Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

Everton Youth Teams Thread

catcherintherye said:
Secondly I do think the instability of the previous 4-5 years has had consequences. It's led to new managers wanting to sign lots of new players and our first team squad has been too big. The consequence has been pathways closing, and this people getting stuck in the 23's. It's beginning to shift now, with Carlo now well into his 2nd year and looking a fixture. I think in the chaos, quite a loyal but conservative figure like Unsworth eeked out his own nest in the 23's and we probably weren't ruthless enough. He had a lot of ideas about "keeping the group together" until they are 22/23 but that strategy has failed. Hopefully there is some acknowledgement of that.
Click to expand...
This paragraph definitely hits home. That inconsistency in first team recruitment with every manager wanting to impart his DNA on the first team as well as knowing and needing quick wins to get some job security doesn’t lend itself to youth focus or progression unless a kid gets lucky with his timing or clearly is knocking it out the park.

Then Unsworth undoubtedly had loyalties to the kids that gave him his titles and helped him a make a name.. but really most of those left his group ages ago and yep he needed the club to make a call and push them on. He was left with the periphery players of that generation mostly or the chaps that came just after..

With Moyes and even Roberto you sensed that the academy was an integral part of the club and the hype (fair or not) was fun to be carried along with. I don’t necessarily think we are back there yet with youth actually being allowed to test themselves in the first team with a decent run of games but at least we are starting to get a glimpse of a couple that are on the radar.
 
BornBlue76 said:
This paragraph definitely hits home. That inconsistency in first team recruitment with every manager wanting to impart his DNA on the first team as well as knowing and needing quick wins to get some job security doesn’t lend itself to youth focus or progression unless a kid gets lucky with his timing or clearly is knocking it out the park.

Then Unsworth undoubtedly had loyalties to the kids that gave him his titles and helped him a make a name.. but really most of those left his group ages ago and yep he needed the club to make a call and push them on. He was left with the periphery players of that generation mostly or the chaps that came just after..

With Moyes and even Roberto you sensed that the academy was an integral part of the club and the hype (fair or not) was fun to be carried along with. I don’t necessarily think we are back there yet with youth actually being allowed to test themselves in the first team with a decent run of games but at least we are starting to get a glimpse of a couple that are on the radar.
Click to expand...
In answer to your earlier post, I’ve been tracking the decreasing average age of u18/23 on here for about 18 months and looking back the first signs of change were occurring in May/ June 2019. We let three or four good u18s go then , including one who’d captained the team , they were deemed not good enough but in previous years we’d have about 10 moving up, then it was down to 4or5 . The U23s were bloated and a number of younger players just weren’t getting games when they initially moved up - Einar Iversen comes to mind. Making the U23s less bloated has taken 18 months, and in the past playing u18s at U23s level didn’t happen that much for a few years. Some weren’t ready and “It’s a big step up” was the message.

In August 19 , the first noticeable changes occurred at u18 where we usually played a few promising schoolboys after Christmas and towards the end of the season. For me it was startling, at the start of the season we suddenly had as many as 5 school kids in a squad , with Reece Welch starting just about every game and others like Isaac Price, Luke Butterfield, Charlie Whitaker and Katia Kouyate making regular appearances before Christmas . Of these 5 , 18 months on all but Whittaker have played at U23s. The pattern of progress is becoming clear. They were also helped by some good first year Scholars, Onyango, Dobbin, McAllister which meant the u18s had a much lower age, and weren’t mainly 2nd years. I think Brands had a large part in setting this strategy , aided by Paul Tait and also having good players to implement it.

Meanwhile, the U23s was getting younger too , players were being moved on and Onyango and Dobbin were getting involved last season, when they were 1st years, something which had been rare previously. When Carlo came in he had an impact by inviting Unsworth’s to watch the first team training, appeared at U23s games with Brands and Dunc and encouraged Unsworth to get the U23s training and playing more like the first team . The results were clear when Onyango and Small came on in the cup, they fitted in straight away. Interestingly Small has played the last two U23s games in an advanced position ahead of the left back, much as he did in the FA cup and similar to when Digne played there in front of Godfrey ( Leicester game?) . This coordination can only help player development if they are asked to step up.

So far we have had 3 schoolboys debut at u18, I expect 2 more before the end of the season , so that trend continues. Depending on injuries I can see Welch establishing himself as the right centre back at U23s this season and when his ban ends Kouyate being the main striker . While he’s far , far away from the first team I could see Kouyate filling in in some 1st team training sessions given our lack of strikers throughout the club. None of this guarantees more academy players will reach the first team of course, but you would believe the clearer pathway will have an impact if we have the right players. Apologies for the long post!
 
blueloon said:
In answer to your earlier post, I’ve been tracking the decreasing average age of u18/23 on here for about 18 months and looking back the first signs of change were occurring in May/ June 2019. We let three or four good u18s go then , including one who’d captained the team , they were deemed not good enough but in previous years we’d have about 10 moving up, then it was down to 4or5 . The U23s were bloated and a number of younger players just weren’t getting games when they initially moved up - Einar Iversen comes to mind. Making the U23s less bloated has taken 18 months, and in the past playing u18s at U23s level didn’t happen that much for a few years. Some weren’t ready and “It’s a big step up” was the message.

