That Friday Feeling Reserve football has certainly changed in the last few years.
Not many clubs actually field a reserve side, choosing instead to play youngsters in a more regular/competitive format. Lots of the billy-big-bollocks players in the first team get the hump about playing for the second string.
That's not been the case at RFC (and maybe McD's recent record hints as to the reason why) so our reserve team has been stronger, winning the prem reserve title. I dare say that the opposition playing the youngsters "up a level" results in a corresponding weakening of their academy teams compared to ours.
Also the quality of an academy team is dependant on which positions you have strong players, and how mature they are. I'm not saying that's the case with the Reading Academy, but if they have brilliant players who haven't finished their growth spurt, especially if they're fullbacks and/or wingers, but a crap keeper, and we have a decent keeper, and big lads playing central defender, midfielder and striker then it'll be close, but once they've grown up that size/speed/strength advantage is generally lost.
I'd rather lose every game at Academy level and produce two or three brilliant players, than win every game with a nicely balanced side of kids who will go on to play their whole career in League One or Two.
