Academy Graduates Championship Squad

[Snowflake Royal]

Idle thought on the walk to work... how good a Championship squad can we put together from graduates of our Academy who are still playing? Try to use as few current Unders or First team squad members as possible.

Try to avoid players who are regular PL starters.

GK: McCarthy, Hamer, Southwood
RB: Stacey, Dickie
LB: Richards, Obita
CB: Cooper, Hector
CB: Hyam, Osho
CM: Rinomhota, Tshibola
CM: Holsgrove, Kelly
AM: Loader, Sigurdsson*
RF: Olise, Azeez
LF: Fosu, Camara
ST: Novakovic, Ehibhatiomhan

Backline is very strong, beyond that is a bit hit and miss.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I think something similar has been done on another thread previously about academy players being at a certain level/club.

Maybe you could put Ben House or Sam Smith in as squad strikers? Not up to Championship standard but have done ok in League One and overall are possibly better players than Kelvin E at the moment.

But yes, plethora of defensive options but a bit limited elsewhere bar a few players.

[SCIAG]

Jordi Osei-Tutu and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens should be in there. I'd bring Osei-Tutu in for Osho and move Dickie over to centre-back, but you could also drop Obita. Bynoe-Gittens in for Camara.

Lots of unimpressive options of similar quality up front:

Novakovich - 1 goal in 30 games - Serie B
Wickham - 1 goal in 8 games - Championship (last season 6 in 16 in League 1)
Samuel - 0 goals in 11 games - SPL
Smith - 11 goals in 41 in League One
House - 12 goals in 35 in League One
Ikpeazu - 0 in 9 in Turkish Super Lig (last season 5 in 33 in Championship)
Austin - 8 in 11 in League 2 (last season 5 in 34 in the Championship)

Probably have to have Long (1 in 27) before any of Clarke/Ehib/NML given selection patterns this season.

But really much of a muchness there. Novakovich and Samuel seem to be the worst options to me. Think I'd go with Austin's track record backed up by House's current form - assuming picking someone we released at 14 in favour of Simon Church isn't cheating.

[Hound]

Didn’t Angus Macdonald come through the academy? He played a fair bit at champ level

Put him in the back 4 and Big Hec into midfield. Loader should prob be up top

[Sutekh]

Didn’t Angus Macdonald come through the academy? He played a fair bit at champ level

Put him in the back 4 and Big Hec into midfield. Loader should prob be up top

Angus is now on a short team deal at Aberdeen after being released by Sw*nd*n, therefore might be an option in the summer.

[Snowflake Royal]

This is good stuff, knew there'd be some knowledgeable chaps around to bring in more options.

Wouldn't count Long as Academy personally, arrived at 18 and was featuring for the first team pretty much straight away.

[Dirk Gently]

Supplement the attacking midfielders with Tarique Fosu-Henry.

[9165]

Is Alex Pearce still playing, always thought he could be a premier league playrr, albeit a slow one, a bit like say James Tomkins or Rob Holding?

[9165]

Also James Henry and HKR,although the latter has now retired?

[Sutekh]

Also James Henry and HKR,although the latter has now retired?

Alex Pearce now plays for Wimbledon.
HRK is without a club after being released by WBA in 2021.
James Henry is still playing for Oxford.

[SCIAG]

Supplement the attacking midfielders with Tarique Fosu-Henry.

Already listed as a left winger.

Personally didn’t think MacDonald was worth mentioning compared to the other centre backs, especially with Holmes and McIntyre already missing out.

Other options - Shandon Baptiste for a wide spot and our very own Tyrese Fornah for a midfield spot, though I’m not sure he makes the cut.

[Hound]

Supplement the attacking midfielders with Tarique Fosu-Henry.

Already listed as a left winger.

Personally didn’t think MacDonald was worth mentioning compared to the other centre backs, especially with Holmes and McIntyre already missing out.

Other options - Shandon Baptiste for a wide spot and our very own Tyrese Fornah for a midfield spot, though I’m not sure he makes the cut.

Ian’s rules are sketchy but think he didn’t want any current first Teamers. I know he then lists Azeez and Ehib but anyway

Does Baptiste count? Did think him but did he actually graduate or was he let go when about 15?

