Development/Youth Squads 2024/2025 Thread - U18/U21

[Stadt]

24 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Club culture is involved in a lot of this as well. Post Pearson I can’t think of a single manager that has given youth a proper chance. 

You'd think having a director of football who was also the academy director might be good for the academy's prospects. The fact it isn't - is damning on Rudkin, if you're not using your indue influence to recruit managers that will bring your academy labour of love to life then when actually is he having any strategic input? I am genuinely fascinated by what he does day to day. I think it's a lot of nothing.

[Ric Flair]

Good article by Jordan Blackwell, although he's basically copied my research lol.

[filbertway]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

Good article by Jordan Blackwell, although he's basically copied my research lol.

I did wonder if he'd credit you at all after seeing it

 

[RowlattsFox]

57 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Club culture is involved in a lot of this as well. Post Pearson I can’t think of a single manager that has given youth a proper chance. 

I think we've had an ok amount of 'young' players coming through to the first team in the last 10 years, I'd say a similar amount than most Premier League clubs. Admittedly some of them are distinctly average and shouldn't be anywhere near a Premier League squad  

And who did Pearson bring through? King is only one I can think of and maybe Chilwell towards the end but can't remember the timescale of his debut. 

 

However, what we don't do is risk the really young players, apart from Thomas everyone else has had to go out on loan prior. 

 

 

Edited 18 February by RowlattsFox

[AKCJ]

2 hours ago, UniFox21 said:

This is a bit of an indication of why we aren't seeing more youth players 

 

 

He actually has more goals as a 16 year old than Nwaneri.

 

Nwaneri scored 7, Evans is on 9.

 

Nwaneri scored 3 as a 17 year old.

[lanefox]

35 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Good article by Jordan Blackwell, although he's basically copied my research lol.

Pretty blatant isnt it, it's as if he's listened to a certain podcast and then copied it verbatim 

[Noahfence]

Somehow managed to miss the u18s also won 6-3 at the weekend plus a hat trick in there too. Is Lorenz Hutchinson a striker? 
 

Hes got 7 in 12 this season 

Edited 18 February by Noahfence

[chris1232]

.

Edited 18 February by chris1232

[davieG]

Not sure if posted and only have the link

 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1133477444714768

 

Jake Evans' Hat-trick

[Lambert09]

Problem with sticking him on the bench at this age is that he will just get poached. 
 

We are in a really tricky situation with a few of these gems right now. 
 

until we can get them locked down we probably need to just keep them in the development squads. One decent cameo and you guarantee you lose them. 
 

That’s exactly what happened to Fulham with Harvey Elliott they had the opportunity to get him involved with the first team and Liverpool snatched him for a pittance at tribunal.  Bring it up to any Fulham fan if you want to see them get angry and they don’t often 

 

Edit* 1.5m is what they got. absolutely shameful, they’ll sell him now for at least 15m as a worst case scenario, if he doesn’t make it. There’s no justice in it at all. 

Edited 18 February by Lambert09

[Kilworthfox]

3 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

Problem with sticking him on the bench at this age is that he will just get poached. 
 

We are in a really tricky situation with a few of these gems right now. 
 

until we can get them locked down we probably need to just keep them in the development squads. One decent cameo and you guarantee you lose them. 
 

That’s exactly what happened to Fulham with Harvey Elliott they had the opportunity to get him involved with the first team and Liverpool snatched him for a pittance at tribunal.  Bring it up to any Fulham fan if you want to see them get angry and they don’t often 

If you know of a player, don't you think everyone your worried about has also known of them for years now, and scouted them live on multiple occasions.

[Ric Flair]

54 minutes ago, Noahfence said:

Somehow managed to miss the u18s also won 6-3 at the weekend plus a hat trick in there too. Is Lorenz Hutchinson a striker? 
 

Hes got 7 in 12 this season 

Yes he's a striker, scored a ridiculous amount for the U16s last season. 50 or something.

[Ric Flair]

32 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

Problem with sticking him on the bench at this age is that he will just get poached. 
 

We are in a really tricky situation with a few of these gems right now. 
 

until we can get them locked down we probably need to just keep them in the development squads. One decent cameo and you guarantee you lose them. 
 

That’s exactly what happened to Fulham with Harvey Elliott they had the opportunity to get him involved with the first team and Liverpool snatched him for a pittance at tribunal.  Bring it up to any Fulham fan if you want to see them get angry and they don’t often 

 

Edit* 1.5m is what they got. absolutely shameful, they’ll sell him now for at least 15m as a worst case scenario, if he doesn’t make it. There’s no justice in it at all. 

By that metric Sunderland shouldn't have been playing Chris Rigg and Birmingham shouldn't have played Jude and Jobe Bellingham. Although the latter is mystifying how he had a £3m release clause.

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, lanefox said:

Pretty blatant isnt it, it's as if he's listened to a certain podcast and then copied it verbatim 

Got a lot of time for Jordan, his articles often have me nodding along repeatedly so all good.

[chris1232]

 

[Lambert09]

19 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

By that metric Sunderland shouldn't have been playing Chris Rigg and Birmingham shouldn't have played Jude and Jobe Bellingham. Although the latter is mystifying how he had a £3m release clause.

each player you mention had contracts signed. they were tied. even Jude Bellingham had a pre signed deal that would activate when he turned 17. Which they both knew he probably wouldn’t ever use. 
 

