Westerby Cup

[Ric Flair]

Grew up a few roads from me, they might be well off but certainly not rich, not Merc for your kid rich anyway.

 

 

You know the game is fcuked when youth team players can leave because another club will give them what they want. What a mess.

 

Mine wasnt a dig at anyone in particular despite the thread turning into a Taft thread, you only have to go on Twitter though to see the attitude of some of them, some certainly feel they are celebs already and the ass kissing from our fans doesnt help either boosting the egos before any of them have achieved anything except some mickey mouse academy group Derby came second in that the club dresses up as a "league".

 

Well he must be blowing a large chunk of his wage on a motor then, because he's not on anymore than the other development squad players on pro contracts. Well, I doubt he is anyway. He's probably HP'd up to his eyeballs, it'll have to go back when he's released next summer. Haha

 

That said my mate has just got a Merc, he's been out in Afghan for 6 months and the half a years wages he's saved meant he could treat himself. Send Taft and a few other prats on loan to Helmand Province Hotspurs

[Bettsj2]

Would love to be on the moral highground with the rest of you but if I were in their position i'd be exactly the same.

Posh flat, Hollyoaks bird, flash motor and bad attitude.

Eventually i'd grow up but not until I had a bit of life experience.

Give em a break guys.

[Guest MattP]

Would love to be on the moral highground with the rest of you but if I were in their position i'd be exactly the same.

Posh flat, Hollyoaks bird, flash motor and bad attitude.

Eventually i'd grow up but not until I had a bit of life experience.

Give em a break guys.

 

Don't tar them all with that brush.

 

Look at the Michael Owen's, Scott Parker's and Theo Walcotts of the World.

 

I'd like to think I'd do the same as them and sacrifice all the bullshit for trying to be the best I can as a footballer.

[_Fatboyslow_]

That said my mate has just got a Merc, he's been out in Afghan for 6 months and the half a years wages he's saved meant he could treat himself. Send Taft and a few other prats on loan to Helmand Province Hotspurs

Say thank you to your mate for me.

[Leeds Fox]

As bad as it seems, the lad's earning his money, he can spend it on whatever he likes! I agree about the Moore and Schlupp comment, although maybe they are rinsing money, but just not shoving it in the fans faces on Instagram and Twitter.

I'm in one of the Services, and the carpark at work is full of flash motors (bmw/mercs/audis), and deservedly so! But that doesn't mean these young academy lads can't do the same.

Anyway, regardless of all this off topic discussion, if these lads want to make it anywhere they surely need to be beating opposition like this! Beating them convincingly as well.

[Dan LCFC]

Grew up a few roads from me, they might be well off but certainly not rich, not Merc for your kid rich anyway.

 

 

You know the game is fcuked when youth team players can leave because another club will give them what they want. What a mess.

 

Mine wasnt a dig at anyone in particular despite the thread turning into a Taft thread, you only have to go on Twitter though to see the attitude of some of them, some certainly feel they are celebs already and the ass kissing from our fans doesnt help either boosting the egos before any of them have achieved anything except some mickey mouse academy group Derby came second in that the club dresses up as a "league".

 

Couldn't agree more with every word. It's a fact though - the cynical side of me thinks a lot of youngsters do genuinely see it as a job, an inconvenience, and anyone accepting that has no standards at all.

 

I'd love to see us implement certain policies but being only Leicester City, we'll never get away with it. Clubs who pay up stupid demands by youngsters that were rightfully turned down at another club are poisonous. I quite like Juventus, but they did it with Pogba. He wanted £50k a week for Man Utd (before playing a first team game!!!) and he was shown the door, and Juventus were straight in there.

As bad as it seems, the lad's earning his money, he can spend it on whatever he likes! I agree about the Moore and Schlupp comment, although maybe they are rinsing money, but just not shoving it in the fans faces on Instagram and Twitter.

