Under 18's Results

[Sothall_Blade]

http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/20130508-u18s-results-2012-13-311178.aspx

I must admit that I hadn't realised just how terrible the results of the U18's team have been this season until the official site chose to highlight them. 11 defeats out of the last 14 matches!

Still, we started the season well enough with 2 wins and a draw. John Pemberton left the club around the 7th September. Coincidence?

 

[Wards]

Have to remember we've used a lot of U16's in that team this year so it was never likely to be a win every game scenario.

The results rarely matter at that level anyway, there's only ever likely to be 2 or 3 of them that stand a chance of becoming footballers so it's more about how they're progressing I'd suggest.

 

[DazBlade88]

There's a number of factors in this really.

Our second year apprentices were weaker than in previous years, which was shown with just two players getting pro contracts.

The back four wasn't the best, and the goals dried up once De Girolamo was moved up the ladder.

Because alot of the U21s were around the first team, the U18s moved up to the U21s and a few of the U16s were moved up to the U18s. There were a number games where our younger players just got bullied.

It was a very unsettled time off the pitch at that level which doesn't help the players either. Pemberton and Hoyland's styles were very contrasting.

Next season, once we've confirmed an academy coach for a period of time, we'll have a much better side with some of the youngsters coming through. A few of the first years from this season are very good players.

 

[ghandi]

View attachment 5844

http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/20130508-u18s-results-2012-13-311178.aspx

I must admit that I hadn't realised just how terrible the results of the U18's team have been this season until the official site chose to highlight them. 11 defeats out of the last 14 matches!

Still, we started the season well enough with 2 wins and a draw. John Pemberton left the club around the 7th September. Coincidence?

IMO not really as some of the the U18s are 17 as others as the most of the yoouth cup finalist have moved into the 1st team or U21 development squad. Pemberton whilst not the most poplular person around insisted on a passing style throughout the academy once Jamie Hoyland took over a more up an at them approach was employed which obviously the team were not used to playing. The poor results and style may have been the reason for a his parting of the ways I understand.

Apologies to the above two posters who just beat me with their responses which tally with my views.

 

[scrap]

Its not a coincidence.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Have to remember we've used a lot of U16's in that team this year so it was never likely to be a win every game scenario.

The results rarely matter at that level anyway, there's only ever likely to be 2 or 3 of them that stand a chance of becoming footballers so it's more about how they're progressing I'd suggest.

So I keep hearing but funnily enough we weren't saying that when we had an Academy side that was packed with good players and kept winning (i.e. the cup run). I'd suggest such poor results indicate that the current batch is nowhere near as good as the last.

I take on board your comments about U16's playing for U18's though. Why is that?
Is it because the U16's are exceptionally good for their age?
Or is it because the U18's are all playing for the U21's now that the U21's are in the first team?

If we have spare places to fill in the U21's and U18's teams, wouldn't we be better filling them with players of the right age. Maybe take them off clubs further down the pecking order like bigger clubs have done to us?

Edit:- Sorry, I posted this before I read most of the other replies. The appointment of Hoyland without regard to his preferred style of play seems to have been an unmitigated and predictable disaster. Surely they won't make the same mistake with the next appointment. What style of play does Travis Binnion prefer?

 

[DazBlade88]

I take on board your comments about U16's playing for U18's though. Why is that?
Is it because the U16's are exceptionally good for their age?
Or is it because the U18's are all playing for the U21's now that the U21's are in the first team?

If we have spare places to fill in the U21's and U18's teams, wouldn't we be better filling them with players of the right age. Maybe take them off clubs further down the pecking order like bigger clubs have done to us?

It's mainly because they're making up the numbers. Last week against Barnsley we had two 14 year olds playing!

I agree that we need to bring in more players, and I think they're working hard at it this summer but they won't bring people in for the sake of it. I know we've brought in a lad from Macclesfield and one from Bury who will be in the U18s next year, with two of this year's first years brought in from Manchester United and two from Everton. We've got players coming in from Ireland and Wales regularly now too (Owen, Coustrain, McDonagh this season). Nick Cox and Tony Walmsley will get it right in terms of recruitment, I'm sure of that.

 

[OllyBlade]

So I keep hearing but funnily enough we weren't saying that when we had an Academy side that was packed with good players and kept winning (i.e. the cup run). I'd suggest such poor results indicate that the current batch is nowhere near as good as the last.

