The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25
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windermere_royal
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How big was the crowd?
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Royal Ginger
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Fantastic. Brilliant for the club's future. Wish I could have been there.
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ZacNaloen
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East a third full lower west about 2 thirds full.
3000?
3000?
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winchester_royal
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ZacNaloen Yeh THAT chest down.
Don't forget the pin point 8 yard pass to set up Fosu for the first
Looking forward to seeing some of these guys make the step up to first team, hopefully next season. For all the doom and gloom of the first team lately, the U21 and U18 teams are certainly keeping my spirits up!
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ZacNaloen
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Kuhl just dumped a box of ice over the coaches.
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winchester_royal
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Thought Cooper was very good. Sweeney too when moved back to his best position.
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sandman
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ZacNaloen Kuhl just dumped a box of ice over the coaches.
That's him grounded.
Great win particularly given the amount of chances they had.
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ZacNaloen
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Ok I got some photos on my phone of the celebrations.
Trophy presented, poor lighting really not in my favour for this one
Lap of honour
Players celebrate in front of the West stand
Kuhl dumps Ice all over the coaches
Trophy presented, poor lighting really not in my favour for this one
Lap of honour
Players celebrate in front of the West stand
Kuhl dumps Ice all over the coaches
This extract from the City OS:
Though Reading’s seniors may be in the Championship, their academy is a force to be reckoned with as they showed by reaching the FA Youth Cup semi-finals this season.
Twice already this season they’ve proved to be stubborn opposition for the Blues at this level, too, with City needing to come from behind to claim one-goal wins on both occasions.
As is so often the case in cup finals with so much at stake, the game was a bitty, scrappy affair in the early exchanges, with both sides recognising how important an opening goal might be.
Well done lads. Really showing the "seniors" up for what the are - a bunch of over-paid under-achieving Prima Donnas. Cannot WAIT for the summer clear-out. OK we may not be challenging for the play-offs next season, but at least could be watching a team of guys who actually WANT to play for RFC.
Though Reading’s seniors may be in the Championship, their academy is a force to be reckoned with as they showed by reaching the FA Youth Cup semi-finals this season.
Twice already this season they’ve proved to be stubborn opposition for the Blues at this level, too, with City needing to come from behind to claim one-goal wins on both occasions.
As is so often the case in cup finals with so much at stake, the game was a bitty, scrappy affair in the early exchanges, with both sides recognising how important an opening goal might be.
Well done lads. Really showing the "seniors" up for what the are - a bunch of over-paid under-achieving Prima Donnas. Cannot WAIT for the summer clear-out. OK we may not be challenging for the play-offs next season, but at least could be watching a team of guys who actually WANT to play for RFC.
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ZacNaloen
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Just been thinking, there is a real chance we could field a full Academy 11 soon.
These 18 and 21s are very well balanced and there is not a position we are obviously short in.
My main takeaways from todays game are probably that Keown is better a LB than Sean Long (sorry Longy) and Sweeney is definitely a defender, if a rather well cultured one.
Tanner, Stacey and Fosu won us the game. The change of bringing Fosu on was clearly planned as every emphasis of our play changed after wards. Instead of looking to counter we immediately took the game to them and got our just rewards.
Ugwu lead the line well, but was rather isolated for most of the game and his best opportunities were ruined by a Lino I couldn't argue with.
City were very very good in the middle at picking up the second ball, okay at the back. But very very wasteful in the final third.
Marco Lopez their best by miles, an example of a side not well balanced.
These 18 and 21s are very well balanced and there is not a position we are obviously short in.
My main takeaways from todays game are probably that Keown is better a LB than Sean Long (sorry Longy) and Sweeney is definitely a defender, if a rather well cultured one.
Tanner, Stacey and Fosu won us the game. The change of bringing Fosu on was clearly planned as every emphasis of our play changed after wards. Instead of looking to counter we immediately took the game to them and got our just rewards.
Ugwu lead the line well, but was rather isolated for most of the game and his best opportunities were ruined by a Lino I couldn't argue with.
