The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[Royals and Racers]

Nice to see Jamari Clarke back amongst the goals, always thought he may be good enough to become a decent striker. I guess injuries have curtailed his progress the past few seasons.
Always thought Clarke had a bit more to him than both Ehib and Wareham? Any of you U23 regulars have any feedback?

Jamari really put himself about today- best game for a long while, capped by taking his goal well and hopefully will get a chance with the 1st team before the end of the season.

[Stranded]

Gap of 9 pts to 17th now, do starting to look like the u21s make the playoffs.

7th would currently give them a home tie against 10th.

[Sutekh]

Gap of 9 pts to 17th now, do starting to look like the u21s make the playoffs.

7th would currently give them a home tie against 10th.

Current Premier League 2 (u21s) table:

Pos Club Pld-Pts>GD

1. Tottenham Hotspur 12 - 34 > 25
2. West Ham United 14 - 30 > 21
3. Arsenal 13 - 27 > 15
4. Liverpool 13 - 26 > 8
5. Fulham 14 - 25 > 11
6. Brighton & Hove Albion 13 - 23 > 3
7. Reading 13 - 23 > -1
8. Chelsea 12 - 20 > 8
9. Sunderland 12 - 20 > 7
10. Wolverhampton Wanderers 13 - 20 > 2
11. Middlesbrough 12 - 18 > -1
12. Manchester United 11 - 17 > 12
13. Norwich City 14 - 17 > 2
14. Crystal Palace 12 - 16 > 1
15. Stoke City 12 - 15 > -9
16. Aston Villa 11 - 14 > -1
17. Blackburn Rovers 13 - 14 > -19
18. Nottingham Forest 11 - 13 > -6
19. Southampton 13 - 13 > -9
20. West Bromwich Albion 12 - 12 > -7
21. Leeds United 11 - 11 > -11
22. Derby County 13 - 10 > -5
23. Newcastle United 11 - 9 > -8
24. Leicester City 12 - 9 > -10
25. Everton 11 - 9 > -10
26. Manchester City 13 - 8 > -18

Remaining league games for Reading u21s:

01 March - Fulham (a)
10 March - Liverpool (h)
18 March - Norwich City (h)
06 April - Tottenham Hotspur (a)
13 April - Brighton & Hove Albion (a)
29 April - Manchester City (h)

If you're wondering, Reading are currently 13th out of 13 in the Premier League U18 South division. Their next fixture is a visit from Leicester City on 24 February.

[Royals and Racers]

Gap of 9 pts to 17th now, do starting to look like the u21s make the playoffs.

7th would currently give them a home tie against 10th.

Current Premier League 2 (u21s) table:

Pos Club Pld-Pts>GD

1. Tottenham Hotspur 12 - 34 > 25
2. West Ham United 14 - 30 > 21
3. Arsenal 13 - 27 > 15
4. Liverpool 13 - 26 > 8
5. Fulham 14 - 25 > 11
6. Brighton & Hove Albion 13 - 23 > 3
7. Reading 13 - 23 > -1
8. Chelsea 12 - 20 > 8
9. Sunderland 12 - 20 > 7
10. Wolverhampton Wanderers 13 - 20 > 2
11. Middlesbrough 12 - 18 > -1
12. Manchester United 11 - 17 > 12
13. Norwich City 14 - 17 > 2
14. Crystal Palace 12 - 16 > 1
15. Stoke City 12 - 15 > -9
16. Aston Villa 11 - 14 > -1
17. Blackburn Rovers 13 - 14 > -19
18. Nottingham Forest 11 - 13 > -6
19. Southampton 13 - 13 > -9
20. West Bromwich Albion 12 - 12 > -7
21. Leeds United 11 - 11 > -11
22. Derby County 13 - 10 > -5
23. Newcastle United 11 - 9 > -8
24. Leicester City 12 - 9 > -10
25. Everton 11 - 9 > -10
26. Manchester City 13 - 8 > -18

Remaining league games for Reading u21s:

01 March - Fulham (a)
10 March - Liverpool (h)
18 March - Norwich City (h)
06 April - Tottenham Hotspur (a)
13 April - Brighton & Hove Albion (a)
29 April - Manchester City (h)

If you're wondering, Reading are currently 13th out of 13 in the Premier League U18 South division. Their next fixture is a visit from Leicester City on 24 February.

13+ 6 = 19 not 20 ! Notts Forest away TBA
If anyone is interested these are the 5 teams we don’t play in the regular season
West Ham
Wolves
Man Utd
Aston Villa
Everton

[Clyde1998]

Gap of 9 pts to 17th now, do starting to look like the u21s make the playoffs.