I'm in one of the Services, and the carpark at work is full of flash motors (bmw/mercs/audis), and deservedly so! But that doesn't mean these young academy lads can't do the same.

Anyway, regardless of all this off topic discussion, if these lads want to make it anywhere they surely need to be beating opposition like this! Beating them convincingly as well.

 

He can. My problem isn't so much with Taft, if I had that money that age then I'd be straight over the things he's doing, it's the fact he's got the power to do such a thing before even making his professional English debut. That's a joke IMO.

[Leeds Fox]

Couldn't agree more with every word. It's a fact though - the cynical side of me thinks a lot of youngsters do genuinely see it as a job, an inconvenience, and anyone accepting that has no standards at all.

I'd love to see us implement certain policies but being only Leicester City, we'll never get away with it. Clubs who pay up stupid demands by youngsters that were rightfully turned down at another club are poisonous. I quite like Juventus, but they did it with Pogba. He wanted £50k a week for Man Utd (before playing a first team game!!!) and he was shown the door, and Juventus were straight in there.

He can. The problem isn't so much with Taft, it's the fact he's got the power to do such a thing before even making his professional English debut. That's a joke IMO.

I do completely agree, it's the clubs fault for paying these apprentices so much, but I suppose someone obviously thinks they're worth the money. We'll find out whether they are sooner or later I guess.

[MGLCFC]

As bad as it seems, the lad's earning his money, he can spend it on whatever he likes! I agree about the Moore and Schlupp comment, although maybe they are rinsing money, but just not shoving it in the fans faces on Instagram and Twitter.

I'm in one of the Services, and the carpark at work is full of flash motors (bmw/mercs/audis), and deservedly so! But that doesn't mean these young academy lads can't do the same.

Anyway, regardless of all this off topic discussion, if these lads want to make it anywhere they surely need to be beating opposition like this! Beating them convincingly as well.

Exactly - Chelsea development squad went to Ilkleston the other night and won 6 - 1.

[Guest MattP]

I do completely agree, it's the clubs fault for paying these apprentices so much, but I suppose someone obviously thinks they're worth the money. We'll find out whether they are sooner or later I guess.

 

With our record of throwing money at people I think I know the answer.

[Ric Flair]

I'm not going to jump on the academy players backs about last nights result, they won the league last season and beat some far better equipped academy teams than their own so as far as results go that's not been the issue over the years. For whatever reason it hasn't resulted in many players breaking through and being good enough at this level or higher, is that an attitude thing, a coaching difficiency or just because they aren't good enough?

[Dan LCFC]

I do completely agree, it's the clubs fault for paying these apprentices so much, but I suppose someone obviously thinks they're worth the money. We'll find out whether they are sooner or later I guess.

 

It's a collective thing which has got out of hand and like I say, whilst clubs will continue to give in to stupid demands, then it'll continue. I think it's actually one of the biggest problems in English football (although we're not the only ones). Speaks volumes that you can't do anything 'celeb' like at Barcelona before making a proper first team contribution, look at their results? Probably the worlds best academy.

 

It'd take a collective effort to stop it, but they won't, it's like these ridiculous inflated transfer fees for English players, there's literally no way out of it.

[Guest MattP]

I'm not going to jump on the academy players backs about last nights result, they won the league last season and beat some far better equipped academy teams than their own so as far as results go that's not been the issue over the years. For whatever reason it hasn't resulted in many players breaking through and being good enough at this level or higher, is that an attitude thing, a coaching difficiency or just because they aren't good enough?

 

Who did we actually beat in this "league"?

 

Agree on second point, it's pathetic an "academy" of our size hasn't produced a single career Premier League footballer since 1997 in Heskey.

[Dan LCFC]

I'm not going to jump on the academy players backs about last nights result, they won the league last season and beat some far better equipped academy teams than their own so as far as results go that's not been the issue over the years. For whatever reason it hasn't resulted in many players breaking through and being good enough at this level or higher, is that an attitude thing, a coaching difficiency or just because they aren't good enough?

