U21, Youth and Ladies 2013/14

[fredm]

According tp reports Daniel Johnson has been training with Blackpool for a week and Ince wants him on loan.

[Mister E]

Notts County just sacked Kiwomya - Jack Grealish's new temporary boss is none other than Mr Hodge :-)

Given their precarious position, I'd rather hope we'd find another loan slot for the booy, perhaps in a middling championship side.

[Legion]

Aston Villa U12s 3 Coventry City U12s 1 (25 mins e/w)
Aston Villa U12s 3 Coventry City U12s 0 (15 mins e/w)

[PeterWithesShin]

U21 go 0-1 down after 4 mins and level it up after 7. Vs Newcastle. 

[Legion]

2-1.

[Legion]

3-1.

[Legion]

4-2 now.

[Legion]

6-2. Bring it on!

[paul_e]

Hattrick for Robinson, if he starts scoring regularly he'll become some player.

[Matt Collins]

I was listening to Roberto Martinez on the radio last week say that England produces excellent kids up to about 18, but then really struggles to translate that into 22 year olds of comparable level.

You can really see signs of that at villa I think. Consistently excellent at youth and reserve level, but on the whole a number of our kids fall away. And if they do make it, it's often only really after about 22 or 23, once they've got lots of games under their belt.

It's great that we won 6-2 last night. But is the best thing for our two 18 year old exciting wingers (graham and Robinson) really to be playing against a couple of 16-17 year old full back with one appearance at reserve level between them? I doubt it.

The loan system isn't perfect. The style of football can be very different. But it's got to be better than playing in the very mediocre reserve league surely?

[ozzjim]

This is where the Spanish use their B teams so effectively though. Send a yongster there for a couple of seasons to play competitive football and harden off. I think it is a good system and something we should be looking at here seriously. Even if not able to get as far as the Championship, just say league 1, it would be a lot more effective at bringing players on with the same coaching methods than we currently have.

[supertom]

I'd like to see a few of these kids coming up to the full team right now. They might offer a bit of guile and unpredictability that we're lacking. Johnson and Robinson in particular could be useful. I don't think they're too young either because our whole squad is very young. If Lambert is happy to throw young foreign imports, or youngsters in from lower leagues, then it shouldn't be a problem throwing in an academy player.

Likewise when Grealish and Carruthers come back it'd be good to see them get a shot.

A lot of our youngsters seem more comfortable with the ball at their feet than some of our first teamers. If we aspire to play football then perhaps a bit more experience for these guys will be beneficial. Obviously we can't bring them in at the expense of our better players, but at the expense of players like KEA and Westwood? Absolutely.

[OCD]

I was thinking with Gabby and Andi injured it would be good to recall Grealish and/or Carruthers to give us a bit of unpredictability, freshness and guile.

In the absence of anything better, the loan system is key for turning promising youngsters into first team players. Tottenham have used it the most effectively in recent times - sending players out to the lower leagues and even getting Premier League experience for some of their better players e.g. Walker, Rose, Naughton, Townsend and Livermore.

The idea of B sides joining the football league should be discussed by this commission that's been put together to look at youth football.

[Matt Collins]

Grealish played in the fa cup this weekend I see, so he'll be cup tied. An indication he's not in lambert' plans for the first team this year? He came off just after half time for the second game running too. He'd started really well but perhaps the games are catching up with him.

Carruthers not in the sixteen, presumably we didn't give permission for him to play. I wonder if we'll see him after Xmas? I'm not convinced by him if I'm honest but he's the type of player  we need at least

[spangley1812]

I was thinking with Gabby and Andi injured it would be good to recall Grealish and/or Carruthers to give us a bit of unpredictability, freshness and guile.

In the absence of anything better, the loan system is key for turning promising youngsters into first team players. Tottenham have used it the most effectively in recent times - sending players out to the lower leagues and even getting Premier League experience for some of their better players e.g. Walker, Rose, Naughton, Townsend and Livermore.

The idea of B sides joining the football league should be discussed by this commission that's been put together to look at youth football.

B sides would only be a good idea for the future of English football if you say that 6/7 players have to be English qualified