Is anyone going to watch the Academy final?

[Steven]

Anyone know who our No7 and No5 were?

[Ric Flair]

Anyone know who our No7 and No5 were?

Gradel was number 7, Lycett was number 5. I think (guess)

[Babylon]

Blimey chill with the Thrac' bashing, fair play to him for making the effort.

[Thracian]

Apparently only 1% of Academy players (from the age of 12) sign a professional contract. Obviously those that played yesterday are closer than most to doing that. However for many that don't make the grade it is just as much a reflection on how they develop themselves as much as the club's input.

The club cannot be held responsible for all the failings of these players.

That of course depends in part on whether there is a natural development structure in place - with a regular reserves team - and whether the players get opportunities as a result of that structure or whether the club prefer to bring in rent-a-crowd like Horsfield, Jarrett, Welsh and Yeates.

It is a long debate which touches many things but there is an inevitable built-in failure rate at academies which would be there irrespective of individuals' ability.

And, even with Leicester having the right to call themselves the best Academy Under 18 team in the land, I'd say one member looks fairly certain to be a professional and maybe two more out of six possibles might also break through at some level.

Others could aspire to the same level but there won't be room for them.

Some, sadly will simply be fodder just as young conscripts were dispensible in the Great Wars.

Every two years Premiership and Championship teams each bring through 16-18 young players. For what, two available places per team, maybe?

Leicester have managed to bring five through, six if you count Sheehan, in two years and that is exceptional. But we've been weak as a club and hard-up. There's no way that trend will be maintained. That won't really be the fault of the club or the players. It will simply be down to available spaces.

Aspiring professionals need to appreciate this. And go the last mile to be super fit, super strong and the very best that they can be in every respect.

Cos if any at Leicester think they'll make it cos of winning the Academy League title they're wrong. It is just a line on a CV and what should be the launchpad for further determined efforts to single-mindedly improve and gradually make people take notice.

Yesterday's match video should be watched and watched again. Not as a source of self-praise. But as proof of career-threatening inadequacies that need putting right, both individually and collectively. The club can help but the players need to recognise their failings and have the will to put them right.

[Hullfox]

Aspiring professionals need to appreciate this. And go the last mile to be super fit, super strong and the very best that they can be in every respect.

The club can help but the players need to recognise their failings and have the will to put them right.

Two excellent points and exactly what I was alluding to. How many really good players age at the age of 18 kick themselves in later life when they realise what might have been?

[Jonbluefox9]

This under 18 side are a strong team but certain individuals stand out more so than others from it. Players like Beswick have played important roles for the team but I can't see them making it at Leicester City. A similar example of this is Lycett who has been solid all season and an important part of the team but has been let go because he doesn't possess that extra bit of quality. I have a feeling he was one of the players playing despite being over-age but I'm not 100% sure. The under 18s that were handed professional contracts at the end of this season have to make a big step up now because you'd imagine chances will become limited for Academy products that are only average and not special. You have to be better than an O'Grady or a Sheehan to get a chance at Leicester City from now on imo.

[Thracian]

This under 18 side are a strong team but certain individuals stand out more so than others from it. Players like Beswick have played important roles for the team but I can't see them making it at Leicester City. A similar example of this is Lycett who has been solid all season and an important part of the team but has been let go because he doesn't possess that extra bit of quality. I have a feeling he was one of the players playing despite being over-age but I'm not 100% sure. The under 18s that were handed professional contracts at the end of this season have to make a big step up now because you'd imagine chances will become limited for Academy products that are only average and not special. You have to be better than an O'Grady or a Sheehan to get a chance at Leicester City from now on imo.

There seems no doubt the bar is being raised and more people will fail to get over it.

But we are missing things too.

I was well impressed with some of the technical aspects of the Sunderland side.

Their movement was excellent at times as was their speed out of defence.

On too many occasions they were first to the ball because we didn't look sharp enough. Just like the first team on too many occasions last season.

When a Sunderland player collected the ball he nearly always had runners driving forward from deep midfield.

With King employed so defensively (and I understand why so am not being critical) and Leicester's other one-touch players all up front and even substituted later on, we just looked lightweight in midfield and from the second half onwards we couldn't support in sufficient numbers to sustain attacks.

At one point it was as if a dam had been holed and Sunderland were flooding forwards and all over us.

We survived and even healed the breech to a trickle but it had been an alarming sight.

Far more of Sunderland's players looked potential first teamers to me.

They didn't just look well organised but well-coached from their clever and varied free-kicks to their fast and aggressive overlapping down the right to their one-touch attacks from our penalty area and their runs off the ball which left great gaps in certain areas of our defence.

This was advanced stuff and really well executed in a team so young.

I've seen some of those things in our team before but not many of them, or for very long, yesterday.

Nor does our team seem stronger than it was, say, six months ago.

McKay's come on to be extremely promising.

Lee Cox has emerged as a useful newcomer.

But in midfield and in defence we looked seriously wanting.

Altogether there's a lack of height, of strength, of imposing central midfield players, of fitness, of awareness, of movement and of collective adhesion and imagination except among the front group.

Seems a funny thing to say after such an important triumph. But there's much to be done if the supply to first team level is to be maintained. No-one should feel complacent for one moment.

