FA Youth Cup... does nobody care?

[SwissBlade]

Are we all caught up with the price of season tickets and fast pour taps to care about the next generation of Blades?

We've all said we need to use the Academy, some even had a go at past managers for failing to dip into the Academy

The club has also made a statement that within a couple of years we're targetting 8-9 Academy lads to be in the first team.

These lads could be future first teamers

So i'm surprised that nobody has mentioned this.

Anyway we beat Cheltenham 1-4 away to seal our spot in the fourth round v Millwall.

Well dones lads!

Match Report Link Here!

 

[Bergen Blade]

I read forum posts about any youngster with interest (BladesMad sometimes have posts from young Blades who know them or have played against them, and occasionally there's something on here as well). Match reports aren't as interesting for me personally, as things like "the ball landed kindly at the feet of MORGAN, who tapped home from close-range" don't teach me much about the player's attributes or ability.

It's good that they're doing well though.

 

[Newbury Blade]

With Montgomery and Whitehouse in the team, these lads could go all the way ...

Blades: Long, Montgomery, Anderson (Barry 70), Harriott, Maguire, Kennedy, Gregory, Whitehouse, Slew (Martin 65), Ironside, McFadzean (Wilkinson 78).
Unused: Willis, Hinchcliffe.

 

[travellingblade]

Of course we care.

Any team representing the Blades will get my support and it's superb to see them progressing in this tournament.

Well done lads.

 

[broomhillblade]

Agreed - of course we should care, but it's difficult to identify with a team when one does not know much about the players and has not seen them. A few years ago I managed to see the youngsters play occasionally, but now that I'm living in the depths of Lincolnshire it's not possible. Maybe the club could loan a couple of players to Boston United, and I'll keep an eye on them for you....

 

[SwissBlade]

It was a tongue in cheek dig when I asked don't we care. I was surprised that nobody had mentioned it.

I know its only a 3rd round win, but still expected some reaction

Personally I've not seen much of the Academy teams over the years, but I've always read the programmes and can remember certain names cropping up time after time, its then great to see them come through into the first team (occasionally).

 

[Linz]

Keep an eye on Twitter tonight for updates... Foxy and I will be dragging ourselves to the Lane.

Details: http://www.sufc.co.uk/page/AcademyFixtures/0,,10418~2109943,00.html

Blades fans are urged to come and watch United's next generation take centre stage at Bramall Lane tonight (Tuesday 18th), when Millwall provide the opposition in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, kick-off 7pm.

The Blades beat Cheltenham 4-1 at Whaddon Road in the third round, with Joe Ironside, Harry Maguire, Corey Gregory and Terry Kennedy all on target.

Academy boss John Pemberton is pleased the tie is on home soil and hopes his players rise to the challenge of performing on the hallowed turf:

He said: "We were expected to beat Cheltenham and I was desperate for us to achieve that so our youngsters had a chance to play at Bramall Lane.

"It will be a rare experience for the lads because they don't get much of an opportunity to play there with the majority of the reserve games being played at Sheffield FC.

"Playing at a stadium in front of a decent crowd adds extra pressure but it will certainly be a good test for us and one the players should be looking forward to."

Millwall, two time winners of this prestigious competition in 1979 against Manchester City and in 1991 against Sheffield Wednesday, come to the Lane in good spirits after beating Walsall 3-1 at The New Den in the previous round.

Of the Lions, Pemberton added: "We have scouted Millwall and watched DVD's of them from this season. They are a strong outfit who are well-organised and they play a certain style that is perhaps a bit more direct than ourselves.

"They have two good strikers who can score goals given the opportunity, whilst defensively they are imposing and have a couple of powerful lads.

"I am in no doubt it will be a tough battle but if we play anything like we can then I am sure we can give them a good game and we really do want to progress further in this competition."

Admission is £3 for adults and free for concessions (senior citizens and U16s).

 

[Rustyblade]

I'm undecided about this as I think it all depends on what the aims of the youth set up are. I'm not sure that placing too much of an emphasis on winning matches and progressing further in the competitions is necessarily compatible with producing players for the first team. If results for the team takes precedent over individual development and/or matchday experimentation then the team itself may progress but individuals might then suffer when taken out of what has been developed en masse as it were. Just a thought.

I guess a cup competition is a one off though and individuals can be worked on within the league systems so, go Blades!

 

[SwissBlade]

Cheers Linz! Was going to mention this one in the match threads section, but you've beaten me to it!

Good luck to Pembo and the lads. Up the Blades!

I'll be following you on twitter for this one!

 

[broomhillblade]

Academy 3 Millwall 0

Congratulations to the youngsters.

