Training Saturday 28/1

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Chose training instead of the under 18's game.Maybe the right choice after hearing their result but I was listening to the Test match so had plenty to get disappointed about.Told Joe Hart the result after he had finished and he was amazed and gutted.

Lovely warm sunny day too so I was totally overdressed for a freeze and plenty of the players too were quickly shedding layers. Boots as well were changed by quite a few as it probably was softer and slippier than expected.The boots really are very lightweight.
19 players on view today (Mario given time off) plus 5 keepers.They broke off into 2 jogging groups and for the initial warm up exercises for what would be a fairly light first day back after a day off. Damn Strauss out and it's 56 for 5!

Then into a pass and move 2 touch session which was very good.Milner didnt join this one so Suarez came to make up the numbers. No major problem with Milner I am sure as he was working separately with Ivan Carminati. I forgot to mention Rekik and Razak were involved today and so was Franciso De Silva for maybe the first full training session with the first team for him. Clichy and Vinnie seemed especially up for it in this passing session when they were trying to win the ball back.

Then the pace all changed as Mancini took all the defensive players away for some tactical work while the rest did a variety of short sharp exercises.Plenty of dealing with crosses and corners which is probably the staple diet for Everton.After that group Mancini switched to work solely with the attacking players.Damn Trott out and then Swann so that's game over!

It all ended with a 9 a side game with a couple more going inside for a rest and a very early goal for Barry coming sliding in at the far post. A quick free kick taken at the other end gave Silva a chance to equalise which he took very well. AJ scored a tap in from a very good low Nasri cross. Plenty of moaning when a corner was signalled but nobody took any notice and the game went on.
just after
Barry broke through with a great run from deep but Stu Taylor won the 1 on 1. Razak bustled though well only to be brought down for a pen but the ref gave nothing. Learning from Dowd obviously. I was talking quite a lot to Jose Mancini's aide) at this time and reflected on the pen that Dowd didnt give at Anfield.It actually came from a well planned corner routine that I saw plenty of in training in the days before. Adam kicked Dzeko and not the ball but neither official saw it.Typical.

Edin then scored a super goal moving the ball to his right and hitting a top shot. Barry had another great chance but hit just over before Cisco scored very well from a top Kolarov cross.It was now golden goal time and I didnt have long to wait as Barry, yet again, broke superbly to beat the offside, broke through the keeper challenge and back heeled the ball into the net. Furious offside claims inevitably followed to no avail and Nasri decided to taunt Nigel ever so slightly as I think AJ did with Silva but it was all taken well with smiles and arms around shoulders. Not sure about some of the refs though as Massimo and Kidd were having a few words.But that was that and as I left there was just Clichy looking for someone to play with.

[Wonderwall]

Cheers doug. Lescott was at the JJB this morning watching his lad before leaving to go to training.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Cheers doug. Lescott was at the JJB this morning watching his lad before leaving to go to training.

Left a little early too and I believe went to the cinema.

[Ted Hughes]

Cheers Doug.

For England in Abu Dhabi read City/Utd at Anfield ie; going through the motions.

[Ted Hughes]

Is this DeSilva character actually a young player we've signed or a triallist ? I've lost track.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Is this DeSilva character actually a young player we've signed or a triallist ? I've lost track.

A triallist I think but he has been with us for a while now so cant be sure. He is Portugese,plays midfield and is on the small side but looks ok.

[Ted Hughes]

Is this DeSilva character actually a young player we've signed or a triallist ? I've lost track.

A triallist I think but he has been with us for a while now so cant be sure. He is Portugese,plays midfield and is on the small side but looks ok.

Cheers.

[phips]

It all ended with a 9 a side game with a couple more going inside for a rest

Why does this never seem to be Silva? He needs resting the most probably.

[john68]

Doug,
Our stated policy was to initially buy big and then supplement this with thetop quality kids that we would be able to bring through iur academy.
I haven't seem the kids for ages but whenever I see their results, our academy teams seem to be lagging our rivals. We went out of the Lancashire Senior Cup to Blackpool, got well battered in that European tournament that we sponsored and there seems to be little chance of any of the present kids pressurising for a 1st team place for a while yet.
How do you view the present situation Mate?