7th would currently give them a home tie against 10th.

Current Premier League 2 (u21s) table:

Pos Club Pld-Pts>GD

1. Tottenham Hotspur 12 - 34 > 25
2. West Ham United 14 - 30 > 21
3. Arsenal 13 - 27 > 15
4. Liverpool 13 - 26 > 8
5. Fulham 14 - 25 > 11
6. Brighton & Hove Albion 13 - 23 > 3
7. Reading 13 - 23 > -1
8. Chelsea 12 - 20 > 8
9. Sunderland 12 - 20 > 7
10. Wolverhampton Wanderers 13 - 20 > 2
11. Middlesbrough 12 - 18 > -1
12. Manchester United 11 - 17 > 12
13. Norwich City 14 - 17 > 2
14. Crystal Palace 12 - 16 > 1
15. Stoke City 12 - 15 > -9
16. Aston Villa 11 - 14 > -1
17. Blackburn Rovers 13 - 14 > -19
18. Nottingham Forest 11 - 13 > -6
19. Southampton 13 - 13 > -9
20. West Bromwich Albion 12 - 12 > -7
21. Leeds United 11 - 11 > -11
22. Derby County 13 - 10 > -5
23. Newcastle United 11 - 9 > -8
24. Leicester City 12 - 9 > -10
25. Everton 11 - 9 > -10
26. Manchester City 13 - 8 > -18

Remaining league games for Reading u21s:

01 March - Fulham (a)
10 March - Liverpool (h)
18 March - Norwich City (h)
06 April - Tottenham Hotspur (a)
13 April - Brighton & Hove Albion (a)
29 April - Manchester City (h)

If you're wondering, Reading are currently 13th out of 13 in the Premier League U18 South division. Their next fixture is a visit from Leicester City on 24 February.

13+ 6 = 19 not 20 ! Notts Forest away TBA
If anyone is interested these are the 5 teams we don’t play in the regular season
West Ham
Wolves
Man Utd
Aston Villa
Everton

Any ideas why we don't play them? Seems an odd format to play everyone but five teams.

[Royals and Racers]

Current Premier League 2 (u21s) table:

Pos Club Pld-Pts>GD

1. Tottenham Hotspur 12 - 34 > 25
2. West Ham United 14 - 30 > 21
3. Arsenal 13 - 27 > 15
4. Liverpool 13 - 26 > 8
5. Fulham 14 - 25 > 11
6. Brighton & Hove Albion 13 - 23 > 3
7. Reading 13 - 23 > -1
8. Chelsea 12 - 20 > 8
9. Sunderland 12 - 20 > 7
10. Wolverhampton Wanderers 13 - 20 > 2
11. Middlesbrough 12 - 18 > -1
12. Manchester United 11 - 17 > 12
13. Norwich City 14 - 17 > 2
14. Crystal Palace 12 - 16 > 1
15. Stoke City 12 - 15 > -9
16. Aston Villa 11 - 14 > -1
17. Blackburn Rovers 13 - 14 > -19
18. Nottingham Forest 11 - 13 > -6
19. Southampton 13 - 13 > -9
20. West Bromwich Albion 12 - 12 > -7
21. Leeds United 11 - 11 > -11
22. Derby County 13 - 10 > -5
23. Newcastle United 11 - 9 > -8
24. Leicester City 12 - 9 > -10
25. Everton 11 - 9 > -10
26. Manchester City 13 - 8 > -18

Remaining league games for Reading u21s:

01 March - Fulham (a)
10 March - Liverpool (h)
18 March - Norwich City (h)
06 April - Tottenham Hotspur (a)
13 April - Brighton & Hove Albion (a)
29 April - Manchester City (h)

If you're wondering, Reading are currently 13th out of 13 in the Premier League U18 South division. Their next fixture is a visit from Leicester City on 24 February.

13+ 6 = 19 not 20 ! Notts Forest away TBA
If anyone is interested these are the 5 teams we don’t play in the regular season
West Ham
Wolves
Man Utd
Aston Villa
Everton

Any ideas why we don't play them? Seems an odd format to play everyone but five teams.

Because it’s too many to play 25 matches in the season- with the PL Cup plus the PL international cup for the U 21 teams- and the format is this stupid new idea which the Champions league are using from next season- it’s fondly called the Swiss system.

[Sutekh]

13+ 6 = 19 not 20 ! Notts Forest away TBA
If anyone is interested these are the 5 teams we don’t play in the regular season
West Ham
Wolves
Man Utd
Aston Villa
Everton

Any ideas why we don't play them? Seems an odd format to play everyone but five teams.

