I don’t think our setup when Rafa was here was much good was it? Even though he brought some of his own people in to improve things, we were still struggling to produce candidates he could use in the squad.
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Apparently the Premier League brought in a new rule that says no club channel can show any match coverage at any level if it is on at the same time as any Premier League match.
Liverpool U23s v Everton on Monday clashes with West Ham v Leicester.
Liverpool U18s v Man Utd clashes with Liverpool v Burnley.
With these rules it seems quite likely there won’t be any youth games shown this season.
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That sounds crazy.
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Yes, because the overlap of people who would watch Liverpool U23 vs Everton U23 as well as West Ham v Leicester is overwhelming…
I really wish the fan backlash over the Super League would continue on to some of the frankly absurd practices of the Premier League and UEFA…
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U23 & U18 Premier League Preview - Episode 19: Norwich City
Norwich continued their trend of Championship domination (and likely will struggle again in the Premier League) last season and managed to do so by continuing to give thousands of minutes of football to U23 players. Max Aarons and Oliver Skipp, loaned in from Tottenham, were the key players while the likes of Todd Cantwell and Jacob Lungi Sorenson also saw plenty of first team action.
Norwich’s results at U23 and U18 level have suffered due to their promotion of youth talent but that is a preferable situation than having good players rot in reserve. The fact that promotions are so common actually means Norwich’s best youth talent rarely play at youth level - a trend that can be seen in many of the best academies across the country with coaches favouring training with the first team instead of playing with the U23s.
This is one of the best breeding grounds for young players in the country - Jamal Lewis, Max Aarons, Ben Godfrey and Todd Cantwell are recent examples of this along with the bought in talent such as Emi Buendia developing well at Carrow Road. The calibre of player still lurking around suggests this pipeline is not dry.
| U23 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Joe Rose |
| CB | Jonathan Tomkinson |
| CB | Andrew Omobamidele |
| RB | Bali Mumba |
| LB | Rob Nizet |
| CM | Reece McAlear |
| CM | Nelson Khumbeni |
| CM | Melvin Sitti |
| RW | Tony Springett |
| LW | Josh Giurgi |
| CF | Abu Kamara |
| U18 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Jayden St Paul |
| CB | Lewis Shipley |
| CB | Brad Hills |
| RB | Harry Pitcher |
| LB | Ola Okeowo |
| CM | Harry Brooke |
| CM | Solomon Alidor-Hamilton |
| CM | Saxon Earley |
| RW | Joe Duffy |
| LW | Oscar Thorn |
| CF | Kenneth Aboh |
Players in Profile - Three to Watch in 2021/2022
Adam Idah
- Position: CF
- Age: 20
- Nationality: Irish
Cork-born centre forward Adam Idah is a full Irish international who is set to have a breakout season in the Premier League. Having scored six goals in less than five hundred minutes last season, Idah has earned the opportunity to stake a real claim on Norwich’s starting lineup this time around. Having joined Norwich from Corinthians in 2017, Idah has quickly become the top talent in the youth system. He has a lanky frame but doesn’t rely on his height, with dribbling and finishing far more part of his game and is often seen drifting out onto the right wing to drive at full backs and cut the ball back to onrushing midfielders. Idah’s first team promotion has long been predicted but, with the outstanding cameo appearances from last season in the bank, 2021/22 should finally be the year that it happens.
Andrew Omobamidele
- Position: CB
- Age: 19
- Nationality: Irish
Another full Irish international at just eighteen years old, Omobamidele follows in the footsteps of Ben Godfrey and fought his way into the Norwich team at the end of last season. Despite a physical similarity - he’s a similar height but slightly stockier than Godfrey - Omobamidele possibly has some even more interesting attributes. He is a ‘football first’ type of centre back, has excellent close control, doesn’t panic when being closed down (he is often able to play his way out of trouble or use a burst of pace to counter the press) and is an excellent short passer. Having signed a new contract and starting pre-season as a first choice defender, Omobamidele may be able to hold onto his end of season form and start the season in the heart of the Canaries’ defence.