[Fez of Mahrez]

There seems no doubt the bar is being raised and more people will fail to get over it.

But we are missing things too.

I was well impressed with some of the technical aspects of the Sunderland side.

Their movement was excellent at times as was their speed out of defence.

On too many occasions they were first to the ball because we didn't look sharp enough. Just like the first team on too many occasions last season.

When a Sunderland player collected the ball he nearly always had runners driving forward from deep midfield.

With King employed so defensively (and I understand why so am not being critical) and Leicester's other one-touch players all up front and even substituted later on, we just looked lightweight in midfield and from the second half onwards we couldn't support in sufficient numbers to sustain attacks.

At one point it was as if a dam had been holed and Sunderland were flooding forwards and all over us.

We survived and even healed the breech to a trickle but it had been an alarming sight.

Far more of Sunderland's players looked potential first teamers to me.

They didn't just look well organised but well-coached from their clever and varied free-kicks to their fast and aggressive overlapping down the right to their one-touch attacks from our penalty area and their runs off the ball which left great gaps in certain areas of our defence.

This was advanced stuff and really well executed in a team so young.

I've seen some of those things in our team before but not many of them, or for very long, yesterday.

Nor does our team seem stronger than it was, say, six months ago.

McKay's come on to be extremely promising.

Lee Cox has emerged as a useful newcomer.

But in midfield and in defence we looked seriously wanting.

Altogether there's a lack of height, of strength, of imposing central midfield players, of fitness, of awareness, of movement and of collective adhesion and imagination except among the front group.

Seems a funny thing to say after such an important triumph. But there's much to be done if the supply to first team level is to be maintained. No-one should feel complacent for one moment.

Surely you can let them have one slightly sub-standard game (that they won in the end anyway) at the end of a long season without slagging them off completely?

Seems to me the only player who has left the group is Tom Tejan-Sie (and he's hardly tall or strong anyway).

Fair enough you expect a brilliant performance every game but it's not going to happen. You are not going to get a much better squad of players than we have had this season in the Under 18s.

[Thracian]

Surely you can let them have one slightly sub-standard game (that they won in the end anyway) at the end of a long season without slagging them off completely?

Seems to me the only player who has left the group is Tom Tejan-Sie (and he's hardly tall or strong anyway).

Fair enough you expect a brilliant performance every game but it's not going to happen. You are not going to get a much better squad of players than we have had this season in the Under 18s.

It's not a question of slagging anyone off. It was unquestionably an outstanding achievement winning at the Stadium of Light in front of 4,597 fans (4,500 of which were theirs). There were many praiseworthy aspects too.

But even one of our coaches supposedly described it as our worst performance of the season and all I've tried to do, in relating it to our future requirements, is try to assess why.

I don't think they were overawed by the occasion or the crowd. They started well, took the lead in four minutes and might have had more.

And no the long gone Teejay wasn't tall.

But his departure meant two changes, not one. Magunda moved from full-back to midfield Cox was right back and later in midfield for Magunda and Teejay's absence also meant King being forced back. So three things resulted from one player's absence and it didn't help.

There were other individual things too but I've tried to comment generally rather than specifically but if you disagree, fine.

All the results suggest you'd be right cos we've topped the league, Arsenal and Sunderland succumbed to us and we've won the title and are off to Dallas.

No-one could be more pleased than me. By all means forget I ever said we had any problems or need to improve our team.

Or that we might learn something from Sunderland seeing as we beat them - and on their patch.

No - a title's a title and how could you improve on that?

You're right. We should just sit back and bask in it....

[Steven]

MM seems to agree with Thracian. :D

"I said that they have set up the tone for us for next season and we want to repeat what they have done at the first-team level."

[Fez of Mahrez]

All the results suggest you'd be right cos we've topped the league, Arsenal and Sunderland succumbed to us and we've won the title and are off to Dallas.

No-one could be more pleased than me. By all means forget I ever said we had any problems or need to improve our team.

Or that we might learn something from Sunderland seeing as we beat them - and on their patch.

No - a title's a title and how could you improve on that?

You're right. We should just sit back and bask in it....

I can see where you're coming from. Hopefully they'll have to deal with the loss of King, Gradel and McKay (my favourite) next season because they'll all be in the first team squad

[Thracian]

I can see where you're coming from. Hopefully they'll have to deal with the loss of King, Gradel and McKay (my favourite) next season because they'll all be in the first team squad

If they do that seamlessly it will be another considerable achievement. Forty three goals in a season from those three players - including 35 from the two forwards, will take some finding.

[Jonbluefox9]

Scrapping your way to a victory is a skill that will be needed by these players if they are to make it in the game. Can't expect to play your way to victory all the time. When you're playing against weaker opposition then it's easy to dominate them from first whistle to last but that will very rarely be the case.

One thing that I discovered today is that players who haven't been involved at all this season, or on very few occasions because they actually play for the under 16s, will be going to play in Dallas which seems slightly unfair on the players that have achieved the prize. Next season our under 18s may not be as strong but will be going to represent England and Leicester in the tournament. Youth football is a lot about cycles, I just hope that out of the new first year scholars there are some more Mattocks, Chambers, Garners etc to replenish the team.