Everton Youth Teams Thread

[toffeejack]

Winning the U18's league is a much bigger achievement than winning the cup. For the cup you could gather your best 17 year olds and win the 4 or 5 games required.

For the league, you're constantly chopping and changing, between positions and players of all ages. You can't get a settled team down because it's not really about the result at the end of the day. That sounds all a bit contradiction, but winning is a good indicator of performance level and adaption.

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

I like to read this thread to see how the next generation of potential homegrown superstars are progressing.

For me it is not about winning things at this level, it is about progressing to the 1st team and becoming as important as Barkley, Stones or Galloway.

Ask anyone when Everton last won a trophy. Nobody mentions youth league wins or FA Cups. They are competitions to prepare the youngsters for the real thing in the future. I am hopeful that a few of these will make the grade and we will continue to produce excellent players from within.

 

[Eggs]

Winning the U18's league is a much bigger achievement than winning the cup. For the cup you could gather your best 17 year olds and win the 4 or 5 games required.

For the league, you're constantly chopping and changing, between positions and players of all ages. You can't get a settled team down because it's not really about the result at the end of the day. That sounds all a bit contradiction, but winning is a good indicator of performance level and adaption.

.....the profile of the Youth Cup is 2nd to none, it's steeped in history and players who go on to have very successful professional careers are proud to have it on their CV. Most players only have one crack at it and it should be a priority for the club each season.

 

[Eggs]

I like to read this thread to see how the next generation of potential homegrown superstars are progressing.

For me it is not about winning things at this level, it is about progressing to the 1st team and becoming as important as Barkley, Stones or Galloway.

Ask anyone when Everton last won a trophy. Nobody mentions youth league wins or FA Cups. They are competitions to prepare the youngsters for the real thing in the future. I am hopeful that a few of these will make the grade and we will continue to produce excellent players from within.

....of course it's about bring a player or two through but I always think the Youth Cup is a real indicator that you have a good crop or a real diamond.

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

....of course it's about bring a player or two through but I always think the Youth Cup is a real indicator that you have a good crop or a real diamond.

I would agree fully if it wasn't for the clubs approach. We appear to be advancing youngsters to higher age groups to see if they sink or swim.
Hopefully a few make it to the 1st team.

Chelsea or City always seem to make the Youth Cup final but I would not swap Barkley or Galloway for any of them.

 

[toffeejack]

.....the profile of the Youth Cup is 2nd to none, it's steeped in history and players who go on to have very successful professional careers are proud to have it on their CV. Most players only have one crack at it and it should be a priority for the club each season.

oh yeah, the profile is higher, but it's more of an achievement to win the league because of the reasons i stated as opposed to winning the cup. as with any form of football really ... actually given the standard of the prem, the CL is probably harder to win.

anyway, it could be just the case that you have a good youth team with no stand out stars who win trophies, but don't have one standout player good enough to make it to the first team. That's why the development is the more important aspect.

 

[Nymzee]

What have I missed over the last couple of weeks in this thread? I feel sad when I can't log in to check.

 

[Minimeister]

Might be way off here and happy to be shouted down but I can't help thinking we should be keeping the age groups together, winning games and building that winning mentality into the youth because as a club we need that.

 

[LinekersLegs]

Might be way off here and happy to be shouted down but I can't help thinking we should be keeping the age groups together, winning games and building that winning mentality into the youth because as a club we need that.

It is a an interesting dilemma really - do you hold back some that can progress faster which will likely results in more silverware or do you continually push them as individuals and sacrifice some team cohesion and results.

However don't think winning things at junior level makes as much difference to whether a player succeeds in the first team as being able to play against men so prefer our focus of getting them up to standard where they can got out on loan as quickly as individually possible.

 

[Eggs]

It is a an interesting dilemma really - do you hold back some that can progress faster which will likely results in more silverware or do you continually push them as individuals and sacrifice some team cohesion and results.

However don't think winning things at junior level makes as much difference to whether a player succeeds in the first team as being able to play against men so prefer our focus of getting them up to standard where they can got out on loan as quickly as individually possible.

...my view is the first team takes preference but beyond that the FA Youth Cup is key from a club profile and individual development perspective. The last good youth cup runs had the likes of Michael Ball and Jeffers on the periphery of the first team. That was priority.

If they aren't in first team I think the Youth Cup is key. As I said, most lads have one shot at it and it's a great focus for the club and individuals. I'm in a minority but part of bringing individuals through is being involved in the competitive knock out equivalent of the FA Cup.

 

[Duncan Disordely]

I know it's all about the development of players, but It'd be really nice to have a couple of players come through for whom winning shiny metal things is second nature. A winners mentality is something that has been lacking in the first team for longer than we should be happy with.

 

[LinekersLegs]

...my view is the first team takes preference but beyond that the FA Youth Cup is key from a club profile and individual development perspective. The last good youth cup runs had the likes of Michael Ball and Jeffers on the periphery of the first team. That was priority.

If they aren't in first team I think the Youth Cup is key. As I said, most lads have one shot at it and it's a great focus for the club and individuals. I'm in a minority but part of bringing individuals through is being involved in the competitive knock out equivalent of the FA Cup.

What do you put the loss to Villa down to Eggs - just one of those things (only Davies missing from our strongest team) or too much switching between U21s and U18s?

 

[Eggs]

What do you put the loss to Villa down to Eggs - just one of those things (only Davies missing from our strongest team) or too much switching between U21s and U18s?

...to be honest I wasn't particularly looking for an excuse. It sounds like we were unlucky and we played a strong side. I know it was a tough draw but from a development perspective everything should have been geared to that game. I think we are doing a fine job with the youngsters and don't want to be too critical but at the end of the day it was failure.

hopefully major disappointment will be the feeling and something they all learn from.

 

[Coffee and TV]

Any youth players people think will get a game in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup? Obviously players like Ledson and Grant are out on loan and cup tied so it would have to be some of the ones that haven't gone out on loan yet. Maybe Dowell or Walsh?

 

[toffeejack]

Might be way off here and happy to be shouted down but I can't help thinking we should be keeping the age groups together, winning games and building that winning mentality into the youth because as a club we need that.

i think with football being what it is and all the chopping and changing that goes on it's a tad pointless having them group together. the first team has changed quite a bit from moyes last season and that was only a couple of years ago - and we're the team that possibly chops and changes the least in the prem.

i think with the vast talent we have they're going to be winning a lot of the time anyway, but you're going to develop more and learn more things in a more demanding environment, hence why most prem youngsters go on loan to the football league. People have different preferences i suppose, but it is more about development than winning.

also, they're going to be playing for everton, pointless getting that winning mentality when it's all going to come tumbling down anyway haha