EDS/Academy Games

[twosips]

Ha and again. Jammy bastards

[Ted Hughes]

City players all trying to win it individually now, due to the shock of being 'ragged'. A new experience for most.

[twosips]

Disappointing to say but i think in the end United have deserved this win. We were good in the first half without creating loads of chances and United have just been more clinical in a pretty quiet second half.

[Ted Hughes]

I think if the game had started with 20 mins to go, a 1-0 to Utd would have been an acceptable result, as we had pretty much dropped to their level & stopped passing the ball. Both sides were similatly average by then.

But the nature of the game, & the difference in quality of football played between the two teams prior to that, I find it a bit of remarkable outcome.

That one side basically has no choice but to play most of the game on the edge of its own penalty area, & wins 5-2, is a bit hard to take.

[Ted Hughes]

I'm not sure I'd take a single player out of that rags side for City.

Their defence is better than that particular back 4 of ours, but only due to the fact that they are well built, & have 4 or 6 more players stood around them & most of our usual one is missing.

Rashford has been their best player each time I've seen that team, & there have been rumours of him coming to City, but I don't think he's good enough to be worth poaching.

[twosips]

We played some nice passes but sadly overall it didn't really do much. There's no point looking pretty and doing fuck all - its a habit that hopefully they won't carry on as it leads you to basically becoming Arsenal.

We were clearly a better footballing side but just toothless really. It is however an incredibly young looking side clearly trying to cope with having more or less the whole team moved up a level at the start of the season.

[Ted Hughes]

We played some nice passes but sadly overall it didn't really do much. There's no point looking pretty and doing fuck all - its a habit that hopefully they won't carry on as it leads you to basically becoming Arsenal.

We were clearly a better footballing side but just toothless really. It is however an incredibly young looking side clearly trying to cope with having more or less the whole team moved up a level at the start of the season.

We didn't create that many chances compared to possession, but we were playing against ten at the back most of the game, with a scratch side & we did score first, & were completely dominating the game, looking like scoring again. At 1-1 we were doing the same & could easily have gone 2, 3, 4 with a favourable bounce here & there. At 1-2 we were doing the same, at 1-3 we were We had very similar situations to the goals they scored too, but the ball bounced off their keeper to their own player, rather than to us. When their keeper lumped the ball forward & it bounced through to their cf to score the 4th, we had been totally bossing the game again then, & even Albiston was saying we looked like levelling the score.

You just can't get away with defending like that vs anyone, let alone those stuffy cunts. The EDS game was almost identical. Outclassed them in every area, then drop several bollocks at the back.

A lot of the young kids did plenty of great stuff there today though, & I'd far rather have our kids, doing what they are doing, than theirs, playing their way.

They play as if Moyes has been their d.o.f. for 20 years. Bizarre.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

We played some nice passes but sadly overall it didn't really do much. There's no point looking pretty and doing fuck all - its a habit that hopefully they won't carry on as it leads you to basically becoming Arsenal.

We were clearly a better footballing side but just toothless really. It is however an incredibly young looking side clearly trying to cope with having more or less the whole team moved up a level at the start of the season.

Losing to the scum is never ideal but it's the first time for quite a while and when you think of all the eligible players we had missing it's not really a surprise. Utd came in on the back of 6 clean sheets in a row and when you see the way they line up with a strong looking back 5 and then 2 or even 3 protecting midfield players you can see why.

The comparison with our defending was chalk and cheese as we were pretty woeful.Utd were decent on the breakaways with some good pace but we were naive at best.Their 4th goal summed it up as a long punt found a red shirt running on his own as our guys took a second or two to wake up.

Overall though I am not disheartened by what I saw. I did think, and reds I talked to agreed, we were the better footballing side but sadly missing a real number 9. Faour seemed to work hard and took his goal well but I just don't see him a a striker.We passed and moved quite well but there was virtually no space to play in as Utd defended deep and strong.Despite that we created stuff and could and should have been ahead at half time.

I do like Garcia although I think he faded a little in the 2nd half.That might have been cos he had the shit kicked out of him first half with little help from the ref who seemed to think it was ok. Dilrosun seemed quite good but I am not sure he gets his head up enough to make the right pass/cross.

[twosips]

Wasn't totally convinced that Dilrosun has 'it'. You can sometimes tell with wingers and i get the impression he'll always be good but no more. Might be wrong though.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Wasn't totally convinced that Dilrosun has 'it'. You can sometimes tell with wingers and i get the impression he'll always be good but no more. Might be wrong though.

I am in the same camp.Better than Helan though.

[twosips]

Wasn't totally convinced that Dilrosun has 'it'. You can sometimes tell with wingers and i get the impression he'll always be good but no more. Might be wrong though.

I am in the same camp.Better than Helan though.

It's a weird one cos even though he saw less of the ball and struggled a bit today I still got the impression that Nemane seemed more exciting and explosive. He's the kind you think could go up a level one day cos of that incredible pace and power combined with a low centre of gravity

[Ted Hughes]

I'm not yet convinced by Faour or Buckley. Faour has fantastic ability, but is missing 'something'. Buckley has huge pace & talent but is somewhat 'English' & misses a lot of chances. Both could easily become stars, they have enough, but they have more to do than say Garcia, imo. He is brilliant & had a soso day today by his standards, but I don't care, he has it. It's obvious.

I thought it was surprising that Dilrosun, an Ajax graduate, looked the player most in need of coaching. He obviously has lots of talent, but he was too often caught on the ball, played dangerous passes inside inviting breakaways etc & I think him & Marcus Wood both playing left side, were the main reason we lost.

It's impressive that we get players from Ajax, who don't look as tuned in as the ones already here though.

