The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[Royals and Racers]

U 18`s on a real bad run of form- lost 4-0 at Hogwood today to leicester.

[Lower West]

House at 20 minute outing for Swindon this afternoon. Unable to influence an utterly dire Swindon team performance against a well organised Crawley side. Lots of new faces and it showed. Other than a late penalty save. Shots saved by the Crawley keeper were zero.

[sandman]

Academy graduate Jake Cooper continuing to make Jaap Stam look like a massive twat.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Academy graduate Jake Cooper continuing to make Jaap Stam look like a massive twat.

Stam did the right thing. All he can do is head the ball; positional play is still dreadful from what I've seen and yes he's found his feet at Millwall but that's down to their style of football as much as anything.

Osho and McIntyre much better prospects.

[sandman]

No, he made the wrong call.

Cooper's bettet than at least three of our current options at centre back.

A former world class centre back could have helped iron out his weaknesses but he didn't. The man couldn't even be bothered to check up on Cooper when he got injured.

[PistolPete]

No, he made the wrong call.

Cooper's bettet than at least three of our current options at centre back.

A former world class centre back could have helped iron out his weaknesses but he didn't. The man couldn't even be bothered to check up on Cooper when he got injured.

Millions of players have shown millions of great managers up - what’s oxf*rd new.

Jake Cooper has gone on to be a mid to lower end championship teams centre back. So what.

[Hound]

Academy graduate Jake Cooper continuing to make Jaap Stam look like a massive twat.

Stam did the right thing. All he can do is head the ball;.

Dunno, looks pretty decent at punching the ball as well based on today’s evidence

[Hendo]

Academy graduate Jake Cooper continuing to make Jaap Stam look like a massive twat.

Stam did the right thing. All he can do is head the ball; positional play is still dreadful from what I've seen and yes he's found his feet at Millwall but that's down to their style of football as much as anything.

Osho and McIntyre much better prospects.

+1, no great loss. Wouldn’t play in this team as his feet seem to be allergic to footballs.

[Snowflake Royal]

Tennai seems to be having a good loan at Wimbledon despite their league performance... just knocked out West Ham and rated quite highly by the Don I know.

[Nameless]

U 18`s on a real bad run of form- lost 4-0 at Hogwood today to leicester.

You may know better than me but it may be because the best of the U18 squad are now involved in the u23s and we’re probably playing quite a few u16 players in the u18 side.

[Hendo]

U 18`s on a real bad run of form- lost 4-0 at Hogwood today to leicester.

You may know better than me but it may be because the best of the U18 squad are now involved in the u23s and we’re probably playing quite a few u16 players in the u18 side.

I assumed this would be the reason as well, especially with a few U23 players out on loan as well, everyone has to shuffle up.

[Snowball]

Tennai seems to be having a good loan at Wimbledon despite their league performance... just knocked out West Ham and rated quite highly by the Don I know.

Has he ever made an offer you can't refuse?

[SCIAG]

U 18`s on a real bad run of form- lost 4-0 at Hogwood today to leicester.

You may know better than me but it may be because the best of the U18 squad are now involved in the u23s and we’re probably playing quite a few u16 players in the u18 side.

I assumed this would be the reason as well, especially with a few U23 players out on loan as well, everyone has to shuffle up.

Played our strongest U18 side in the cup and didn't do much better.

I don't know very much about the current U18s but their losing run (Cambridge excepted) goes back well before the likes of Lawless were promoted to the U23s. I can't say what the problem is, but I think there's something about this current batch that makes them less able to win football matches.

Also worth noting that we're far from the only club who sometimes play players "up" - until fairly recently we were much less inclined to do it than a lot of other clubs.

[Nameless]

You may know better than me but it may be because the best of the U18 squad are now involved in the u23s and we’re probably playing quite a few u16 players in the u18 side.

I assumed this would be the reason as well, especially with a few U23 players out on loan as well, everyone has to shuffle up.

Played our strongest U18 side in the cup and didn't do much better.

I don't know very much about the current U18s but their losing run (Cambridge excepted) goes back well before the likes of Lawless were promoted to the U23s. I can't say what the problem is, but I think there's something about this current batch that makes them less able to win football matches.

Also worth noting that we're far from the only club who sometimes play players "up" - until fairly recently we were much less inclined to do it than a lot of other clubs.

Fair points !
Also worth bearing in mind that it’s not necessarily a big deal to have a winning side at age group level ( although given the option it’s better to win than lose !).
The current u18 side won’t play together ever again. The best of them will blend into the u23 squad which covers a range of ages so really we want to have a small number of really good players ready to move up, ideally ones who play positions we’re not already strong in (we can manage without more keepers/central defenders in the u23squad for a while but a winger or two would be great as would a goal machine !)
But would be good to see the u18’s win !

[Sutekh]

Gabriel Osho has left Reading to join Bristol Rovers on loan for the rest of the season.

[Royals and Racers]

By next Thursday (weather permitting) the 8 teams through to the QF stage of the Premier league 2 international cup will be known.
At the moment we know 5 of them- Reading,Southampton,Tottenham, Man Utd and Villarreal.
Qf`s are all 1 legs, ET and Penalties to settle(played here not abroad)

2 more teams now qualified for the QF`s Dinamo Zagreb and Leicester- Bayern need to beat Brighton tonight to qualify, any other result and it`s Brighton claiming the final place. Draw should be made this week i would think.

[Jerry St Clair]

Lewis Ward made his debut for Forest Green Rovers last night after FGR first choice keeper James Montgomery was taken to hospital after having several teeth knocked out Sounds like Ward had a good game and Montgomery may be out for a little while, so possibly further games to come.

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/s ... ed-2485168

[Royals and Racers]

By next Thursday (weather permitting) the 8 teams through to the QF stage of the Premier league 2 international cup will be known.
At the moment we know 5 of them- Reading,Southampton,Tottenham, Man Utd and Villarreal.
Qf`s are all 1 legs, ET and Penalties to settle(played here not abroad)

2 more teams now qualified for the QF`s Dinamo Zagreb and Leicester- Bayern need to beat Brighton tonight to qualify, any other result and it`s Brighton claiming the final place. Draw should be made this week i would think.

Full QF field now complete and Bayern have taken the final place(beat Brighton 2-0)
Bring on the draw !!!!!! I`m unsure if the 3 European teams through are allowed " home draws" presumably played at Aldershot or Woking or do they have to play at the English teams ground if drawn against one of them.

[Nameless]

Zagreb at home would be a great draw....

[Royals and Racers]

Zagreb at home would be a great draw....

I have just checked the results from the 2017/18 comp and i`m now sure that if the 3 European qualifiers are drawn against an English club they will play the game at the English clubs ground. foreign teams i think can be drawn against each other and probably the game will take place at either Aldershot or Woking.- Porto the winners last season won at Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal in the KO stage.