Everton Youth Teams Thread

[Barnfred 55]

Elizabeth France.. wife of David France.. an Everton histrorian. Toffeeweb did their annual interview with her.. excellent read. An excerpt of the point:

Despite our success with the Under 23 team, our young players struggle to progress – perhaps the Premier League standard is too high and our patience too short. Tom Davies, Dom Calvert-Lewin and Jonjoe Kenny have yet to fully embrace their opportunities. So much potential, so few results. Possibly, we have unreal expectations. After all, we develop only one youngster of real merit every couple of seasons. The past 20 years or so have produced Jeffers, Anichebe, Branch, Ball, Dunne, Hibbert, Osman, Rodwell, Barkley and, of course, Our Wayne. How many of them – in their prime - would get into our first-team today? I hope I’m not alone in thinking that youth teams should not be judged by the trophies they win, but by how many players make it to the first-team or are sold for a handsome profit. Which makes me fret about Lewis Gibson whose contract expires in June 2020.

Edit: see you've been answered with the link too..

Cheers mate. I haven't had a chance to read the toffeeweb link yet but I will do. I wholeheartedly agree with the excerpt you posted. The lady knows her onions.

 

[Blueclouds]

So can we blame unsworth for the lack of talent coming through

 

[Cameron Manning]

Isn't Ellis simms suppose to be our best young player?

He has the ability to be a very good striker, but at the moment it is only potential, he did it with the U18’s now he has to do it with the big boys, hope he can on his scoring in the next two or three seasons.

 

[Barnfred 55]

some of the loans we've sent young players on have been ridiculous and i'm sure done more harm to their development than good.

Fully agree mate. The worst one was probably Galloway to Pulis. Dowell to Forest looked the exact opposite and then they change manager half way through the season.

But what's the answer. We can't have the players blocking up the route to the U23s, and if they aren't good enough to get any realistic playing time with the first team then the only options are to loan or sell. Perhaps we can make more use of the foreign loan market like we have with Kenny this season. I'd liked to have seen Dowell go either there or France tbh.

 

[Barnfred 55]

So can we blame unsworth for the lack of talent coming through

Blame would be the wrong word to use. You have to accept that maybe the lads just aren't good enough to break through at a top premier club.

But over the last 2 years he has continually played older players who clearly have no future here, over younger players who looked to be very comfortable at U18 level and needed testing at a higher level. That certainly wouldn't have helped.

Ironically, when Unsy first took over the U21s it was full of 17 year olds and even some who were just 16 like Evans and Davies. Evans may actually have been 15.

 

[mightymoyes]

Fully agree mate. The worst one was probably Galloway to Pulis. Dowell to Forest looked the exact opposite and then they change manager half way through the season.

But what's the answer. We can't have the players blocking up the route to the U23s, and if they aren't good enough to get any realistic playing time with the first team then the only options are to loan or sell. Perhaps we can make more use of the foreign loan market like we have with Kenny this season. I'd liked to have seen Dowell go either there or France tbh.

Good question, did we replace Joe royle who was meant to be loan liaison manager or something? Though I don't think he was particularly good at it or wasn't allowed to be.

 

[Eggs]

Good question, did we replace Joe royle who was meant to be loan liaison manager or something? Though I don't think he was particularly good at it or wasn't allowed to be.

....I have a general view that academy players who are sent on loan have very little chance of coming through at Everton. I can only think of Osman and Barkley (both of who suffered serious injury as youngsters) who went on loan and subsequently played 50 games or more.

The best youngsters don’t go on loan because the manager wants to use them.

 

[mightymoyes]

....I have a general view that academy players who are sent on loan have very little chance of coming through at Everton. I can only think of Osman and Barkley (both of who suffered serious injury as youngsters) who went on loan and subsequently played 50 games or more.

The best youngsters don’t go on loan because the manager wants to use them.

I think in the past that was true and probably still holds some merit. Our current best/most promising 2 players in the U23s Gibson and Gordon will hopefully get chances with the 1st team this season and won't get shipped out in loan if they take them.

 

[Resouce]

....the goals he scored makes him the highest-profile but he appears to be some way back in the pecking order.

e

 

[Resouce]

Ellis Simms should have been playing 23s football since the turn of the year in my opion.
Didn't even make the bench for the first game off the season.
Why!!! The kid scored a shed load of goals last term.
If he was at a top six club would have been starting.
Also Manpala isn't getting enough game time due to Everton having a backlog of players who are still playing at this level

 

[blueloon]

I missed the first 10 mins of the U23s the other night and must admit to feeling disappointed when I worked out there was nobody new in the squad, all had played U23s last season. Having said that , Unsworth is in a difficult position , the window is still open and giving the likes of Connolly, Adeniran , Evans etc game time makes sense if loan moves are to found. In the past this has occurred right up until January when loans are made in that window , and we’ve had a fresh team almost from then onwards.

