The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[CountryRoyal]

U23s lose 3-5 to Blackburn.

Legg, Howe, Osho (c), Andresson, Medford-Smith, Holmes (sub Barrett 53), Frost, East, Smith, Holsgrove, Loader.

Subs not used: Driscoll, House, Rollinson, Shokunbi.

Goals: Medford-Smith 10, Loader 26 (pen), Platt (OG) 87.

Booked: Loader, Smith.

[Royals and Racers]

U18`s playing Chelsea away this morning stream here http://www.vipbox.nu/football/23863/1/c ... nline.html
Ht Chelsea 1 Royals 0 final score 1 - 0

[Sutekh]

Danny Loader in the England U18 squad to play Brazil and South Africa

[Nameless]

Danny Loader in the England U18 squad to play Brazil and South Africa

Away games ?

[Stranded]

Looks like the U23 game at Brighton is live on iFollow tomorrow night. Assume this is for UK subscribers as well.

[biff]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dya-fJYjfEI

Holsgrove's goal

[muirinho]

So rumours were correct - Martin Kuhl has left the club. New man in is Scott Marshall

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2017/s ... 3s-manager

[Sutekh]

Good luck to Martin, I presume he has something already lined up at least that's what it reads like

Incidentally has Steven Reid started a new role yet. I heard he might be off to Celtic?

Hoping Scott can move the U23s on to the next level and get even more talent to shine through.

[maffff]

Incidentally has Steven Reid started a new role yet. I heard he might be off to Celtic?

http://www.newstalk.com/steven-reid-on- ... and-future

Just fancied a change it seems.

[LightwaterRoyal]

Andrija Novakovich has made it into the team of the week in the Deutsch Jupiler league again for the second week in a row.

[CountryRoyal]

Andrija Novakovich has made it into the team of the week in the Deutsch Jupiler league again for the second week in a row.

Wasn't he in the first team of the week as well?

[CountryRoyal]

Does anyone know if you can rewatch the match on ifollow after with a matchday pass?

I'm out all evening and won't be back til probably 2 hours after kick off. They only put the game up shortly before kickoff so obviously pausing it and then going back isn't an option.

[windermereROYAL]

U23s beat Fulham 2-1. a brace for Sam Smith.

[Crowbar6753]

U23s beat Fulham 2-1. a brace for Sam Smith.

I would like this guy (Sam Smith) to be given some game time in the first team this year to really bring him on as a player. He came on for a brief cameo at the end of the Brum game and looked lively.
We have all been panicking about a lack of a quality goal scorer and the fact that we've been priced out of the market this window, but with Yann getting closer to fitness and the potential for goals from the rest of the team, i really think that if we could see this season through and survive we have some real talent coming through the youth in Smith, Loader and Novakovich.
If Smith can get some experience this season and Novacovich can carry on banging them in the Dutch league we could save ourselves a barrel load of dosh, and they are all "One of our own"

[CountryRoyal]

Does anyone know if you can rewatch the match on ifollow after with a matchday pass?

I'm out all evening and won't be back til probably 2 hours after kick off. They only put the game up shortly before kickoff so obviously pausing it and then going back isn't an option.

Just realised I posted this in completely the wrong thread.

[Nameless]

U23s beat Fulham 2-1. a brace for Sam Smith.

I would like this guy (Sam Smith) to be given some game time in the first team this year to really bring him on as a player. He came on for a brief cameo at the end of the Brum game and looked lively.
We have all been panicking about a lack of a quality goal scorer and the fact that we've been priced out of the market this window, but with Yann getting closer to fitness and the potential for goals from the rest of the team, i really think that if we could see this season through and survive we have some real talent coming through the youth in Smith, Loader and Novakovich.
If Smith can get some experience this season and Novacovich can carry on banging them in the Dutch league we could save ourselves a barrel load of dosh, and they are all "One of our own"

Agree totally that it would be good to unearth a striking gem from the Academy, we seem much better at producing keepers, central defenders and midfielders and all our great striking hopes seem to fall short.
Not convinced just yet by Smith. He had a reasonable game in the preseason match at Wycombe but subsequent to that has struggled to really make much of an impact, although it was good to see him score against Millwall. Unfortunately the option to give him first team time to develop is not really there, he has to be picked on merit. In an ideal world Novacovic would end his loan spell in December and come back ready to compete and Smith would go out on loan in Div 1 but I think Novakovic is away for the season.
Let's hope Smith shows progression in the Checkatrade /u23 games but I think expecting him to be a first team option this season is too optimistic.

[Vision]

U23s beat Fulham 2-1. a brace for Sam Smith.

I would like this guy (Sam Smith) to be given some game time in the first team this year to really bring him on as a player. He came on for a brief cameo at the end of the Brum game and looked lively.
We have all been panicking about a lack of a quality goal scorer and the fact that we've been priced out of the market this window, but with Yann getting closer to fitness and the potential for goals from the rest of the team, i really think that if we could see this season through and survive we have some real talent coming through the youth in Smith, Loader and Novakovich.
If Smith can get some experience this season and Novacovich can carry on banging them in the Dutch league we could save ourselves a barrel load of dosh, and they are all "One of our own"

Agree totally that it would be good to unearth a striking gem from the Academy, we seem much better at producing keepers, central defenders and midfielders and all our great striking hopes seem to fall short.
Not convinced just yet by Smith. He had a reasonable game in the preseason match at Wycombe but subsequent to that has struggled to really make much of an impact, although it was good to see him score against Millwall. Unfortunately the option to give him first team time to develop is not really there, he has to be picked on merit. In an ideal world Novacovic would end his loan spell in December and come back ready to compete and Smith would go out on loan in Div 1 but I think Novakovic is away for the season.
Let's hope Smith shows progression in the Checkatrade /u23 games but I think expecting him to be a first team option this season is too optimistic.

Smith would have been a good option from the bench on Saturday. For all Bodvarsson's flaws the moment he went off we lost pretty much all our cohesion and subsequently the game. Beerens, McCleary and Aluko didn't work at all.

[Nameless]

Think Smith would have really struggled against their big defence. He's not physically strong enough to compete nor experienced enough to out think them (yet)
If we'd wanted a bit of muscle then Mendes would have been the option, a bit of guile and Clement should have come on, the three winger formation was never right although personally I would have liked to have gone with the tactics we used against Villa and had a pacy two man attack to pull their defence around and not played into their hands with the high balls.

[Vision]

Think Smith would have really struggled against their big defence. He's not physically strong enough to compete nor experienced enough to out think them (yet)
If we'd wanted a bit of muscle then Mendes would have been the option, a bit of guile and Clement should have come on, the three winger formation was never right although personally I would have liked to have gone with the tactics we used against Villa and had a pacy two man attack to pull their defence around and not played into their hands with the high balls.

In theory the substitutions should have given us a pacey 3-man attack but it didn't work at all. Mainly in my view because we lost Bodvarsson who also wasn't strong enough or good enough aerially to win 50-50 battles but did at least engage and separate the 2 centre halves. We were dominant in the game at that stage and creating chances. I just think Smith. in spite of his lack of experience, would still have given us that focal point and create the space for Aluko to exploit which was happening at the time of the substitutions.

Just my view of course and hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[Nameless]

Probably just shows Stam hasn't yet suss d his most effective combinations....
Will be interesting what he does against Swansea...