EDS/Academy Games

[twosips]

No probs. It's one of the only reasons I use this forum still to be honest. I find the rest of the threads far too depressing to actually browse them by choice! End up feeling miserable if I do.

I find the CFA stuff fascinating. I only started going to academy games a few months ago but even I can tell that there's something really fucking special brewing at our club and it excites me a million times more than any debates about whether Mangala is a waste of money, or if we should sack Pellegrini and get x, y or z in instead. I guarantee people would feel a lot more ease about the first team's 'struggles' if they had the pleasure of watching these kids week in week out.

[Tokyo Blue]

I must say I'm absolutely loving this thread and there is so much burgeoning potential for optimism about the future.

For my money, special mention and thanks must go out to both Mr H and Twosips for all their input, analysis and information (no disrespect intended to any others who have contributed).

Keep all these posts coming you guys; they're wonderful to read and digest.

Absolutely right, mate. The best thread on the board at the moment. I am really looking forward to seeing some of these lads in the Sky Blue shirt over the next ten years.

In addition to the two lads you mention, the contribution of anyone who watches the junior teams is most welcome.

[Ted Hughes]

No probs. It's one of the only reasons I use this forum still to be honest. I find the rest of the threads far too depressing to actually browse them by choice! End up feeling miserable if I do.

I find the CFA stuff fascinating. I only started going to academy games a few months ago but even I can tell that there's something really fucking special brewing at our club and it excites me a million times more than any debates about whether Mangala is a waste of money, or if we should sack Pellegrini and get x, y or z in instead. I guarantee people would feel a lot more ease about the first team's 'struggles' if they had the pleasure of watching these kids week in week out.

Might have to try that myself; just leave them to it.

Just watched about 30 mins of Chelsea v Spurs U21s & they have some of the best prospects in the country between them. Now I'm not saying we would necessarily beat them, we have lost several games to good 'teams' and these are well organised, well built, sides with one or two talented lads, but for quality, compared to our strongest 14 or so, there is absolutely no comparison whatsoever. It's like comparing Burnley & City now. Burnley can beat us but City are a miles better football team whatever the result.

That piece about the U15s winning the tournament says a lot; that we dominate possession v everybody. That means Barca too! And also that our kids may be outmuscled but they are never outplayed.

I actually find the idea of signing a Pogba or DeBruyne quite dull compared to the prospect of this production line kicking in over the next few years.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Bytyqi is another one who slipped under the radar recently. Too bad about the cruciate ligaments injury, he seemed to do alright in Eredivisie.

I think we let him go on loan cos he'd already been surpassed by Celina who is s much brighter player despite being two years younger. I suspect Bytiqi will do quite well but never be close to our level. Like Rusnak really.

I liken Bytyqi to Milner. Nothing flash but works hard and should definitely make a good career in football.

[Sparklehorse]

No probs. It's one of the only reasons I use this forum still to be honest. I find the rest of the threads far too depressing to actually browse them by choice! End up feeling miserable if I do.

I find the CFA stuff fascinating. I only started going to academy games a few months ago but even I can tell that there's something really fucking special brewing at our club and it excites me a million times more than any debates about whether Mangala is a waste of money, or if we should sack Pellegrini and get x, y or z in instead. I guarantee people would feel a lot more ease about the first team's 'struggles' if they had the pleasure of watching these kids week in week out.

Might have to try that myself; just leave them to it.

Just watched about 30 mins of Chelsea v Spurs U21s & they have some of the best prospects in the country between them. Now I'm not saying we would necessarily beat them, we have lost several games to good 'teams' and these are well organised, well built, sides with one or two talented lads, but for quality, compared to our strongest 14 or so, there is absolutely no comparison whatsoever. It's like comparing Burnley & City now. Burnley can beat us but City are a miles better football team whatever the result.

That piece about the U15s winning the tournament says a lot; that we dominate possession v everybody. That means Barca too! And also that our kids may be outmuscled but they are never outplayed.

I actually find the idea of signing a Pogba or DeBruyne quite dull compared to the prospect of this production line kicking in over the next few years.

A wholehearted agreement from me in sunny Swansea. I would be a regular if I were anywhere near striking distance, but I take great interest in our youth progress and it's you guys who I rely upon for the fine details of the matches. So many thanks and keep up your great reviews.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Bytyqi is another one who slipped under the radar recently. Too bad about the cruciate ligaments injury, he seemed to do alright in Eredivisie.