 

Makes you wonder if it's Rudkin being very tactical and getting more out of them as a team than he should. I'd without a doubt rather come bottom every year and bring a good player through than come top and bring no-one.

[Leeds Fox]

It's a collective thing which has got out of hand and like I say, whilst clubs will continue to give in to stupid demands, then it'll continue. I think it's actually one of the biggest problems in English football (although we're not the only ones). Speaks volumes that you can't do anything 'celeb' like at Barcelona before making a proper first team contribution, look at their results? Probably the worlds best academy.

It'd take a collective effort to stop it, but they won't, it's like these ridiculous inflated transfer fees for English players, there's literally no way out of it.

The answer is 'This is modern football.' It's as simple as that!

Oh and on the topic of winning the league! Maybe because the academies we beat have had their better players stepping up into the first team or going out on loan to L1/L2 clubs for experience so they can bring them up to first team level. Just a thought!

[Dan LCFC]

The answer is 'This is modern football.' It's as simple as that!

Oh and on the topic of winning the league! Maybe because the academies we beat have had their better players stepping up into the first team or going out on loan to L1/L2 clubs for experience so they can bring them up to first team level. Just a thought!

 

Too true.

 

It could be that but in our defence, we have brought more through recently.

[Danno]

Most of the development squad all have Mercs, Sesay, Taft, Smith, Blyth

[Ric Flair]

Who did we actually beat in this "league"?

 

Agree on second point, it's pathetic an "academy" of our size hasn't produced a single career Premier League footballer since 1997 in Heskey.

 

Leeds, Forest, Derby, Brum, Wigan, Sheff Wednesday all who have a far better track record of youngsters making the grade. Not to mention the likes of Villa, Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and others who we beat at under 18 level in the seasons previous. We won everything bar the FA Youth Cup a few years back, although that team did include Gradel, King and a few others who have gone on to establish themselves.

[Guest MattP]

Leeds, Forest, Derby, Brum, Wigan, Sheff Wednesday all who have a far better track record of youngsters making the grade. Not to mention the likes of Villa, Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and others who we beat at under 18 level in the seasons previous. We won everything bar the FA Youth Cup a few years back, although that team did include Gradel, King and a few others who have gone on to establish themselves.

 

Not genuinely impressed by last year then but the previous seasons certainly. (Though you have to wonder if we are beating those sides because Leeds, Derby Brum etc have had to to use the youth team players actually in the first team squad and their youth side is actually far younger than ours) Taft is actually 20 now. That's not "youth team" for me.

 

Dan might be right about Rudkin being a superb tactician then because there is nothing that has developed in our youth side to even think of them capable of beating Arsenal, Spurs Chelsea etc from what I have seen of them.

 

I'll take a bet with anyone we don't win our "pool" as it's called next year.

[Ric Flair]

Not genuinely impressed by last year then but the previous seasons certainly. (Though you have to wonder if we are beating those sides because Leeds, Derby Brum etc have had to to use the youth team players actually in the first team squad and their youth side is actually far younger than ours) Taft is actually 20 now. That's not "youth team" for me.

 

Dan might be right about Rudkin being a superb tactician then because there is nothing that has developed in our youth side to even think of them capable of beating Arsenal, Spurs Chelsea etc from what I have seen of them.

 

I'll take a bet with anyone we don't win our "pool" as it's called next year.

 

I think you're bang on there. The development squad only contained a couple of players under the age of 18 last season, not that that's a bad thing but if teams have fast tracked their best youngsters in to their first team and then their under 18 players are being used in the development squads then it's easier for a settled squad of elder players like we had.

[Leeds Fox]

Not genuinely impressed by last year then but the previous seasons certainly. (Though you have to wonder if we are beating those sides because Leeds, Derby Brum etc have had to to use the youth team players actually in the first team squad and their youth side is actually far younger than ours) Taft is actually 20 now. That's not "youth team" for me.

