Kavuma aside, do you think it looked like a weaker group compared to years gone by or was it largely similar?
Annoyingly I started to record the highlights at full time but managed to cock it up, RKM's goals were super impressive though.
Off today's showing, I wouldn't say it's a noticably weaker group but it's too early to say either way. Individually you can tell there are some really really oustanding players, although as a collective they struggled slightly. Was interesting that they played with more 'old fashioned' non-inverted wingers, however I think Monga slightly suffered as a result of that though.
I'm yet to see any age group, if we start with the 2000s, that is noticeably weaker than any other. They may each have certain strengths or weaknesses but they're all good and none are perfect, so i'm not sure why the narrative comes up pretty regularly about certain years being 'the weak ones.'
I feel like you'd have a hard time genuinely saying that the '05 group isn't both notably weaker in performances and overall personnel than other recent year groups. I mean, are you genuinely telling me you see no difference between them and the 00's and 03s? They didn't get knocked out of the U17 qualifying in a comfortable defeat to Luxembourg, or fail to even make it to the elite round in the U19 Euro's by fluke - both comfortably the worst performances of an England age group at their respective levels in many years. Of course such is the case with youth groups if you have a couple of high performing players come through it doesn't really matter if the rest of the group didn't amount to much. Out the opposite scale the '97 group was extraordinarily successful in youth football but none of that really translated to any important players for the senior side.
The 05s as a collective underperformed almost comically but I think time is showing them to actually be a pretty talented year group on an individual level. Obviously we already have Mainoo at the top but quite a few of them seem to be adjusting to senior football very well, even if it is early days for some of them. Think there's a decent chance a few more senior internationals come out of that group alongside Mainoo.
The U19 qualifiers were pretty freakish and they are lacking attacking width. But I think in Clark, Bellingham, O'Reilly, Mainoo, Hall and Hinshelwood, they've got great depth of brilliant + versatile midfielders. Then strong centre backs, but most interestingly, the best left back depth we've had in an age group for a long time. Having multiple good left backs and midfielders doesn't win you a tournament or even necessarily qualify you for a tournament, but it's no less important than another age group that has 2 more great left footed players for the right wing to add to the pile.
The best 97 for national performances by far has been Rashford who was promoted to the seniors so early he didn’t get many youth appearances,
Talking about Tyrese Hall ‘Tottenham are being ultra-selective about where they send highly-rated teenager Tyrese Hall on loan this season. (Daily Express)’
So, we won the first game 3-2 and lost the second 5-0. That’s under 16 football for you with much changed teams.
Reece Wilkes makes his senior debut, replacing an oustanding name. 82' A final change for #ftfc, and what a moment for @academyftfc! 🙌 ⬆️ 15-year-old Reece Wilkes⬇️ 16-year-old Pele Smith 🔴 (2-2) ⚪️ #OnwardTogether— Fleetwood Town FC (@ftfc) September 3, 2024
Eddie Chadwick of LA Galaxy is apparently set to be in the next squad. Has played for the US at U15 level, including against England.
Ryan Kavuma-McQueen’s goal vs Aston Villa U18 today ~ his first at U18 lvl pic.twitter.com/Q048sd1I57 https://t.co/oJ1InBQOFD— The Next Wave (@_TheNextWave_) September 21, 2024
Saw a few people online say that he was born in England and was in the Southampton Academy before his family moved to California.
People tend to forget that Max Downman is actually in this age group too. With him and Kavuma McQueen you have two absolutely outstanding players in this group
Full squad Goalkeepers: Charlie Hardy (Derby County), Toby Bell (Chelsea), Thomas Streets (Sheffield Wednesday) Defenders: Riley Ebho (West Ham United), Oliver Wilkinson (Barnsley), Archie Thornton (Manchester City), Marlow Barrett (Manchester City), Patrick Stachow (Arsenal), Eddie Chadwick (LA Galaxy), Mathis Eboue (Watford) Midfielders: Freddie Lawrie (Aston Villa), Jeremy Monga (Leicester City), Charlie Holland (Chelsea), Floyd Samba (Manchester City), Hugo De Lisle (Leicester City), Sam Alabi (Newcastle United) Forwards: Ryan Kavuma (Chelsea), Malik Olayiwola (Everton), Michael Mills (Newcastle United), Ibrahim Rabbaj (Chelsea), Jacob Parsons (Brighton), Oliver Boast (Leeds United), Ajay Tavares (Norwich City)
Some of you might already know this but I just learnt Mathis Eboue is the son of former Arsenal right-back, Emmanuel Eboue. Quite interesting seeing an increasing number of sons of former Premier League foreign players pop up in England youth teams.