Reserves and Academy 2025-26

[Dante Lavelli]

Given we won the triple last year, we appear to be under-represented at England U21 and U17 levels.  Are these specific age groups missing our sweet spot(s) or is the bar higher for international recognition?

[paul_e]

Given we won the triple last year, we appear to be under-represented at England U21 and U17 levels.  Are these specific age groups missing our sweet spot(s) or is the bar higher for international recognition?

I think at least part of it is that certain teams get watched more and their players tend to get age group call ups easier. It changes at U21 but before that you often see big groups from a handful of clubs and then only truly exceptional players from elsewhere.

[Drummond]

The other thing is that a lot of our players are younger than their representative age group when playing for us so still have time.

[paul_e]

The other thing is that a lot of our players are younger than their representative age group when playing for us so still have time.

Absolutely, loads of the U21 squad are still young enough to play U18s.

[Percy McCarthy]

Put these here rather than in ‘other games.

Obviously, ITV don’t mention the great cross for the assist, but I will:

https://x.com/itvfootball/status/1989682217409187893?s=46&t=GdM6cpVxe5IloByNCRheWA

[Percy McCarthy]

Only goal of the game for our boy Alfie Lynskey:

https://x.com/academyavfc/status/1989762024109207936?s=46&t=GdM6cpVxe5IloByNCRheWA

[Somniloquism]

Put these here rather than in ‘other games.

Obviously, ITV don’t mention the great cross for the assist, but I will:

https://x.com/itvfootball/status/1989682217409187893?s=46&t=GdM6cpVxe5IloByNCRheWA

Apart from "its a great delivery" and "it was great work as well from Burrowes, perfect weight on the cross"

[Percy McCarthy]

Put these here rather than in ‘other games.

Obviously, ITV don’t mention the great cross for the assist, but I will:

https://x.com/itvfootball/status/1989682217409187893?s=46&t=GdM6cpVxe5IloByNCRheWA

Apart from "its a great delivery" and "it was great work as well from Burrowes, perfect weight on the cross"

Oh yeah haha! He did say ‘great delivery’ and I didn’t watch the replay. Anchored in paranoia I am!

[Smithy]

There's 7-8 kids in the 16-18 range that seem to be really highly rated, hopefully we can get a couple of them through into the first team over the next few years and save ourselves a lot of money.

Where is the youngest Ramsey brother these days? Cole I think? He was very highly thought of a few years ago back when Arron was starring in the youth team and Jacob in the first team (but he was obviously VERY young back then, still at school I think).  I would have thought he'd be youth team age now?

[paul_e]

There's 7-8 kids in the 16-18 range that seem to be really highly rated, hopefully we can get a couple of them through into the first team over the next few years and save ourselves a lot of money.

Where is the youngest Ramsey brother these days? Cole I think? He was very highly thought of a few years ago back when Arron was starring in the youth team and Jacob in the first team (but he was obviously VERY young back then, still at school I think).  I would have thought he'd be youth team age now?

He's still with the U18s right now and seems to be getting a decent amount of games but not many starts. We have a lot of very good midfielders in that squad though so he's competing with Jack Mcgrath for game time and the latter is, from what I've been told, the most exciting kid we have right now. The other ones at that level my mate likes are Markie Meade, Leon Routh and Farid Addey.

From the next 'set' I've been told we have a young striker called Oscar Johnson who could be worth keeping an eye on, he's only just turned 15 in the summer so he's a way off yet.

[Mister E]

It seems to me that - looking short-term - we need to find out whether Wilson and Cotcher have got what it takes to score goals in the Premier League. Both have been feted for their potential but neither have been really tested yet.
It's wishful thinking on my part, of course: I'd love to see an 18-19 yr-old come through into the first team and score goals! Fulham, Geordies, Chelsea, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Wham - all have promoted youngsters in this season and seen the benefits.

[SaddVillan]

An interesting piece by Jacob Tanswell in The Athletic  about the wider philosophy behind our loans

SCOUTING, LOAN DEALS AND ANALYTICS: ASTON VILLA’S WORK WITH SEVERAL SMALLER CLUBS IS OF MUTUAL BENEFIT

Developing multi-club networks is common practice in modern football.

Aston Villa’s ownership group, V Sports, have established several formal relationships with other teams.

Real Union, clearly, is the most obvious of all. It is the club of manager Unai Emery’s childhood roots and he purchased a controlling stake in it during the summer of 2021. Unsurprisingly, the Spanish fourth-division outfit were then incorporated into V Sports.

Six Villa players have been loaned to Real Union in the previous three years, but the partnership offers other, possibly wider, benefits. Real Union have enhanced their footballing structure through increased analytics and technology, made accessible by Villa. They have enjoyed the upsides of the multi-club network with another V Sports setup, Vissel Kobe, taking concepts, best practice and players from the Japanese side when training.

To encourage a cross-pollination of ideas, Villa staff often travel to Irun, where Real Union is situated, to monitor current loanees.

There is an acceptance, however, that the relationship between Real Union and Villa is not exactly two-way. The differing standings of both, not only in calibre but in recruitment quality, facilities and methods, mean the Basque-based club benefits far more.

Yet it placates Emery and his brother, Igor, who is Real Union’s president, and offers first senior loan moves to Villa’s young professionals. As for Vissel Kobe, Villa have sent staff out to Japan to engage in regular discussions.

