

3 games in.

Top of the league.

Only Man U can catch us if all teams had played the same number of games (they've got one point from one, two games in hand).

[Hoop Blah]

Most of the Liverpool team was, like ours, over 18 iirc

Firth 18
Whelan 17
Maguire 19
Cleary 19
Ilori 22
O’Hanlon 19
Canos 18
Brannahan 19
Wilson 18
Teixeira 22
Kent 18


Moore 20
Long 20
Griffin 20
Kuhl 19
Hyam 19
Sweeney 20
Stacey 19
Shaughnessy 19
Liburd 22
Novakovich 18
Fosu 19

Pretty similar, although our lads are a bit older so probably the age group above and most played u21 last year didn't they? Whilst looking them up most of those Liverpool players have played in the European u21 League though so even if they're younger their experience and pedigree is at least comparable.

[ZacNaloen]

What do you have to do to qualify to the european u21 league?

[RATM]

What do you have to do to qualify to the european u21 league?

I believe your 1st team need to have qualified for the group stages of champions league that season

[ZacNaloen]

LAME

Should be through winning your local youth leagues. Then we'd have a chance..

[Hoop Blah]

I can't find where I saw they'd played in that European competition so it might be wrong. It's actually an under 19 not 21s league and you can now qualify for it by winning the domestic competition.

[SCIAG]

we were pretty much at full strength (just Keown missing)

Cooper will probably get at lot of time in the side this season. Possibly Tshibola too if we keep signing midfielders. Tanner if he doesn't start getting more game time at Plymouth.

Overall, I genuinely believe that all of the starting XI are well on their way to consistently playing for the first team in the next few years - which is very impressive for our club.

That will be very difficult. Moore is only a year younger than Bond, same for Griffin and Obita. Keown and Cooper are probably gonna keep out the other defenders. Can't see Shaughnessy ever getting near the first team.

Even so, that's five players who look like first teamers, and the club can't be ashamed if one academy product stops another playing.

[glass half full]

Seems like all the goal keepers are being told to punch rather than catch, leading to mistakes at every level.

A question for our goalkeeping coach.

Liverpool didn't show enough respect in the first half and let us do our thing. So we scored, twice. Second half they made more of a game of it. They rally put the siege on as the changes were rung and Reading just kept dropping back. Liburd surprised me, very quick and good with his head and can now understand the signing, decent game, very good win and Sammi fridjohnssons girlfriend is stunning.

Liburd will be a useful acquisition, in my opinion.

Lady sasima and some of the other thais were in their box with Sir John watching ion. Also saw Ferdinand which makes me wonder if he's rested for tomorrow.

[Coppelled_Streets]

Congrats to Aaron Kuhl on his Eng U20 call-up.

[glass half full]

He will do well, given the right encouragement.

[RG30]

U18's beat Arsenal 4-1

[ZacNaloen]

Of course they did

[JC]

What a great start to the season. U21's top of the table and U18's equal top, just 2nd on GD

[Ian Royal]

The last couple of seasons we've started quite poorly because of injuries and newcomers to the age group stepping up I think. Could be interesting to see what they can accomplish with a good start.

Exciting times.

[P!ssed Off]

U18's beat Arsenal 4-1

"an unfortunate slip from Osei-Tutu against his former club allowed Reading to score their fourth goal."


https://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2015 ... o-reading/?