U21s at Vicarage Road

[EddieColquhoun]

Won 5-0.
And The Beatts goes on...
(hat-trick)

 

[Winn Gardens Blade]

Love it

 

[Berkshire Blade]

A lot of the boring stuff that Beattie did impressed me when I saw him let alone his goals record which is very very good right now. I wouldn't say he's first team ready today but good potential

 

[Gin&Juice]

Echos of 2010/2011

 

[robbiez666]

Ready for a youth loan somewhere for a month?

 

[davidblade]

What was the team

 

[Irishunitedite]

What was the team

 

[Stannington Blade]

I know it's not fully up to date but Beattie's record is insane.

 

[Irishunitedite]

I know it's not fully up to date but Beattie's record is insane.

View attachment 221289

Should be on the bench . If he’s prolific in front of goal give him a few cameo appearances will aid his development .

 

[Hackey Blade]

Don’t forget Jevan’s only 18 and playing in his 1st year as u21. As I said on another thread this kid is 100% going to be the next big thing off the academy conveyor belt

 

[Hackey Blade]

Another thing I found striking was the fact we won 5-0 without any of the dozen or so u21 players around the 1st team

 

[EddieColquhoun]

 

[Rochdaleblade]

Jevan obviously takes more after his mums side of the family.

 

[Gin&Juice]

SC Freiburg are sniffing around. Could be tempted as they’ve outlined their 4 year plan for him.

 

[Irishunitedite]

Don’t forget Jevan’s only 18 and playing in his 1st year as u21. As I said on another thread this kid is 100% going to be the next big thing off the academy conveyor belt

Played last year for both under 18 and under 21 sides . Yes he’s only 18 but she shouldn’t be a factor if you are good enough .. cant have another Will Lankshear situation.

 

[Irishunitedite]

Played last year for both under 18 and under 21 sides . Yes he’s only 18 but that shouldn’t be a factor if you are good enough .. cant have another Will Lankshear situation.

 

[Aston max]

Probably needs tying down to a long contract with a stupid sell number

 

[Greystones Blade]

5-0 win

Report here https://www.sufc.co.uk/news/2025/september/06/watford-0-5-under21s-report/

 

[CirenBlade]

Probably needs tying down to a long contract with a stupid sell number

He signed a "long term" contract in July. The length wasn't specified unfortunately.

 

[WalkelyFan]

Played last year for both under 18 and under 21 sides . Yes he’s only 18 but she shouldn’t be a factor if you are good enough .. cant have another Will Lankshear situation.

Lankshear now playing for Oxford United and England U-21's

 

[Yogi]

The question with Beattie will be can we manage his transition from potent academy striker to first team player and what that timeline for him looks like.

We’ve had three stabs at that now with Jebbo, Osula and One and it seems haven’t quite found the right formula for a variety of reasons.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

 

[Birdwell Blade]

The question with Beattie will be can we manage his transition from potent academy striker to first team player and what that timeline for him looks like.

We’ve had three stabs at that now with Jebbo, Osula and One and it seems haven’t quite found the right formula for a variety of reasons.

What would you say we’ve done wrong with the three you mentioned? That’s not a loaded or opinionated question by the way, I’m just genuinely interested.

I’d love to know more about the process from academy to 1st team. I think it’s so important to us as a club. Our academy produces a lot of good players.

 

[Yogi]

What would you say we’ve done wrong with the three you mentioned? That’s not a loaded or opinionated question by the way, I’m just genuinely interested.

I’d love to know more about the process from academy to 1st team. I think it’s so important to us as a club. Our academy produces a lot of good players.

I think for various reasons due to poor long term squad management we’ve had to sacrifice the first team opportunities and development of the young strikers in favour of having bodies available for depth for the first team.

So Jebbo went on loan was doing well but we had to bring him back as emergency cover this arguably killed all the momentum he was building as a young professional and he was only really an emergency bit part player for us and then had bad luck with injuries.

Osula we had literally no one so he went straight from academy player in the 2nd tier of academy football to starting the season in the prem and then when predictably the bottom dropped out of that side he was only for a complete thankless task. We might’ve been able to turn that round and build his confidence back up he was having a good preseason the following summer but we’ll never know as we sold him.

Now with One again because of a lack of bodies upfront he’s been kept around last season as a bit part player and it looks like he’s in for the same this season with any chances he is getting being out of position outwide.

If we’d run our recruitment sensibly for the last 5 years with a proper view not only to recruiting for the immediate needs of each individual season but for 2-3 year periods we should’ve had senior players in the squad to fill those roles so we could prioritise the development of those talented young strikers rather than needing contributions from them straight away.

It’s arguably what a director of football should be doing looking at what’s coming through what the timeline might be for those players to be first team ready and by that I mean really ready to make an impact not just sit on the bench and to build the squad according so that slots open up for those players according to that timeline. It won’t work out with all or even most that’s the nature of stepping up from the academy but sitting on the bench is unlikely to helps players develop and learn what it takes to play men’s football in a competitive environment.

It’s not just the examples above either I’d say Faxon is currently getting the full Jake Eastwood treatment looked good for the 21’s gets his step up to the senior team sat in the stands as third choice keeper. That’s unlikely to help him work through the mistakes all young keepers make in the senior game and learn how to take those mistakes on the chin and keep going in font of a hostile crowd

 

[Birdwell Blade]

I think for various reasons due to poor long term squad management we’ve had to sacrifice the first team opportunities and development of the young strikers in favour of having bodies available for depth for the first team.

So Jebbo went on loan was doing well but we had to bring him back as emergency cover this arguably killed all the momentum he was building as a young professional and he was only really an emergency bit part player for us and then had bad luck with injuries.

Osula we had literally no one so he went straight from academy player in the 2nd tier of academy football to starting the season in the prem and then when predictably the bottom dropped out of that side he was only for a complete thankless task. We might’ve been able to turn that round and build his confidence back up he was having a good preseason the following summer but we’ll never know as we sold him.

Now with One again because of a lack of bodies upfront he’s been kept around last season as a bit part player and it looks like he’s in for the same this season with any chances he is getting being out of position outwide.

If we’d run our recruitment sensibly for the last 5 years with a proper view not only to recruiting for the immediate needs of each individual season but for 2-3 year periods we should’ve had senior players in the squad to fill those roles so we could prioritise the development of those talented young strikers rather than needing contributions from them straight away.

It’s arguably what a director of football should be doing looking at what’s coming through what the timeline might be for those players to be first team ready and by that I mean really ready to make an impact not just sit on the bench and to build the squad according so that slots open up for those players according to that timeline. It won’t work out with all or even most that’s the nature of stepping up from the academy but sitting on the bench is unlikely to helps players develop and learn what it takes to play men’s football in a competitive environment.

It’s not just the examples above either I’d say Faxon is currently getting the full Jake Eastwood treatment looked good for the 21’s gets his step up to the senior team sat in the stands as third choice keeper. That’s unlikely to help him work through the mistakes all young keepers make in the senior game and learn how to take those mistakes on the chin and keep going in font of a hostile crowd

Really good post that mate. You could maybe add Peck to that list?

Thanks for taking the time to do that. Like I say, genuinely interested in this side of things and you made some great points there.