The Youth

[TelfordVilla]

Hopefully we can get a relatively easy draw in the next round so they can get another run out.  Oldham, Rochdale, Arsenal, someone like that would do nicely.

Chuckle

[Brend'Watkins]

If the football gods gave us these kids as compensation for losing he who shall not be named, I think we did very well out of the deal. It's going to be an exciting season seeing them develop, both the ones at the club and those on loan.

I was thinking much the same. Having one break through is good, having nearly a full team of them is something else. Our very own class of ‘92 by 2022, wouldn’t that be something?

[algy]

If the football gods gave us these kids as compensation for losing he who shall not be named, I think we did very well out of the deal. It's going to be an exciting season seeing them develop, both the ones at the club and those on loan.

I was thinking much the same. Having one break through is good, having nearly a full team of them is something else. Our very own class of ‘92 by 2022, wouldn’t that be something?

Yeah.  Seeing Archer, JPB, & Chucky Jr last night - there's a bright future ahead.  I know they're not quite Premier League ready just yet, and I know it was "only" Barrow, ... but the way that those 3 (and AEG) ripped them to shreds was incredible.

Really hope we get someone from League 1 in the next round to see how they perform against players at that level.  My gut instinct is that they'll still look a cut above.

[LeeB]

I reckon they'd beat most a league higher too.

[ADVILLAFAN]

If the football gods gave us these kids as compensation for losing he who shall not be named, I think we did very well out of the deal. It's going to be an exciting season seeing them develop, both the ones at the club and those on loan.

I was thinking much the same. Having one break through is good, having nearly a full team of them is something else. Our very own class of ‘92 by 2022, wouldn’t that be something?

Said it before, but I think West Ham's Class of about 99 was arguably better than Manure.

Rio Ferdinand, Carrick, Joe Cole, Lampard, Defoe and others like Bywater and Bullard all came through at about that time

[Risso]

The nice thing about last night was how seamlessly everything fitted together. Again it was "only" Barrow, but our recent history is littered with defeat in the early rounds of cups to "only" teams. We didn't just scrape through either, we absolutely wiped the floor with them. It suggests that in Chuk, JPB and Archer, we have three youngsters at least who should be in and around the first team this season. Compare that to recent years where our great hope was Hepburn-Murphy, who is now (I believe) plying his trade in the Cypriot league.

[Vegas]

Agree with the general sentiment here. There’s nothing better as a fan than the excitement of home-grown talent emerging, watching them go from smashing it at youth level, to 10 minutes here and there, to becoming regular starters for the first team.

That’s why, to me, Jacob Ramsey’s performance against Newcastle was so exciting - we’d seen hints last year, but Saturday was the first time for me he’d put it all together into a really composed 90 minute premier league centre mid performance.

Of the newer crop, I’m no massive expert and it’s really hard to judge, but it looks like JPB, Carney, and on the basis of last night only for me, Archer, all have enough about them to possibly make it for us - which would be amazing. There’s a few others too - Kessler for example looks really promising.

I’m personally not that optimistic about Brad Young or Louie Barry as long term first team prospects for us.
Would love to be proved wrong on these two.

[OCD]

Just think of the kids who aren't even being discussed because they're out on loan...Kesler, Barry, Young and Raikhy.

[Smithy]

Hepburn-Murphy is, unfortunately, the perfect example of why we probably need to temper our enthusiasm with this generation.  I'm as guilty as anyone for getting over-excited by their potential, but RHM played for England at every youth level up to U20, was pretty much a goal a game in our youth set-up, made his premier league debut at 16, and seemed to have the world at his feet - but then completely stalled when he hit 20.

I keep telling myself that having one player from that youth cup winning team become a sold first-team player for us would be brilliant.  Two would be incredible, three or more is practically unheard of.  I'm sure most of them will have a career in football, but it would be like a lightning strike to see a proper handful as the core of our first team in five years time.

But lightning does indeed strike every now and again, and who wouldn't like to be sat here in twenty years time watching a documentary about the 'Class of 2021' and the unprecedented era of success they brought to Aston Villa?

[cdbearsfan]

It would be unrealistic to expect every one of them to make it big. Two or three seems entirely possible, though. Maybe even more.

[Risso]

Hepburn-Murphy is, unfortunately, the perfect example of why we probably need to temper our enthusiasm with this generation.  I'm as guilty as anyone for getting over-excited by their potential, but RHM played for England at every youth level up to U20, was pretty much a goal a game in our youth set-up, made his premier league debut at 16, and seemed to have the world at his feet - but then completely stalled when he hit 20.

I keep telling myself that having one player from that youth cup winning team become a sold first-team player for us would be brilliant.  Two would be incredible, three or more is practically unheard of.  I'm sure most of them will have a career in football, but it would be like a lightning strike to see a proper handful as the core of our first team in five years time.

But lightning does indeed strike every now and again, and who wouldn't like to be sat here in twenty years time watching a documentary about the 'Class of 2021' and the unprecedented era of success they brought to Aston Villa?

This does feel a bit different now. Whereas we had the likes of RHM and O'Hare doing well in this reserves, this time we seem to have a coherent plan of going around and hoovering up the very best youngsters from all around the country. JPB for example, just looks like he expects to make it at this level. Not in a spoiled kid, over confident sort of way, just that he believes in himself and is made to play in the Premier League.

[paul_e]

How good these kids are for their ages is why i wouldn't be against only having a 'senior' group of about 20 players and is why I like that we have 9 subs now. It means you can have 4-5 experienced options on the bench but still have room for a few youngsters. If some of the senior players are very versatile it just makes things easier still.

Aside from that I think having such a talented group alongside a very youthful first team will go a long way in helping more of them make a fist of breaking through. They will be around players who are still on the way up and pushing each other to make it, hopefully.

[Mister E]

This does feel a bit different now. Whereas we had the likes of RHM and O'Hare doing well in this reserves, this time we seem to have a coherent plan of going around and hoovering up the very best youngsters from all around the country. JPB for example, just looks like he expects to make it at this level. Not in a spoiled kid, over confident sort of way, just that he believes in himself and is made to play in the Premier League.

The big difference might be that now we have a cohort, each member of which should hopefully keep each other's feet firmly on the ground. Furthermore, there are recent examples (JG and JR) of players being given the chance to play regularly in the first team.
The prospect of a group coming through into the first team is genuinely exciting in a way that hasn't been the case since the Moores, Ridgewell, Whittingham and Davis came through; and before that Little, Gidman, McDonald and Hunt.

[Jon Crofts]

The nice thing about last night was how seamlessly everything fitted together. Again it was "only" Barrow, but our recent history is littered with defeat in the early rounds of cups to "only" teams. We didn't just scrape through either, we absolutely wiped the floor with them. It suggests that in Chuk, JPB and Archer, we have three youngsters at least who should be in and around the first team this season. Compare that to recent years where our great hope was Hepburn-Murphy, who is now (I believe) plying his trade in the Cypriot league.

It was seamless the way they slotted in, impressive and a big credit to the entire system at Villa, everyone knew their lines, nobody fluffed.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Happy to see all the young lads now have upper body strength. Against a physical Barrow side they didn't allow themselves to be bullied. Only young Lindley looked like he needed a feed. Compare that to the past when too many youngsters making the step up weren't physically ready, we're certainly on the right path in preparing them to succeed.