City were very very good in the middle at picking up the second ball, okay at the back. But very very wasteful in the final third.
Marco Lopez their best by miles, an example of a side not well balanced.
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ZacNaloen
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http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ng-7010246
Patrick Vieira
Manchester City's under-21s blew the chance of their first silverware with defeat in their League Cup final.
The young Blues were beaten by two goals in the last 20 minutes of the second leg at the Madejski Stadium after taking a 3-2 lead from the match at the Etihad Stadium. The score meant Reading won the final 4-3 on aggregate.
City have talked about a blueprint for the whole club, but Patrick Vieira's men seem to be following the first team a little too closely as they were also chasing a quadruple of trophies until last month.
But exit from the Uefa Youth League at the hands of Benfica, and this loss, leaves them in the hunt for League honours and with a Manchester Senior Cup final against old foes United.
Now they must pick themselves up and get the three points they need from two remaining league games to reach the play-offs for the title.
Just like the first team, the youngsters were left kicking themselves for missing chances after dominating the first half in front of a 3,024 crowd at Reading.
Seko Fofana blazed over when Jason Denayer's flick took a corner to him, and Devante Cole – whose two goals in the first leg sparked a revival from 2-0 down – shot narrowly wide.
Fofana curled a trademark long-range effort just past the post and skipper Marcos Lopes missed a great chance in the opening seconds of the second half.
City continued to waste opportunities, and on 71 minutes Reading sub Tarique Fosu, with his first touch, cut inside and fired inside Ian Lawlor's near post.
With the Blues still reeling, Greg Leigh's slip sent Jack Stacey racing clear to slip the decisive second goal under Lawlor.
CITY U21: Lawlor, Drury (Bytyqi 75), Facey, Denayer, Leigh (Angelino 75), Glendon, Fofana, Ntcham, Lopes, Cole, Hiwula
Patrick Vieira
Manchester City's under-21s blew the chance of their first silverware with defeat in their League Cup final.
The young Blues were beaten by two goals in the last 20 minutes of the second leg at the Madejski Stadium after taking a 3-2 lead from the match at the Etihad Stadium. The score meant Reading won the final 4-3 on aggregate.
City have talked about a blueprint for the whole club, but Patrick Vieira's men seem to be following the first team a little too closely as they were also chasing a quadruple of trophies until last month.
But exit from the Uefa Youth League at the hands of Benfica, and this loss, leaves them in the hunt for League honours and with a Manchester Senior Cup final against old foes United.
Now they must pick themselves up and get the three points they need from two remaining league games to reach the play-offs for the title.
Just like the first team, the youngsters were left kicking themselves for missing chances after dominating the first half in front of a 3,024 crowd at Reading.
Seko Fofana blazed over when Jason Denayer's flick took a corner to him, and Devante Cole – whose two goals in the first leg sparked a revival from 2-0 down – shot narrowly wide.
Fofana curled a trademark long-range effort just past the post and skipper Marcos Lopes missed a great chance in the opening seconds of the second half.
City continued to waste opportunities, and on 71 minutes Reading sub Tarique Fosu, with his first touch, cut inside and fired inside Ian Lawlor's near post.
With the Blues still reeling, Greg Leigh's slip sent Jack Stacey racing clear to slip the decisive second goal under Lawlor.
CITY U21: Lawlor, Drury (Bytyqi 75), Facey, Denayer, Leigh (Angelino 75), Glendon, Fofana, Ntcham, Lopes, Cole, Hiwula
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ZacNaloen
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Under-21s beat Manchester City to lift trophy!
Reading u21s 2 (Fosu 71, Stacey 74)
Man City u21s 0
READING ARE CUP WINNERS! Reading became the inaugural winners of the U21 Premier League Cup by beating Manchester City at Madejski Stadium this afternoon.
Two second half goals, from Tariqe Fosu and Jack Stacey sealed a 2-0 victory on the day, and a 4-3 win on aggregate.
