Another win for the academy

[Graz]

The kids won 3-1 against MK Dons this afternoon. King, Gradel and McKay scoring for us.

Youngsters Defeat Dons

Leicester City's under 18 side consolidated their position at the top of the table with a 3-1 victory over the MK Dons on Friday afternoon.

The Foxes went into the re-arranged fixture on the back of a morale boosting 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

And Leicester would make it back-to-back wins with a hard working performance against the Buckinghamshire outfit.

The match remained finely poised at 0-0 at half-time, but City took advantage of the steep slope in the second period.

Andy King, Billy McKay and Max Gradel grabbed the City goals on the day.

Walkers Youth Academy director Jon Rudkin said: "The lads adapted well to the difficult conditions.

"We were made to work very hard, but we got our rewards in the end."

The result has opened up City's lead to six points at the top of the FA Premier Academy League Group B table.

City: Cisak, Magunda, Lycett, Garner, Rowe-Turner (Mattock), Gradel (Rochester), King, Tejan-Sie, Beswick (Cox), McKay, Odhiambo.

http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/...~971145,00.html

Always seems to be the same people scoring. What's Billy McKay like? Other people doing well in the academy seem to get mentioned a lot, but he always seems to score and I never hear people pining for him to be in the first team like others (Gradel etc)

[Ric Flair]

Well done lads. Groundhog Day on the scorers!!!

Nice to see Cisak back in goal.

[MC Prussian]

Go Gradel!

You're my guy.

[Thracian]

The kids won 3-1 against MK Dons this afternoon. King, Gradel and McKay scoring for us.

http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/...~971145,00.html

Always seems to be the same people scoring. What's Billy McKay like? Other people doing well in the academy seem to get mentioned a lot, but he always seems to score and I never hear people pining for him to be in the first team like others (Gradel etc)

Billy McKay's been mentioned lots. Top scorer for a start. Fourteen in 17 games if thechart's up to date and that was King's eighth from midfield and Gradel's 12th from the wing.

McKay is quite a lightweight striker. But he's quick, has good feet and great instincts close to goal. Not an easy guy to mark and links up very well with players who can feed their passes on the ground like most of his Academy colleagues.

He strikes me as needing a bit of strength yet to be a first team candidate. Certainly he's got the skills to hurt defenders, no question, but he's another who might benefit now from reserves-type football and it just isn't there.

Gradel deserves mention too because this is the second season he's breezed into double figures goals-wise and, for a genuine wide-out winger that's some going.

No idea how he played at MK - I didn't see any announcement about the re-arrangement - but even when he's not on top form he has that knack of getting in and around the box and being dangerous.

[lildave3]

Always seems to be the same people scoring. What's Billy McKay like? Other people doing well in the academy seem to get mentioned a lot, but he always seems to score and I never hear people pining for him to be in the first team like others (Gradel etc)

It does indeed and surely one of them now has to be given a chance in the first team. Well done young 'uns

[Mark]

I'm intriged to know how a midfield player can scores so many goals as regular as Gradel does at academy / reserve level for our club and continues to be overlooked for as long as he has. We've even sold our full selection of right wingers in the past couple of weeks which makes it even more astounding!!

Well done to them though, bouncing back from the Youth Cup defeat in style once again.

[lookwhaticando]

It's a fix!

Nah, seriously, top job by the Academy there.

[Jonbluefox9]

Gradel has been mentioned for the first team more so because of our lack of a right winger. Mckay is a good little worker, gets in defenders' faces and links up well with the midfield and fellow striker. I think he's got a bit of a way to go yet though. I'll raise the point again that we've had many strikers score goals at Academy level who have failed to materialise at first team level for whatever reason. King's ability to notch goals is starting to impress me more though. I don't think much to quite a few teams that the under 18s play against but to score with the regularity that he is doing from central midfield is impressive. Glad Cisak was given his chance. Pentney's had his chances and it was time for Cisak to take over again. Mattock benched?!

[MC Prussian]

No need to sign overpriced, overaged fatties anymore.

