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

[Lionator]

28 minutes ago, honeybradger said:

Our current team aren't good enough so I don't get why the youngsters have to be better than players with more experience and on higher wages with no room left to develop.

 

Sadly with our fan base we can never actually play the young players as they are unfairly expected to be better than the senior players and get half the grace as the senior players for bad performances.

 

Look at Faes, when he was last starting for us we were conceding 3 before half time, but the second he leaves the narrative is that we shouldn't have let him go. Nelson on the other hand was nowhere near as bad yet has been written off by many.

To be fair Kasey McAteer is a good example of this.

[Rubbersoul]

What’s the point in using the loan system and getting these guys experience if you still can’t even trust them in league one. 
 

I’m not saying the whole side should be under 21 and fresh out of GCSEs but I’m fed up of watching us sign these pathetic “experienced pros” and letting them disgrace the club

[Ryy]

 

[filbertway]

1 hour ago, Ryy said:

 

I was scrolling through that thinking it's good to see the double barrell last names are dying out and then I got to the forwards

 

Go on Rubens!

[AKCJ]

2 hours ago, Ryy said:

 

Charlie Mountain is a fantastic name for a goalkeeper.

[shen]

4 hours ago, indierich06 said:

I think having some young players who actually want to play for the club will get a large proportion of the fanbase more engaged. Who are these European quality midfielders we've had recently by the way? Skipp, Soumare, Winks, Choudhury? Even Tielemans, Maddison and Ndidi were ****ing turd by the end.

Yes, I know they were in the squad when we got relegated. But these players were also part of the most consistently good team that most of us have witnessed in our lifetime. All three of those were easily European standard midfielders - and I'd argue you could add Albrighton and Barnes to that list. 
 

The class they consistently showed, I would argue, hasn't been bettered by any in my lifetime, not even Izzet or Lennon.

 

Cartwright, Page and Braybrooke may turn out to be great prospects, but they're a far, far cry from what the fans have been treated to in very recent memory.

[indierich06]

34 minutes ago, shen said:

Yes, I know they were in the squad when we got relegated. But these players were also part of the most consistently good team that most of us have witnessed in our lifetime. All three of those were easily European standard midfielders - and I'd argue you could add Albrighton and Barnes to that list. 
 

The class they consistently showed, I would argue, hasn't been bettered by any in my lifetime, not even Izzet or Lennon.

 

Cartwright, Page and Braybrooke may turn out to be great prospects, but they're a far, far cry from what the fans have been treated to in very recent memory.

I dunno, 5 years since we won the FA cup and performances were on the slide before then. Half a decade is a long time. 

[Steve Earle]

2 hours ago, shen said:

Yes, I know they were in the squad when we got relegated. But these players were also part of the most consistently good team that most of us have witnessed in our lifetime. All three of those were easily European standard midfielders - and I'd argue you could add Albrighton and Barnes to that list. 
 

The class they consistently showed, I would argue, hasn't been bettered by any in my lifetime, not even Izzet or Lennon.

 

Cartwright, Page and Braybrooke may turn out to be great prospects, but they're a far, far cry from what the fans have been treated to in very recent memory.

You were doing so well, and then I read ‘…and I’d argue you could add Albrigton & Barnes to that list’.

 

Never.

 

Good Premier League players both, but ‘easily European standard’? No.

 

Not unless by ‘European standard’ you meant, and I don’t think you did, could play for OH Leuven, or similar?

 

Agree with the rest 👏

[deep blue]

3 hours ago, shen said:

Yes, I know they were in the squad when we got relegated. But these players were also part of the most consistently good team that most of us have witnessed in our lifetime. All three of those were easily European standard midfielders - and I'd argue you could add Albrighton and Barnes to that list. 
 

The class they consistently showed, I would argue, hasn't been bettered by any in my lifetime, not even Izzet or Lennon.

 

Cartwright, Page and Braybrooke may turn out to be great prospects, but they're a far, far cry from what the fans have been treated to in very recent memory.

Izzet was a much better all round midfielder than any of those of the Rodgers era, and he also had fight, grit and commitment.

[GrobyLCFC31]

6 hours ago, Ryy said:

 

Lowest ranked representing club 🤮

[Merchant_Banker]

4 hours ago, shen said:

Yes, I know they were in the squad when we got relegated. But these players were also part of the most consistently good team that most of us have witnessed in our lifetime. All three of those were easily European standard midfielders - and I'd argue you could add Albrighton and Barnes to that list. 
 

The class they consistently showed, I would argue, hasn't been bettered by any in my lifetime, not even Izzet or Lennon.

 

Cartwright, Page and Braybrooke may turn out to be great prospects, but they're a far, far cry from what the fans have been treated to in very recent memory.

Agreed, but we are in League 1, so it will be a long time before we have to worry about a European standard midfield. I am still excited to see how they perform next season.

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Steve Earle said:

You were doing so well, and then I read ‘…and I’d argue you could add Albrigton & Barnes to that list’.

 

Never.

 

Good Premier League players both, but ‘easily European standard’? No.

