The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2015//16

[Clyde1998]

Speaking to a parent of a kid at Chelsea's Academy today, who mentioned watching their U18s getting bullied off the park by Millwall (last night maybe) despite being full of superstars - game finished 1 - 1 and Millwall won on pens. He felt that Chelsea need a rethink as their boys just aren't ready for first team fooball, Elliott would certainly back this up, despite their skills. Felt that Reading was increasingly looking like a good option for up and coming youngsters who wanted first team minutes.

That was the FA Youth Cup quarter-final. Incredibly, there'll be only two Category One academies in the semi-final - as Bristol City play Swindon in one of the quarter-finals; Man City-Tottenham and Leeds-Liverpool are the other two.

I've noticed this with a few of our academy graduates in recent years - especially Vickers. They seem too lightweight for first team football, despite clearly being skilful.

Category One academies, their performance in this season's FA Youth Cup was:

1. Manchester City (QF) - will play Tottenham (C1)
2. Leeds (QF) - will play Liverpool (C1)
3. Liverpool (QF) - will play Leeds (C1)
4. Tottenham (QF) - will play Man City (C1)
5. Chelsea (QF) - knocked out by Millwall (C2) - 1-1 (4-2 on pens)
6. Crystal Palace (R5) - knocked out by Chelsea - 2-1
7. Fulham (R5) - knocked out by Liverpool (C1) - 3-0
8. Reading (R5) - knocked out by Man City (C1) - 2-1
9. Sunderland (R5) - knocked out by Swindon (C3) - 2-1
10. Arsenal (R4) - knocked out by Liverpool (C1) - 7-1
11. Brighton (R4) - knocked out by Leeds - 4-0
12. Everton (R4) - knocked out by Chelsea (C1) - 2-0
13. Manchester United (R4) - knocked out by Swindon (C3) - 2-0
14. Newcastle (R4) - knocked out by Bournemouth (C2) - 5-0
15. West Ham (R4) - knocked out by Man City (C1) - 2-0 (aet)
16. Aston Villa (R3) - knocked out by Burton (C3) - 3-1
17. Blackburn (R3) - knocked out by Wimbledon (C3) - 1-0
18. Derby (R3) - knocked out by Man Utd (C1) - 1-0
19. Leicester (R3) - knocked out by Chelsea (C1) - 3-1
20. Middlesbrough - knocked out by Sunderland (C1) - 5-2
21. Norwich (R3) - knocked out by Leeds (C1) - 2-0
22. Nottm Forest (R3) - knocked out by Grimsby (C3) - 1-0 (aet)
23. Southampton - knocked out by West Ham (C1) - 1-1 (4-2 on pens)
24. Stoke (R3) - knocked out by Bristol City (C2) - 3-0
25. West Brom (R3) - knocked out by Bournemouth (C2) - 2-0
26. Wolves (R3) - knocked out by QPR (C2) - 2-2 (9-8 on pens)

Ten of the twenty-six Category One sides have been knocked out by sides from lower categories. Not the greatest endorsement of the youth categories tbh.

[Stranded]

How does that compare to previous years? Is this year an anomaly?

What are the reasons behind it? Are the Cat 1 clubs playing their strongest U18 sides, or are their better players playing up an age group so aren't being considered for the Youth Cup especially the early rounds?

Not sure one season of cup knockout getting a few more shocks than usual says much about anything really - too small a sample.

[Hound]

Tbf Vickers was only 18 when he was playing for us and not a ‘big’ 18 either. He looks about 15/16.

Would normally expect players to be coming through at 20 or so. Kelvin, Abbey and co haven’t looked out of place physically when they’ve come in

[Royals and Racers]

Reading U 18’s 2 Leicester U 18’s 2 this afternoon. George and Barough the scorers.

[SCIAG]

How does that compare to previous years? Is this year an anomaly?

What are the reasons behind it? Are the Cat 1 clubs playing their strongest U18 sides, or are their better players playing up an age group so aren't being considered for the Youth Cup especially the early rounds?

Not sure one season of cup knockout getting a few more shocks than usual says much about anything really - too small a sample.

Most clubs take it seriously, particularly Chelsea.

They seem to have played their strongest side but just didn't play well enough on the night. So as you say, I'd chalk it up to sample size more than anything. We lost to Royston Town one year!

[Clyde1998]

How does that compare to previous years? Is this year an anomaly?

What are the reasons behind it? Are the Cat 1 clubs playing their strongest U18 sides, or are their better players playing up an age group so aren't being considered for the Youth Cup especially the early rounds?

Not sure one season of cup knockout getting a few more shocks than usual says much about anything really - too small a sample.

The average of since the introduction of the category system in 2012-13 has been 30.5% Category One sides knocked out by Category Two sides or lower and 13.0% knocked out by Category Three sides or lower.

Excluding the first couple of seasons, as it would likely take a couple of years for the youth categories to make an impact, the figures are: 28.6% and 12.9% respectively. It's been at the higher end of the former figure for the past couple of seasons and at the high end of the latter figure this season.