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Doug,
Our stated policy was to initially buy big and then supplement this with thetop quality kids that we would be able to bring through iur academy.
I haven't seem the kids for ages but whenever I see their results, our academy teams seem to be lagging our rivals. We went out of the Lancashire Senior Cup to Blackpool, got well battered in that European tournament that we sponsored and there seems to be little chance of any of the present kids pressurising for a 1st team place for a while yet.
How do you view the present situation Mate?

Sadly I havent seen the academy team for a while now but I think I am right that they are top of their league still even after a beating today at home against Bolton.But they were beaten badly in the NextGen games by Marseilles,Celtic and Barca.

Re the Next Gen games I think I am right that the age limit is 19 and our team was under 18.The other teams play regularly as an under 19's team and I think it showed.It shouldnt have made that much difference but maybe it did.The academy league side despite being at the top very rarely plays it's best side. e.g. Suarez/Rekik have hardly played a game and for the last 2 weeks (draw at LPool and lost to Notlob) we have had 5 or 6 key players missing from what I would say is the best team.

Some of that is injury and some because players are being "rested" for EDS games like the senior cups but we have been playing a lot of younger lads.Overall I would say our academy team is as good if not better than any (most) around. Maybe the youth cup will tell us more.The bigger question I suppose is whether we have any real prospects coming through? Rekik I rate highly but I am not sure if any of the creative players have enough to make it at the top level.I am thinking Suarez,Roman and Assulin.They really are clever technical players but I would question whether they have the strength to play at the top level or enough football intelligence.

Compare them to Silva.I know he is very special on the ball with his vision and touch but he is also a strong physical player given his physique and as intelligent a footballer as I have seen.The 3 I mention have the vision and touch to a degree but not the other qualities or not enough yet. They need loans I would say to see what happens.

[john68]

Thanks for taking the time to amswer that as thoroughly as you did Doug. I appreciate that mate.

I was just concerned that the whispers seem to say we have reached, or at least neared the end of the big spending spree, designed to lift us to the level we are now at and if that is the case, we are going to be reliant on the academy to provide our back up and next generation.There seems to be a shortfall and in order to maintain our present position, we have to dip into the market again. The FFP would not like that.

[Dunnylad]

If I may jump in, I think a transfer splash will be fine once we've cleared Bridge, Adebayor, Tevez, RSC off the books - we also have a lot of younger players out on loan who will either improve or attract a transfer fee -Boyata, Bunn etc

What is interesting is that we seem be picking up trialists weekly & bringing in very young players who are touted as the next big thing.

We don't need 11 players to make it (although that would be great), but we are moving in the right direction & our first team is young enough not to need radicle expenditure - imagine if Guidetti & Boyata come back from loans good enough to make the bench / first team that's two positions we wouldn't need to strengthen for. Plus for every Lee Croft (looks fantastic at youth level) there's an Eyal Berkovic (never liked reserve team football)

This season is all about winning the league, do that & the space for young players to come through & shine will be much easier to manage - at the moment fear of failure will stop Mancini risking them.

[Biamp]

Cheers Doug, great read. Any news on Nir Biton? Has he been around lately?

[Douglas Higginbottom]

If I may jump in, I think a transfer splash will be fine once we've cleared Bridge, Adebayor, Tevez, RSC off the books - we also have a lot of younger players out on loan who will either improve or attract a transfer fee -Boyata, Bunn etc

What is interesting is that we seem be picking up trialists weekly & bringing in very young players who are touted as the next big thing.

We don't need 11 players to make it (although that would be great), but we are moving in the right direction & our first team is young enough not to need radicle expenditure - imagine if Guidetti & Boyata come back from loans good enough to make the bench / first team that's two positions we wouldn't need to strengthen for. Plus for every Lee Croft (looks fantastic at youth level) there's an Eyal Berkovic (never liked reserve team football)

This season is all about winning the league, do that & the space for young players to come through & shine will be much easier to manage - at the moment fear of failure will stop Mancini risking them.

I think all that is true and we will probably continue to offload players. As for taking on triallists ,which we have, we have also taken on 3 or 4 youngsters of serious potential ,and are prepared to pay money for them,who we expect to make it as against all the home grown players who we hope will make it.Jose Angel Pozo being one from Real Madrid plus the two Bosnians and now a dutch lad is on the radar.

Our scouting network is world wide and great care is being taken to cherry pick real quality.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Cheers Doug, great read. Any news on Nir Biton? Has he been around lately?

Not seen him since the initial training sesison trials. I am hearing unsubstantiated rumours that a work permit has been refused.