Because it’s too many to play 25 matches in the season- with the PL Cup plus the PL international cup for the U 21 teams- and the format is this stupid new idea which the Champions league are using from next season- it’s fondly called the Swiss system.

Just daft, what difference does 5 games make, if you're in the PL you have 38 league games + at least 3 other cup ties which makes 40 or so, and they can be fit in successfully so 25 + a handful shouldn't really be an issue.

[Snowflake Royal]

Any ideas why we don't play them? Seems an odd format to play everyone but five teams.

Because it’s too many to play 25 matches in the season- with the PL Cup plus the PL international cup for the U 21 teams- and the format is this stupid new idea which the Champions league are using from next season- it’s fondly called the Swiss system.

Just daft, what difference does 5 games make, if you're in the PL you have 38 league games + at least 3 other cup ties which makes 40 or so, and they can be fit in successfully so 25 + a handful shouldn't really be an issue.

We're talking about Academy players aren't we?

Many of who are still growing and developing physically.

[Royals and Racers]

7 PL 2 matches today- Royals down to 9th now.

[Royals and Racers]

PL 2 Notts Forest away game now on Monday 22nd April KO 7pm at the Forest training ground.

[Royals and Racers]

Next up for some of the U 21 players but mostly U 18 i expect is the Berks and Bucks Senior cup QF away to Burnham next Wednesday February 28th KO 7.45pm- see separate thread.

[blythspartan]

I just spotted this on Twitter. Coke-Miles looks like a great prospect for the future.
https://twitter.com/RisingBallers_/stat ... 4214970730

[Royals and Racers]

I just spotted this on Twitter. Coke-Miles looks like a great prospect for the future.
https://twitter.com/RisingBallers_/stat ... 4214970730

I did mention him as a talent on the previous page. Chatted to his Grandfather at the Sunderland game last Saturday.

[Hound]

Looks useful and scored a lot of goals

Pang will be rubbing his hands at the prospect of selling him to Southampton to pay the ticket sales staff over the summer

[Orion1871]

I just spotted this on Twitter. Coke-Miles looks like a great prospect for the future.
https://twitter.com/RisingBallers_/stat ... 4214970730

I'm sure he'll do well at City next season.

[Sutekh]

I just spotted this on Twitter. Coke-Miles looks like a great prospect for the future.
https://twitter.com/RisingBallers_/stat ... 4214970730

I'm sure he'll do well at City next season.

And that's the worry. If he is that promising he should be being invited to train and be involved with the 1st team, that way at least showing him how close he is to playing it might help stifle any desire to move on.

[blythspartan]

I just spotted this on Twitter. Coke-Miles looks like a great prospect for the future.
https://twitter.com/RisingBallers_/stat ... 4214970730

I did mention him as a talent on the previous page. Chatted to his Grandfather at the Sunderland game last Saturday.

From what you’ve have seen will he be ready to be close to the first team next season?

As mentioned above, he’ll probably end up at Man City. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that as that’s partly what the academy is for, and as long as we’re getting the best deal possible. However, I’d love to see him play for us for a couple of seasons and then we get a huge fee for him when he eventually moves on.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I just spotted this on Twitter. Coke-Miles looks like a great prospect for the future.
https://twitter.com/RisingBallers_/stat ... 4214970730

I did mention him as a talent on the previous page. Chatted to his Grandfather at the Sunderland game last Saturday.

From what you’ve have seen will he be ready to be close to the first team next season?

As mentioned above, he’ll probably end up at Man City. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that as that’s partly what the academy is for, and as long as we’re getting the best deal possible. However, I’d love to see him play for us for a couple of seasons and then we get a huge fee for him when he eventually moves on.

We need to try and keep some to break through into the first team, because it's good to see but financially better too. One 21/22 year old with 3 years excelling in men's football is worth more than 5 teenage prospects.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

I'm sure that when we hopefully get safe Coke Miles Smith will at least get some time with the first team, maybe the bench.

His goals and assists are exceptional.

[Fezza]

Speaking to a parent of a kid at Chelsea's Academy today, who mentioned watching their U18s getting bullied off the park by Millwall (last night maybe) despite being full of superstars - game finished 1 - 1 and Millwall won on pens. He felt that Chelsea need a rethink as their boys just aren't ready for first team fooball, Elliott would certainly back this up, despite their skills. Felt that Reading was increasingly looking like a good option for up and coming youngsters who wanted first team minutes.