[9165]

Is Alex Pearce still playing, always thought he could be a premier league playrr, albeit a slow one, a bit like say James Tomkins or Rob Holding?

Anyone remember Simon Church? Pierce Sweeney is I think playing for Exeter , Sean (not Shane ) Long at Oxford, Niall Keown, Aaron Kuhl, Jake Taylor? Not sure if any are still playing, I know Church finished early because of a dodgy hip.

[SCIAG]

Is Alex Pearce still playing, always thought he could be a premier league playrr, albeit a slow one, a bit like say James Tomkins or Rob Holding?

Anyone remember Simon Church? Pierce Sweeney is I think playing for Exeter , Sean (not Shane ) Long at Oxford, Niall Keown, Aaron Kuhl, Jake Taylor? Not sure if any are still playing, I know Church finished early because of a dodgy hip.

Church as you say is retired, so is Keown.

Kuhl and Tanner both basically had their careers destroyed by injury too. Both playing but far below their talent level. Kuhl is in the National League for Dorking, Tanner in NLS for Ebbsfleet.

Jake Taylor is in League Two and has had a reasonably successful career. Not really a Championship player though. Same for Long.

Ian’s rules are sketchy but think he didn’t want any current first Teamers. I know he then lists Azeez and Ehib but anyway

Does Baptiste count? Did think him but did he actually graduate or was he let go when about 15?

Depends how you count. I think it’s fair to not count Austin and Baptiste (Mawson, Eze, Fornah, etc.) who we allowed to leave, but I’d count people like Bynoe-Gittens and Wickham who left for reasons outside our control. My reasoning for this is that if we allowed them to leave then we can’t really claim responsibility for their career. Personally I don’t really count players who we signed aged 17 like Sweeney and Rinomhota and the Longs, but the club does. I don’t think there’s a “right” answer in any of those three cases, so up to the individual.

[Snowflake Royal]

Supplement the attacking midfielders with Tarique Fosu-Henry.

Already listed as a left winger.

Personally didn’t think MacDonald was worth mentioning compared to the other centre backs, especially with Holmes and McIntyre already missing out.

Other options - Shandon Baptiste for a wide spot and our very own Tyrese Fornah for a midfield spot, though I’m not sure he makes the cut.

Ian’s rules are sketchy but think he didn’t want any current first Teamers. I know he then lists Azeez and Ehib but anyway

Does Baptiste count? Did think him but did he actually graduate or was he let go when about 15?

That's why they're in italics

[9165]

Forgot about Jem Karacan!

[Snowflake Royal]

Is Alex Pearce still playing, always thought he could be a premier league playrr, albeit a slow one, a bit like say James Tomkins or Rob Holding?

Anyone remember Simon Church? Pierce Sweeney is I think playing for Exeter , Sean (not Shane ) Long at Oxford, Niall Keown, Aaron Kuhl, Jake Taylor? Not sure if any are still playing, I know Church finished early because of a dodgy hip.

Church as you say is retired, so is Keown.

Kuhl and Tanner both basically had their careers destroyed by injury too. Both playing but far below their talent level. Kuhl is in the National League for Dorking, Tanner in NLS for Ebbsfleet.

Jake Taylor is in League Two and has had a reasonably successful career. Not really a Championship player though. Same for Long.

Ian’s rules are sketchy but think he didn’t want any current first Teamers. I know he then lists Azeez and Ehib but anyway

Does Baptiste count? Did think him but did he actually graduate or was he let go when about 15?

Depends how you count. I think it’s fair to not count Austin and Baptiste (Mawson, Eze, Fornah, etc.) who we allowed to leave, but I’d count people like Bynoe-Gittens and Wickham who left for reasons outside our control. My reasoning for this is that if we allowed them to leave then we can’t really claim responsibility for their career. Personally I don’t really count players who we signed aged 17 like Sweeney and Rinomhota and the Longs, but the club does. I don’t think there’s a “right” answer in any of those three cases, so up to the individual.

I don't count Long, because he signed so late and went into the first team squad.

I do count Rino because he went through at least a few years development before breaking into first team, but its messy.