In all likelihood, Villa would have found other sides in V Sports’ stable more advantageous. Villa’s owners, Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris, acquired a 46 per cent stake in Vitoria SC of Portugal in 2023, but regrettably had to relinquish their share to 17 per cent months later, because they and Villa had both qualified for European competitions. This is prohibited under UEFA’s article 5 regulations, which state no ownership can have the “controlling decisions” on more than one club competing in Europe.

Still, Villa’s staff know the importance and value of collaborating with other clubs, sometimes irrespective of their resources. Foreign teams can provide different perspectives and cultures. Sharing opinions on methodologies, be it recruitment or coaching, can enable Villa to assess if certain aspects could be incorporated into their modus operandi.

Villa have been cultivating informal partnerships with other teams for some time, and not necessarily within the V Sports network. They span continents and leagues and, according to several sources The Athletic has spoken to for this article, provide expertise and enhance their own procedures.

One example is FC Annecy. Villa have forged a bond with the French second-division side. They exchange details on players, as well as various methods. Villa have leaned on the V Sports group, though, such as its director of global football development, Matthew Kidson, to integrate Annecy as part of the umbrella, even if the partnership is presently informal.

Their growing relationship with Villa was evident this summer. The final transfer of the window was the loan of 19-year-old right back Triston Rowe, who joined on a season-long deal (although, like every temporary move, there is a break clause in January, where his future will be considered).

Rowe had attracted both loan and permanent interest from Championship sides towards the back end of the window. Over a Zoom call with Villa and Rowe’s representatives, Annecy’s sporting director, Jean-Philippe Nallet, outlined their plans for the full-back. Villa were keen on Rowe moving to France because of the knowledge they had accrued of Annecy’s technical coaching programme and felt he would benefit.

Villa have sent staff who specialise in their loans programme to France to watch Rowe and hold conversations with Annecy figures.

Intriguingly, another club Villa staff have struck a relationship with is Columbus Crew. During the pre-season tour of the United States in 2024, the MLS side hosted and defeated Villa in a 4-1 victory.

From a sporting standpoint, ideas are exchanged regarding scouting systems, coaching methods and how to determine the most productive ways of recruiting. This includes open communication across the Atlantic as well as travelling between clubs. In recent months, Columbus Crew’s technical director, Marc Nicholls, visited Birmingham as another indication of the willingness to cooperate.

Last month, The Athletic revealed Villa had an agreement in place to sign teenage striker Ibrahim Dosso from Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas.

The 16-year-old, who has made four senior league appearances for ASEC this season, will join and sign a professional contract when he turns 18 on January 1, 2027.

In truth, Villa’s deal for the Ivory Coast youth international had been agreed for some time, owing to the close relationship they have with ASEC.

The groundwork was laid through academy staff establishing a partnership with the most successful side in the Ivory Coast. Kidson is credited with growing Villa’s presence in Africa because of the strong contacts he amassed through previously working at the Right to Dream academy based in Ghana. Villa staff have spent time in Africa over the past year, travelling to promising footballing academies.

Dosso’s acquisition serves as one tangible case. The forward was part of ASEC’s youth team that visited Bodymoor Heath and spent time in England, playing against both Villa’s academy and another English team. ASEC stayed at The Belfry Hotel and Resort, less than a mile from the training ground, and were given access to the facilities for more than a week.

ASEC are considered to be producing technically sound and physically strong prospects. They comfortably beat the other English side on their travels. Villa staff believe they can utilise these types of markets to good effect, with Dosso and another ASEC player, Mohamed Kone, reflective of this school of thought.

Kone joined in the summer after Villa tracked the 18-year-old for a year. Although still acclimatising to life in Birmingham and within a Premier League academy, the midfielder has impressed staff, with his signing regarded as a coup. Villa noted his potential at The Gothia Cup in July 2024, before discussing how and when to bring him in across relevant departments.

In this respect, alignment across academy and youth level staff is paramount; there is little point in signing a player, either domestically or from overseas, if key figures believe there is someone else already within the setup who is better.

Villa are mindful of stockpiling talent and, consequently, stifling pathways. Having too many players on the books invariably limits game time and blocks development, so broad agreement for every signing under senior level is a prerequisite. Maintaining contact and conversation with clubs such as ASEC means that, when the time is right, Villa will be at the front of the queue to sign their leading talents.

The upshot of a proactive policy is that recruitment and coaching either improves and directly impacts Emery’s first team, or young players are sold on at a later date. In the previous three seasons, the sales of youngsters and academy graduates has generated £60million ($78.48m), which has proven integral in Villa’s compliance with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

By looking to the outside to strengthen the structures within, Villa hope the relationships forged can bear fruit over time, whether that is through the V Sports network or the more informal ones across the globe.

[adrenachrome]

Dobbin started for PNE tonight.

Dobbed off on 56 minutes; no great shakes.

[Percy McCarthy]

Dobbin started for PNE tonight.

Dobbed off on 56 minutes; no great shakes.

Got an assist though.

[adrenachrome]

Dobbin started for PNE tonight.

Dobbed off on 56 minutes; no great shakes.

Got an assist though.

Yeah, that was good work.

I don't think he was up for the physical battle, tbh.