You can’t parade around what’s essentially a free agent unless you genuinely need them on the pitch.  It would be great for Evan’s to be integrated but unless he’s going to be starting every game we’d be naive to do so without a contract. 

 

47 minutes ago, Kilworthfox said:

If you know of a player, don't you think everyone your worried about has also known of them for years now, and scouted them live on multiple occasions.

There’s a difference to knowing someone could be special and then showcasing exactly where they are at. There’s still an element of unknown quantity but if you bring him on for 5 minutes in the prem and he looks at home, you’ll attract far more suitors.  That Brighton game put Tavares completely in the shop window, he may have left anyway but that didn’t benefit us at all. 

[orangecity23]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Good article by Jordan Blackwell, although he's basically copied my research lol.

Next time you do a detailed ft post about the youth team or exciting cheap wingers from Scandinavian teams, make sure to drop in an occasional trademark Ric Flair phrase every now and again (complete Norris, beans and little sausages etc) as a watermark, so when it gets printed verbatim in the Mercury we'll know they are copy + pasting.

[Ric Flair]

15 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

each player you mention had contracts signed. they were tied. even Jude Bellingham had a pre signed deal that would activate when he turned 17. Which they both knew he probably wouldn’t ever use. 
 

You can’t parade around what’s essentially a free agent unless you genuinely need them on the pitch.  It would be great for Evan’s to be integrated but unless he’s going to be starting every game we’d be naive to do so without a contract. 

 

There’s a difference to knowing someone could be special and then showcasing exactly where they are at. There’s still an element of unknown quantity but if you bring him on for 5 minutes in the prem and he looks at home, you’ll attract far more suitors.  That Brighton game put Tavares completely in the shop window, he may have left anyway but that didn’t benefit us at all. 

Evans did sign a contract last summer but not sure if it protects us or not. 

[goose2010]

17 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

each player you mention had contracts signed. they were tied. even Jude Bellingham had a pre signed deal that would activate when he turned 17. Which they both knew he probably wouldn’t ever use. 
 

You can’t parade around what’s essentially a free agent unless you genuinely need them on the pitch.  It would be great for Evan’s to be integrated but unless he’s going to be starting every game we’d be naive to do so without a contract. 

 

There’s a difference to knowing someone could be special and then showcasing exactly where they are at. There’s still an element of unknown quantity but if you bring him on for 5 minutes in the prem and he looks at home, you’ll attract far more suitors.  That Brighton game put Tavares completely in the shop window, he may have left anyway but that didn’t benefit us at all. 

to be honest, the club are basically putting out a video a week of him and Monga it isnt like scouts from around the world arent aware of all youth prospects already. 

 

In this modern age you cannot hide players until they have signed a deal. You are better off showing them the path way to the first team with the hope that it makes them sign a pro contract when they can. Or worse case you will get more at a tribunal. 

[Lambert09]

2 hours ago, goose2010 said:

to be honest, the club are basically putting out a video a week of him and Monga it isnt like scouts from around the world arent aware of all youth prospects already. 

 

In this modern age you cannot hide players until they have signed a deal. You are better off showing them the path way to the first team with the hope that it makes them sign a pro contract when they can. Or worse case you will get more at a tribunal. 

You’re  not wrong and when they start gaining a reputation the sharks will always circle but it’s similar to a player having a good YouTube reel. Unless they actually go and scout full games the risk is substantially lowered. 
 

If a club watching him everyday start to acknowledge they are better than established pros they have on the books, that’s giving clubs a firm benchmark to their level.  It’s also basically giving the world a free scouting opportunity. 

 

I wouldn’t at all be surprised if the reason the club stopped showing live games for the youth was because of this extra exposure. 

I’m not naive in that I think that clubs aren’t aware of their existence  but it’s that element of unknown knowledge of their full ability , that can protect you. I’d just feel more comfortable giving them opportunities like this , when we can’t be taken advantage of 

Edited 18 February by Lambert09

[davieG]

 

[It'sblueupnorth]

Late to the party but we’ve all played with players on a Sunday that you’ve nabbed off a Saturday side and they take the piss because they’re clearly way above that level. That’s what it was like watching Jake evans for me. That 2nd goal is unbelievable 

[Tommy Fresh]

5 hours ago, RowlattsFox said:

I think we've had an ok amount of 'young' players coming through to the first team in the last 10 years, I'd say a similar amount than most Premier League clubs. Admittedly some of them are distinctly average and shouldn't be anywhere near a Premier League squad  

And who did Pearson bring through? King is only one I can think of and maybe Chilwell towards the end but can't remember the timescale of his debut. 

 

However, what we don't do is risk the really young players, apart from Thomas everyone else has had to go out on loan prior. 

 

 

Pearson brought a few through, not really anymore than anyone else though. He did also sign quite a lot of young lads 

[lcfc sheff]

I don’t think Evans or Monga will be making the bench this season unless we have major injuries or it’s the last game of the season. 
 

it’ll be about putting the senior players we do have in the shopping window and hopefully selling the ones we don’t need or want. Then next season hopefully there is space for them on the bench 

[deep blue]

Just now, Lionator said:

Club culture is involved in a lot of this as well. Post Pearson I can’t think of a single manager that has given youth a proper chance. 

I thought Puel encouraged youth, and assembled an excellent squad.  He'd be a good DOF, I believe.