A stage was erected and the medals and trophy were presented, injured skipper Aaron Kuhl joining this afternoon's captain Pierce Sweeney to lift the silverware in front of more than 3,000 vocal Royals fans.
The 2-0 win on the day was the culmination of a wonderful season of cup football for our Academy lads, fully deserved after an historic FA Youth Cup run for our under-18s and this, some silverware for our trophy cabinet.
Reading: Lincoln, Long (Fosu 68), Griffin, Keown, Cooper, Sweeney (c), Tshibola, Stacey, Kelly, Tanner, Ugwu.
Subs: Ward, Murombedzi, Fridjonsson, Cardwell.
Manchester City: Lawlor, Drury (Tasende 75), Facey, Denayer, Leigh (Bytyqi 75), Glendon, Fofana, Ntcham, Lopes (C), Cole, Hiwula.
Subs: O'Brien, Plummer, Bryan.
Referee: Mr K Friend
Attendance: 3,034
First Half
Reading began brightly with Gozie Ugwu almost in behind but flagged offside as he scampered onto a Liam Kelly throughball - and then Tanner broke down the left but was dispossessed cutting inside before he could get a shot away.
Dan Lincoln was the first goalkeeper tested, saving comfortably with a dive to his right to deny Marcos Lopes, and ten minutes in Oliver Ntcham saw a deflected effort loop over the Royals crossbar.
Within the space of a minute, Ugwu and then Cole broke the offside trap at each end, Ugwu muscled off the ball before he could shoot and Cole touching it around Lincoln but his cross was well defended.
Jake Cooper directed a header into the side netting from a Liam Kelly corner and then Kelly was cynically tripped by George Glendon as he looked to break from midfield. Glendon was booked but the free kick came to nothing.
Just before the half hour mark, Ntcham won possession in midfield and fed Cole, who strode towards the edge of the box and rifled inches wide of the bottom right corner with a sweetly struck left-footed effort.
Then Lopes curled a free kick beyond the dive of Lincoln but just over the crossbar, and a low cut back from the byline five minutes later presented Cole with a shooting opportunity, but his effort was well blocked by Sean Long.
An audacious effort from distance from Lopes was well held by Lincoln, just after Jordy Mayifuila had almost connected at the far post with a searching cross from the right.
But the Royals almost unlocked the City defence when Tanner toed the ball into the path of Kelly on the edge of the box, but the Irish youth international tried to pick out a man at the far post instead of going for goal himself and the ball bobbled wide and behind for a goal kick.
Still time for a chance at either end before the break, a cross floating just too high for Stacey to get his head to, then on the break away, Fofana arced an effort wide of the right post.
Second Half
The opening chance of the second half fell Reading's way. Tanner fed Kelly who backheeled it into the path of the overlapping Griffin. He cut the ball back from the byline and Sweeney controlled it and shot, only to see it charged down and loop away from Lawlor's goal.
Moments later, Griffin took the ball forward after good work from Kelly and found Tanner inside. He spotted Stacey in acres of space down the right, but from a tight angle Ian Lawlor managed to palm the under-18s winger's stabbed effort away and City hurriedly hacked it clear.
Ntcham fires a reminder that City posed a potent threat on the break, driving forward and thundering a right-footed effort just wide.
But Martin Kuhl's men came close to a break away goal themselves, Tanner and Ugwu running at the last two defenders, but Tanner delaying his shot too long, eventually trying a backheel towards his strike partner that was cut out.
Lincoln had to be alert to keep out a Cole drive from the right side of the box, smothering the ball well at his near post.
Then, the breakthrough. Martin Kuhl introduced under-18s starlet Tariqe Fosu for Sean Long and with virtually his first touch of the game, he cut inside from the left, scuttled into the box, and rifled an unstoppable effort past the statuesque City keeper and low into the left corner.
The aggregate score had been levelled...but it wasn't level for long. Minutes after taking the second leg lead, Reading took the lead overall when Jack Stacey got in behind the City defence, coolly rounded the visiting keeper and passed the ball into the open net to the home fans' sheer delight.