I seem to remember at the time though pointing to u18s league results that season, saying they weren't that good so showed the team wasn't worth the hype. Or am I misremembering? Guess you have to wait and see with youth players. Or maybe just shows that some people will always see the negatives! Agree with you that I hope we get a good passing coach in. Would love to see another youth cup run.

 

[Wards]

So I keep hearing but funnily enough we weren't saying that when we had an Academy side that was packed with good players and kept winning (i.e. the cup run). I'd suggest such poor results indicate that the current batch is nowhere near as good as the last.

You're right and I agree to an extent but bear in mind that the U18 team from that cup run was quite a rarity. Just look at the players that have come through from that team (Long, Maguire, Kennedy, Barry, Whitehouse, McFadzean, Ironside) and it's pretty much unprecedented in terms of what I've witnessed in my lifetime.

And yes, they probably aren't as good as a group but there'll still be two or three coming through that are (George Willis, De Girolamo, Jamal Smith and Dimaio etc spring to mind).

 

[madeinsheffield]

or in other words, we won't have many players sell off in the next few years that have come through the ranks.

not sure if thats good or bad news

 

[DazBlade88]

or in other words, we won't have many players sell off in the next few years that have come through the ranks.

not sure if thats good or bad news

Bad, obviously. Whether we like it or not, it's the best way for a club to make money and keep afloat without investment. Look at the players in the Football League/Premier League who have been in our academy (not including players who are at the Lane):

Connor Brown
Ryan Cresswell
Jonathan Forte
Evan Horwood
Kevan Hurst
Phil Jagielka
Nicky Law
Matt Lowton
Kyle McFadzean
Jacob Mellis
Kyle Naughton
Ben Purkiss
Stephen Quinn
Chris Robertson
Jordan Slew
Billy Sharp
Michael Tonge
Kyle Walker

That's a pretty decent production line there, and it's generated a hell of a lot of income for us. It must be £20m+..

 

[Balham]

Connor Brown £0
Ryan Cresswell £0
Jonathan Forte £0
Evan Horwood £0
Kevan Hurst £0
Phil Jagielka £4m
Nicky Law £0
Matt Lowton £3m
Kyle McFadzean £0
Jacob Mellis £1m
Kyle Naughton £5m
Ben Purkiss £0
Stephen Quinn £500k
Chris Robertson £0
Jordan Slew £1.1m
Billy Sharp £1.25m (£0 net)
Michael Tonge £2m
Kyle Walker £3m

I reckon it's a total of £20.85m excluding the £1.5m we spent on re-buying Billy Sharp but there's a fair few of the players we've released who would improve the team. Maybe we should look at what we do with 18-22 year olds: we rarely seem to loan them to sides further down the pyramid, we seem to release them before they've ever played first team football.

I'd take back Kyle McFadzean, Nicky Law and Evan Horwood this summer: I think the latter two are out of contract as well.

 

[Silent Blade]

DazBlade 88, will many of next season's u16s squad consist many local players? Am asking because some of them may have played against my son at any time in the last 8 years (he has just finished playing in the u15s junior league). I might watch a few u16s matches next season

 

[DazBlade88]

DazBlade 88, will many of next season's u16s squad consist many local players? Am asking because some of them may have played against my son at any time in the last 8 years (he has just finished playing in the u15s junior league). I might watch a few u16s matches next season

I would imagine so mate, yes. I don't see a great deal below the U18s but in the U14/15 games that I've refereed they all seem to be local lads.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Bad, obviously. Whether we like it or not, it's the best way for a club to make money and keep afloat without investment. Look at the players in the Football League/Premier League who have been in our academy (not including players who are at the Lane):

Connor Brown
Ryan Cresswell
Jonathan Forte
Evan Horwood
Kevan Hurst
Phil Jagielka
Nicky Law
Matt Lowton
Kyle McFadzean
Jacob Mellis
Kyle Naughton
Ben Purkiss
Stephen Quinn
Chris Robertson
Jordan Slew
Billy Sharp
Michael Tonge
Kyle Walker

That's a pretty decent production line there, and it's generated a hell of a lot of income for us. It must be £20m+..

Add in the current Blades players and I wonder where we would be as a team? High Championship/low Premier?

If we could only ignore them pesky agents then we could have a 4/5 year plan that would get us back where we want to be.

 

[Silent Blade]

I would imagine so mate, yes. I don't see a great deal below the U18s but in the U14/15 games that I've refereed they all seem to be local lads.

Cheers, I dont think clubs are allowed to reveal the names of Academy players until after they are 16 so I probably will go to a game in September