Get Gradel, Dodds and King in.

So simple.

[lookwhaticando]

Gradel has been mentioned for the first team more so because of our lack of a right winger. Mckay is a good little worker, gets in defenders' faces and links up well with the midfield and fellow striker. I think he's got a bit of a way to go yet though. I'll raise the point again that we've had many strikers score goals at Academy level who have failed to materialise at first team level for whatever reason. King's ability to notch goals is starting to impress me more though. I don't think much to quite a few teams that the under 18s play against but to score with the regularity that he is doing from central midfield is impressive. Glad Cisak was given his chance. Pentney's had his chances and it was time for Cisak to take over again. Mattock benched?!

Doesn't he have a national team game coming up soon?

[Jonbluefox9]

Got a couple of Academy games befiore then including this one though.

[Geo V]

I'm intriged to know how a midfield player can scores so many goals as regular as Gradel does at academy / reserve level for our club and continues to be overlooked for as long as he has. We've even sold our full selection of right wingers in the past couple of weeks which makes it even more astounding!!

Well done to them though, bouncing back from the Youth Cup defeat in style once again.

Maybe that was the plan all along? Bring in the kids like Gradel?

Im not expert on the abilities of the kids we have but to be top of there league and to show character in coming back from behing all bodes well in the future. I would be surprised if one or two of them werent bought into the squad in the next few weeks as I cant see any external players being added at this rate.

Lets hope its a blessing in disguise.

[Webbo]

i thought Gradel has going to bristol city, what happened there?

[filbertway]

Gradel in for hughes surely.

[Thracian]

I'm intriged to know how a midfield player can scores so many goals as regular as Gradel does at academy / reserve level for our club and continues to be overlooked for as long as he has. We've even sold our full selection of right wingers in the past couple of weeks which makes it even more astounding!!

Well done to them though, bouncing back from the Youth Cup defeat in style once again.

To be honest, unlike King who looks increasingly influencial and does important things which none of our midfielders ever do, Gradel can be nieve, frustrating and risky.

However, quite apart from his moments of temperament which have been well documented he does all the things Sylla and Low never did - he takes people on constantly, gets in the box and shoots.

Trouble is he sometimes loses the ball. When Sylla and Low did that they didn't bother any more but looked for a pass. Gradel never loses faith. He just tries again.

So why a Porter in the first team and not a Gradel? Because Porter is a modern coaches dream. He's an expert at retaining the ball. He rarely dribbles past people but passes the ball around them. There's plenty of benefit but little risk.

Gradel on the other hand is Rob Kelly's ultimate nightmare. He does lose possession sometimes and, agaiin unlike Porter, he's not the best at working to get it back again.

But he does have another important strength... he shoots almost every time he gets a sniff of goal.

So, he can dribble and he can shoot but he doesn't carry the insurance of a Kelly player. He's a risk.

Yet sooner or later in so many matches, Gradel gets away from his marker and gets a few shots on target, one of which invariably goes in. It was no different in reserves matches. He's a genuine threat.

How rare is that now? Well, if you added together the goals all of our right wingers have scored in the first team these last few seasons you'd go back years before you got to 12. And Gradel scored at the same rate last season.

[Jonbluefox9]

To be honest, unlike King who looks increasingly influencial and does important things which none of our midfielders ever do, Gradel can be nieve, frustrating and risky.

However, quite apart from his moments of temperament which have been well documented he does all the things Sylla and Low never did - he takes people on constantly, gets in the box and shoots.

Trouble is he sometimes loses the ball. When Sylla and Low did that they didn't bother any more but looked for a pass. Gradel never loses faith. He just tries again.

So why a Porter in the first team and not a Gradel? Because Porter is a modern coaches dream. He's an expert at retaining the ball. He rarely dribbles past people but passes the ball around them. There's plenty of benefit but little risk.

Gradel on the other hand is Rob Kelly's ultimate nightmare. He does lose possession sometimes and, agaiin unlike Porter, he's not the best at working to get it back again.

But he does have another important strength... he shoots almost every time he gets a sniff of goal.

