Our youth players..

[ozzjim]

Couple of thoughts for a slow Sunday....

Following the success of our kids in the next gen, who do we think will emerge from that side/ beyond in the next 12 months to become a part of the squad in the way Baker, Clark, Gabby and Weimann etc have.

Secondly, looking through the U20 England squad, there is not 1 Villa player in it. Are they not good enough for that level, or are we being overlooked in a ridiculous way considering we just won the next gen beating Arsenal and Chelsea etc in the process?

[Legion]

Carruthers, Grealish and Gardner.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

Couple of thoughts for a slow Sunday....

Following the success of our kids in the next gen, who do we think will emerge from that side/ beyond in the next 12 months to become a part of the squad in the way Baker, Clark, Gabby and Weimann etc have.

Secondly, looking through the U20 England squad, there is not 1 Villa player in it. Are they not good enough for that level, or are we being overlooked in a ridiculous way considering we just won the next gen beating Arsenal and Chelsea etc in the process?

Our best players are all Irish;-)

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Also, does PL think they're good enough, as he's just signed 5 young players as it is?

[Matt Collins]

Interesting debate this one. It can't have escaped anyone's attention that Westwood, Lowton, Benteke, Sylla, Delph and Weimann (though he joined early) have all been a couple of levels higher than the likes of Clark, Delfouneso, Baker (though that's a bit closer) Albrighton, Bannan, Herd and Lichaj, despite being similar ages.

Now that might be in part because they've had more experience, and just as Gardner, Ridgewell, Cahill have gone on to be premier league players elsewhere, perhaps some of those above will too. I think Baker and then Clark are the best bets.I don't see it with the others.

Are we saying that the current lot are more highly rated than the crop that featured the names above? I'm not sure we are, are we? Other observers will be better placed to comment.

From what I've seen, there isn't one of them who's clearly so good that you just "know" like I did the first time I saw Rooney. But that's a high bar!

Gardner seems the highest rated. He'll need to recover from two big injuries, and from what I've seen he needs to get quite a bit better in terms of passing and the quickness of his feet. But then Craig didn't look great at that age.

Otherwise, from the very limited amounts I've seen, I'd probably plump for Jordan Graham, as he has skills and pace. Grealish has lovely close control, but I'm not sure what type of player he'd be in the premier league. Although I think he's very young still.

Callum Robinson impressed me in the nextgen, much more than Burke. Not really seen Drennan play. I used to like the look of Daniel Johnson, but he's not really getting any first team chances. Not sure about Carruthers.

The problem is that reserve team football is bloody awful in this country. I'd be in favour of putting a lot of them out on loan, as Spurs have done. Then we'll see who sinks and who swims.

It might entirely unfair, but I get the general impression that many of the kids coming out of our academy are a bit soft on the mental side?

[N'ZMAV]

Any chance of a decent centre half? Also, we haven't bought through a GK for a while.

[not3bad]

Any chance of a decent centre half?

There is supposed to be one very good centre half -  Donaecon or something like that.

[N'ZMAV]

Any chance of a decent centre half?

There is supposed to be one very good centre half -  Donaecon or something like that.

Let's hope he's better than Clark or Baker

[SoccerHQ]

Derrick Williams perhaps?

He actually came on at QPR and was on the bench at the end of last season. You know Vlaar and especially Baker will miss games through injury next season.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

Derrick Williams perhaps?

He actually came on at QPR and was on the bench at the end of last season. You know Vlaar and especially Baker will miss games through injury next season.

Was released last week.

[SoccerHQ]

Isn't that just like Carrauthers and Burke in that he'll sign next week?

[OCD]

Derrick Williams perhaps?

He actually came on at QPR and was on the bench at the end of last season. You know Vlaar and especially Baker will miss games through injury next season.

Baker's injuries are likely to be concussions with the way he keeps putting his head into places where others are kicking.

I've thought for years that we don't get enough of our kids in decent season-long, playing most games, type of loans. Is that because we've been holding onto them (probably yes in recent years with such a small squad) or is it because clubs aren't particularly interested in some of them? For how well heralded our youth system is, their doesn't tend to be many individuals talents. Weimann's probably the only one of the recent batch. Our successes at youth levels tend to be because we're good at putting teams together at that level. I really hope we can raise the standard of individual talents as well building the teams and that we develop them ready for 1st team football by getting them one or two season long loans where they're playing regularly.

[not3bad]

No I think with Derrick Williams he has actually gone.

[Mazrim]

Donacien is very promising but maybe needs a loan season or two to really progress.

Otherwise the mot likely new kids off he back are Carruthers, Johnson, Burke, Drennan, Grealish and of course Siegrist.
There's always the chance a couple players might just advance ahead of schedule and come through earlier than expected. The likes of Robinson, Graham, Donacien, Webb even Sellars. Never an exact

[OCD]

The pre-season friendlies should be a good marker for which will be included and which are going to push on.