Development/Youth Squads 2025/2026 Thread - U18/U21

[goog]

4 minutes ago, LVFox said:

As much as we should see a fair few make first team appearances next year, our U23 side should have a really strong season. Talent is definitely there

I bet they won't because there is no such thing 

 

[K789]

13 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Popov breaking through this season? He'll be 21 in October so another that is approaching crunch time if it's going to happen for him here.

Doubt it. Couldn't get in barrow team could he

[Ric Flair]

3 hours ago, davieG said:

He's listed as a scholar in the retained list here

 

 

That's probably because he signed a scholar when he was 16 and runs past the end of June. We have been in talks to get him on a pro deal. I presume if he were to reject the pro deal and wanted to break his scholar contract, he'd need to have notified the club this week.

 

Out of interest, I wonder if Trey Nyoni was on the retained list in June 2023.

[UniFox21]

3 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

That's probably because he signed a scholar when he was 16 and runs past the end of June. We have been in talks to get him on a pro deal. I presume if he were to reject the pro deal and wanted to break his scholar contract, he'd need to have notified the club this week.

 

Out of interest, I wonder if Trey Nyoni was on the retained list in June 2023.

Doesn't look like he was mentioned here 

 

 

[lcfcsnow]

7 hours ago, Noahfence said:

What’s the feeling on Cartwright? Whenever I’ve seen him he looks tidy on the ball and good turn of pace for a CM. Is he a box to box? 
 

It feels like this season he’ll either have to go on loan or be integrated into the squad. Another year of youth football won’t really benefit him.  

Never rated him, seems good for a long pass but is too one paced/heavy legged for me. One of those who was picked for a sub appearance just because he was physical.

[Ryy]

7 hours ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Popov breaking through this season? He'll be 21 in October so another that is approaching crunch time if it's going to happen for him here.

Not good enough 

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, UniFox21 said:

Doesn't look like he was mentioned here 

 

 

I can't find the full original retained list

[moore_94]

2 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I can't find the full original retained list

https://www.efl.com/news/2024/june/07/efl-professional-retain-list-2023-24/

 

[Ric Flair]

5 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

https://www.efl.com/news/2024/june/07/efl-professional-retain-list-2023-24/

 

Good find, based on this then it would appear Evans, Page and Hutchinson whilst could reject pro deals have presumably not notified the club they wish to break their scholar deal and leave this summer. So they'd stay at the very least until the end of their scholar deal.

[Foxes96]

3 hours ago, lcfcsnow said:

Never rated him, seems good for a long pass but is too one paced/heavy legged for me. One of those who was picked for a sub appearance just because he was physical.

Reminds me of KDH a bit, as in good physically and work rate, but not the best technically. Hopefully one that could step up every level. Think a loan to a League one club would be a good move for him. 

[lcfc sheff]

Did wonder what the crack was with Page as by all means he’s highly rated. Thought he could get a spot on the bench at some point to encourage him but that seemingly hasn’t happened for whatever reason

[ALC Fox]

From a casual observer's point of view, it does seem as though there's an unusual amount of genuine quality players in our youth set-up who could go on to do big things in the game, with Alves and Braybrooke at the older end of that generation and Monga at the younger end (plus Nyoni and Noubissie who have been poached already).

 

Then going even younger there is Nazar Mahina who went viral a couple of years back who should be about 13 or so by now.

 

For those with more knowledge on the set-up, how would you rate the current crop who appear to be playing above their age level and do they genuinely have a chance of forming the backbone of a side capable of (a) promotion, (b) staying up and (c) challenging for cups and European qualification in the Premier League in the next few seasons?

 

And, if so, what is the best way of keeping these guys together? Do we risk integrating a sizeable tranche of them early with the chance of a sub-par season where we will probably receive a points deduction? Would this risk a further relegation?

 

Or do we tread water a little, try to get a lot of them out on loan, weakening our youth sides but setting these guys up to challenge for places in the first team when we have a genuine chance of going up again, but also risking some of our better youth players having their heads turned because they have gone out on loan and may think that we aren't showing them a pathway?

[coolhandfox]

47 minutes ago, ALC Fox said:

From a casual observer's point of view, it does seem as though there's an unusual amount of genuine quality players in our youth set-up who could go on to do big things in the game, with Alves and Braybrooke at the older end of that generation and Monga at the younger end (plus Nyoni and Noubissie who have been poached already).

 

Then going even younger there is Nazar Mahina who went viral a couple of years back who should be about 13 or so by now.

 

For those with more knowledge on the set-up, how would you rate the current crop who appear to be playing above their age level and do they genuinely have a chance of forming the backbone of a side capable of (a) promotion, (b) staying up and (c) challenging for cups and European qualification in the Premier League in the next few seasons?

 

And, if so, what is the best way of keeping these guys together? Do we risk integrating a sizeable tranche of them early with the chance of a sub-par season where we will probably receive a points deduction? Would this risk a further relegation?

 

Or do we tread water a little, try to get a lot of them out on loan, weakening our youth sides but setting these guys up to challenge for places in the first team when we have a genuine chance of going up again, but also risking some of our better youth players having their heads turned because they have gone out on loan and may think that we aren't showing them a pathway?

If they could tell you that they would be highly paid football scouts not sitting posting on foxestalk and scratching their balls! 

[ACF]

34 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

If they could tell you that they would be highly paid football scouts not sitting posting on foxestalk and scratching their balls! 

Oi!

 

I’m scratching my arse, not my balls, thank you very much 

[ALC Fox]

4 hours ago, coolhandfox said:

If they could tell you that they would be highly paid football scouts not sitting posting on foxestalk and scratching their balls! 

Valid point

[sphericalfox]

How many players have we got at the U21 Euros? Think this should be our barometer going forward.

[Ryy]

12 minutes ago, sphericalfox said:

How many players have we got at the U21 Euros? Think this should be our barometer going forward.

None 

[AjcW]

27 minutes ago, sphericalfox said:

How many players have we got at the U21 Euros? Think this should be our barometer going forward.

Bit optimistic that I think. A lot of our u21s would be in most national sides already. I think  better measure is U20/19 tournaments. We’ve had a fair few feature throughout this season. 
 

If they’re playing week in week out in the championship there might be more of a chance of U21.

[Ryy]

Think it’s the first time we’ve not been in it 

 

[moore_94]

23 minutes ago, Ryy said:

Think it’s the first time we’ve not been in it 

 

Quite surprising, I would have to assume it was us turning it down rather than us not being invited

[AjcW]

13 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

Quite surprising, I would have to assume it was us turning it down rather than us not being invited

Do you see any other Championship sides on there?

[UniFox21]

13 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

Quite surprising, I would have to assume it was us turning it down rather than us not being invited

At least it stops us 'registering' players and being unable to loan them to 2 clubs 

[moore_94]

1 minute ago, AjcW said:

Do you see any other Championship sides on there?

We played in it last time we were in the Championship

[AjcW]

15 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

We played in it last time we were in the Championship

Probably still had a small amount of clout that time round!

To be honest it's no bad thing, the amount of talent we're likely to steal from the 23's this season would make it an absolute blood bath. 

[ALC Fox]

I wonder if we'll enter a team into the National League Cup instead