A line in the report on the O/S caught my eye:

"Millwall skipper Gallagher has also had a sniff of the first team at the New Den."

What strange rituals go on down there? Isn't Millwall somewhere near the Isle of Dogs? That might explain it.

 

[Pinchy]

Congratulations to the youngsters.

Indeed. Well done Pembo and the lads. I understand they won by playing good passing football.

The 'We love Hoofing' brigade will be furious. We are Sheffield United. We don't play like that and we have no desire to do so. Stop this nonsense immediately and start a production line of mediocre plodders and hoofers.

Pemberton OUT!!

 

[Sothall_Blade]

The Millwall website says a "physically stronger, robust Sheffield United side brushed aside the Young Lions".

http://www.millwallfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10367~2270260,00.html

It doesn't mention us stroking the ball around like Arsenal or our Centre-backs getting plenty of touches.
I don't know anybody who "loves hoofing" but I know plenty of Blades who like to see us attack, score goals and win.
It sounds like Pembo is producing players and teams who are capable of playing various styles of football (passing/strong/robust) to achieve that. Good on him.

 

[parisblade]

The Millwall website says a "physically stronger, robust Sheffield United side brushed aside the Young Lions".

Funny that, on BladesPlayer, Pembo said he knew Millwall would be up for a fight so he told the lads to keep it on the floor and pass it about quickly. Apparently Millwall were only in it for 20 mins. Great result!

 

[Linz]

I haven't seen the youngsters too much, but in the occasions I have, they have played in a similar style.

Every single player looks comfortable on the ball and the importance of keeping possession seems to have been drilled into them. I know a lot of people will be talking about Slew after last night's performance where he scored one, indirectly set on up and then crossed for the third... but I think Harriott had a key role to play and it's one I'd like to see someone in the first team step up to adopt. He was forever dropping back through the middle of midfield to make himself available and always seemed to find that bit of space in the middle to accept the easy ball and splay it around.

It took the lads a while to settle down last night, I don't know if playing at the Lane got to some of them. But after about half an hour and certainly through the second half, they outclassed Millwall who were physically bigger and ought to have been stronger than our lads.

The referee was extremely unfair to Millwall to deny them a certain penalty. George Long was stranded on the floor after going to ground early and just grabbed the lad's foot to drag him down! I'm just glad the referee didn't book Adedipe for diving or else I think some of the parents of the London lads would've stormed the pitch in protest The sending off was fair though. It was a two-footed, studs-up challenge after the ball which managed to get Harriott in the thigh. It would've been a sending off in senior football so, while I'm sure the lad's gutted, it was the right decision.

 

[Wapping Blade]

He was forever dropping back through the middle of midfield to make himself available and always seemed to find that bit of space in the middle to accept the easy ball and splay it around.

Good trick if you can do it

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

The Millwall website says a "physically stronger, robust Sheffield United side brushed aside the Young Lions".

http://www.millwallfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10367~2270260,00.html

It continues.....

It was a night of bitter disappointment and frustration for Scott Fitzgerald's side who played the final 30 minutes with 10-men after skipper Jake Gallagher saw red for an ill-judged challenge on Matthew Harriott.
Trailing 2-0, The Lions hopes of clawing their way back were further dashed just two minutes later when Gallagher was shown a straight red card for a poor two-footed lunge on Harriott.

I think the author might have taken a touch of licence with his wording.

 

[mall]

Indeed. Well done Pembo and the lads. I understand they won by playing good passing football.

The 'We love Hoofing' brigade will be furious. We are Sheffield United. We don't play like that and we have no desire to do so. Stop this nonsense immediately and start a production line of mediocre plodders and hoofers.

Pemberton OUT!!

I don't know where you live but try and get down to the next tie.
If it's anything like tonight you will be ecstatic. They were a bit overawed by a bigger Millwall side early on but somehow, whether Pemberton made a change or something, they get the measure of Millwall and the passing started to flow and chances began to appear resulting in a Slew shot which the goalkeeper saved only for Ironside to be on hand to tap it in..a good poachers goal. At times United had the ball for minutes on end as they searched for a way through and were not afraid to move sideways and backwards to find space.
The second goal resulted from a fabulous cross by Slew which turned the defence and a defender could only help the ball into the net. The third one was again a cross by Slew which was converted by Martin who had come on and provided a cameo performance as a late sub.
Altogether a fabulous performance from a much smaller side and had obviously been given the green light to put as many passes together as it took to dismantle the opposition..
You, like me , would have been delighted.
It would have shocked some posters however....they will have to revise their basic ideas.

 

[Balham]

Altogether a fabulous performance from a much smaller side than the opposition

Why is it that despite our media tag as a bunch of big, dirty cloggers; we always seem to be so much smaller then the opposition? First team and now the juniors...

