Playing the youth

[Camden Blade]

Iliman Ndiaye is 21, Lopata 19, Gordon 19. They're as ready as there'll ever be. Harvey Elliott, 18, played a full 90 mins for Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday. We seem to be reluctant to play our promising players. Just sticking with the old guard game after game has been our undoing. Maybe Slav will begin changing things now.

 

[JT89]

Lopata 19, Gordon 19 so no longer teenagers.

Erm, someone's going to have to explain this to me because I'm confused.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

I'd rather play some youth. They're fearless, confident and aren't taking the baggage of last year into matches with them. It wouldn't hurt to play them now while we're struggling through league games. They could give the others a much needed boost.

 

[Grappler]

Iliman Ndiaye is 21, Lopata 19, Gordon 19 so no longer teenagers. They're as ready as there'll ever be. Harvey Elliott, 18, played a full 90 mins for Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday. We seem to be reluctant to play our promising players. Just sticking with the old guard game after game has been our undoing. Maybe Slav will begin changing things now.

Er.....only Ndiaye is no longer a teenager?, Lopata and Gordon, at nineteen, are literally, teenagers.

I get what you mean, especially with Lopata, the kid looks decent.

 

[Blade.com]

Lopata played very well and would have been Man of the match but pipped by Billy Sharps 15 minute masterclass. He got caught ball watching a couple of times , besides that Great performance from him.

 

[Yogi]

Iliman Ndiaye is 21, Lopata 19, Gordon 19. They're as ready as there'll ever be. Harvey Elliott, 18, played a full 90 mins for Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday. We seem to be reluctant to play our promising players. Just sticking with the old guard game after game has been our undoing. Maybe Slav will begin changing things now.

Whilst it’s true that other teams in the prem have outstanding youngsters that breakthrough at 16,17,18 there’s a reason that is a rarity for us and it’s simply that they are category one academies. That means that the players who stand out at the ages 11-15 (before they sign pro terms) can be snapped up by cat one academies without charge. This means clubs like United are left with the late bloomers who weren’t wanted by cat one set ups and those who have been deemed not good enough and let go by those set ups. In this context united do an excellent job of being creative with where we get our academy players from and getting the ones we like on contracts ASAP but we still lose talented youngsters every year for free and by necessity those that we do produce are late bloomers because they have to be to have gone under the radar.

 

[mancunianblade]

We have great form for bringing through kids as is evident from the Euros..how many players are out there that were at our academy that we let go then went on to make it big elsewhere?

number of issues to bear the club with but developing youth isn’t one of them

 

[Grizzly blade]

Harry Maguire- at the same age was learning his trade a league lower than Lopata, at a time when we had no better option.

Presently we have two very experienced defenders, one with international experience with Ireland, and a third on loan from Liverpool.
That experience is essential at centre half, as the mistakes get punished more the higher you go.
So he’s better getting games as he is in the cup, or going on loan to a League 1 side until January and see where he is then.

Gordon you could argue the same.

Ndiaye hasn’t had the chances of others but as a sub he could get the chance to push his way in being a little older and stronger. I gather there is some contract issue mind which is a concern.

 

[BigBed]

I've been saying "play some u23s" since mid last season, and I cant understand why they arent included every week???
It's like having new players, and the more they play, the better theyll become.

 

[Snowflake]

I've been saying "play some u23s" since mid last season, and I cant understand why they arent included every week???
It's like having new players, and the more they play, the better theyll become.

Playing youngsters only works if they are good enough. Those thar see them play at U23 level and in training have a much better idea of their ability than I

 

[BigBed]

Playing youngsters only works if they are good enough. Those thar see them play at U23 level and in training have a much better idea of their ability than I

Hence, play the u23s.

 

[metalblade]

We should be going all out to get our academy up to Cat 1 standard otherwise the best we will produce will only be Championship standard players.

 

[Bladesman]

Some of these players are showing up the first team. I know Derby made changes as well to their usual line up but Gordon and Lopata looked a class above Robinson at the back.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

Would get them all to beerschot or out on loan there is literally no point of players like brunt/gordon/lopata/jebbison and the rest sitting in the u23

You can slag the club off but youth is not one of them it should be something we should be proud of

In terms of the size of our club I’d say we are easily on of the best out there

 

[Varkanoid]

I dont really agree with the "they are not ready" comments either SUFC handle the youth teams very well and even protect them to an extent. Wilder himself said we had one in particular that they were protecting but never named who. Liverpool may play their youngsters and be a different level but now we are in the Championship doesnt mean we cant do the same even when they are a different level. Giving them a taste of first team football cant do any harm especially when regulars are playing awful.