So, he can dribble and he can shoot but he doesn't carry the insurance of a Kelly player. He's a risk.

Yet sooner or later in so many matches, Gradel gets away from his marker and gets a few shots on target, one of which invariably goes in. It was no different in reserves matches. He's a genuine threat.

How rare is that now? Well, if you added together the goals all of our right wingers have scored in the first team these last few seasons you'd go back years before you got to 12. And Gradel scored at the same rate last season.

I fancy King as a right winger for next season but maybe I'm not looking at things properly. He's got a better chance of making it here than Gradel looking at thing's realistically. If someone had only watched Levi Porter last season they would've thought he was a central midfielder, just like anyone who's watched King this season will think, but I reckon he could still revert back to being a wide midfielder if not a winger as such for the first team. I don't know what position he played before he joined our Academy but he was definitely used on the flanks on a fair few occasions during the 2005/06 season so it wouldn't surprise me, unless he feels he's more suited to the middle of the park having played there this season.

[JoeyB]

you make the title seem boring

good win for the under 18's hopefully some of the players will be breaking through into the 1st team soon

[MBK]

To be honest, unlike King who looks increasingly influencial and does important things which none of our midfielders ever do, Gradel can be nieve, frustrating and risky.

However, quite apart from his moments of temperament which have been well documented he does all the things Sylla and Low never did - he takes people on constantly, gets in the box and shoots.

Trouble is he sometimes loses the ball. When Sylla and Low did that they didn't bother any more but looked for a pass. Gradel never loses faith. He just tries again.

So why a Porter in the first team and not a Gradel? Because Porter is a modern coaches dream. He's an expert at retaining the ball. He rarely dribbles past people but passes the ball around them. There's plenty of benefit but little risk.

Gradel on the other hand is Rob Kelly's ultimate nightmare. He does lose possession sometimes and, agaiin unlike Porter, he's not the best at working to get it back again.

But he does have another important strength... he shoots almost every time he gets a sniff of goal.

So, he can dribble and he can shoot but he doesn't carry the insurance of a Kelly player. He's a risk.

Yet sooner or later in so many matches, Gradel gets away from his marker and gets a few shots on target, one of which invariably goes in. It was no different in reserves matches. He's a genuine threat.

How rare is that now? Well, if you added together the goals all of our right wingers have scored in the first team these last few seasons you'd go back years before you got to 12. And Gradel scored at the same rate last season.

Though work rate and team ethics are things that ones improves with experience. I think honestly for the sake of the young players in the team, I hope MM wont happen and they get their chance because Kelly will be gagged to do so. Roma had to do so recently because of enormous debts something like 200 million euros. So by getting people on free transfers (high wages) and introducing academy players in the team, they get:

Curci-GK regarded as Italy's best hope after Amelia

De Rossi- most promising midfielder in the world

Aleandro Rosi- very competent left back

Okaka- tremendous attacking talent

Worth combined over 50 million euros, de rossi worth 3/5 of that.

And really in Leicester, the players to do the job are there, even in the prem. Because once we get there, these players will have sky high value added to them. Think of Weso in form....

We really should sell none of the young players, unless we see little scope in keeping them. I personally agreed with selling O'Grady.

[Thracian]

I fancy King as a right winger for next season but maybe I'm not looking at things properly. He's got a better chance of making it here than Gradel looking at thing's realistically. If someone had only watched Levi Porter last season they would've thought he was a central midfielder, just like anyone who's watched King this season will think, but I reckon he could still revert back to being a wide midfielder if not a winger as such for the first team. I don't know what position he played before he joined our Academy but he was definitely used on the flanks on a fair few occasions during the 2005/06 season so it wouldn't surprise me, unless he feels he's more suited to the middle of the park having played there this season.

I do imagine he feels that way and trouble is, by having him on the wing, we'd miss out on three huge advantages of having him in right central midfield.

a) His surging runs into the box and extraordinary ratio of shots per game for a midfielder, particularly headers.

b) Getting rid of one negative midfielder of the kind who will never score or make goals.

c) The chance to get the genuinely pacey and positive right winger we could have out there and should have had long ago.

