Youth, Reserves and Ladies 2014-15

[OCD]

Which has been a fair point in recent years. We may not be doing the one any more and only time will tell on the other. Grealish might be the first that gradually becomes more involved in the first team though.

[Dave Cooper please]

I find you a bit sad Plumbutt Cooper but i have never mentioned it until now !

I am wounded.

[dave.woodhall]

It is the start of a new season, whatever team we put out,i would expect it to compete with a team like West Brom ,who rightly or wrongly i think of as a smaller club . No problem with losing,but 6-0 ?

A scoreline like that is never good, but not entirely unknown (I remember scoring ten against Arsenal reserves a few year ago, much good it did us in the long-term). Albion might have a phenomenally good crop of kids this year like Southampton or Middlesbrough have had, we might have put out in effect a reserve youth side, it might have been our first years against their second  years. You don't know and throwing out insults at anyone who doesn't regard it as a hanging offence is a bit daft.     

Albion beat the almighty Southampton 2-1 with ten men today.

[LeeB]

I find anyone who gets worked up about a defeat at U-18s level a bit sad really.
95% or so of these players, historically, won't make it into our first team and of those that do maybe one of them will become an established first teamer, and that is the sort of stats we have had when we won youth cups!

I'd pool them in with those divs screaming and shouting at kids matches.

[DesBremner]

Each to their own but I would rather judge the youth structure by how many kids make it through to the first team.

I think there's now a realisation that we've spent too much time chasing youth & reserve trophies at the expense of player development.

Not just us, but football in general from under7's up ...............  "kick it out", "Get Rid", "Away", "take him off he's ......" it goes on 
Scorelines (should) mean nothing at academy level its the development of the player that should be paramount

[UK Redsox]

Scorelines (should) mean nothing at academy level its the development of the player that should be paramount

[OCD]

Tomorrow's U21 match between Villa and Arsenal is on Sky Sports 2 tomorrow night. First time I've seen Sky air a reserves game.

[Legion]

U21s: Villa team to play Arsenal: Hill, Leggett, Stevens, Cowans, Kinsella, Toner, Abdo, Calder, Drennan, Sellars, Robinson.
Subs: Watkins, Webb, Wildin, Zazrivec, Strain.

[Villafirst]

Decent start from both teams - Arsenal hit the bar, Villa have had a couple of shots so far. Crowley who left Villa is in the Arsenal team. Villa have a certain Henry Cowans in midfield!!

[Ron Manager]

0-1 Bloody awful defending!

[Legion]

Shocking.

[dave shelley]

Diabolical, goalie likes to go walkabout too.

[cheltenhamlion]

Having Diaby in midfield will be quite a help for Arsenal. The defending for the goal was crap and we go long too often from the back. Sellars looks decent. And how many bloody players do the Tarquins have with double barrelled surnames?

[cheltenhamlion]

And is written in stone that Sky's favoured few get every 50 50 at this level as well?

[Ron Manager]

Who is the ref? Doesnt look like Sioban Massey.

I missed the first 5 mins, Is that the dreaded Phil Neville co commentating?