Correct me if I’m wrong but it feels like City have pretty much dominated the domestic leagues this season at youth level but with only one City player in this squad, is this a fair representation? Don’t mean this to be a prickly question, just curious really.
Most of their best 2004s aren't English. Van Sas (Netherlands), Larios (Spain), Mebude and Adam (Scotland), Borges (Portugal), it's just Gyabi, Katongo and Lewis missing from this squad.
Mebude was born in London. His stats are crazy at under 18 level. We should be trying to poach the lad.
It be interesting to see how the 2006 generations and onwards get on as they won’t be as many non England eligible players post Brexit playing alongside them in the junior leagues.
It's a pretty strong age group for Man Utd and Liverpool & there isn't one player for them. Obviously various reasons and Cannonier and Shoretire haven't helped themselves at times. Liverpool Mabaya, Miles, Jonas, Chambers, Gordon, Cannonier Man Utd Collyer, Gore, Forson, Shoretire, Mather
So, is the squad a fair reflection on the best players being picked or would it suggest it’s an experimental squad to give others an opportunity which is fair enough since it’s only friendlies. I know others have suggested in the past that politics are also at play, ie not wanting to select a certain amount of players from one team etc. Not sure I believe that but I’m not in the know.
Shoretire has been with the under 19’s this year so maybe he is going to part of the tournament squad for the under 19’s euros.
I think it is a number of factors but obviously as Fireburn mentions above there are a few 2004s that are playing up with the U19s. Selections seem to have been fairly consistent. You also can't control what other clubs have. City, United, Liverpool might have 'strong' group but individuals at other clubs classed as better for overall squad balance and selection in specific positions. A bit of a surprise how many 2004s have played up considering the strength of 2003 born group a few years ago who really only has Bellingham, Elliott and Colwill pulled in groups above. We talking Setford, Norton-Cuffy, Chambers, James, Devine, Gordon, Scarlett playing for 19s or 20s in the last internationals from the 2004s. Shoretire has played for the 19s & maybe Bynoe-Gittens skips 18s minutes and gets his first U19 call-up after his recognition at Dortmund. From Transfermarkt. Most U18 minutes 2021/22 Not in the current squad but been playing up in Blue In the current squad in Green Not in the current squad in Red. 1. Rico Lewis 433 2. Sammy Braybrooke 373 3. Jack Wells-Morrison 349 4. Sam Mather 347 5. Divin Mubama 315 6. Lewis Hall 313 7. Michael Olakigbe 306 8. Sonny Perkins 305 9. Daniel Gore 278 10. James Clarridge 256 11. Brodi Hughes 253 12. George Hall 237 13. Terence Miles 221 14. Charlie Setford 202 15. Harvey Araujo 186 15. Charlie Webster 186 17. Brooke Norton-Cuffy 179 18. Ben Nelson 169 18. Reull Walters 169 20. James Beadle 165 21. Zak Sturge 162 22. Lee Jonas 147 23. Jadel Katongo 145 24. Darko Gyabi 135 25. Jude Soonsup-Bell 134 26. Kian Pennant 124 27. Elijah Campbell 112 28. Zak Emmerson 111 29. Tommy Simkin 94 30. Isaac Mabaya 90 31. Ollie Arblaster 87 32. Joe Whitworth 76 32. Kaden Rodney 76 32. Kaide Gordon 76 35. Oakley Cannonier 66 36. Victor Akinwale 64 37. Josh Robinson 58 38. Max Thompson 45 38. Silko Thomas 45 40. Jack Hall 44 41. Luke Chambers 33 41. Jacob Knightbridge 33 43. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens 24 44. Richard Olise 14 45. Jordan Hackett 10 46. Thierry Small 0 46. Finley Potter 0
Being picked for England at these youth ages is far from the be all and end all. There will be just as many if not more players who end up having a better professional career than the lads who are picked for England youth on a regular basis.
It's youth football at the end of the day. Players develop at different rates and a good game at 18 doesn't determine where you are at 19 and whether you can mentally deal with the demands and pressures of breaking into senior football & whether you can stay there and perform. But selectors and coaches do as good a job as possible compared to over a decade ago. They seem to stick to their core from early age groups and add and remove as they feel confident too as time goes on. We lucky that we have such a demanding and testing football pyramid that if anyone falls through the net they are given a good opportunity to prove themselves.
Rico Lewis of Man City has withdrawn from the Squad and has been replaced by Bradley Ibrahim of Arsenal
City looking at Ben Nelson according to reports. He's Northampton born but played for Scotland before England. Perhaps a later developer playing for Scotland before we were interested?
Victor Akinwale (Palace) has been called up. Not sure who, if anyone, he's replacing. Might be Soonsup-Bell as his Instagram suggests he's on holiday.
Beadle, Walters, L.Hall, Braybrooke, Hughes, Nelson, G.Hall, Wells-Morrison, Mubama, Pennant, Small. vs Austria today.
Team is Whitworth Walters Small Braybrooke Nelson Potter Perkins G Hall Mubama Wells-Morrison Pennant
Not joking, I fell asleep watching it, just woke up with 8 mins or so to go and feel I didn’t miss a thing.