I think we let him go on loan cos he'd already been surpassed by Celina who is s much brighter player despite being two years younger. I suspect Bytiqi will do quite well but never be close to our level. Like Rusnak really.

I can't comment on where they are in terms of development ( I'm relying on you guys for that ) but I thought Bytqi was sent on loan purely because he's outgrown the EDS? As in he won't develop any further playing kids football so a loan is the best option for the next stage of development? Or am I way off base?

[twosips]

No probs. It's one of the only reasons I use this forum still to be honest. I find the rest of the threads far too depressing to actually browse them by choice! End up feeling miserable if I do.

....and this is my cue to take my own advice and do one.

Part of me wishes we were stripped of our cash, found ourselves in the championship and had to rely on our academy kids for a bit. I'd find it a lot less depressing somehow. Or that the b-team stuff takes off in the tier between league football and the conference as i think id just fuck the first team off totally and follow that bunch instead.

[Beefymcfc]

No probs. It's one of the only reasons I use this forum still to be honest. I find the rest of the threads far too depressing to actually browse them by choice! End up feeling miserable if I do.

....and this is my cue to take my own advice and do one.

Part of me wishes we were stripped of our cash, found ourselves in the championship and had to rely on our academy kids for a bit. I'd find it a lot less depressing somehow. Or that the b-team stuff takes off in the tier between league football and the conference as i think id just fuck the first team off totally and follow that bunch instead.

Oh do fuck off TS, completely different stories. They're in the same set-up, they'll have the same mentality.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

No probs. It's one of the only reasons I use this forum still to be honest. I find the rest of the threads far too depressing to actually browse them by choice! End up feeling miserable if I do.

....and this is my cue to take my own advice and do one.

Part of me wishes we were stripped of our cash, found ourselves in the championship and had to rely on our academy kids for a bit. I'd find it a lot less depressing somehow. Or that the b-team stuff takes off in the tier between league football and the conference as i think id just fuck the first team off totally and follow that bunch instead.

I was thinking after tonight's game which of the kids if any might just have made a difference.
Angelino? Maybe for his attacking flair and pace but not for his general or defensive play as I thought Clichy was ok.
Barker? You just cannot be sure he would although he might have tried to be direct and might just have got through a time or two.More likely though the packed defence would have blocked and bullied him away.
Ambrose? Maybe because he is a real trier and very active in the box. I reflected on Murray winning almost everything that came near him and he's an old git that isn't that big but tries really hard to win everything.Ambrose is more like that than Edin if you add all his effort from 20 matches together into one match.

[twosips]

Beefy - Nope. Never say die, work hard, play as a team. They really don't have the same mentality. Anyway - my point anyway wasn't relating to the actual performances, it was relating to the rigmarole surrounding the whole thing. The media, the (often) overreacting fans, the shit attention seeking refs, the terrible atmosphere at the etihad, the ticket prices, sky pundits, shit 'twitter' wars, overpaid crap footballers, the stupid money attached to the premier league game and the self-promoting 'glory' of it all. It's just left me feeling really numb and hard to relate to.

[Ted Hughes]

The biggest difference would be more quity attempts at shots imo & more talent in that aspect. A bit of a deflection from an attempted shot could often be the difference in such a game. Not if you whack everything high into the stand of course, ball needs to be in the danger area. But vs a back 11, the kids would probably struggle too on plenty of occasions. We have players who are goalscorers but not really sniffers of chances as such. When chances are few, you have to finish. That's one of the few things we lack imo; a genuine specialist goalscorer.

Many of the EDS & U18s seem to have the abiity to score from outside the box though.

[Cocacolajojo1]

Just saw the highlights from the Leicester game. It seems to have been a fairly easy game judging by the highlights but I can see what you lot are talking about. He's definitely not (only, at least) a fullback, there's deffo something more to him. I sure hope that he fulfills the potential you see in him and regardless, he should probably be loaned out or placed in the squad next season. More encounters with cynical 30 year old centre backs is probably what he needs to progress.

[Ted Hughes]

Just saw the highlights from the Leicester game. It seems to have been a fairly easy game judging by the highlights but I can see what you lot are talking about. He's definitely not (only, at least) a fullback, there's deffo something more to him. I sure hope that he fulfills the potential you see in him and regardless, he should probably be loaned out or placed in the squad next season. More encounters with cynical 30 year old centre backs is probably what he needs to progress.

