catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
One thing that pleases me, is the progress of Onyango. We seem to be fast tracking him. He has a great physique,a nd while he's not there yet, you can't just create a lad who's 6 ft 3 at 16/17.
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Everton Youth Teams Thread
- Thread starter Goat
- Start date
One thing that pleases me, is the progress of Onyango. We seem to be fast tracking him. He has a great physique,a nd while he's not there yet, you can't just create a lad who's 6 ft 3 at 16/17.
Hopefully we’ll have some stability now and there was an interesting paragraph in the Echo’s interview which I don’t think was included in the twitter one :
"Carlo Ancelotti has introduced a magnificent way of playing out from the back and moving the ball," Ebbrell added.
"That is something I will be looking to bring into the Academy – we have our own values but we have a world-class coach at the head of the club and it would be wrong to not take on board as much as we can from him and integrate it into our younger players.”
City have been doing this at u18 for years, and lost a simple goal to us last season by trying to play out from the back, but they just shrugged and continued the way they were playing. In fairness we have been doing this at times at u18 but not as a consistent game plan, and it’s not easy given the smaller , more exposed pitches they play on and the lack of space and time they have.
For me a big factor is having an experienced Director of Football as opposed to our DoF who was someone who’s talent was mainly scouting .
Unsworth polarises opinions, and often his statements are lost in the criticism for playing older players or his own sometimes exuberant praise for a player. Onyango is one example where he has quietly stated what they are trying to do with him, moving him further forward , getting him to be more box to box , trying new things, challenging him. His goal against Chelsea u23 was a good example of his increased mobility and confidence.
Lewis Dobbin was another recently. Before he was injured he played one game with a 7 on his back and as a deeper lying playmaker creating chances for Simms. Neither of course are anywhere near the first team squad and no guarantee they will ever make, but its encouraging signs that we have joined up thinking on what young players will need if they are ever to break into the 1st team squad.
My only worry with Unsworth at the min is his new role. He's shown in the past plenty of times he valued winning the league more than developing players so Head of Academy is a little concerning...
It’s a fair point and one discussed often over the years. I am more hopeful now for two reasons.
Seeing Brands, Ferguson, Ancelotti standing watching an U23s match , Unsworth being invited to watch the 1st team train are indicative of a more joined up approach we haven’t seen before. Previous managers kept Unsworth separate , maybe they saw him as a threat/rival for their job. Carlo is so experienced and supremely confident in his own ability , as likely to walk as be sacked and won’t have any worries of integrating with Unsworth or sharing knowledge.
Unsworth has been with us about 6 years , made mistakes but you would hope and believe has learned and gained experience from the time. At U23s/Academy level there are a number of examples of how stability and long term appointments bring results . Warren Joyce was Man Utd u21 manager for about 10 years , winning the league twice before we won the first U23s league. He left for Wigan and a few seasons later Utd were relegated from PL2. Last year Derby were crowned U18 PL Champions , with an ex player Academy Director who had been there 10 years I think. Nothing is guarantee, so we‘ll just have to see how it goes.
The academy coaches are working to produce first team players and probably have ended up with different demands as managers have been changed so it is difficult to blame Unsworth or anybody else in the academy without knowing the parameters of their job.
We do know that we have brought through from the academy as many as any club with Kenny,Davies and Gordon in the first team squad and Holgate,Branthwaite and DCL have also spent time there.
We do know that we have brought through from the academy as many as any club with Kenny,Davies and Gordon in the first team squad and Holgate,Branthwaite and DCL have also spent time there.
messymascot
Player Valuation: £35m
I personally think all levels need to play a similar formation and style. This means that its easier for someone moving up a level. There is already the physicality change moving from u18 to u23 so adding a style of play change will make it harder. Of course systems change but if that then changes all the way down it keeps some sort of continuity. Its also why it's essential we try and move away from this constant changing of the manager. Hopefully CA will stay a decent amount of time so we get chance to have a settled playing style.
Might get a bit better in the younger teams now we can transfer new ones in now the ban is lifted.
mrb85
Player Valuation: £35m
How has he shown this?
26-year old Matty Pennington has started the last 5 U23 games despite the transfer window closing.
....you might be closer to somebody within the club than me, but I wouldn’t know that he put players development behind U23 team achievement.
if you’re using team selection as an example of this, perhaps it’s club policy to play established professionals ahead others at that level. Perhaps Unsworth was adhering to club policy.
Playing experienced professionals with the reserves is nothing new, it helps keep the seasoned player fit or helps them recover from injury while the younger players learn from playing alongside experience.
It is a very sensible model to follow.
I understand people wanting a team of young lads playing but it is all about what they learn from the game.
Playing alongside a recovering Andre Gomes isn't the same as playing alongside a Matty Pennington, Oumar Niasse or a Luke Garbutt mate.
Pretty easy to distinguish the difference.
But still isn't evidence of what you're suggesting.
I'm not sure how starting an Oumar Niasse over an available U18's striker isn't evidence Unsworth goes for the wins more than development but you are Mr Disputatious so no real surprises you're chiming in.