Thracian Posted 3 November 2008 Posted 3 November 2008 Freescoring striker Billy Kee was off target all night except for the penalty which secured Leicester's passage through to round two of the FA Youth Cup by 2-1 against Port Vale at the Walkers tonight. The game was almost totally devoid of atmosphere and, even in victory, it was the worst performance I've ever seen from a City under 18 side. Port Vale faded towards the end but earlier had quite enough chances to have won. In fact the visitors took the lead after 13 minutes with a goal by number 10 Sam Lovatt. An initial shot was well blocked but the ball cannoned to Lovatt who again lashed it goalwards. City goalkeeper Ambrusics seemed to have made a terrific save but the ball squirmed through his legs and finally rolled over the line past the despairing home defenders. City looked like a disjointed group of individuals rather than a team and it was 20 minutes before Kee had what you'd call a reasonable chance, lifting a first time shot tamely over the bar from 20 yards after a low cross from the right. Vale had a shout for a penalty for hands against Tom Parkes but should have increased their lead when a right wing cross left a Vale striker with a free header from eight yards which he mercifully directed just over the bar. Kee responded with a snapshot from outside the box after Vale's centre-back had miscontrolled the ball but, again, he was off target and it was Vale who had the last chance of the half when Pike put Malbon clean through in the box. The winger seemed certain to score with a volley from close range but he pulled the shot wide and Leicester would have been saved in any case by the offside flag. Vale were never quite so cohesive second half but did go close with a wickedly bending free kick by Paul Dixon which was heading for the left corner before Ambrusics made the save of the match to fingertip the ball wide. Dixon was to repeat his effort in the last minute, this time being frustrated as the ball dipped onto the top of the net as Vale chased an equaliser. But it was the two goals between the free-kicks which sealed victory for City. The first followed a slick move down the right involving Kee, Vasey and the overlapping Luke O'Neill which finally provided a competently slotted equaliser for Vasey. Then Robbie Burns broke through into the box and was clearly impeded as he prepared to shoot by defender Jamie Ellwell, Kee blasting home the spot kick right of the helpless Vale keeper to secure City's passage through the round. About 200 spectators cheered City's goals and the final whistle which signalled victory but were quiet as lambs on newly fallen snow for the rest of what was a poor home performance. Individuals ran into blind alleys, successive passes went behind the intended target, basic ball-control was lacking and there was simply no sign of the energy, slick movement and imaginative attacking play that has for so long been the hallmark of the Academy. Steve Beaglehole on the touchline pleaded with his team to push up and pass the ball but it only happened in rare and isolated moves. There was no-one on view for City who you thought had something special that made him look a class apart. It was all huff, puff, endless mistakes and precious little teamwork or individual invention.
valiant Posted 3 November 2008 Posted 3 November 2008 Good report that, Cheers mate Good luck in the rest of the competition. I think it was Chelsea that knocked us both out last year, you in the round before us? A young french youth international ripped us apart, I think his name was Kakuta, he would probally walk into any league side tbh.
Thracian Posted 3 November 2008 Posted 3 November 2008 He spent the night on the bench. Lots of Academy old boys in attendance tonight. Andy King, Weso, Stearman, Mattock, Chambers etc.
JakeShingler Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 He has some get up and go about him but he's not skill-a-minute, very quick however. He didn't stand out whilst playing for the poor Hamilton School but then when playing for Lanky Boys, he was much better. He works hard and that's clearly the attraction for City. However, the lad playing alongside him for Lanky Boys - Bradley Wood, plays for Grimsby ressies and under 18's - billy big boots but one hell of a player for his age. Went down last night was a decent game had the liberate of sitting behind Stermon Mattock King Weso Morrison A.Chambers and Sappleton. Leicester have some good young players i was impresed with Luke O'neil and Craig King(Andy brother? ). Yeh it was a shame Jorrin did not come on not sure why seen him keep warming up so it was not an injury. Anyone know when the next round is i heard it was in about a month but not sure.
Ric Flair Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 I'm excited about Adam Vasey, I think he could have the minerals.
JakeShingler Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 I'm excited about Adam Vasey, I think he could have the minerals. Yeh did not look to bad yesterday. There is a lot of prospect in the team.
davieG Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 I wasn't impressed with anyone, compared to their Saturday league games they were very poor all over the pitch and I was praying it wouldn't go to extra time. A very poor game!
Ross-Kemp Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Mixed reactions overall then. Some good prospects in the Youth team. Can only be a good thing eh.
Thracian Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Who got injured for us? Joe Cobb the left back. Untidy injury to his face.
JakeShingler Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Joe Cobb the left back. Untidy injury to his face. Yeh looked like he had a lot of blood on his forhead.
Ric Flair Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 I wasn't impressed with anyone, compared to their Saturday league games they were very poor all over the pitch and I was praying it wouldn't go to extra time.A very poor game! What are your opinions on Vasey? That's the first time i've seen him and he looks like he's got muchos ability.