The wind had truly been taken out of Manchester City's sails, two sucker punches that they struggled to recover from and Reading defended their lead quite superbly in the final 15 minutes, restricting Vieira's men to very few glimpses at goal.
The final whistle sounded and mayhem ensued. The celebrations could begin thanks to a stunning second half performance.
Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... DvJYeTz.99
Reading u21s 2 (Fosu 71, Stacey 74)
Man City u21s 0
READING ARE CUP WINNERS! Reading became the inaugural winners of the U21 Premier League Cup by beating Manchester City at Madejski Stadium this afternoon.
Two second half goals, from Tariqe Fosu and Jack Stacey sealed a 2-0 victory on the day, and a 4-3 win on aggregate.
A stage was erected and the medals and trophy were presented, injured skipper Aaron Kuhl joining this afternoon's captain Pierce Sweeney to lift the silverware in front of more than 3,000 vocal Royals fans.
The 2-0 win on the day was the culmination of a wonderful season of cup football for our Academy lads, fully deserved after an historic FA Youth Cup run for our under-18s and this, some silverware for our trophy cabinet.
Reading: Lincoln, Long (Fosu 68), Griffin, Keown, Cooper, Sweeney (c), Tshibola, Stacey, Kelly, Tanner, Ugwu.
Subs: Ward, Murombedzi, Fridjonsson, Cardwell.
Manchester City: Lawlor, Drury (Tasende 75), Facey, Denayer, Leigh (Bytyqi 75), Glendon, Fofana, Ntcham, Lopes (C), Cole, Hiwula.
Subs: O'Brien, Plummer, Bryan.
Referee: Mr K Friend
Attendance: 3,034
First Half
Reading began brightly with Gozie Ugwu almost in behind but flagged offside as he scampered onto a Liam Kelly throughball - and then Tanner broke down the left but was dispossessed cutting inside before he could get a shot away.
Dan Lincoln was the first goalkeeper tested, saving comfortably with a dive to his right to deny Marcos Lopes, and ten minutes in Oliver Ntcham saw a deflected effort loop over the Royals crossbar.
Within the space of a minute, Ugwu and then Cole broke the offside trap at each end, Ugwu muscled off the ball before he could shoot and Cole touching it around Lincoln but his cross was well defended.
Jake Cooper directed a header into the side netting from a Liam Kelly corner and then Kelly was cynically tripped by George Glendon as he looked to break from midfield. Glendon was booked but the free kick came to nothing.
Just before the half hour mark, Ntcham won possession in midfield and fed Cole, who strode towards the edge of the box and rifled inches wide of the bottom right corner with a sweetly struck left-footed effort.
Then Lopes curled a free kick beyond the dive of Lincoln but just over the crossbar, and a low cut back from the byline five minutes later presented Cole with a shooting opportunity, but his effort was well blocked by Sean Long.
An audacious effort from distance from Lopes was well held by Lincoln, just after Jordy Mayifuila had almost connected at the far post with a searching cross from the right.
But the Royals almost unlocked the City defence when Tanner toed the ball into the path of Kelly on the edge of the box, but the Irish youth international tried to pick out a man at the far post instead of going for goal himself and the ball bobbled wide and behind for a goal kick.
Still time for a chance at either end before the break, a cross floating just too high for Stacey to get his head to, then on the break away, Fofana arced an effort wide of the right post.
Second Half
The opening chance of the second half fell Reading's way. Tanner fed Kelly who backheeled it into the path of the overlapping Griffin. He cut the ball back from the byline and Sweeney controlled it and shot, only to see it charged down and loop away from Lawlor's goal.
Moments later, Griffin took the ball forward after good work from Kelly and found Tanner inside. He spotted Stacey in acres of space down the right, but from a tight angle Ian Lawlor managed to palm the under-18s winger's stabbed effort away and City hurriedly hacked it clear.
Ntcham fires a reminder that City posed a potent threat on the break, driving forward and thundering a right-footed effort just wide.
