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

[davieG]

48 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

If he’s on the bench on Saturday/Sunday then he surely wont play Friday evening 

 

or are we suggesting that we use a place on the bench purely for him to sit amongst the first team squad with no likelihood of coming on ?? 

 

I'm sure 10 mins for the 1st team wont impact on his availability for the U21s. He doesn't have to play the full 90 for the U21s

[Claudio Fannieri]

Would love to see  the likes of Jake Evans, Cartwright,  Braybrooke and Monga given some opportunities from the bench in the coming weeks, highly likely we will relegated so use the last 5/6 games to start buskin for the future and next season in the championship where we will be heavily reliant on our academy as part of the rebuild. 

[moore_94]

15 minutes ago, davieG said:

I'm sure 10 mins for the 1st team wont impact on his availability for the U21s. He doesn't have to play the full 90 for the U21s

I think it was Cole Palmer who played 5-10 mins as a sub for the senior side then went and scored a hat trick against our under 21s the same day

[mozartfox]

20 minutes ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

Massive difference between youth football and Premier league, some of these lads look very talented, but completely different levels.

Against our defense he would look mustard.

[studentofthegame]

U18s 1-0 down to Arsenal at the moment

14 year old Darren Motsi on the bench, has impressed with England u15s recently scoring and assisting against Turkey last month

[honeybradger]

2 hours ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

Massive difference between youth football and Premier league, some of these lads look very talented, but completely different levels.

Saliba struggled at u21 level for Arsenal. It's not like these players are non-professionals, you could give Cordova Reid 400 games against West Ham's u21s and he would never dribble 3 players and score like Monga did the other night.

 

I think 'Premier League experienced' players like Cordova Reid and Ayew are very overrated. They almost dont belong on the pitch against most of the opposition we have faced this year. If they were the exact same players and were 18 yrs old sat in our academy they wouldnt get a sniff of first team football.

[Kinowe Soorie]

28 minutes ago, honeybradger said:

Saliba struggled at u21 level for Arsenal. It's not like these players are non-professionals, you could give Cordova Reid 400 games against West Ham's u21s and he would never dribble 3 players and score like Monga did the other night.

 

I think 'Premier League experienced' players like Cordova Reid and Ayew are very overrated. They almost dont belong on the pitch against most of the opposition we have faced this year. If they were the exact same players and were 18 yrs old sat in our academy they wouldnt get a sniff of first team football.

I remember playing against men with beer bellies when I was 16, thinking I’d skin them, and straight from kids football. The difference in strength and football know how, was a massive gulf. Even against Sunday morning pub teams. 
Players like Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey, are few and far between. If these players were good enough, and ready, they would be playing. Sammy Braybrooke didn’t get a look in at Dundee, and he’s much older.

[Ryy]

Henry Cartwright is the best passer we have at the club

[Ryy]

Seems we’ve signed/on trial David Anugo (16) from West Ham who’s a Romanian youth international attacking midfielder 

 

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/david-anugo/profil/spieler/1196493

[davieG]

25 minutes ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

football know how,

You have to play in the men's league to get that you wont get it from the U21s.

[davieG]

26 minutes ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

Sammy Braybrooke didn’t get a look in at Dundee, and he’s much older.

Midfielders are always going to find it difficult to break through especially ball playing ones. Wingers will be less of a risk to any loan club.

[studentofthegame]

u18s lost 4-3 to Arsenal, were 3-0 and 4-1 down, scored twice in injury time to get it back to 4-3

Will Daniels scored twice, Canadian left back/left wing back/left mid from what I can see

 

Hutchinson scored again (again in injury time) and got an assist as well, up to 10 goals for the season now, 8 goals and 2 assists in his last 7 games 

 

Another benefit of giving Evans some time in the first team squad would be giving Hutchinson a chance to be involved with the u21s

[BKLFox]

3 hours ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

Would love to see  the likes of Jake Evans, Cartwright,  Braybrooke and Monga given some opportunities from the bench in the coming weeks, highly likely we will relegated so use the last 5/6 games to start buskin for the future and next season in the championship where we will be heavily reliant on our academy as part of the rebuild. 

Catch 22 I guess, we’d want to play some of the Idjuts to showcase them in the hope someone takes them off our hands, if we bury them no one will come looking.

I know most will say everyone thinks their 5hit anyway from what they have seen thus far so what’s the point but all 3 relegated clubs will have players taken especially from teams coming up and we need to get ahead of the other 2 clubs in offloading.

