EDS/Academy Games

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Looking forward to the 18's game tomorrow at the CFA against Everton. Top of the table clash which will be a true test for our young team.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Looking forward to the 18's game tomorrow at the CFA against Everton. Top of the table clash which will be a true test for our young team.

Well what can I say about that game. 2 nil up then 4.2 down with 7 to go and salvaged a draw to preserve the unbeaten record. An amazing game.

We were way below our best today but it was the ultimate in the difference between teams in terms of age,size and strength. I think we often say the opposition were much bigger than our lads but today I would think there must have been at leat a year age difference if not more.We had 5 16 year olds and a 15 in the starting line up and they mostly looked like adults and anything in the air was almost not worth competing for.

Great to get an early goal from Poveda with a beaut of a cross from 15 year old Ogunby. A great break from hardy got the second as his shot delected off the keeper onto the full back and in.Then Everton started to come on strong and a crosss from the right was turned in I think as an og. It wasn't helped that our left back Davenport went off after 5 minutes and was replaced by Rosler who is very right footed.

Everton simply overpowered us in the second half to score 3 goals and our composure was shot. Heads might have dropped and the unbeaten record seemed gone but they gathered themselves and the likes of Foden and Smith showed fantastic effort to try and get a goal back. Everton started to wobble a bit and a bit of a scramble brought a goal from Ogunby who scored under the keeper from close range.

The equaliser came from a Duhaney direct free kick. The keeper seemd to have kept it out ( he hadn't) but I think Poveda followd in to head it in anyway.Then on the lest attack we nearly stole it as a cross from Ogunby went across the 6 yard box narrowly missing 2 City attackers.

Onto Everton EDS tomorrow now at Southport

[dazby]

I was able to watch the second half thanks to Facebook and it looked like either side were going to score whenever they got in the box. Some dodgy defending by our lads but they showed wonderful composure to get back into it and sneak a point.

The commentator was very good too.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Lost the EDS game to everton 1 nil. Played at Southport and it's not a nice ground.The pitch is a bit heavy and quite bobbly so playing quality passing football isn't that easy.We weren't really very good and with Everton's greater physicality and the pitch it was hard to get anything going. diaz and fernandez were not really in the game much although just before their goal Fernandez hit the post with a great effort.

Their goal was a breakaway from one of our corners, a ctoss was headed to the edge of the box and their 9 volley in a peach with O'Brien not moving a muscle. After that it was largely one way traffic as we took off Diaz and fernandez for Ambrose and Boadu and created quite a few good chances. It certainly wan't Nmecha's day as he missed a few and Kongolo missed one with a bad first touch

[Justified logic]

Both Spurs and Leicester out of the UEFA Youth League this afternoon with 3 points and one game still to play. Arsenal could be out tomorrow by the time we kick off. No English team in the knock-out part of the competition - I'm guessing because we won the domestic u18 league last season! C'MON CITY!!!

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Looking forward to the game this afternoon on BT Sport v Gladbach. Need a result after the 2 games against Barca

[nottsblue]

1-1 at half time. On BT sport1 if anyone can get that. Scored first through Diaz and missed a lot of chances to go further ahead. Wonder if the first team have caught this from the young lads or vice-versa!

[nottsblue]

Diaz makes it 2-1. Lovely goal

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Diaz makes it 2-1. Lovely goal

Excellent.

Hope you'll keep us posted with events as they unfold NB.

[nottsblue]

2-1 win. Through to knockout stage with a game to spare. A similar performance and result tonight would be more than acceptable

[Mikhail Chigorin]

2-1 win. Through to knockout stage with a game to spare. A similar performance and result tonight would be more than acceptable

Thanks NB; you played a blinder there

[Douglas Higginbottom]

A good result but not a very good performance imo. We did have loads of the ball and created chances , especially first half but i thought we were very sloppy and gave the ball away far too easily too often. To really achieve at this level we have to keep possession better and be more clinical in both creating and finishing.