Kongolo did well imo along with Diallou, with a lot of rags surrounding them. Both made some poor decisions at times, but they did a lot right too & were in a difficult position. I think Diallou is one of our top talents. May not have been obvious today, but imo he really has a chance & he is only a kid. Nemane is another I have high hopes for. Better than Dilrosun imo.

Hard to judge the defenders as all except for Wood had some great defensive moments amongst the disasters. Wood was hopeless but he's a midfield player.

Cameron Humphries definitely has something, but really needs to tighten up starting now.

Keeper looked nothing, unless he is 12.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I'm not yet convinced by Faour or Buckley. Faour has fantastic ability, but is missing 'something'. Buckley has huge pace & talent but is somewhat 'English' & misses a lot of chances. Both could easily become stars, they have enough, but they have more to do than say Garcia, imo. He is brilliant & had a soso day today by his standards, but I don't care, he has it. It's obvious.

I thought it was surprising that Dilrosun, an Ajax graduate, looked the player most in need of coaching. He obviously has lots of talent, but he was too often caught on the ball, played dangerous passes inside inviting breakaways etc & I think him & Marcus Wood both playing left side, were the main reason we lost.

It's impressive that we get players from Ajax, who don't look as tuned in as the ones already here though.

Kongolo did well imo along with Diallou, with a lot of rags surrounding them. Both made some poor decisions at times, but they did a lot right too & were in a difficult position. I think Diallou is one of our top talents. May not have been obvious today, but imo he really has a chance & he is only a kid. Nemane is another I have high hopes for. Better than Dilrosun imo.

Hard to judge the defenders as all except for Wood had some great defensive moments amongst the disasters. Wood was hopeless but he's a midfield player.

Cameron Humphries definitely has something, but really needs to tighten up starting now.

Keeper looked nothing, unless he is 12.

Interesting and good assessments Ted. Dilrosun is a talent but as you said today ( and so far) he can be dangerous to his own team when he is forced back and across that he gives the ball away in very bad situations.I too like Nemane a lot.As long as he adds the team game to his all great pace and attacking ability and I think we have a future star.Not Barker level but very good.

Re Diallou, who I have never seen before, I was told he might still be eligible for the under 15's team.If that's the case then wow!!

Cameron I believe has come on a lot.I initially saw him playing under 18's as a right back which I don't think he is but he seems to be maturing quite well as a center back.

Kongolo is ok but after he replaced Bryan on Wednesday I saw a big difference in quality ( and probably age) Still a talent though.

[Ted Hughes]

I'm not yet convinced by Faour or Buckley. Faour has fantastic ability, but is missing 'something'. Buckley has huge pace & talent but is somewhat 'English' & misses a lot of chances. Both could easily become stars, they have enough, but they have more to do than say Garcia, imo. He is brilliant & had a soso day today by his standards, but I don't care, he has it. It's obvious.

I thought it was surprising that Dilrosun, an Ajax graduate, looked the player most in need of coaching. He obviously has lots of talent, but he was too often caught on the ball, played dangerous passes inside inviting breakaways etc & I think him & Marcus Wood both playing left side, were the main reason we lost.

It's impressive that we get players from Ajax, who don't look as tuned in as the ones already here though.

Kongolo did well imo along with Diallou, with a lot of rags surrounding them. Both made some poor decisions at times, but they did a lot right too & were in a difficult position. I think Diallou is one of our top talents. May not have been obvious today, but imo he really has a chance & he is only a kid. Nemane is another I have high hopes for. Better than Dilrosun imo.

Hard to judge the defenders as all except for Wood had some great defensive moments amongst the disasters. Wood was hopeless but he's a midfield player.

Cameron Humphries definitely has something, but really needs to tighten up starting now.

Keeper looked nothing, unless he is 12.

Interesting and good assessments Ted. Dilrosun is a talent but as you said today ( and so far) he can be dangerous to his own team when he is forced back and across that he gives the ball away in very bad situations.I too like Nemane a lot.As long as he adds the team game to his all great pace and attacking ability and I think we have a future star.Not Barker level but very good.

Re Diallou, who I have never seen before, I was told he might still be eligible for the under 15's team.If that's the case then wow!!

Cameron I believe has come on a lot.I initially saw him playing under 18's as a right back which I don't think he is but he seems to be maturing quite well as a center back.

Kongolo is ok but after he replaced Bryan on Wednesday I saw a big difference in quality ( and probably age) Still a talent though.

Diallo (I'm spelling it wrong!) will be 16 in June.

[Slim]

Wasn't faour raved about after that u15's tournament a while back? Has he gone backwards?

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Wasn't faour raved about after that u15's tournament a while back? Has he gone backwards?

Yes and sadly I think he has gone backwards at least based on what was expected. As I said earlier I don't think he is a striker as he is being played but should be playing off a front man if not just a natural attacking midfield player.

[Ted Hughes]

Possibly that is his position. It has to be considered that he was playing up an age group vs an experienced, settled rags defence with most of their midfield also defending next to it, & scored a goal which would have commentators raving if Van Persie did it.

His ability has not been overestimated, it's just that at present when I've seen him, his contribution is not enough to merit being thought of amongst our top prospects. But I doubt he is behind any of them on technical stuff. Just need more 'something'.

It may appear in the coming years as he grows up.

[Slim]

From what I saw of the tournament he was well above his grade at that point, also there was a right sided winger, reminded me of SWP. Can't remember the name though, quick as a rabbit and ran at opponents.

[Moonchesteri]

@MCFC: EDS v SCHALKE: City's starting XI: Gunn, Maffeo, Evans, Facey, Angelino, Glendon, Ambrose, Ntcham, Pozo, Byrne, Barker -

2-0 already! Ambrose and Ntcham

[Beefymcfc]

Thanks for the update.