Dan might be right about Rudkin being a superb tactician then because there is nothing that has developed in our youth side to even think of them capable of beating Arsenal, Spurs Chelsea etc from what I have seen of them.

I'll take a bet with anyone we don't win our "pool" as it's called next year.

Leeds brought through Sam Byram last year (due to injuries I think) and he seems to be highly regarded by many! Then again, we have brought through Schlupp and Moore over the last year(ish) and they're both very able to be good squad/fringe players if not starters this season for us!

It's easy to say 'we haven't brought any premiership class players through' but we aren't in the Prem, if we were maybe they would have played for us in that league! King for example could've found a premiership team previously, but we had no intention of selling, which is great. It's all ifs and buts when suggesting a player we've brought through the youth system being top flight capable!

[Guest MattP]

Don't really get what you are saying? Because we are in the Championship we shouldn't bring through Prem players? We still should, then sell them on if we have to.

 

Not sure King has really attracted a hard cash bid from a Premier League side.

[Father Ted]

Don't tar them all with that brush.

Look at the Michael Owen's, Scott Parker's and Theo Walcotts of the World.

I'd like to think I'd do the same as them and sacrifice all the bullshit for trying to be the best I can as a footballer.

Exactly, we had this conversation on Twitter. Taft also kindly corrected me this morning, it is in fact a 13 plate Merc and not 12 plate and he has played at a higher standard than Kettering and that was in the Swedish third tier, however I beg to differ.

Himself along with several other youth players really arent doing themselves proud by making appearances in town every Tuesday and Saturday without fail. Tom Hopper seems the perfect role model in how it should be done, a well educated lad who has kept his head down and worked hard and whilst were at it im pretty sure he drives a Ford Focus Hes the only one of that crop to really be given a shot so far.

[Dan LCFC]

Leicester should definitely be capable of producing Premier quality players and it should be capable of being an established Premier League club too.

 

We're in a county of about a million people, about 100 miles each from the 'big six', have Hinckley United as the county's next best side and Villa as the only real attraction in the Midlands. We've got a cracking cachment area for potential players so I'd say if anything we've under-achieved massively.

[Guest MattP]

Exactly, we had this conversation on Twitter. Taft also kindly corrected me this morning, it is in fact a 13 plate Merc and not 12 plate and he has played at a higher standard than Kettering and that was in the Swedish third tier, however I beg to differ.

Himself along with several other youth players really arent doing themselves proud by making appearances in town every Tuesday and Saturday without fail. Tom Hopper seems the perfect role model in how it should be done, a well educated lad who has kept his head down and worked hard and whilst were at it im pretty sure he drives a Ford Focus Hes the only one of that crop to really be given a shot so far.

 

No coincedence Hopper seems to be getting a chance then, whatever happens it's clear none of them are miles ahead of the rest like Hughes at Derby or Redmond at Brum and none of this lot are clearly going to be superstars.

 

It's an immoral system but at least with this Cat A system we should be able to poach a group of youth team players from others who can beat a Saturday League side.

[C.J]

Judging by the replies, most people are jumping to conclusions and did not go. 

I did, so to sum up:

Thought Taft played well actually, didn't make any mistakes, got a good positional sense and read the game well.  Stood out for me.

The number 2 looked good as well (didnt catch his name).

Laurrari looked comfatable when he came on, likes to get stuck in, ovbiously got some flair.

 

Apart from those three (and maybe Seesay), nobody else really impressed me.  We looked lightweight in Midfield, didn't really offer much up-front as well. 

If I was Fuctas, i'd be embarrised to be playing in that team, even more so to get substituted.

 

Keeper (Adam Smith didnt inspire much confidence) as well.

 

Fair play to Coalville though, played well.  Leicesters team was a development squad. Clues in the name, 'development'.  Cant expect them to win every game they play, all part of the learning experience and unfair to put pressure on them at this age!  Wont help them 'develop'.