 

Not unless by ‘European standard’ you meant, and I don’t think you did, could play for OH Leuven, or similar?

 

Agree with the rest 👏

I mean Albrighton's output in Europe probably puts him up there with our most consistent players over that period.

 

Goals vs Bruges and Sevilla. Goals and assists vs Rennes, assist with the last kick of the game away at Braga. Barnes also had a decent return for us in Europe and has done well in such competitions for Newcastle.

[Merchant_Banker]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I mean Albrighton's output in Europe probably puts him up there with our most consistent players over that period.

 

Goals vs Bruges and Sevilla. Goals and assists vs Rennes, assist with the last kick of the game away at Braga. Barnes also had a decent return for us in Europe and has done well in such competitions for Newcastle.

I know I am being pedantic here, but you can’t have an assist as the last kick of the game. If it is an assist then the goal must have come after. Sorry 

[Uncle Monty]

4 hours ago, Steve Earle said:

You were doing so well, and then I read ‘…and I’d argue you could add Albrigton & Barnes to that list’.

 

Never.

 

Good Premier League players both, but ‘easily European standard’? No.

 

Not unless by ‘European standard’ you meant, and I don’t think you did, could play for OH Leuven, or similar?

 

Agree with the rest 👏

Barnes played in the champs league this year! Sharky was absolute class in that champs league season. 

 

If they aren't European quality players, what is your definition?

[Steve Earle]

13 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I mean Albrighton's output in Europe probably puts him up there with our most consistent players over that period.

 

Goals vs Bruges and Sevilla. Goals and assists vs Rennes, assist with the last kick of the game away at Braga. Barnes also had a decent return for us in Europe and has done well in such competitions for Newcastle.

He had his moments Ric, and I was there to see him score our first Champions League goal. 
 

But it can’t seriously be argued that he performed at the level of Ndidi Tielemans & Maddison - comfortably the best midfield we’ve ever put out (unless someone who saw the Ice Kings begs to differ). 
 

Let’s not forget that Sharky lost his place to Ayoze Perez either.

[Steve Earle]

11 hours ago, Uncle Monty said:

Barnes played in the champs league this year! Sharky was absolute class in that champs league season. 

 

If they aren't European quality players, what is your definition?

I’m suggesting that you implied a certain standard, not just ‘played in Europe’. 
 

Sharky played at the absolute maximum of his potential for a handful of games in the Champions League, not all of them. I’ve never seen Barnes have a really dominant game in Europe.

[Ryy]

Logan Briggs nominated for PL2 Player of the Season 

 

[Ric Flair]

52 minutes ago, Steve Earle said:

He had his moments Ric, and I was there to see him score our first Champions League goal. 
 

But it can’t seriously be argued that he performed at the level of Ndidi Tielemans & Maddison - comfortably the best midfield we’ve ever put out (unless someone who saw the Ice Kings begs to differ). 
 

Let’s not forget that Sharky lost his place to Ayoze Perez either.

Tielemans was actually pretty poor for us in European games, it was the one blot on his copybook. Maddison and Ndidi were better in that regard.

 

You mentioned Barnes though which is probably more what surprised me, he was consistently good domestically and in Europe and done even better at Newcastle in Europe.

[Rubbersoul]

23 minutes ago, Ryy said:

Logan Briggs nominated for PL2 Player of the Season 

 

Do we reckon he’s involved next season? 

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Steve Earle said:

He had his moments Ric, and I was there to see him score our first Champions League goal. 
 

But it can’t seriously be argued that he performed at the level of Ndidi Tielemans & Maddison - comfortably the best midfield we’ve ever put out (unless someone who saw the Ice Kings begs to differ). 
 

Let’s not forget that Sharky lost his place to Ayoze Perez either.

Muzzy, Lennon and Gibson were better, more consistent and for a longer time.

[Ryy]

4 minutes ago, Rubbersoul said:

Do we reckon he’s involved next season? 

He’s a baller, and we don’t have a number 10

[Rubbersoul]

1 hour ago, Ryy said:

He’s a baller, and we don’t have a number 10

I always thought he looked technically sound when I’ve seen him and obviously done well enough to get nominated. 
 

Will be interesting to see who’s involved in pre season 

[hinkfox21]

On 07/05/2026 at 12:52, filbertway said:

I was scrolling through that thinking it's good to see the double barrell last names are dying out and then I got to the forwards

 

Go on Rubens!

What's wrong with double barrel names? Bit harsh

[filbertway]

23 minutes ago, hinkfox21 said:

What's wrong with double barrel names? Bit harsh

I'll tell you the problem

 

 

I don't care a great deal  I just noticed it becoming really prevalent in youth teams, felt like about 40% of the squads had kids with double barrel names haha.

Edited 8 May by filbertway

[Ric Flair]

3 hours ago, Ryy said:

He’s a baller, and we don’t have a number 10

Such a shame if Motsi does leave us. Alves and Briggs are best pals apparently, could both be vying for the 10 role next season? Prefer Alves LW.