U18s lost 4-0 to Bolton

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Ball_Sup (Phil)

Ball_Sup (Phil)

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I went to Bolton's Academy on Saturday (and to the marvelous Track Brewing in Manchester).
United were poor - got beat 4-0 - deservedly so - a bit of bickering, players not doing their jobs - but, they're learning.... move on.
Anyway - I've done a Blog report including Beer, random stranger who played with Couttsy, great Tram journeys to Besses o'th' Barn, and the match

http://ball-sup.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/beer-tracking-utd-not-tracking.html
 



Transition period. Couple of the squad recently got pro contracts . Several more got released. Some controversially.
 
Excellent report including on the staff, whoever is most senior needs to have a good look at themselves when this happens.
 
Can't say names to protect the two lads, but hopefully it all works out ok. Both are on trial elsewhere and fingers crossed achieve pro contracts themselves. Strong feeling within the academy set up that they both should have been given one year deals at least. Academy Football is a pitfall. Wouldn't want anyone close to me involved myself. Unless was as good as Brooks of course .
 
Johnstreet John said:
Can't say names to protect the two lads, but hopefully it all works out ok. Both are on trial elsewhere and fingers crossed achieve pro contracts themselves. Strong feeling within the academy set up that they both should have been given one year deals at least. Academy Football is a pitfall. Wouldn't want anyone close to me involved myself. Unless was as good as Brooks of course .
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Ah, ok, no probs.
 
Academy football is what it is. Each age group has 2 or 3 prospects and the other lads are making up the numbers.

Academy football has its good points as well as bad. You tend to find the parents of lads released think it’s shit and wished they had never got involved. Sadly that’s 99% of young academy players.
For the 1% that progress it’s the best experience they will ever have.

Even for the 1% that get a pro deal, the chances are that they will be out the game at 21.

Football is a hard hard profession. It’s all about opinions and luck.

There is too much money in the game for conspiracy theories. If a club thinks a player has reached their level and will not go further then they will be gone. Whether that is at 8 years old or 18 years old.

It is particularly hard for lads who have been at an academy from 8 years old and are released at 16,17 or 18. It must be devastating to be told your Dream is over.
 
Blade I personally don't like the players & staff bickering & trooper swearing. And, at a game like yesterday's, you're very close to the action & can see & hear everything. So, things are amplified. I'd say it's more like wind it in a bit, than good look at themselves. I wouldn't want my report to make it sound a lot worse than it is/was.

I agree with larkymasher . It's Maths. You have to play 11. At least one of those will be a striker. He'll be the best striker in the group. But, might not be a long term first team prospect. Maths. Few make it. Most don't. It's hard for the Lads that are binned out. But.... way it is.

And, my own "motivation" for attending Futures & Academy games is NOT to spot the future star it's to get out for some Beer Hunting - sorry sorry I mean it's to see a good game, with staff & lads doing their best, in the moment, in Red n White stripes, irrespective of who'll make it & who won't
 
I agree with Larky but in Uniteds defence I don’t think they get it wrong that often with who stays and who goes, other than ability as a player you have to be there mentally and sadly that is the main problem for most of the lads that don’t make it. I’ve said it before we have been spoilt over the last 2 seasons with the 18’s making the Play Off final 2 years running and being fortunate enough to have won it last year. This year that won’t happen because the quality just isn’t there the better 2nd years are playing 23’s and apart from the odd one or two the 18’s are poor. Look at the Youth cup Final side from the other year Harry Maquire aside not too many ripping it up. I believe that as many 6/7 from the last group will go on to have decent careers at league level Jordy Hallam,Harvey Gilmour,Ty Smith,Cal Semple,Regan Slater and Oliver Greaves will all have careers from football the question is at what level League 1 definitely possibly a couple Championship level, only the most determined and focussed will have a chance of the golden ticket that is the Premier League. It would be great if everyone made it but reality is very few actually do.
 
Ihadadream said:
I agree with Larky but in Uniteds defence I don’t think they get it wrong that often with who stays and who goes, other than ability as a player you have to be there mentally and sadly that is the main problem for most of the lads that don’t make it. I’ve said it before we have been spoilt over the last 2 seasons with the 18’s making the Play Off final 2 years running and being fortunate enough to have won it last year. This year that won’t happen because the quality just isn’t there the better 2nd years are playing 23’s and apart from the odd one or two the 18’s are poor. Look at the Youth cup Final side from the other year Harry Maquire aside not too many ripping it up. I believe that as many 6/7 from the last group will go on to have decent careers at league level Jordy Hallam,Harvey Gilmour,Ty Smith,Cal Semple,Regan Slater and Oliver Greaves will all have careers from football the question is at what level League 1 definitely possibly a couple Championship level, only the most determined and focussed will have a chance of the golden ticket that is the Premier League. It would be great if everyone made it but reality is very few actually do.
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Again Dream, I agree with you.

Sadly too many people think a career in L1 or L2 is failure.

Not me.... if you can make football your job then good on you.
 
All this F’ing and blinding at Academy games is totally unnecessary, I think some of the lads, often having just left school, see it as a sign of maturity, when in reality, it is anything but.
I appreciate that industrial language may be the norm on a day to day basis, around the private confines of Shirecliffe. However it should be made clear to players and coaches alike, that in the public arena, they are representatives of Sheffield United, allegedly the ‘family club’ and should moderate their language accordingly. It is inappropriate and shows the club in a very poor light, particularly with young kids watching on, who often see the academy lads as someone to look up too :mad:
 
Johnstreet John said:
Can't say names to protect the two lads, but hopefully it all works out ok. Both are on trial elsewhere and fingers crossed achieve pro contracts themselves. Strong feeling within the academy set up that they both should have been given one year deals at least. Academy Football is a pitfall. Wouldn't want anyone close to me involved myself. Unless was as good as Brooks of course .
Click to expand...

Whoever they are they’ll make it if they’re good enough. Alternatively they can feel sorry for themselves, cry “it’s not fair” and comfort themselves that sumdyatacademy agrees with them.
 
Ihadadream said:
I agree with Larky but in Uniteds defence I don’t think they get it wrong that often with who stays and who goes, other than ability as a player you have to be there mentally and sadly that is the main problem for most of the lads that don’t make it. I’ve said it before we have been spoilt over the last 2 seasons with the 18’s making the Play Off final 2 years running and being fortunate enough to have won it last year. This year that won’t happen because the quality just isn’t there the better 2nd years are playing 23’s and apart from the odd one or two the 18’s are poor. Look at the Youth cup Final side from the other year Harry Maquire aside not too many ripping it up. I believe that as many 6/7 from the last group will go on to have decent careers at league level Jordy Hallam,Harvey Gilmour,Ty Smith,Cal Semple,Regan Slater and Oliver Greaves will all have careers from football the question is at what level League 1 definitely possibly a couple Championship level, only the most determined and focussed will have a chance of the golden ticket that is the Premier League. It would be great if everyone made it but reality is very few actually do.
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“League One definitely” eh? We’ll see. I hope you’re right for their sakes but there’s no “definitely” with young footballers as history conclusively demonstrates.
 
Ball_Sup (Phil) said:
I went to Bolton's Academy on Saturday (and to the marvelous Track Brewing in Manchester).
United were poor - got beat 4-0 - deservedly so - a bit of bickering, players not doing their jobs - but, they're learning.... move on.
Anyway - I've done a Blog report including Beer, random stranger who played with Couttsy, great Tram journeys to Besses o'th' Barn, and the match

http://ball-sup.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/beer-tracking-utd-not-tracking.html
Click to expand...
Not great today Phil Hope for something better tomorrow
 



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