Dont forget how young Rooney was when he broke into the first team (16 years old in PL). It scales down in quality too we might not have a Rooney but we have 3 or 4 who could step up and break through especially when we cant spend any money.

 

[robbiez666]

Whilst it’s true that other teams in the prem have outstanding youngsters that breakthrough at 16,17,18 there’s a reason that is a rarity for us and it’s simply that they are category one academies. That means that the players who stand out at the ages 11-15 (before they sign pro terms) can be snapped up by cat one academies without charge. This means clubs like United are left with the late bloomers who weren’t wanted by cat one set ups and those who have been deemed not good enough and let go by those set ups. In this context united do an excellent job of being creative with where we get our academy players from and getting the ones we like on contracts ASAP but we still lose talented youngsters every year for free and by necessity those that we do produce are late bloomers because they have to be to have gone under the radar.

This. Our Academy lads were successful last year but against relatively poor players at poor academies. We should essentially win that league every year. We've tried to combat that by playing young players where we can but the lads on the cusp on the first team squad need experience. If you want them to develop, they need to be playing regular football at a senior level. They aren't going to develop fast against poor opponents in a youth league.

I'd rather play some youth. They're fearless, confident and aren't taking the baggage of last year into matches with them. It wouldn't hurt to play them now while we're struggling through league games. They could give the others a much needed boost.

It could also ruin them. I've nothing against the likes of Gordon, Burke etc being cover in case of emergency but realistically they're not good enough (yet) to be relied on to play regularly. You only see the upside to chucking them in but do you not see the possibility of them becoming bogged down with the same baggage the others have? That they could be dragged down by senior pros instead of dragging them up?

If you want to develop them fully, they need to go out on loan. simple as. Most players through PL Academies take a loan somewhere. They're not just oven-ready. You surely must remember the stick George Long got from our fans. Hardly a great environment for development!

 

[Yogi]

This. Our Academy lads were successful last year but against relatively poor players at poor academies. We should essentially win that league every year. We've tried to combat that by playing young players where we can but the lads on the cusp on the first team squad need experience. If you want them to develop, they need to be playing regular football at a senior level. They aren't going to develop fast against poor opponents in a youth league.



It could also ruin them. I've nothing against the likes of Gordon, Burke etc being cover in case of emergency but realistically they're not good enough (yet) to be relied on to play regularly. You only see the upside to chucking them in but do you not see the possibility of them becoming bogged down with the same baggage the others have? That they could be dragged down by senior pros instead of dragging them up?

If you want to develop them fully, they need to go out on loan. simple as. Most players through PL Academies take a loan somewhere. They're not just oven-ready. You surely must remember the stick George Long got from our fans. Hardly a great environment for development!

I think that sells the academy boys short a bit there’s some good sides doing some creative stuff at that level. Charlton and Birmingham are decent set ups. The concern is that more and more side are going cat one and we’re not.

I agreed though the times has come where they’ll only kick on from playing men’s football.

 

[Silent Blade]

Whilst it’s true that other teams in the prem have outstanding youngsters that breakthrough at 16,17,18 there’s a reason that is a rarity for us and it’s simply that they are category one academies. That means that the players who stand out at the ages 11-15 (before they sign pro terms) can be snapped up by cat one academies without charge. This means clubs like United are left with the late bloomers who weren’t wanted by cat one set ups and those who have been deemed not good enough and let go by those set ups. In this context united do an excellent job of being creative with where we get our academy players from and getting the ones we like on contracts ASAP but we still lose talented youngsters every year for free and by necessity those that we do produce are late bloomers because they have to be to have gone under the radar.

I remember being told about 4 or 5 years ago by an ex Academy coach that we had a "wonderkid" that went to Man U Academy and we would get compensation if he plays for their 1st team. The coach didnt tell me his name. Is he still at Man U?

 

[Yogi]

I remember being told about 4 or 5 years ago by an ex Academy coach that we had a "wonderkid" that went to Man U Academy and we would get compensation if he plays for their 1st team. The coach didnt tell me his name. Is he still at Man U?

Not a clue if I’m honest. I know when I was teaching a coupe of years ago we had a lad poached by Man City I only found out as they pulled him out of school moved him and his folks over to Manchester and put him in a private school.