Bali Mumba
- Position: RB
- Age: 19
- Nationality: England
Mumba was a highly touted prospect at Sunderland but the Black Cats strangely hesitated over exposing him to first team football, despite their struggles. The central midfielder turned right back instead chose to head to Norwich than stick it out at the Stadium of Light and so far it looks a wise decision with Mumba well placed to earn minutes in the Premier League having broken into the Norwich side late last season. The England U19 international made four appearances and was on the bench for a further ten, hinting that he is on the verge of a breakout campaign - although stepping up to the Premier League may limit that chance and a lot will depend on the future of Max Aarons. Mumba has a lot of the same attributes as Aarons, a flying full back who looks to attack the penalty area rather than whip in crosses. Mumba signed a new contract this off-season tying him to Norwich for the next five years.
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Seven Irish players mentioned so far in the U23 and U18 premier league preview. Hopefully the future looks better than the crap that is there at the moment.
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Are any of them Irish in the same way that Declan Rice and Jack Grealish were Irish?
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More in the way Mo Farah is English.
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They’ve got Irish parents and have lived in Ireland since they were 8 and continue to live there, whilst simultaneously playing football in England? That’s one hell of a commute!
U23 & U18 Premier League Preview - Episode 20: Fulham
Fulham always have some exciting talents in their academy but unfortunately for them bigger clubs don’t take long to notice. In successive years Fulham had a top prospect taken for relatively small sums. Liverpool nipped in to take Harvey Elliott, Cody Drameh went to Leeds and it appears to have happened again with twenty-two goal, thirteen assist U18 striker Mika Biereth having reportedly been poached by Arsenal.
It’s an unfortunate fact of life for Fulham that the big-boys know to circle around them. IN response, Fulham just continue to pump talent through the ranks. Their U18 team topped the South division last season, easily beating out the more heralded academies of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. Although the U23 team was not quite as successful, there were enough first team promotions to suggest there is talent ready to push for first team action now that Fulham are back in the Championship.
| U23 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Luca Ashby-Hammond |
| CB | Conor McAvoy |
| CB | Ibane Bowat |
| RB | Luciano D’Auria-Henry |
| LB | Ziyad Larkeche |
| CM | Jonathon Page |
| CM | Adrion Pajaziti |
| CM | Tyrese Francois |
| RW | Fabio Carvalho |
| LW | Jean-Pierre Tiehi |
| CF | Jay Stansfield |
| U18 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Alex Borto |
| CB | Thorsteinn Antonsson |
| CB | Harvey Araujo |
| RB | Xavier Benjamin |
| LB | Stefan Parkes |
| CM | Tyler Caton |
| CM | Matt Dibley-Dias |
| CM | Luke Harris |
| RW | Imani Lanquedoc |
| LW | Michael Olakigbe |
| CF | Oliver Sanderson |
Players in Profile - Three to Watch in 2021/2022
Fabio Carvalho
- Position: AM
- Age: 18
- Nationality: English
Aged just seventeen, this Portuguese born England U18 international made four appearances for the Fulham first team and scored with a spectacular explosive finish in a 3-1 defeat to Southampton. A right footed player who plays across all the positions in the frontline, Carvalho is a technically excellent player who plays quicker in his head than his feet. He makes good runs, which has already caught out Premier League defenders - as shown with his first team goal. At his best playing off the wing, Carvalho is a highly creative player who also loves to dribble at defenders, confident in his own ability to go past them. With Fulham back in the Championship, Carvalho will no doubt be confident he can push for regular first team action.
Jay Stansfield
- Position: CF
- Age: 18
- Nationality: English
Brought in from the vibrant Exeter City academy, Jay Stansfield is one of the most prolific strikers in the country scoring twenty-eight goals in twenty-four U18 appearances. His 20/21 season was decimated by injuries but the talented centre forward should rebound this time around and has already begun pre-season in the first team squad. Playing with a freedom to drift onto the wings, Stansfield looks to attack space and has excellent positioning - often turning out to be in the right place at the right time for a simple finish. He’s quick enough although doesn’t possess outstanding pace but his frame is one capable of handling adult football at a high level. Projecting, in my eyes, as a high level target man Stansfield has a good chance of minutes this season and is a Premier League player in the making.