The number of Category One sides knocked out by a Category Two sides or lower:

1. 2012-13 - 9/22 (40.9%)
2. 2013-14 - 9/22 (40.9%)
3. 2014-15 - 7/24 (29.2%)
4. 2015-16 - 5/24 (20.8%)
5. 2016-17 - 2/24 (8.3%)
6. 2017-18 - 9/23 (39.1%) - not including Reading (expelled due to fielding an 'under-age' player in win over Southend).
7. 2018-19 - 8/24 (33.3%)
8. 2019-20 - 6/24 (25.0%)
9. 2020-21 - 8/26 (30.8%)
10. 2021-22 - 6/28 (21.4%)
11. 2022-23 - 10/25 (40.0%)
12. 2023-24 - 10/26 (39.5%)

The number of Category One sides knocked out by a Category Three sides or lower:

1. 2012-13 - 3/22 (13.6%)
2. 2013-14 - 3/22 (13.6%)
3. 2014-15 - 2/24 (8.3%)
4. 2015-16 - 2/24 (8.3%)
5. 2016-17 - 2/24 (8.3%)
6. 2017-18 - 5/23 (21.7%) - not including Reading (expelled due to fielding an 'under-age' player in win over Southend).
7. 2018-19 - 4/24 (16.7%)
8. 2019-20 - 1/24 (4.2%)
9. 2020-21 - 5/26 (19.2%)
10. 2021-22 - 3/28 (10.7%)
11. 2022-23 - 3/25 (12.0%)
12. 2023-24 - 5/26 (19.2%)

I'd say the latter option is more likely than the first. If you've got U18s in the first team, you'll probably not play a first team U18 player in the early rounds, but would consider them later on. Most Category One sides are in the Premier League, so those U18 players are unlikely to be regularly involved in their first team unless they're really good though. It may be that U21/U23 football is considered more important than playing a third round FA Youth Cup game against a Category Three side though.

There's a lower age limit for sides in the competition, meaning clubs can't play U14s in the early rounds (for example). We fell foul of that in 2017-18, when we played Imari Samuels in our 4-1 win over Southend who was younger than the minimum age. I believe you have to have had your 15th birthday by the end of August that season; Samuels didn't have his 15th birthday until the February that year. This will limit the number of eligible players sides have on the books to play in these games - so most will be playing fairly strong sides through necessity.

[Royals and Racers]

Reading U 21’s beat Brentford B 2-1 in a friendly at Bearwood on Friday afternoon.

[Royals and Racers]

The U 21’s return to PL 2 action this Friday evening March 1st with an away game at Fulham. The match is being played at Motspur Park KO 7pm.
Fulham are 6th in the table, but a win for the Royals would take us above them.

[morganb]

According to:

https://twitter.com/claredoc76/status/1 ... 8872048892

Kiyan Coke-Miles-Smith out with a dislocated ankle, fractured fibula and damaged ligaments

Sound a pretty serious injury, wonder how it happened? Hopefully he manages to fully recover from it

[Hendo]

According to:

https://twitter.com/claredoc76/status/1 ... 8872048892

Kiyan Coke-Miles-Smith out with a dislocated ankle, fractured fibula and damaged ligaments

Sound a pretty serious injury, wonder how it happened? Hopefully he manages to fully recover from it

Good lord, that sounds like a real nasty one.

[Royals and Racers]

According to:

https://twitter.com/claredoc76/status/1 ... 8872048892

Kiyan Coke-Miles-Smith out with a dislocated ankle, fractured fibula and damaged ligaments

Sound a pretty serious injury, wonder how it happened? Hopefully he manages to fully recover from it

Saturday’s Pl U 18 game at Bearwood against Leicester- subbed in the 42nd min.

[Hound]

Poor kid, that doesn’t sound pleasant at all

Nice win in the B&B cup as reported on the other thread for anyone who hasn’t seen. Goals for Jahmari and Baragh

[Royals and Racers]

Collins
Abdel-Salam
John Clarke
Purcell
Borgnis
Holzman
Akande
Senga
Jahmari Clarke
Wellens
Tuma
SUBS
Rhone
Ryan
Stickland
Barough
Okine-Peters

[Royals and Racers]

Fulham 1 Reading 0
2-0
3-0
H-T 5-0
6-0
7-0
7-1 Okine-Peters

[Sutekh]

Hunt out!

[Royals and Racers]

F-T 7-1

[Royals and Racers]

Next up for the U21’s is a rare home Sunday afternoon fixture in the PL 2 against Liverpool next Sunday 10th March. The match at the SCL stadium kicks off at 1pm and is likely to be free entry
Liverpool are 6th in the table and Royals 9th

[Sutekh]

Next up for the U21’s is a rare home Sunday afternoon fixture in the PL 2 against Liverpool next Sunday 10th March. The match at the SCL stadium kicks off at 1pm and is likely to be free entry
Liverpool are 6th in the table and Royals 9th

And how many of the Liverpool team have been recently playing in their first XI? Could be a long afternoon for the u21s.

[Royals and Racers]

Collins
Ryan
Carson
Rushesha
Stickland
Holzman
Akande
Senga
Wareham
Wellens
Camara
SUBS
Norcott
Abrefa
Okine-Peters
Tuma
Jahmari Clarke

[Royals and Racers]

Yesterday’s match in Pl 18 league ended
Brighton 5 Reading 2.