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Everton Youth Teams Thread


May interest you @Alan Whittle when this is on with it been your team





Channel 4 has commissioned a new six-part documentary series filming behind the scenes of a Premier League youth football academy.

The Academy (w/t) will follow the unique relationships between the staff, players and their families at the South London based Crystal Palace F.C. Academy to reveal the work that goes in to developing the next generation of footballing talent.

Filmed over twelve months, the series will capture the hopes and dreams of the Academy squads, and club coaches and staff who help the young players achieve their potential. Aged between eight to 18, these players are all striving to complete the life-changing journey from grassroots football to Premier League star.

One of the most prestigious football academies in the country, the Crystal Palace academy has developed established Premier League stars such as Wilfried Zaha and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, as well as the current England manager Gareth Southgate and former Premier League winner Victor Moses. Thirty-two players have come through the Academy ranks in the last 14 years, making more than 1,000 appearances for the club.

The Club recently invested £20m upgrading the Academy, with a major expansion of football facilities and an increased focus on welfare provision and education for players to give them the best possible preparation for life on and off the field.

The series is being produced by South Shore, whose production team’s previous credits include other youth-focussed Channel 4 series Educating Yorkshire and Royal Marines Commando School.

The series is commissioned for Channel 4 by Jonah Weston and Ian Dunkley with Head of Factual Entertainment Alf Lawrie. The series will be executive produced by Andrew Mackenzie; Series Produced by Hannah Lowes and the Series Editor is Alex Kohler.

Jonah Weston said: “The Premier League is the richest football league in the world. But getting there is an intense journey where few succeed. I’m excited to be able to share that journey with the Channel 4 audience, as we follow the hopes and dreams of the boys giving everything for their shot at the big time.”

Steve Parish, Crystal Palace F.C. Chairman said: "Our Academy has a rich history in developing world-class footballers, and we are acutely aware that South London has one of, if not the, best footballing talent pools in the world. Having recently invested millions in a state-of-the-art facility upgrade, achieving elite Category 1 status for our Academy in the process, we are extremely excited to take viewers behind the scenes at an elite football institution, as we aim to identify, attract and develop the next generation of Crystal Palace footballers. It was imperative for us to select a production partner with a track record in working with young people in pressurised environments, and a broadcaster who shares our passion for inspirational and uplifting family programming.”

Andrew MacKenzie CEO, South Shore said “Nowhere else in Britain has the power to change a young person’s life as dramatically as a football academy and to gain this rare access to one the best in the country is an incredible opportunity.”
 

It seems our strategy is developing the academy to be the go to academy south of the river and, at last, do something practical to harness our huge catchment area. The U23 & U18 lads have just had very successful seasons. It does seem the sensible alternative to bringing in ageing mercenaries on mega dough.

….a good run in the FA Youth Cup is always a good indicator of a top individual or crop of talent. Not sure I remember Palace doing well in the competition, but worth keeping an eye on in the next few years.
 
It seems our strategy is developing the academy to be the go to academy south of the river and, at last, do something practical to harness our huge catchment area. The U23 & U18 lads have just had very successful seasons. It does seem the sensible alternative to bringing in ageing mercenaries on mega dough.

Definitely the way to go, it's why I'm hoping Everton can somehow use this opportunity to appoint a manager who is happy to go down that route.
Sick of these short term managers who want have no interest in giving academy players 1st team opportunities
 
….a good run in the FA Youth Cup is always a good indicator of a top individual or crop of talent. Not sure I remember Palace doing well in the competition, but worth keeping an eye on in the next few years.
In only there first year as a cat 1 club, Palace’s under 18s, with a lot of first year scholars playing, just finished 2nd in the u18 premier league.

The same group of players also won the prestigious national floodlit cup as under 15s, 2 years ago.
 
I obviously question the coaching in our acadamy for a major reason no one has really come through at all.
But what about our scouting too?
I look at things like the guardians nex gen articles every year (i know not exactly perfect) and you see argentinians, colombians, uruguayans, austrailians all already at clubs in the PL or have moved on to clubs after they have been on it.
Are we not looking at these players?
There is the famous 'steve walsh had Haaland here at 15' & Zirkzhee pictures in the Everton kit, i also remember articles coming out that the Sheff Utd kid who scored against us was on trial at us.
Is it just that at 15/16 our kids are excellent so we dont feel we need to add to the teams? If so, what happens to them from then on? Are they just poorly coached?
Can we not persuade these type of players to join? Is it our budget? Because i look at finch farm and find it unrealistic we couldnt persuade a few oitstanding kids to come to us, even as a stepping stone.
I possibly think also that if there is a comfortiblness in the coaching staff, it may be the same with the youth? It seems every player that gets to the under 23s has the usual 'been at the club since 6 years old' are we to loyal to the lads coming through for so long?
 
I obviously question the coaching in our acadamy for a major reason no one has really come through at all.
But what about our scouting too?
I look at things like the guardians nex gen articles every year (i know not exactly perfect) and you see argentinians, colombians, uruguayans, austrailians all already at clubs in the PL or have moved on to clubs after they have been on it.
Are we not looking at these players?
There is the famous 'steve walsh had Haaland here at 15' & Zirkzhee pictures in the Everton kit, i also remember articles coming out that the Sheff Utd kid who scored against us was on trial at us.
Is it just that at 15/16 our kids are excellent so we dont feel we need to add to the teams? If so, what happens to them from then on? Are they just poorly coached?
Can we not persuade these type of players to join? Is it our budget? Because i look at finch farm and find it unrealistic we couldnt persuade a few oitstanding kids to come to us, even as a stepping stone.
I possibly think also that if there is a comfortiblness in the coaching staff, it may be the same with the youth? It seems every player that gets to the under 23s has the usual 'been at the club since 6 years old' are we to loyal to the lads coming through for so long?

…I’ve been posting for a long time suggesting the problem is more likely to be recruitment than coaching & even then, I honestly think there’s a lack of talent because kids don’t play footy to the extent we did.

We read regular bashing of Unsworth for the blockage at U23 level, but we aren’t having a decent run in the FA Youth Cup at U18. It suggests to me the quality isn’t there.

The strategy of bringing in promising youngsters from elsewhere (Stones, DCL, Lookman, Holgate, Branthwaite et al) seems to be the way to go.
 

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