Fair enough. If there’s not a coaching or scouting deficit then is it all about the pathways and lack of appropriate pitches?
There's still a big culture difference. The elite academies and professional footballers might have a bigger focus on technique than they used to but I'm not sure that Sunday league football has become any more technical over the years.
CHO showed us that the Europa League can be a place for a young player to force further opportunities. Wolves start their campaign first followed by Man Utd and Arsenal. Are there any Wolves players of interest (aside from Gibbs-White)? I'd like to see Gomes continuing in a deeper central role, Smith Rowe played as a no.8 and Saka tried at left back.
Garner too. The G-G-G unit should get decent game time between them. Greenwood probably the most likely to be used.
A lot were first team regulars, or thereabouts last year - but about half of ITFC squad is looking likely to be academy players this season Harry Wright - GK - '98 Josh Emmanuel - RB - '97 Myles Kenlock - LB - '96 Luke Woolfenden - RB/CB - '98 Corrie Ndaba - CB - '99 - (ROI U21 international) Teddy Bishop - CM - '96 Andre Dozzell - CM - '99 Flynn Downes - CM - '99 Tristan Nydam - CM - '99 Idris El Mizouni - CM - '00 - (Tunisia Full International) Jack Lankester - WF - '00 All of those will be in our 22/23 man travelling party for pre season today - if Ben Morris (F - '99) and Ben Folami (F - '99 - Australia U20 international) would also be going to if they were fit. There may even be one or two more where we are short. Bailey Clements ('00) or Pat Webber ('99) as a reserve left back. I doubt Dylan Crowe ('01 - RB) will go or be involved. I imagine a couple of signings will be added to that squad, but I don't think money - we will be going into L1 with a mega young squad - for better or worse!
I wouldn't have thought so, there may be an attempt to shift one of the CMs and help improve the squad elsewhere - but realistically none are in a position where they are worth selling as not at top of value with where we are as a club, and fact that bar Downes none are of the back of a good run in the side where value can increase exponetially. If Lankester starts regularly and plays like he did before injury he'll be the one that impresses the most and will get linked everywhere for a big fee.
In addition to this 2 more youngsters have travelled Bailey Clements - LB - '00 Armando Dobra - AM - '01 (Albania U20 international)
Apologies if this was posted elsewhere but Jude Bellingham signed his scholorship with birmingham. Hope he gets his first team chance. What a player
Reading are an example where financial fair play means a large number of academy players are likely to get their chance this season. Our team for the first half of the first friendly of the season looked like this: Jokull Andrésson (17) Tennai Watson (22), Gabriel Osho (20), Tom Holmes (19), Omar Richards (21) Denzeil Boadu - trialist (22), Jordan Holsgrove (19) * Michael Olise (17), Sam Smith (21), Tyler Frost (19) Andrija Novakovich (22) *Subbed off for Ryan East (20) The entire defence and midfield is England eligible (Holsgrove and Olise have played at academy level for Scotland and France respectively). The second half was Sam Walker (27) Teddy Howe (20), Liam Moore (26), Tom McIntyre (20) Tyler Blackett (25) Andy Rinomhota (22), Ryan East (20)* Yakou Meite (23), Josh Barrett (21), Modou Barrow (26) Danny Loader (18) * Subbed off for John Swift (24) Howe, McIntyre, Rinomhota, East and Barrett are England eligible young players. McIntyre and Barrett capped at youth for Scotland and Ireland respectively. Olise is an interesting one. His brother, at Chelsea, is/was an England youth International. Michael has always been overlooked and had his first call-up for the Toulon Tournament. For France. We're down to 4 players over 25 that we aren't actively trying to sell..
Our u18s/u23s looks very exciting too, we often play a very young u23 team. Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Harvey Collins, Roberto Nditi, Claudio Osorio, Jeriel Dorsett, Ramarni Medford-Smith, Imari-Narain Samuels, Conor Lawless, Oliver Pendlebury, Dejan Tetek and Jack Nolan have all been tipped as potentially making it through to the first team, among others that have had youth International experience. Shame it looks like Diamond Edwards left.
Louie barry in talks with barca according to The Mail. Whilst im sure they could polish up his technique i think its a bad move, personally. Hed be better at sevilla or valencia where he might have an earlier shot at a first team
Jack Stacey (Luton, 23y) looks like following Lloyd Kelly to Bournemouth. Another talented English right back in the Prem then.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/dean-henderson-left-out-man-17485275 Lots of English representation in Man Utd's pre-season squad. Henderson is probably going back to Sheff Utd, which is good news but Tuanzebe is included. Not sure what to make of the Tuanzebe situation. Will he be used enough?
To continue adding to the list, Chelsea have Baker, Palmer, Chalobah, Sterling, Tomori, Cumming, Guehi, Gallagher and Ugbo with them in Dublin atm. Abraham, Mount and Izzy Brown are due to join up this week.
United are certainly going with a pro-English transfer policy but I'm not sure a move to the circus that they are atm is necessarily a good step right now for a lot of these players. Especially with a manager who's mediocre at best and looked out of his depth towards the tail end of last season. Just glad that Sancho doesn't look like he'll be going there this summer at least.
Think Tuanzebe's situation depends on what happens in the transfer market before deadline day. No one wants to buy any of our awful collection of centre backs so he may well end up going back to Villa. It seems that option is open as they want him but we have to see what happens. United believe in him massively. He's been there since the age of eight and is a centre back in the modern mould. He's always been a good leader in the youth teams with a big time mentality so he's exactly the kind of player Ole wants to champion at the club. He signed a new contract the other day.
#thfc are willing to listen to offers for Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier, Serge Aurier, Victor Wanyama, Vincent Janssen, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Josh Onomah and Marcus Edwards | @TelegraphSport pic.twitter.com/N4a6hDtKMY— Daily Hotspur (@Daily_Hotspur) July 7, 2019
Everton had (besides Holgate/Lookman) Joe Williams, Tom Davies, Callum Connolly, Morgan Feeney, Denis Adeniran, Beni Baningime & Josh Bowler involved with their first team today.
Arsenal played Boreham Wood yday. 📝 The teams are in! Here’s how Arsenal XI line-up against @BOREHAM_WOODFC… Pre-season is about to get underway for #ArsenalAcademy ✅ pic.twitter.com/EqWONjtHbS— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) July 6, 2019 Players who impressed Jeorge Bird. Matthew Smith Xavier Amaechi Tyreece John-Jules Miguel Azeez Ben Cottrell Sam Greenwood By this it looks like Saka will be joining Nketiah, Willock, Smith-Rowe & Nelson with the first team. Definitely looks a contract issue with Amaechi. Also to note all the main new 2nd years have signed pro deals bar Sam Greenwood.
These guys in addition to Jones and Brewster A number of academy players have joined first-team training at Melwood this week:Jaros (GK), Ojrzynski (GK), Lewis (LB), Larouci (LB), Johnston (CB), Sharif (CM), Glatzel (ST), Duncan (ST)It is possible a few of them could feature against Tranmere on Thursday night.— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) July 8, 2019