On a positive note - Uche Ikpeazu

[St. Brynjar]

Once it's confirmed we're down I'd love to see the likes of Ikpeazu, Samuel and Obita getting some game time. How's Keown's son getting along? I've heard people raving about him.

[winchester_royal]

For all fellow anoraks with nothing better to do on a Saturday morning...the U18's are playing Man Utd on Saturday at 11 and the game is live on MUTV. So if you have a spare £3 it might be worth signing up for a month.

[ZacNaloen]

For all fellow anoraks with nothing better to do on a Saturday morning...the U18's are playing Man Utd on Saturday at 11 and the game is live on MUTV. So if you have a spare £3 it might be worth signing up for a month.

It will be on the internet at Vipbox.tv

[Mike Hunt]

For all fellow anoraks with nothing better to do on a Saturday morning...the U18's are playing Man Utd on Saturday at 11 and the game is live on MUTV. So if you have a spare £3 it might be worth signing up for a month.

It will be on the internet at Vipbox.tv

Good possibility.

[ZacNaloen]

Man U & Liverpool youth games usually are so it's a good bet!

[SCIAG]

Tanner's a good little player, if he progresses he'll be a Sig type.

He could be a very good player, but other than position I don't think he's much like Sigurdsson. Stylistically he reminds me more of someone like Iniesta or Oezil, less of a wonder goal scorer, more of a dribbler. Highly doubt he'll be quite that good of course.

D'Ath was closer, but he was more of a central midfielder. Taylor is a good player, but doesn't have quite as much technical ability as the others.

Probably the closest we've come to another Sigurdsson was Bell-Baggie, but we inexplicably released him and he's now playing well on the wing for Tranmere.

How's Keown's son getting along? I've heard people raving about him.

He's good, but not "raving" good.

He's better at right back than centre back IMO, and we have better (that is, older) young right backs like Arnold and Hector who are better first team options in the short term.

[Plymouth_Royal]

Scores again against Southampton... Adkins is watching

I can't wait for the next academy player to come through. Hopefully Uche is the man. Always more exciting knowing it could be a striker.

I was hoping for a CAM like SIG. Surely one of D'Ath, Taylor and Losasso should have managed to get some games by now.

Losasso isnt good enough and has been on loan at salisbury anyway. Taylor hasn't progressed in the last 2 years and will be released IMO. D'Ath has struggled with injuries and been average when on loan. Can only see Uche and Samuel having any kind of impact next season, possibly Obita as well.

[Divvy]

2 goals today and one was a classy chip and in front of Nigel Adkins watching too. He's sounding more and more like one to watch this summer. Genuinely excited by him.

[LightwaterRoyal]

A couple that I thought had a good future with us are Scott Davies and James Henry but attitudes seem to have let them down. I really think English football would benefit from the Spanish academy system. Instead of going out on loan they get regular league games in the B team so they would play every week in the Reading way. Although that would probably only benefit the bigger clubs whose B team would be in the Championship while ours would be in non league.

[SCIAG]

Henry is an excellent Championship player tbf. He was only let down by Kebe being amazing.

Remember that in order for D'Ath, Samuel and Ikpeazu to score so many goals, they need good players around them.

Assuming we lose/sell/release Pearce, Kebe, Tabb, Le Fondre, Roberts, Pogrebnyak, Shorey and Harte and only sign a left back or two, I could see Partridge, Hector, Tanner, Obita, Samuel and maybe Ikpeazu being involved with the first team squad. A few more like Cooper, Webb, Tshibola, D'Ath, Fosu could have chances if we lose large swathes of the squad. It's a shame that so many of our best youngsters are central midfielders, we've got more than enough of those.

[CzechRoyal]

A couple that I thought had a good future with us are Scott Davies and James Henry but attitudes seem to have let them down. I really think English football would benefit from the Spanish academy system. Instead of going out on loan they get regular league games in the B team so they would play every week in the Reading way. Although that would probably only benefit the bigger clubs whose B team would be in the Championship while ours would be in non league.

TBH it would just turn into teams like Man U playing and good team in the championship to get promoted for the financial benefits.

[LightwaterRoyal]

A couple that I thought had a good future with us are Scott Davies and James Henry but attitudes seem to have let them down. I really think English football would benefit from the Spanish academy system. Instead of going out on loan they get regular league games in the B team so they would play every week in the Reading way. Although that would probably only benefit the bigger clubs whose B team would be in the Championship while ours would be in non league.

TBH it would just turn into teams like Man U playing and good team in the championship to get promoted for the financial benefits.

The A and B teams cant be in the same division. If Barcelona A were to go down to Liga Adelante the Barcelona B would have to drop down a division aswell.

If the B team wins the second division they cant get promoted. Not sure what happens if say Real Madrid'-Castilla (B) win the Liga Adelante and Real Madrid (A) get relegated from La Liga but I imagine they would just swap leagues and swap all the players over.

[winchester_royal]

It's an awful idea that would completely undermine the Football League and be the start of the end for football in this country.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

It's an awful idea that would completely undermine the Football League and be the start of the end for football in this country.

That process started with the formation of the PL.

[SCIAG]

The A and B teams cant be in the same division. If Barcelona A were to go down to Liga Adelante the Barcelona B would have to drop down a division aswell.

If the B team wins the second division they cant get promoted. Not sure what happens if say Real Madrid'-Castilla (B) win the Liga Adelante and Real Madrid (A) get relegated from La Liga but I imagine they would just swap leagues and swap all the players over.

If Real Madrid are relegated, Castilla are relegated too.

It wouldn't suit English football. It might benefit the national team and the standard of the top flight, but rightly or wrongly, we value local clubs ahead of that.

[Toon Toon Blue army]

The thing with Uche is he has the physical presence of a very big and strong fully grown adult. He relies a lot on his athletic ability and dominates defenders in the U18 league, the amount of central defenders that have literally been bullied by him in the U18s league this year is a little embarrassing (remember some of them are 16). He obviously has an eye for goal too.

However, when he comes up against more experienced defenders who know how to deal with a player like him, he can get found out and be pretty ineffective. He has had numerous games for the U21s this year and done very little.

That being said I think he could become a very good striker one day with the right development. Although I know a few people who don't think he'll make a career beyond League 1/2, I hope he proves them wrong.

[winchester_royal]

"Development is a long journey and a lot of the boys are doing well. I'm excited because the new manager, who was here watching, is particularly keen and wants young players to progress."

[Royalwaster]

It's an awful idea that would completely undermine the Football League and be the start of the end for football in this country.

That process started with the formation of the PL.

I think it might be an idea to have such teams playing in the conference - i.e. outside the football league. It would push up the standard in the conference (although it's already improved a lot in recent years) and give players the chance to play in teams for a whole season. It would make the conference a bit of a weird league though - to have teams playing in it who cannot be promoted ...

[Ian Royal]

It's an awful idea that would completely undermine the Football League and be the start of the end for football in this country.

That process started with the formation of the PL.

I think it might be an idea to have such teams playing in the conference - i.e. outside the football league. It would push up the standard in the conference (although it's already improved a lot in recent years) and give players the chance to play in teams for a whole season. It would make the conference a bit of a weird league though - to have teams playing in it who cannot be promoted ...

And what about all the teams you kick down into Conference North / South to accomodate these 'B' teams? I'm sure they'd be delighted.

[ZacNaloen]

Just start a new league, oh we did that.. but no one watches it cos it's all behind closed doors.