But Martin Kuhl's men came close to a break away goal themselves, Tanner and Ugwu running at the last two defenders, but Tanner delaying his shot too long, eventually trying a backheel towards his strike partner that was cut out.
Lincoln had to be alert to keep out a Cole drive from the right side of the box, smothering the ball well at his near post.
Then, the breakthrough. Martin Kuhl introduced under-18s starlet Tariqe Fosu for Sean Long and with virtually his first touch of the game, he cut inside from the left, scuttled into the box, and rifled an unstoppable effort past the statuesque City keeper and low into the left corner.
The aggregate score had been levelled...but it wasn't level for long. Minutes after taking the second leg lead, Reading took the lead overall when Jack Stacey got in behind the City defence, coolly rounded the visiting keeper and passed the ball into the open net to the home fans' sheer delight.
The wind had truly been taken out of Manchester City's sails, two sucker punches that they struggled to recover from and Reading defended their lead quite superbly in the final 15 minutes, restricting Vieira's men to very few glimpses at goal.
The final whistle sounded and mayhem ensued. The celebrations could begin thanks to a stunning second half performance.
Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... DvJYeTz.99
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Gunny Fishcake
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Play then all Tuesday ! Well done lads tremendous
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RoyalBlue
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ZacNaloen Just been thinking, there is a real chance we could field a full Academy 11 soon.
These 18 and 21s are very well balanced and there is not a position we are obviously short in.
My main takeaways from todays game are probably that Keown is better a LB than Sean Long (sorry Longy) and Sweeney is definitely a defender, if a rather well cultured one.
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Keown played at left back? Pretty sure he started at centre back and then moved to right back with Sweeney moving to CB.
One of my takeaways was that McCarthy needs to spend some time with Dan Lincoln learning how to distribute the ball to his teammates all over the pitch in a quick and highly accurate way, whether it be with a throw or a kick. Lincoln produced one particularly good throw in the first half, pretty flat and very fast straight to the feet of Ugwu? who was in a central position some 10 yards inside the City half - very nearly brought us a goal.
Last edited by RoyalBlue on 19 Apr 2014 18:27, edited 1 time in total.
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ZacNaloen
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Yeh sorry, getting mixed up. I was on the opposite side of the pitch to normal.
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St. Brynjar
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For those who know the U21s quite well, how ready are Ugwu and Tanner for the first team?
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ZacNaloen
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St. Brynjar For those who know the U21s quite well, how ready are Ugwu and Tanner for the first team?
Ugwu's not.
Tanner, depends on how the first team play football. He won't have much impact the way things are right now.
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winchester_royal
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St. Brynjar For those who know the U21s quite well, how ready are Ugwu and Tanner for the first team?
Ugwu is pretty average imo, quick and skillful but very little awareness. Will be surprised if he makes the leap anytime soon. My opinion of Tanner is well known, but just in case... I think the kid is the real deal. Everything good we did today came through him and when we got the ball to him (far too rare an occurence in the first half) he always took it in, beat a man, and looked to make something happen. Just the type of player we're lacking in the first team, and he seems to have the physicality now to handle rough defenders. Should be in the squad for Tuesday.
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shaka's shorts
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My match report:
Excellent team performance against a physically superior City team. Considering their resources, City had little craft in the final third. They were strong and powerful, but very wasteful in the final third. We had less of the ball, but were much more clinical going forward. Considering some of our lads (including both scorers) were from our u18's and they were missing Kuhl, who is our most influential player - it really was a very promising display. Here are my ratings...
Lincoln - 7 - City had lots of shots but rarely troubled him. He dealt with everything that he needed too and distributed well from the back
Long - 6 - Better defensively than going forward today and was subbed 2nd half to allow us to get Fosu on and reshuffle Keown to RB. Didn't let anyone down despite not being a regular starter
Griffin -7 - got better as the game went on. Struggled defensively first half with Stacey in front, but got better and better and was very composed in the final 20 mins as we saw out the game
Keown - 8 - Class display at CB and even better at RB. Not the tallest but won his headers and made crucial blocks
Cooper - 8 - Probably would have been Man of the match if not for Tanner's influence in the 2nd half. Tall, composed, good in the air and on the ground, left footed. He has it all.