Ibane Bowat
- Position: CB
- Age: 18
- Nationality: Scottish
Another elite prospect linked with a move away from the club. Ibane Bowat is a left footed defender who stands out with his aerial ability and technical proficiency. Physically dominant at youth level, he gets away with slow feet through his pure strength and dominance. In possession he has a modern centre back’s passing range, driving the ball to the feet of wingers with great accuracy. The Scotland U19 international flirted with moves to Everton, West Ham and Arsenal but now looks set to stay with Fulham and have a genuine chance of getting into the centre back rotation.
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Really hope we’re one of the club’s in for Carvalho he looks really really good already. Final year of his contact too but in reality he’s probably best served signing a new one at Fulham and staying another year or two.
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U23 & U18 Premier League Preview - Episode 21: Newcastle United
One of the most disappointing aspects of North-Eastern football in the last decade or so is the lack of top level footballers coming from the area. As a football-mad part of the country it is astonishing that Sunderland and Newcastle have both consistently failed to develop Premier League players with only Sean Longstaff really breaking through.
In all honesty, this batch of youth talents don’t look much like flipping the script at St James’ Park either. Having finished bottom of U23 Division 2 last season, Newcastle pulled the plug and released sixteen players while bringing in some prospects let go from other clubs - most notably Charlie Wiggett of Chelsea and Remi Savage of Liverpool.
Can Newcastle finally get it right and break someone through? It’s doubtful, to be honest, but if it is going to happen it’ll probably be one of these three…
| U23 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Dan Langley |
| CB | Remi Savage |
| CB | Oisin McEntee |
| RB | Ryan Barrett |
| LB | Rosaire Longelo |
| CM | Niall Brookwell |
| CM | Mo Sangare |
| CM | Stanley Flaherty |
| RW | Tom Allan |
| LW | Elliot Anderson |
| CF | Cameron Ferguson |
| U18 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Max Thompson |
| CB | Harry Barclay |
| CB | Ciaran Thompson |
| RB | Tai Ebanks |
| LB | Josh Nicholson |
| CM | Reagan Thomson |
| CM | Jamie Miley |
| CM | James Huntley |
| RW | Jay Turner-Cooke |
| LW | Michael Ndiweni |
| CF | Kyle Crossley |
Players in Profile - Three to Watch in 2021/2022
Kelland Watts (on loan at Wigan Athletic)
- Position: CB
- Age: 21
- Nationality: English
Former England U19 international Kelland Watts is best placed to break through at Newcastle. The central defender has plenty of experience having played sixty-seven games at League One and League Two level. Last season was his most productive, he started forty-eight games for Plymouth in all competitions and has played well in pre-season reportedly catching the eye of Steve Bruce for his strong showings in the heart of defence. Watts is a composed defender with good on-the-ball skills making him capable of playing out from the back and his time in the Football League has clearly developed how he handles the physical side of the game. He will step up to Championship football this year with Wigan.
Elliot Anderson
- Position: AM
- Age: 18
- Nationality: Scottish
A hip injury has kept Elliot out of pre-season so far this summer and some poor management by Steve Bruce is threatening to disrupt the development of the talented Scotland U19 international. Elliot had the opportunity to go on loan to Luton last season but Bruce kept him and promised significant exposure to the first team - however, he managed just two cameos and a total of forty-two minutes as Bruce shied away from using a teenager while Newcastle battled relegation. Anderson is a tall and physical attacking midfielder, likes to receive the ball on his chest where challenging him is difficult, and then drive towards the penalty area. He has good vision but is perhaps not the most technically fluent player. For Newcastle, if he can stay fit, Anderson certainly has the potential to develop into a Premier League starter but it will require more faith from the management to achieve it.
Stanley Flaherty
- Position: RW
- Age: 19
- Nationality: English
Flaherty has already had something of a journey to end up in Newcastle. Having been released by his boyhood club Arsenal, he wound up training at West Ham before moving up to Newcastle when they refused to offer him a deal. The versatile attacker can play right across the line and turned some heads by scoring seven times for a poor side. He has the advantage of being an excellent set piece taker and the pacey wideman does have a good left foot - with most of his goals at youth level coming from cutting inside and shooting. It would be quite a turnaround in fortunes should Flaherty manage to break through at Newcastle having already been rejected by two Premier League sides but his first season in black and white was a promising one.
