The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[SCIAG]

Good goal from Stacey there.

[Royal Ginger]

Kuhl's having a bad game (from what I've seen), but he just hit the post with a great shot.

Agreed. I thought he was looking a bit heavy and has missed a fair few tackles.

[marlowuk]

Final score: 1 -1. Not bad from having a man sent off in the 6th minute,

[SCIAG]

Jules MOTM for me, he's probably the fastest centre back we've had since Sonko.

With players like him around, I'm not worried about Cooper leaving one bit.

[KC Royal]

Only watched bits of the first 65 mins but watched the remainder in full. Thought we were unlucky not to win that.

[CountryRoyal]

Jules MOTM for me, he's probably the fastest centre back we've had since Sonko.

With players like him around, I'm not worried about Cooper leaving one bit.

He does look impressive and was very good last week as well.

[windermere_royal]

0-0 coming up to HT. Chelsea just a pen saved

[CountryRoyal]

.

[windermere_royal]

1-0 Chelsea

[CountryRoyal]

Only one team in it.

2-0 just as I post.

[CountryRoyal]

Penalty for us.

Hit the cross bar then knocked out for a corner.

We score from the resulting corner

2-1 with 10 minutes left.

[CountryRoyal]

Penalty to Chelsea and a red card for us.

Saved by Southwood (again).

FT 2-1 with Chelsea deserved winners.

[windermere_royal]

Chelsea U18s have lost just once in the FA cup in 4 years, good effort by the lads.
3 pens. all missed

[CountryRoyal]

Chelsea U18s have lost just once in the FA cup in 4 years, good effort by the lads.
3 pens. all missed

They're 8 points clear infront of us at the top of the table so it's no surprise we've given them their hardest games this season (but come up just short), as the commentators on CTV said.

[SCIAG]

Back from the game.

Chelsea deserved to win that but I think we might have nicked it if we hadn't had so many players carrying injuries. I don't want to be too negative in case any of the players Google their names, but I thought Frost was a little way off his best today and probably would have come off if Barrett could have stayed on, and I think Barrett would have done better with the chances. Smith was isolated and ineffective.

Defence did well, at least until Chelsea brought on a new right winger at half time (couldn't tell who because the commentators announced a Reading sub that didn't happen instead). Akinwumni was harshly booked in the first half, then got sent off when he had to switch sides when Richards went off.

We were bold, made attacking subs and started to come into it late on, but we couldn't find an equaliser and the red killed it off. Chelsea firmly deserved to win.

Referee was a total homer.

Tammy Abraham was pathetic. Right out of the Mourinho school for strikers (previous graduates: Drogba, Costa). Dived twice in the box (ref didn't see fit to book him for either) and was constantly in the ref's ear. First pantomime villain I can remember at a youth match.

Luke Southwood was excellent. Neither penalty was especially good but he still saved them. Fantastic save with the last touch of the match. Comfortably MOTM for Reading, and up there with Chelsea's second right winger as the best player on the pitch. At least as good a goalkeeper was Lewis Ward and much better than Stuart Moore.

[CountryRoyal]

Back from the game.

Chelsea deserved to win that but I think we might have nicked it if we hadn't had so many players carrying injuries. I don't want to be too negative in case any of the players Google their names, but I thought Frost was a little way off his best today and probably would have come off if Barrett could have stayed on, and I think Barrett would have done better with the chances. Smith was isolated and ineffective.

Defence did well, at least until Chelsea brought on a new right winger at half time (couldn't tell who because the commentators announced a Reading sub that didn't happen instead). Akinwumni was harshly booked in the first half, then got sent off when he had to switch sides when Richards went off.

We were bold, made attacking subs and started to come into it late on, but we couldn't find an equaliser and the red killed it off. Chelsea firmly deserved to win.

Referee was a total homer.

Tammy Abraham was pathetic. Right out of the Mourinho school for strikers (previous graduates: Drogba, Costa). Dived twice in the box (ref didn't see fit to book him for either) and was constantly in the ref's ear. First pantomime villain I can remember at a youth match.

Luke Southwood was excellent. Neither penalty was especially good but he still saved them. Fantastic save with the last touch of the match. Comfortably MOTM for Reading, and up there with Chelsea's second right winger as the best player on the pitch. At least as good a goalkeeper was Lewis Ward and much better than Stuart Moore.

Abraham might have been a pcunt but he was arguably the best player on the pitch.

Who was our 14? Thought he was good.

[SCIAG]

I can't remember what numbers the subs were wearing.

The blond midfielder is Ethan Coleman.
The mixed-race forward is Daniel Loader.

They're both 15 and England U16 internationals.

[CountryRoyal]

I know you follow the youth set up fairly astutely so don't want to make myself look silly here, but are you sure?

The stream put them the wrong way round if so!

[Nameless]

The stadium announcer got them wrong, as well as announcing that at the second half Chelsea were withdrawing Tyler Frost (who plays for us !)
Don't think there could be an argument about Abraham being the best player on the pitch - I thought he was very ordinary. Take away his size advantage and his athleticism and he had very little. His touch was poor and he lacked an eye for goal. I can't see him anywhere near a Chelsea first team (OK, no Chelsea youth players tend to make their first team) and he'll be lucky if he has the career Carlton Cole has had.
But Chelsea were a good team, lots of very talented players who will have good careers. deserved to win and the scoreline flattered us.
Several of the current u21 squad were sat in the away end. Fair play to them for putting in the effort to travel to support their successors.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Only watched the first half. Was quite cagey but could see Chelsea were getting more and more into the game, then won a penalty that was outside the area. Couldn't believe the ref let two of their players get away with some horrendous tackles, then booked ours for our first bad tackle of the game.