Development Centre Backs

[idleurchin]

Question for those who follow the youth teams closely…

Can’t recall any academy CB’s getting close to the first team squad recently, other than Kyron Gordon.

Are there any in the development squads that are considered to be genuine prospects?

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Miguel Freckleton has potential. He had a good pre-season, standing out as one of our better players whilst the rest were woeful. He started his loan at Chester in poor form but finished strong. He's still very 50/50 and lacks consistency as he returned to us and was quite poor in one of the development matches. That said, there's definitely potential there but he needs a loan to League Two or One for the next step.

Sasnauskas was probably one of the most consistent central defenders for the development team last season. He looks like a very good prospect. That said though the ones who look closest to knocking on the door in the next season or two are Peck, Marsh and One, who all need loan moves and Sasnauskas isn't on the same level as them.

 

[jt64]

I think the general consensus is that CB is the area on the pitch where those in the development setups are furthest off the first team. Whether there's players who have first team upside but still have a way to progress to get there is another question, certainly heard some decent things about the two Tony mentioned but you wouldn't want to throw them into a Championship game at this stage except in an emergency

 

[HarryHaslam]

Sasnauskas has a very good chance.

 

[CrookesBlade]

Maguire is the only CB we’ve brought through since I first started going in 93 that I can recall making a genuine impact on the first team.

Jags doesn’t count for the purposes of this as he played 100 odd games at rb and cm before finding his position.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Maguire is the only CB we’ve brought through since I first started going in 93 that I can recall making a genuine impact on the first team.

Jags doesn’t count for the purposes of this as he played 100 odd games at rb and cm before finding his position.

Technically Jags was never an academy product. He was released by Everton at 16, we picked him up and he was playing first team football by the time he was 17.

Same with Tonge and Monty, Lowton, Stephen Quinn, David Brooks etc..... all of them were signed from other academies and made their debuts within one or two seasons.

Walker, Maguire and Naughton were the first ones to have been with us from a young age, whom we developed from the start.

 

[Chief]

It must be the hardest outfield position to break into straight from youth football at championship level and above?

Most areas of the pitch you can get away with a cameo every other week by having a bit of natural athleticism and raw skill - even if you don't have the know-how, composure or all-round ability... Which applies to most young lads who've made it to older academy levels. See Andre Brooks, Jebbison and Osula.

At centre half you also require the positional sense, defensive intelligence, size and strength. If not, you'll get found out very quickly. Add to that you tend to see far less substitutions so the experience is harder to come by.

Harry Maguire was a freak in the sense that he was an absolute unit at 18, never mind the fact he could also play a bit! It was obvious he'd go on to have a big career. Jags went on to play at CB for England and even he needed 100 games before he was suited to it.

If any of the young lads were ready to be making any impact at centre half they'd already be standing out a mile in second tier u18 and u21 games, you'd think?...

 

[Jimmy Fleck]

Sasnaukas is rated highly and has been on bench for us a few times

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

Lopata

 

[Yogi]

Question for those who follow the youth teams closely…

Can’t recall any academy CB’s getting close to the first team squad recently, other than Kyron Gordon.

Are there any in the development squads that are considered to be genuine prospects?

As others have said Sasnaukas looks a very good prospect he’s not ready yet but for his age he’s very calm and assured on the ball with a good touch and passing not only keeping things ticking over and moving it side to side but also stepping up in midfield and looking to split the lines with longer range passing. But he is very young and whilst he’s a tall lad it’s one thing dominating lads in their 20’s it’s another dealing with grown men who will try and physically dominate you. That said to be playing like he is at 16 going on 17 is impressive. I think there’s a decent chance we see him in preseason.

Tahir I like as well smaller than Sasnaukas and can be a bit more hit and miss on the ball but when he’s playing CB rather than left back he still gets forward well and doesn’t get caught out defensively whilst doing so at 21’s level but he’s another that is young needs longer to develop before we’re talking about him as a potential first team player.

Pitan is older than the other two and is a serious unit he’s been guilty of being a bit Bambi on ice in previous years but looks to have filled out a bit and looks more assured this year. He’s hard to judge as he isn’t necessarily a stand out on the ball or marauding forward and given United tend to have a lot of the ball and are rarely doing a backs to the wall defensive job he doesn’t get as much of a chance to shine. He might be one where a loan would help in terms of assessing what he’s like when he’s under the cosh week in week out

 

[Bladesman]

Best to get the first team defence looking like it can defend first. I wouldn't want any of young defenders being tried out in first team right now. Curtis needs more time and he is already being flung into the first team.

 

[Keen Blade]

It all comes back to the negligent failure to replace JoC 4 years ago.
Yes we got Anel , but despite his height he's not a physically dominant CB , nor is he a leader of the defence , let alone a team captain.
Egan is aging now + was never quick , nor the tallest.
Trusty doesn't inspire confidence.
RND may never fully recover + Robbo is the best of a poor bunch - heroic but again , not quite there physically.
We have let the position of CB deteriorate and are suffering the consequences , especially now that it appears Anel is unhappy + wants to leave.
One of the biggest priorities this summer must be to recruit a commanding leader at CB.
If we don't address this , we'll be bottom half next season.
And if Anel leaves , we need 2 new CBs.

 

[Keen Blade]

Lopata

I saw him play only once in a preseason game (2022 or 21) - he looked decent - don't know why he left , were we not progressing him fast enough ?

 

[Addison]

I saw him play only once in a preseason game (2022 or 21) - he looked decent - don't know why he left , were we not progressing him fast enough ?

I watched him the League cup game against Carlisle. Very impressed with his aerial ability, positioning height and strength. He went on loan to Southend and starred there albeit it was the National League. Unfortunately like Ndiaye he had an agent who encouraged him to run his contract down forcing us to sell him to Southend for a small fee. He then did the dirty on Southend and walked out when he wasn't paid losing Southend the revenue of a sale and possibly a sell on fee to us. He rocked up at Barnsley but failed to impress. Just another player poorly advised who thought he was a lot better than he was. If he'd stayed with us he may have done considerably better with his career to date bearing in mind the dearth of physical aerial dominant centre backs coming through the ranks.

 

[Revolution]

I watched him the League cup game against Carlisle. Very impressed with his aerial ability, positioning height and strength. He went on loan to Southend and starred there albeit it was the National League. Unfortunately like Ndiaye he had an agent who encouraged him to run his contract down forcing us to sell him to Southend for a small fee. He then did the dirty on Southend and walked out when he wasn't paid losing Southend the revenue of a sale and possibly a sell on fee to us. He rocked up at Barnsley but failed to impress. Just another player poorly advised who thought he was a lot better than he was. If he'd stayed with us he may have done considerably better with his career to date bearing in mind the dearth of physical aerial dominant centre backs coming through the ranks.

Lopata did not “do the dirty” on Southend. Lopata exercised his contractual right as an unpaid employee to terminate his contract.

If Ron Martin of Southend wanted the revenue of a sale he could have paid Lopata what he was owed.

Lopata was not the bad guy in that situation.

 

[GDawg13]

2 for me from what I have seen are Sasnaukas and Easton.. Looks confident in defense and their distribution is really good.

Both would benefit from a loan spell next season but definitely 2 for the future

 

[Berkshire Blade]

If a league one club is loaning him out to another league one club 2 years after he left us I suggest we were right in not using Lopata

Miguel Freckleton only played a third of the season in the national league...