In August 19 , the first noticeable changes occurred at u18 where we usually played a few promising schoolboys after Christmas and towards the end of the season. For me it was startling, at the start of the season we suddenly had as many as 5 school kids in a squad , with Reece Welch starting just about every game and others like Isaac Price, Luke Butterfield, Charlie Whitaker and Katia Kouyate making regular appearances before Christmas . Of these 5 , 18 months on all but Whittaker have played at U23s. The pattern of progress is becoming clear. They were also helped by some good first year Scholars, Onyango, Dobbin, McAllister which meant the u18s had a much lower age, and weren’t mainly 2nd years. I think Brands had a large part in setting this strategy , aided by Paul Tait and also having good players to implement it.

Meanwhile, the U23s was getting younger too , players were being moved on and Onyango and Dobbin were getting involved last season, when they were 1st years, something which had been rare previously. When Carlo came in he had an impact by inviting Unsworth’s to watch the first team training, appeared at U23s games with Brands and Dunc and encouraged Unsworth to get the U23s training and playing more like the first team . The results were clear when Onyango and Small came on in the cup, they fitted in straight away. Interestingly Small has played the last two U23s games in an advanced position ahead of the left back, much as he did in the FA cup and similar to when Digne played there in front of Godfrey ( Leicester game?) . This coordination can only help player development if they are asked to step up.

So far we have had 3 schoolboys debut at u18, I expect 2 more before the end of the season , so that trend continues. Depending on injuries I can see Welch establishing himself as the right centre back at U23s this season and when his ban ends Kouyate being the main striker . While he’s far , far away from the first team I could see Kouyate filling in in some 1st team training sessions given our lack of strikers throughout the club. None of this guarantees more academy players will reach the first team of course, but you would believe the clearer pathway will have an impact if we have the right players. Apologies for the long post!
Click to expand...
great insights !! So the trim didn’t just happen at the top end of the u23 but also trimming the amount of kids progressing from u18s.

that shows a lot more decision making earlier in the players career and not waiting and waiting to see if he ever is first team ready.. it might lead to a few more wrong decisions for late developers.. but I believe we know by the time a kid is 17 how high his ceiling could be.

Hopefully some exciting times back in the youth set up... haven’t had anything particularly interesting happen in years... and we’ve all been waiting for these youngsters to grow up as I recall the chatter a couple years ago already about the kids lower down having more talent than the then incumbent u23s... well they are now in and around the u23s and even touching the first team squad..
 
Ring master said:
Excellent and deserved overall 3-1 win for Everton tonight i thought for the 3rd win in 6 Games at Derby-could have had many more goals, as ever you wait 16months for 1 away win then get 2 in 7 days lol. Everton stay 5th and now play away to man city u23s Friday at 7pm - Game so far has not been put on to City TV but i would expect it to be
Click to expand...

Now on City TV so make a free account for 30 days access to see the game but cancel subscription right away so your not charged the £2 pound after the 30 days are up, or if you have used City TV before you will be charged the £2 for the 30 days right away but again cancel subscription so your not auto charged after the 30 days-also on Everton website but you have to have payed the £30 Membership fee thing for the year to be able to see Game

 
Everton going for 3 away wins in a row in 11 days, after waiting 16months for 1 lol

Everton u23s Team

Hansen, John, Quirk, Ouzounidis, Astley, Anderson, Price, Iversen, Hughes, Onyango, Broadhead,
Subs Barrett, Butterfield, Welch, Hunt, Cannon


MAN CITY U23S TEAM

Trafford, Gomes, Burns, C. Doyle, Dionkou, Lavia, T. Doyle (C), Edozie, Palmer, McAtee, Knight.
Subs: Moulden, Egan-Riley, Robinson, Robertson, Nmecha.
 

Ring master said:
Everton going for 3 away wins in a row in 11 days, after waiting 16months for 1 lol

Everton u23s Team

Hansen, John, Quirk, Ouzounidis, Anderson, Price, Iversen, Hughes, Onyango ,Astley, Broadhead,
Subs Barrett, Butterfield, Welch, Hunt, Cannon


MAN CITY U23S TEAM

Trafford, Gomes, Burns, C. Doyle, Dionkou, Lavia, T. Doyle (C), Edozie, Palmer, McAtee, Knight.
Subs: Moulden, Egan-Riley, Robinson, Robertson, Nmecha.
Click to expand...
No small?
 

blueloon said:
Crikey, Tommy Doyle dominated the game when they beat us earlier in the season and he’s doing it again. We need to close him down, everything goes through him , their best player.
Click to expand...
Now City hit the bar on 40mins with header from Burns, we are not really getting down the other end much at all, just mostly defending
 

Welcome to GrandOldTeam

Get involved. Registration is simple and free.

Register
Back
Top