I didn't see the game, but Leicester are not an easy team to play against.

They beat us 6-2 at their place, won at the rags', a win & a draw v Chelsea, beat Shalke, Benfica, Spurs & only lost 1 in the league since October. That was a depleted City side & I expected trouble when I saw the team sheet on twatter. Hell of a result that.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

2nd leg of the youth cup semi against Leicester is on ITV4 tonight.

[twosips]

Just saw the highlights from the Leicester game. It seems to have been a fairly easy game judging by the highlights but I can see what you lot are talking about. He's definitely not (only, at least) a fullback, there's deffo something more to him. I sure hope that he fulfills the potential you see in him and regardless, he should probably be loaned out or placed in the squad next season. More encounters with cynical 30 year old centre backs is probably what he needs to progress.

I didn't see the game, but Leicester are not an easy team to play against.

They beat us 6-2 at their place, won at the rags', a win & a draw v Chelsea, beat Shalke, Benfica, Spurs & only lost 1 in the league since October. That was a depleted City side & I expected trouble when I saw the team sheet on twatter. Hell of a result that.

Same. I didn't think we we'd done anything at all with that line up but they were great. Really worked for it.

I don't quite think the highlights do his goals justice either - the camera angle makes them look closer than they were. They were further out and more to the side. The highli ghts also dont show his disallowed goal and one where he struck the post all from the corner of the left side of the area with fiercely drilled shots... in that video too you can see the little spanish no.10, Garcia, playing a couple of passes that Silva's seemingly forgotten how to do recently. Perfectly weighted stuff - great little player.

[Cocacolajojo1]

Ted Hughes wrote:

Cocacolajojo wrote:Just saw the highlights from the Leicester game. It seems to have been a fairly easy game judging by the highlights but I can see what you lot are talking about. He's definitely not (only, at least) a fullback, there's deffo something more to him. I sure hope that he fulfills the potential you see in him and regardless, he should probably be loaned out or placed in the squad next season. More encounters with cynical 30 year old centre backs is probably what he needs to progress.

I didn't see the game, but Leicester are not an easy team to play against.

They beat us 6-2 at their place, won at the rags', a win & a draw v Chelsea, beat Shalke, Benfica, Spurs & only lost 1 in the league since October. That was a depleted City side & I expected trouble when I saw the team sheet on twatter. Hell of a result that.



Same. I didn't think we we'd done anything at all with that line up but they were great. Really worked for it.

I don't quite think the highlights do his goals justice either - the camera angle makes them look closer than they were. They were further out and more to the side. The highli ghts also dont show his disallowed goal and one where he struck the post all from the corner of the left side of the area with fiercely drilled shots... in that video too you can see the little spanish no.10, Garcia, playing a couple of passes that Silva's seemingly forgotten how to do recently. Perfectly weighted stuff - great little player.

Even better!

[Cocacolajojo1]

Plus he already has the tattoo sleeves. He's ready!

[twosips]

Plus he already has the tattoo sleeves. He's ready!

Reckon he's done that just to help ease Mase through the inevitably painful experience of there being no Kolarov?

[blues2win]

Youth Cup semi final second leg against Leicester at 7.45 on ITV4.

[Beefymcfc]

Beefy - Nope. Never say die, work hard, play as a team. They really don't have the same mentality. Anyway - my point anyway wasn't relating to the actual performances, it was relating to the rigmarole surrounding the whole thing. The media, the (often) overreacting fans, the shit attention seeking refs, the terrible atmosphere at the etihad, the ticket prices, sky pundits, shit 'twitter' wars, overpaid crap footballers, the stupid money attached to the premier league game and the self-promoting 'glory' of it all. It's just left me feeling really numb and hard to relate to.

Mate, you need to embrace it. Without the input of our custodians we wouldn't have this fantastic set-up. For me, the issue surrounding your gripes is that it has been all-so fast, certain supporters haven't had the comfort of growing from 'Typical City' to where we are now so sometimes we don't know how to act, in defeat as well as a close though win; even a decent win is sometimes taken as a given.

It really has been a roller coaster ride and if I could put it like that then our current patch is after we've just hit the top and defying gravity and then come back down to the seat on a bit of lull.

Trust me, that lull won't be for long and we'll soon be doing the loop-the-loop, hanging on for dear life.

As the carnies say, 'Scream if you want to go faster!'.