Rightly or wrongly he has to manage the “experienced “ youngsters as well, but this can often hold younger players back. Broadhead is a good example. After moving up from the u18s he rarely played U23s football yet was outstanding that year for Wales U19. Last season he was Player of The Season, did he need the previous season to develop or was it a partly wasted season , we’ll never know. Unsworth was talking recently about the work that needs doing with the previous u18s who’ve just moved up because it’s a big leap to U23s level. Undoubtedly true, but that’s where people’s opinions will divide into either “ Yes he’s right to be cautious “ or “ Get them exposed early , let’s see what we’ve got” camps.

I think though that Brands’ influence is starting to impact things. No additional U23s so far and the u18 intakes have not been excessive either, we even seemed to have stopped collecting young goalkeepers for fun and instead of the usual 8 - 10 hanging about we now have only 4 to cover U18 and U23s . We’re gradually getting rid of players we don’t need and I see a model in the u18s which could be the future trend. The first u18 game had 5 experienced 2nd years and 5 “newcomers” in the outfield. I could see something similar eventually being the norm for the U23s sometime in the future. A smaller core than now of experienced players with 1 or 2 years experience being joined each year by previous/ existing u18s some of whom step up straight away into the U23s, with loans still playing a part in developing youngsters.

 

[Eggs]

I missed the first 10 mins of the U23s the other night and must admit to feeling disappointed when I worked out there was nobody new in the squad, all had played U23s last season. Having said that , Unsworth is in a difficult position , the window is still open and giving the likes of Connolly, Adeniran , Evans etc game time makes sense if loan moves are to found. In the past this has occurred right up until January when loans are made in that window , and we’ve had a fresh team almost from then onwards.

Rightly or wrongly he has to manage the “experienced “ youngsters as well, but this can often hold younger players back. Broadhead is a good example. After moving up from the u18s he rarely played U23s football yet was outstanding that year for Wales U19. Last season he was Player of The Season, did he need the previous season to develop or was it a partly wasted season , we’ll never know. Unsworth was talking recently about the work that needs doing with the previous u18s who’ve just moved up because it’s a big leap to U23s level. Undoubtedly true, but that’s where people’s opinions will divide into either “ Yes he’s right to be cautious “ or “ Get them exposed early , let’s see what we’ve got” camps.

I think though that Brands’ influence is starting to impact things. No additional U23s so far and the u18 intakes have not been excessive either, we even seemed to have stopped collecting young goalkeepers for fun and instead of the usual 8 - 10 hanging about we now have only 4 to cover U18 and U23s . We’re gradually getting rid of players we don’t need and I see a model in the u18s which could be the future trend. The first u18 game had 5 experienced 2nd years and 5 “newcomers” in the outfield. I could see something similar eventually being the norm for the U23s sometime in the future. A smaller core than now of experienced players with 1 or 2 years experience being joined each year by previous/ existing u18s some of whom step up straight away into the U23s, with loans still playing a part in developing youngsters.

....I often wonder if he’s not got a totally free selection reign. The club might have a policy of playing the senior Academy players, and Unsworth has to adhere to it.

 

[blueloon]

....I often wonder if he’s not got a totally free selection reign. The club might have a policy of playing the senior Academy players, and Unsworth has to adhere to it.

Yep, you may well be right and there are good non-playing reasons for that in terms of managing careers, but I also believe, as my mate Bob would have it, the times they are a changing.....

 

[Dutch11]

Hi all,

Everton U19 is playing the OttenCup this weekend. Among the other competitors are Barcelona,Internazionale,Anderlecht and PSV. Do any of you know which squad is travelling to Holland tomorrow? And who are the biggest talents of the team? Will visit the tournament tomorrow and probably also saturday and sunday, so will give you some updates how Everton did it, but I appreciate any knowledge about the players before the tournament starts so I know who to watch better

 

[blueloon]

Hi all,

Everton U19 is playing the OttenCup this weekend. Among the other competitors are Barcelona,Internazionale,Anderlecht and PSV. Do any of you know which squad is travelling to Holland tomorrow? And who are the biggest talents of the team? Will visit the tournament tomorrow and probably also saturday and sunday, so will give you some updates how Everton did it, but I appreciate any knowledge about the players before the tournament starts so I know who to watch better

Hi, it’s difficult to tell until we see the squad mate. While our U18s are not playing our U23s are playing Sunday and a number of our best u19s may be with them, or maybe not.
Independent feedback would be most welcome, ta.