Some of it surely has to do with the make up of the side. We had 3 out and out fantastic attacking talents who are so much about taking people on and perhaps they try to do it a little more than they should rather than making the ball do the work. Sancho is 16, Diaz 17 and I think Fernandez just 18 but they are still learning. Nmecha as the number 9 is still eligible for the under 18's so it's a very young group of players. Having those 4 in the team plus Dilrosun who is very much an attacking player and it's therefore no surprise we will come under some pressure at times.

Look at the 2 goals though. Both high quality with a great attacking dribble from Diaz and then a perfect rolled ball for Fernandez to score. Then a top team goal with a perfectly weighted ball from Dilrosun to find the great run from Diaz who scored with a cool finish. If you watch the EDS and 18's moves and goals like those are commonplace which is why I enjoy watching them so much.

The other aspects of the game, control, defence and being able to see games out is being developed all the time.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Really disappointed I can't watch the 18's play tomorrow at the swamp training ground ( I assume) as it's an 11 kick off with the first team at 12.30. I wish they would plan things a bit better for those of us lucky enough to be able to watch both.

[johnny crossan]

Really disappointed I can't watch the 18's play tomorrow at the swamp training ground ( I assume) as it's an 11 kick off with the first team at 12.30. I wish they would plan things a bit better for those of us lucky enough to be able to watch both.

If you let them know Doug, I'm sure they'll kick off at 10am when your morning boiled egg has had chance to settle. In fact I'll have a word with Peg myself if you like.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Really disappointed I can't watch the 18's play tomorrow at the swamp training ground ( I assume) as it's an 11 kick off with the first team at 12.30. I wish they would plan things a bit better for those of us lucky enough to be able to watch both.

If you let them know Doug, I'm sure they'll kick off at 10am when your morning boiled egg has had chance to settle. In fact I'll have a word with Peg myself if you like.

Ah those days when a quick call would confirm when training would start. Full breakfast though not just a bolied egg!

[nottsblue]

EDS lads 1-0 up at home to Hull

[nottsblue]

EDS lads 1-0 up at home to Hull

Losing 2-1 now

[Douglas Higginbottom]

What the hell was that about!!! I would say Hull were about the worst team I have seen come to the academy stadium and yet we lost 2.1. The team we put out arguably had only 3 who I would say would be in our best team and that doesnt include any of the players we have out on loan! And then we play a system which I think was 3 at the back and Angelino in a holding midfield role alongside Kongolo.

Having said that we should have won with ease but kept messing up in the last 3rd. One nil up at half time through Ambrose and despite the average performance you felt all would be ok but at half time we took off Ambrose (probably pre planned as he has just returned from injury.) and shortly after we replaced Boadu I assume for the same reason. It all went downhill from there imo as they were the two bright lights in the performance.

I didn't see one Hull player who looked even close to decent but with a badly misplaced pass we gave them an attack and with defenders all over the place a donkey of a center forward scored a very very soft goal. We had tons of the ball but just lacked the right touch and movement in and around the box and for me didnt look like scoring. But Hull scored again through another donkey center half. A corner from the right went over the central defence and there were 2 Hull players inmarked who were given so much time to control the ball and score. It was very surreal.

Defensively we were all over the place even though Hull hardly attacked for the first 75 minutes or so. We lacked creativity although saying that we did get behind them a few times but either Ricketts or Patching didn't deliver. Fernandez was only a sub and Diaz not even in the squad. Sancho I assume still banned.

Just a poor performance. Weird selection , weird formation, lack of ideas and poor performances by individuals. Simon Davies isn't the manager I want looking after these players.

Not playing were Gunn,Tosin, Alex Garcia, Maffeo,Nmecha, Diaz, Dilrosen and Fernandez and Nemane were just subs

[Justified logic]

Well that was the Premier League Cup, our first match with Colchester and Derby u23s being the other two in the group so I guess it's being given a low priority, at least at this stage with five more group games to be played.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I am sure it was given low priority and rightly so I guess.
Especially when the next day the 18's play the scum away and we get Diaz, Duhaney and Nmecha all playing. Good result in the end with a 2.2 draw after being behind twice.