Thracian Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 I was dwelling on the direction of our team when it suddenly struck me that Leicester City are sitting on a potentially top-class midfield...an Arsenal cameo if you like. It is no fluke we've had outstanding table-topping Academy results, beating even Premiership academies these last two years. And the key to me is in midfield. Current or recent Academy graduates Andy King, Levi Porter and Tom Tejan-Sie could retain the ball all afternoon if they got it on em. When I think of the short-passing approach of Arsenal (or Leeds in the 70's) I am reminded that those three could play quick wall passes til the opposition were seeing bricks and chasing shadows. And they'd have the energy to keep it up. I wonder if it will ever happen at senior level. You cannot imagine it. Leicester City will be like a transit station for footballers and I doubt we'll ever see the wood for the trees. But with those three I reckon any manager would have the chance of building a title winning team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo V Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Groundhog Day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanTheFoxBhoy Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 I was expecting something new and groundbreaking... The day Andy King rocks up and blows everyone away will be the day we bow to Thracian and all eat our hats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 I was dwelling on the direction of our team when it suddenly struck me that Leicester City are sitting on a potentially top-class midfield...an Arsenal cameo if you like. It is no fluke we've had outstanding table-topping Academy results, beating even Premiership academies these last two years. And the key to me is in midfield. Current or recent Academy graduates Andy King, Levi Porter and Tom Tejan-Sie could retain the ball all afternoon if they got it on em. When I think of the short-passing approach of Arsenal (or Leeds in the 70's) I am reminded that those three could play quick wall passes til the opposition were seeing bricks and chasing shadows. And they'd have the energy to keep it up. I wonder if it will ever happen at senior level. You cannot imagine it. Leicester City will be like a transit station for footballers and I doubt we'll ever see the wood for the trees. But with those three I reckon any manager would have the chance of building a title winning team. If we are sitting on a potential world class midfield then this will be proven at one stage or another even if it's not at this club. There is no way 3 players would be good enough and not make the grade. It perhaps happens to one or two every so often that go off the rails, but usually if a player has the ability then they'll always come to the top. Thracian, why is it that academy games have higher scoring games than first team football? It's been like this for as long as I can remember. It's a completely different level of football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phlashman Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 If you want I'll ask Andy King out for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Thracian, why is it that academy games have higher scoring games than first team football? It's been like this for as long as I can remember. It's a completely different level of football. Because they don't have the same level of pressure on them, and conceding a goal isn't seen as a complete disaster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Despite what you say over recent years the club has proved that if your good enough you will get your chance. The club have been prepared to blood a 15 yr old in Chambers and two 17yr olds in Stearman and Weso. If Weso wasn't so injury prone he would be a regular. These academy players (King, Tejan & Gradel) are clearly not good enough, if so they would have had a chance by now which has been proven by the three aformentioned players. I watched alot of these youngsters against Hinckley pre-season and to be honest Josh Low looked absolute class!, best player on the park! enough said. I wish the academy players were as good as you say, but it's just not the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manwell Pablo Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Ignore him he's winding you all up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 I have a light day workload today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Because they don't have the same level of pressure on them, and conceding a goal isn't seen as a complete disaster? It's also because 75% of the players will never make it in to professional football. There is a massive gulf in class between players and it's very easy for players and teams at that level to destroy other teams but it's not easy for them to replicate it at first team level. In professional football it's full of players that were the best players in academies in their time there, so they cancel each other out more and games are more tighter. You rarely get a 5-0 or a 6-4 game in professional football, but in academy games and reserves games there is regular results of this nature every week. The fact we've got a strong academy team means we're likely to blitz the other teams we play. It doesn't mean it's guaranteed that most of them or any of them will make the grade at Leicester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James. Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 I don't know whether to or Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STUHILL Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Thracian how can you say with these 3 UNDER 18 players we could build a promotion pushing team?? Have you lost it all together, I do agree that you sometimes talk sense about our style of play and yes we do need better attacking midfielders but to say and not only say once or twice but say it over and ovvvvvvvver again is dillusional. The youth games are at a completely different level, they score goals for fun! Why do you have this fascination with our young boys? I fear for them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milky Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Andy King is a Chelsea reject, but hey, Muzzy Izzet was aswell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 23 February 2007 Author Share Posted 23 February 2007 If we are sitting on a potential world class midfield then this will be proven at one stage or another even if it's not at this club. There is no way 3 players would be good enough and not make the grade. It perhaps happens to one or two every so often that go off the rails, but usually if a player has the ability then they'll always come to the top. Thracian, why is it that academy games have higher scoring games than first team football? It's been like this for as long as I can remember. It's a completely different level of football. I don't think the level of football explains the goals. You'd have painfully tight football matches in the old Southern and Midland Leagues as I remember or, today, in the Conference, matches are invariably close. It's the unfettered approach to the Academy matches. There just isn't the fear factor because the emphasis is on performance rather than result. Teams therefore attack in far greater numbers without inhibition and defenders falter. We have had many such teams in mainstream football (Manchester United's kids, Leeds and Liverpool of the 70's, Spurs of the 60's) but nowadays the financial gap between teams at the top and those at the bottom is so great now that teams at the bottom feel they have to hold on a pinch something when they meet top opposition and daren't lose when they play the bottom clubs. Vicious circle. Few have the nerve or the skilled players to really attack every game. You cannot do it without the players and they have to run right through the team so your approach has to be pre-conceived. Hence Beaglehole hardly changes his team and you know what the tactics will be fundamentally. The main characteristic of City's Academy side is the attack in serious numbers and to press those atacks for as long as possible. The pressure comes not just from the numbers but from frontal ball-to-feet direct attacking of the penalty box and early balls into the box with pace from the flanks. The pressure is normally relentless whether we are winning or losing. It is an attitude of mind. Transferred to senior football defenders would find it just as hard to cope (Leicester were overwhelmed at Burnley when the home side committed more men forward) but the risk factors mean, mostly, that it is only done to suit the situation rather than as a general policy. Had Burnley attacked in numbers from the off and throughout Leicester would have faltered, I have no doubt. But they only really gave it their all when it was too late and Leicester somehow managed to cling on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 23 February 2007 Author Share Posted 23 February 2007 Despite what you say over recent years the club has proved that if your good enough you will get your chance. The club have been prepared to blood a 15 yr old in Chambers and two 17yr olds in Stearman and Weso. If Weso wasn't so injury prone he would be a regular. These academy players (King, Tejan & Gradel) are clearly not good enough, if so they would have had a chance by now which has been proven by the three aformentioned players. I watched alot of these youngsters against Hinckley pre-season and to be honest Josh Low looked absolute class!, best player on the park! enough said. I wish the academy players were as good as you say, but it's just not the case. King maybe but Tejan-Sie is still too young to have had a chance just yet. Only a year and a half back he looked smaller than Porter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby or not Toby Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 i feel just like levi next season and stearman n weso the year before that one or two will be given a chance in the first team in pre-season, whether they take that chance is up to them. i feel possibly louis dodds did not perform when given his chances in the first team during pre-season! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babylon Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Groundhog Day? No... because Groundhog Day was actually funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 23 February 2007 Author Share Posted 23 February 2007 i feel just like levi next season and stearman n weso the year before that one or two will be given a chance in the first team in pre-season, whether they take that chance is up to them. i feel possibly louis dodds did not perform when given his chances in the first team during pre-season! Dodds seemed to score regularly enough to me. And a sight more often than Fryatt. There was two against Hinckley for a start which is about what Fryatt's managed all told in the League. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 No... because Groundhog Day was actually funny. Post of the week, possibly even post of the year so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Dodds seemed to score regularly enough to me. And a sight more often than Fryatt. There was two against Hinckley for a start which is about what Fryatt's managed all told in the League. Behave with that comment. Check Fryatt's goal scoring record for academy and reserve level and you'll see an even better scoring record than Dodds at those levels. Fryatt was devastating at youth level for club and country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shen Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!! laughing out loud out loud out loud...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hullfox Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Thracian change your username to Mastercard, you're fooking priceless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manwell Pablo Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Behave with that comment. Check Fryatt's goal scoring record for academy and reserve level and you'll see an even better scoring record than Dodds at those levels. Fryatt was devastating at youth level for club and country. This is where the Thracian train gets de-railed, this is a point he often ignores or avoides answearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zingari Posted 23 February 2007 Share Posted 23 February 2007 Thracian change your username to Mastercard, you're fooking priceless. can this be added to quote of the week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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