Thracian Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Went down last night was a decent game had the liberate of sitting behind Stermon Mattock King Weso Morrison and Sappleton. Leicester have some good young players i was impresed with Luke O'neil and Craig King(Andy brother? ). Yeh it was a shame Jorrin did not come on not sure why seen him keep warming up so it was not an injury. Anyone know when the next round is i heard it was in about a month but not sure. Craig King is no relation to Andy and everyone seems to be impressed by him, including the City staff. One day maybe but for me he's one of these highly skillful players who never seems to make nearly enough of his ability. He was an under 16 when he first appeared for the under 18's - big, strong and quick for his age - and I said then that he took two many touches and failed to see and use the runners but that, if he got over this, he'd be a prospect. However, on the evidence of last night and the other games I've watched him this season, nothing has changed. He rarely releases an early pass and forever tries to take too many people on in places where it won't much hurt the opposition, often ending up in a blind alley and losing possession. Another effect of his style is that it makes him hard for team-mates to read. They don't know where best to make themselves available and, when they do, will either not receive the ball or receive it too late and when the space has been filled. Billy Kee is another member of the side who tends to keep the ball. Billy does use his team-mates in secondary positions but once around the goal he only has thoughts of shooting and, again, sometimes misses out on feeding a better placed colleague. It's hard to criticise a centre-forward for this - especially an effective one and a guy who's so capable of putting the ball in the net from almost anywhere on his day. But having two such pronounced individuals in one side has the downside of losing the passing and moving which was so much the cornerstone of our previous successes. However, I still see Kee as the best prospect in our Academy team for a first team place in the next two or three years. It may be an illusion but he seems slimmer and fitter. He's a lad who seems able to get off a shot in the most crowded situation, he makes good runs and, apart from the point made earlier his main focus needs to be working on the consistency and accuracy of his shooting. Sometimes he's so keen to unleash his awesome shooting power that he loses balance or the calm, ruthless focus necessary to do just what is best in the situation which is hitting the target and making the goalkeeper work. He must have had six or seven shots last night but too often missed the target. At his best Henry was a master of just doing what was required and the improvement in Cristiano Ronaldo's accuracy has been pronounced since his arrival at Old Trafford. If Kee can make the same sort of improvement then he's a genuine talent. But the work needed is perhaps mental more than physical. Kee clearly loves whacking his shots but sometimes, as even Rooney shows, a clever or precise shot is more productive than a piledriver.
Thracian Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Another thing I wondered last night was where three or four of the bench came from? I'm sure I've never seen Abdillahie Yussuf before yet there he was coming on as first substitute in one of the most anticipated youth games of the season. I expected a previously hidden gem but ended up wondering what he'd done to justify his place. Or what Jorrin John had done wrong.
JakeShingler Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Another thing I wondered last night was where three or four of the bench came from?I'm sure I've never seen Abdillahie Yussuf before yet there he was coming on as first substitute in one of the most anticipated youth games of the season. I expected a previously hidden gem but ended up wondering what he'd done to justify his place. Or what Jorrin John had done wrong. Same. And he was pissed off himself.
Ric Flair Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Have we still got that Portuguese youngster on our books?
Thracian Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Have we still got that Portuguese youngster on our books? Apart from Yussef and Jorrin John we had Claudiu Hoban, Ben Milnes and Jeffrey Schlupp on the bench last night. I've never seen Hoban or Schlupp.
Ric Flair Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Apart from Yusef and Jorrin John we had Claudiu Hoban, Ben Milnes and Jeffrey Schlupp on the bench last night.I've never seen Hoban or Schlupp. Got a feeling he might be the Portuguese lad, but I might be wrong. I see he came on in defence though and i'm sure the youngster i'm thinking of is a midfielder/striker unless he's been converted.
Mark Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Got a feeling he might be the Portuguese lad, but I might be wrong. I see he came on in defence though and i'm sure the youngster i'm thinking of is a midfielder/striker unless he's been converted. Romanian and is a winger as far as I know. Jeffrey Schlupp is quite a name!
Ric Flair Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Romanian and is a winger as far as I know.Jeffrey Schlupp is quite a name! Any ideas if we have a Portuguese lad? I'm sure I was told we'd recruited one and he was mustard.
Thracian Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Romanian and is a winger as far as I know.Jeffrey Schlupp is quite a name! I thought of ordering one from the concourse bar.
davieG Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 What are your opinions on Vasey? That's the first time i've seen him and he looks like he's got muchos ability. Apart from his goal he was fairly inconspicuous but then so was everyone. The problem I have is every time I see hte midfield/forwards they always seem to occupy a different position. I've seen Vasey before but he was in CM and he's looked fairly but last night he was in the RM Burns I've seen have an excellent game in RM, last night he was CM and unnoticeable. As for Craig King I've seen him up front RM and last night he was LM. Now I can see a good arguments for putting these players in unfamiliar positions but they never seem to have a consistent run any where.
Thracian Posted 4 November 2008 Posted 4 November 2008 Apart from his goal he was fairly inconspicuous but then so was everyone. The problem I have is every time I see hte midfield/forwards they always seem to occupy a different position.I've seen Vasey before but he was in CM and he's looked fairly but last night he was in the RM Burns I've seen have an excellent game in RM, last night he was CM and unnoticeable. As for Craig King I've seen him up front RM and last night he was LM. Now I can see a good arguments for putting these players in unfamiliar positions but they never seem to have a consistent run any where. Which explains, of course, why the team looks such a mess at times.
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