Seriously though, it's good to see that the U18s are not only winning but winning well. Keep it up Pembo!!

 

[JohnDenver]

As far as I'm aware, our Academy has always tried to produce 'footballing' players. It's when they get into the first team that they revert to the hot potato stuff.

I remember Stephen Quinn's willingness to play short passes being part of what made him so promising.

 

[Pinchy]

The Millwall website says a "physically stronger, robust Sheffield United side brushed aside the Young Lions".

http://www.millwallfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10367~2270260,00.html

It doesn't mention us stroking the ball around like Arsenal or our Centre-backs getting plenty of touches.
I don't know anybody who "loves hoofing" but I know plenty of Blades who like to see us attack, score goals and win.
It sounds like Pembo is producing players and teams who are capable of playing various styles of football (passing/strong/robust) to achieve that. Good on him.

But that report is quite contrary to all eye-witness reports! This is a great example of our reputation going before us. A defeat by Sheffield United is easily brushed aside with faint praise such as 'hard to beat', 'physical', 'found it hard to cope with their style'. It doesn't matter a jot whether its true or not [though all too often it is!]. How refreshing it would be to hear 'They simply outclassed us. Their football was just too good'. Only we can change this dreadful image but it will take time, effort and purpose and Yes it does matter! It matters a great deal in relation to, inter alia , referees' decisions, recruitment of quality performers, attendances and my neck muscles.

---------- Post added at 01:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 PM ----------

I don't know where you live but try and get down to the next tie.
If it's anything like tonight you will be ecstatic. They were a bit overawed by a bigger Millwall side early on but somehow, whether Pemberton made a change or something, they get the measure of Millwall and the passing started to flow and chances began to appear resulting in a Slew shot which the goalkeeper saved only for Ironside to be on hand to tap it in..a good poachers goal. At times United had the ball for minutes on end as they searched for a way through and were not afraid to move sideways and backwards to find space.
The second goal resulted from a fabulous cross by Slew which turned the defence and a defender could only help the ball into the net. The third one was again a cross by Slew which was converted by Martin who had come on and provided a cameo performance as a late sub.
Altogether a fabulous performance from a much smaller side and had obviously been given the green light to put as many passes together as it took to dismantle the opposition..
You, like me , would have been delighted.
It would have shocked some posters however....they will have to revise their basic ideas.

Thank you mate for that heartening report [Thank you to Linz too, for hers in similar vein]. It is extremely refreshing and does my old heart good. As you rightly say it will go down like a lead balloon with the 'We :heart: Hoofing Brigade'. It will be tough but I shall try to live with their disappointment.

I have already resolved to get to the 5th round tie if I possibly can. Has a date been set?

 

[Grecian2000]

Opposition is sorted tonight (Blackpool v Birmingham) and date will be agreed with the winners (we're at home).

 

[Grecian2000]

Blackpool won 4-3 last night, so it's a booster for Fleety and a visit by the Tangerines in the next couple of weeks.

 

[DazBlade88]

These games have been half the reason I've cut down on the first team away games. The football is so much better to watch, we always play really good football.

We have some quality players coming through, I'm hoping to see more and more come through the ranks over the next 2 or 3 years.

 

[Pinchy]

Absolutely delighted to hear it. Don't tell the 'We :heart: Hoofing Brigade' though. They'll very likely organise a protest march; ransack the Academy and burn effigies of Pemberton.

Gerritint'box - that's the way!

 

[SwissBlade]

Absolutely delighted to hear it. Don't tell the 'We :heart: Hoofing Brigade' though. They'll very likely organise a protest march; ransack the Academy and burn effigies of Pemberton.

Gerritint'box - that's the way!

Oooh look another pigeon holer!

Who exactly are the We love hoofing brigade?

 

[Pinchy]

It's not really capable of precise definition, Swiss. You just know, deep down in your soul, that you :heart: Hoofing. It's almost Pentecostal.

There are one or two things to look out for. If:

You think Arsenal's exquisite [and effective] football is best described as 'tippy-tappy'.

Style of play doesn't matter to you. Its all about winning [Hoofball always wins you know].

You don't think we should sign certain players because, although they may be very good, they don't 'suit us'.

You subscribe to the notion that SUFC can only play one way. Always have and always will and it would be wrong to even contemplate change.

You would like Dinosaur Dave back as Director of 'Football'.

Monty is 'first name on the team-sheet'.

You believe there is some point in having Kozluk at our club.

Then you can be pretty sure you :heart: Hoofing. The good news is there are lots of like minded individuals using this board. The ones sitting in the corner in deep despair like proper football. Just humour us.