Sweeney - 7 - Did OK out of position in Kuhl's holding midfield role, but defended really well at CB after the reshuffle
Tishibola - 6 - Not his best game as City were so physically superior in CM, but looked composed on the ball and distributed sensibly without being spectacular
Stacey - 8 - What a change around. Struggled in left mid first half but flourished when moved to his normal RM position in second half and was so quick and composed to take the decisive goal - great head on a very young player
Kelly - 7 - Inventive, great dribbler, we were much better when he dropped into left midfield.
Tanner - 9 - Not sure why he started left mid, where he was lost,but when he moved into a more central position he changed the game - a real talent, this lad has great control, vision and a touch of class. His chest pass to Stacey for the 2nd goal was a class above anything City could produce in the final third
Ugwu - 7 - Ran and ran. He worked so hard, didn't quite get the breaks, but was a constant menace. He has pace and control, perhaps just needs a little composure that will come with time
Subs - Fosu 8 - Changed the game. Scored with his first touch after coming onto the left wing, dribbled off his wing, cut inside and placed a great shot int the corner of the net. We were so much better when he came on which allowed Sweeney to drop back and Kelly to go into CM.
Well done lads. Adkins could do a lot worse than to use Tanner, Keown, Cooper, Ugwu and Tish in the first team squad more. I would have Tanner on the bench for a start on Tuesday and prob Tish with all of the midfield issues we have.
Excellent team performance against a physically superior City team. Considering their resources, City had little craft in the final third. They were strong and powerful, but very wasteful in the final third. We had less of the ball, but were much more clinical going forward. Considering some of our lads (including both scorers) were from our u18's and they were missing Kuhl, who is our most influential player - it really was a very promising display. Here are my ratings...
Lincoln - 7 - City had lots of shots but rarely troubled him. He dealt with everything that he needed too and distributed well from the back
Long - 6 - Better defensively than going forward today and was subbed 2nd half to allow us to get Fosu on and reshuffle Keown to RB. Didn't let anyone down despite not being a regular starter
Griffin -7 - got better as the game went on. Struggled defensively first half with Stacey in front, but got better and better and was very composed in the final 20 mins as we saw out the game
Keown - 8 - Class display at CB and even better at RB. Not the tallest but won his headers and made crucial blocks
Cooper - 8 - Probably would have been Man of the match if not for Tanner's influence in the 2nd half. Tall, composed, good in the air and on the ground, left footed. He has it all.
Sweeney - 7 - Did OK out of position in Kuhl's holding midfield role, but defended really well at CB after the reshuffle
Tishibola - 6 - Not his best game as City were so physically superior in CM, but looked composed on the ball and distributed sensibly without being spectacular
Stacey - 8 - What a change around. Struggled in left mid first half but flourished when moved to his normal RM position in second half and was so quick and composed to take the decisive goal - great head on a very young player
Kelly - 7 - Inventive, great dribbler, we were much better when he dropped into left midfield.
Tanner - 9 - Not sure why he started left mid, where he was lost,but when he moved into a more central position he changed the game - a real talent, this lad has great control, vision and a touch of class. His chest pass to Stacey for the 2nd goal was a class above anything City could produce in the final third
Ugwu - 7 - Ran and ran. He worked so hard, didn't quite get the breaks, but was a constant menace. He has pace and control, perhaps just needs a little composure that will come with time
Subs - Fosu 8 - Changed the game. Scored with his first touch after coming onto the left wing, dribbled off his wing, cut inside and placed a great shot int the corner of the net. We were so much better when he came on which allowed Sweeney to drop back and Kelly to go into CM.
Well done lads. Adkins could do a lot worse than to use Tanner, Keown, Cooper, Ugwu and Tish in the first team squad more. I would have Tanner on the bench for a start on Tuesday and prob Tish with all of the midfield issues we have.
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