But yes some minutes for these younger lads would be most welcome to form a basis for next season 

 

 

 

Edited 15 March by BKLFox

[Noahfence]

U18s lost 4-3 at Arsenal. Lorenz Hutchinson scored again. 10 goals this season.

[honeybradger]

1 hour ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

I remember playing against men with beer bellies when I was 16, thinking I’d skin them, and straight from kids football. The difference in strength and football know how, was a massive gulf. Even against Sunday morning pub teams. 
Players like Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey, are few and far between. If these players were good enough, and ready, they would be playing. Sammy Braybrooke didn’t get a look in at Dundee, and he’s much older.

The West Ham commentators were raving last night about how Monga was the best talent theyd seen at u21 level, at least this season. 

 

I have no doubts that Monga and Evans are already better players than Ayew and Reid. You dont just lose your technique and ability to strike a ball when you move up to the men's game.

 

You personally may have struggled at adjusting to men's football but to be frank with you you werent one of the best talents in your age group in the country, theyre cut from a different cloth from your average professional footballer, let alone a 16 yr old playing in sunday league. Theyre already too good for U21 football at 15 and 16, it's clear that their abilities transcend age or logic.

[Ian Nacho]

20 hours ago, Ryy said:

Seems we’ve signed/on trial David Anugo (16) from West Ham who’s a Romanian youth international attacking midfielder 

 

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/david-anugo/profil/spieler/1196493

Look forward for him to not make a single first team appearance or going out on loan before leaving for Hibernian on a free aged 23. 

Edited 16 March by Ian Nacho

[Spudulike]

On 15/03/2025 at 14:08, honeybradger said:

The West Ham commentators were raving last night about how Monga was the best talent theyd seen at u21 level, at least this season. 

 

I have no doubts that Monga and Evans are already better players than Ayew and Reid. You dont just lose your technique and ability to strike a ball when you move up to the men's game.

 

You personally may have struggled at adjusting to men's football but to be frank with you you werent one of the best talents in your age group in the country, theyre cut from a different cloth from your average professional footballer, let alone a 16 yr old playing in sunday league. Theyre already too good for U21 football at 15 and 16, it's clear that their abilities transcend age or logic.

Co-commentator, don't know his name but was described as a West Ham legend, at one point likened him to George Best! and best opposition player he had seen this season. 

 

Sadly, just can't get excited about a young player that, it seems, has no future with our club. If he's going then give another lad a chance.

[studentofthegame]

Can't believe we are playing useless shite like Daka but won't give any opportunities to any of our exciting attackers in the academy, they literally could not be worse than him

[dmayne7]

On 16/03/2025 at 14:22, Spudulike said:

Co-commentator, don't know his name but was described as a West Ham legend, at one point likened him to George Best! and best opposition player he had seen this season. 

 

Sadly, just can't get excited about a young player that, it seems, has no future with our club. If he's going then give another lad a chance.

His goal was absolutely quality. All about the balance and agility to dance through the defence.

[CosbehFox]

On 15/03/2025 at 09:47, Kinowe Soorie said:

Massive difference between youth football and Premier league, some of these lads look very talented, but completely different levels.

At this point, you mention both Evans and Monga's records this season are comparable to Nwaneri who's taken to PL football like a duck to water for Arsenal. 

[AjcW]

4 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

At this point, you mention both Evans and Monga's records this season are comparable to Nwaneri who's taken to PL football like a duck to water for Arsenal. 

Not to mention the 4 players Man Utd fielded on Sunday.... 

[lcfc sheff]

20 hours ago, CosbehFox said:

At this point, you mention both Evans and Monga's records this season are comparable to Nwaneri who's taken to PL football like a duck to water for Arsenal. 

Ah but don’t forget, a player will always look better surrounded by better players. 

[CosbehFox]

2 minutes ago, lcfc sheff said:

Ah but don’t forget, a player will always look better surrounded by better players. 

Hasn’t stopped Tyler Dibling impressing either 

[TheFiveTime]

36 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

Hasn’t stopped Tyler Dibling impressing either 

tyler dibling is classic example of what goes wrong when starting too early. looked good first third of the season then when it became clear how bad saints were he has faded into team mediocrity dragged down by his terrible teammates

[CosbehFox]

2 minutes ago, TheFiveTime said:

tyler dibling is classic example of what goes wrong when starting too early. looked good first third of the season then when it became clear how bad saints were he has faded into team mediocrity dragged down by his terrible teammates

He’s learning and gaining greater experience without affecting his own game. His output is approx the same of say El Khannous, the best of our own and we aren’t say Bilal should be dropped