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I see Cannonier’s more than just a good ball boy then…
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Always got to love a win over United even at youth team level!
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5 in 2 games, he could have started worse.
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Moved post to Loan Watch.
U23 & U18 Premier League Preview - Episode 22: Leeds United
Leeds entered the 2020/21 season as a newly qualified team having gained Category One status at the beginning of 2020. It is fair to say they took to the league like a duck to water, winning the U23s Division Two by eleven points (although their U18s struggled to a twelfth place finish). As a result Leeds U23s will start next season competing with the likes of Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea in Division One in a division that is starting to look more like a proper league.
With an excellent scouting network, Leeds are masters of picking up bargains as evidenced by their recruitment of Sam Greenwood, Joe Gelhardt and Cody Drameh last season. This year they’ve already added Chelsea U23 stand out Lewis Bate for a nominal fee and Birmingham city “wonderkid” Amari Miller has also been added to a loaded front line.
There is youth talent throughout the academy, particularly in the U23 set up and Bielsa could be just the man to exploit the riches available.
| U23 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Dani van den Heuvel |
| CB | Charlie Cresswell |
| CB | Nohan Kenneh |
| RB | Cody Drameh |
| LB | Liam McCarron |
| CM | Jack Jenkins |
| CM | Stuart McKinstry |
| CM | Joe Gelhardt |
| RW | Crysencio Summerville |
| LW | Max Dean |
| CF | Sam Greenwood |
| U18 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Harry Christy |
| CB | Kris Moore |
| CB | Joe Littlewood |
| RB | Harvey Sutcliffe |
| LB | Cuba Cline |
| CM | Charlie Allen |
| CM | Joe Snowdon |
| CM | Morton Spencer |
| RW | Lui Bradbury |
| LW | Keenan Carole |
| CF | Conor Ferguson |
Players in Profile - Three to Watch in 2021/2022
Crysencio Summerville
- Position: RW
- Age: 19
- Nationality: Dutch
Summerville arrived from Feyenoord having already appeared in twenty-one Eredivisie games at seventeen years old. The Dutch U19 international has also made an impression on the international stage, scoring six times in just five games for his country. In his first season of English football, the flying winger scored and assisted six times in twelve appearances, looking excellent as he consistently demolished opposition full backs. Given his first team exposure in Holland, Summerville is a prime candidate for the first team especially if Raphinha does move on which may create an opening in the squad. Lightening quick and alert defensively, Summerville is an exciting winger with the bonus of being good in the press.
Charlie Cresswell
- Position: CB
- Age: 18
- Nationality: English
Cresswell is an England U19 international with a tremendous eye for a pass, good close control and an ability to either step out of defence or play his way into midfield. The youngster has already made his Leeds debut, playing the full ninety in an EFL Cup game last season, and given his impressive appearances for the U23 squad he will be expecting to push on and establish himself as part of the first team squad on a more regular basis. He is tall and strong in the air, which probably gives him more chances to be trusted with Premier League action. Although he is just eighteen, Cresswell has plenty of attributes to push on for more appearances.
Cody Drameh
- Position: RB
- Age: 19
- Nationality: English
Drameh joined Leeds from Fulham in 2020 and has already earned the reputation as a top prospect within the club. At just nineteen years old, Drameh has already made fifty-five appearances in the U23 League and has begun to take tentative steps towards first team football. With only the uninspiring option of Luke Ayling ahead of him, Drameh will expect to compete week-to-week for the starting job. A truly complete wing back, Drameh is an excellent defender and a dynamic attacking weapon. He has the ideal size/weight/speed combination and is a very good crosser of the ball. Drameh should be an immediate upgrade for Leeds once he is deemed ready to replace Ayling.
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No new contract before his loan then. Assume he’ll be off in the summer on a free unless he pulls up mega trees at Hearts. Good luck to him
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