Like Hughes, King will never have the genuine pace to be a traditional winger and being out there would negate some of his special qualities.

He would however suit a 4-3-3, which is how I'd have played this season anyway with our particular players, and especially seeing as our right sided midfield has been a mainly busted flush all along .

With Porter it doesn't really matter where he plays. He'd be creative and competent in either position but never the marauder in the box that King would be from midfield.

Totally agree about Gradel.

[Jonbluefox9]

I do imagine he feels that way and trouble is, by having him on the wing, we'd miss out on three huge advantages of having him in right central midfield.

a) His surging runs into the box and extraordinary ratio of shots per game for a midfielder, particularly headers.

b) Getting rid of one negative midfielder of the kind who will never score or make goals.

c) The chance to get the genuinely pacey and positive right winger we could have out there and should have had long ago.

Like Hughes, King will never have the genuine pace to be a traditional winger and being out there would negate some of his special qualities.

He would however suit a 4-3-3, which is how I'd have played this season anyway with our particular players, and especially seeing as our right sided midfield has been a mainly busted flush all along .

With Porter it doesn't really matter where he plays. He'd be creative and competent in either position but never the marauder in the box that King would be from midfield.

Totally agree about Gradel.

I think he'd still contribute shots from the right of midfield and he could still be a threat from set pieces with his heading. He's not the fastest but if the ball was on the left wing, he would break his neck to meet it at the back stick. I would say central midfield is not the biggest of problems for the first team at the minute. A bothered Williams, fit Wesolowski, on form Hughes and Tiatto at his best are good central midfielders. The likelyhood of Gradel getting a game is not great with Kelly in charge and with a lack of funds, King could be reverted back there for the first team. He'd be more natural than Hughes is there anyway.

[davieG]

It's all academic now that Johnsons available again.

[Manwell Pablo]

i thought Gradel has going to bristol city, what happened there?

As I said at the time, it was to be taken with a pinch of salt it was only a rumour, nobody on this forum knows anything before it's close to public announcement. That paticular rumour was circulating a good month before the window opened.

[Thracian]

I think he'd still contribute shots from the right of midfield and he could still be a threat from set pieces with his heading. He's not the fastest but if the ball was on the left wing, he would break his neck to meet it at the back stick. I would say central midfield is not the biggest of problems for the first team at the minute. A bothered Williams, fit Wesolowski, on form Hughes and Tiatto at his best are good central midfielders. The likelyhood of Gradel getting a game is not great with Kelly in charge and with a lack of funds, King could be reverted back there for the first team. He'd be more natural than Hughes is there anyway.

You've built a lot of expectation into the adjectives you've used for our midfielders and it's partly because you're right we soldier on with them all. They are certainly not bad perfomers generally.

But six goals between the four of them all season tells the other side.

A team with so few potential scorers (one being a centre-back) is too easily nullified.

Seems to me that if we don't adjust that balance and get Fryatt functioning plus more goals into midfield then we could be relegated whether MM finally arrives on his golden charger or not.

We have only four points to play with and virtually every other side would have affected some theoretical improvement during the transfer window.

Five days from deadline and we have done nothing.

I doubt we've even kept our potential alternatives properly match fit although that Forest fixture might have been a small step in the right direction.

One hell of a lot seems to be resting on a few signatures but the sand is draining rapidly through the hourglass .

[Simon]

It's all academic now that Johnsons available again.

If he walks back into the team I'll be fu cking livid.

An unfit Weso hopping on one leg all match would be more useful.

[Thracian]

If he walks back into the team I'll be fu cking livid.

An unfit Weso hopping on one leg all match would be more useful.

But Kelly seems as well capable of being as obstinate and blinkered as Levein was.

The problem is that Kelly brought him here and will still want to prove that he's not a dud. Which perhaps he wasn't in the past.

Me - I think the statistics speak for themselves.

He won't give us any more goals than the other midfielders.