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Everton Youth Teams Thread

….it is a surprise we haven’t brought a FB through since Kenny. I don’t doubt the massive leap in standards but the skill set is such that you’d think we’d have at least back-up. I suppose we can also include Antonee Robinson who I said at the time we moved on much too quickly.

Athleticism, speed, attitude and quality in possession are key attributes which is why I like players who convert from more advanced positions (Tony Hibbert was a CM in an FA Youth Cup winning team). I thought Stan Mills looked the ideal type for a switch.
Kenny started out as a CM/DM as well, did he not? Gives some credence to the idea of shifting youth players around through various positions
 
Indeed, how many years have we been saying that for RB too , since Kenny , Dixon is the only natural right back to come through from our Academy yet we’ve never targeted a young 18-20 year old RB from outside, only Patterson .
Makes you think about what have been doing with fb like the lad robinson at fulham,
I kno offered the lad a contrqct small but turned it down. Is definately an area the club should have been looking at with the problems we have had in that position
 
Kenny started out as a CM/DM as well, did he not? Gives some credence to the idea of shifting youth players around through various positions
My earliest memories of Kenny were of him and Ryan Ledson playing for the u23s at 15, he was a right back then , and certainly through his England u16/17 years . I do remember Kenny playing at CB alongside Callum Connolly a few times though , but yeah trying out some different positions will always happen at youth level to a certain extent.
 
My earliest memories of Kenny were of him and Ryan Ledson playing for the u23s at 15, he was a right back then , and certainly through his England u16/17 years . I do remember Kenny playing at CB alongside Callum Connolly a few times though , but yeah trying out some different positions will always happen at youth level to a certain extent.
Was it Hibbert that started out in central midfield for the youth teams?
 

Very surprising - I can't recall an Everton reserve team playing with 3 at the back in recent years. I reckon Tait would be liaising with DOF about team shape to be played in reserve games. Thelwell as a DOF lives his life looking to the future. So, in the expectation that Thelwell must be working on the basis that these young players will be playing to impress the new manager in a few years, is Thelwell telling Tait to play 3 at the back and if he is then is this a hint as to who the next manager will be? (And almost certainly the identity of the next manager is known already - these multi million pound contracts aren't entered into on a whim). So - who plays 3 at the back? I can only think of 3 : Southgate, Potter and Ruben Amorim.
Phil Parkinson at Wrexham has stuck religiously to 3 at the back throughout his successful lower league career. When you have the right players it works well , but I personally think it’s a very difficult system for our u21s to adapt to. The wing backs are often too far up the pitch and out of the game leaving the midfield outnumbered and defence exposed , with big gaps that the opposition overruns. When it works well and the wing backs are flying into attacks it’s wonderful.
It’s interesting reading the different views, it’ a “ nature or nurture” debate at times , if the players are not good enough will coaching ever turn them into good players - you would hope so at times!
 
….it is a surprise we haven’t brought a FB through since Kenny. I don’t doubt the massive leap in standards but the skill set is such that you’d think we’d have at least back-up. I suppose we can also include Antonee Robinson who I said at the time we moved on much too quickly.

Athleticism, speed, attitude and quality in possession are key attributes which is why I like players who convert from more advanced positions (Tony Hibbert was a CM in an FA Youth Cup winning team). I thought Stan Mills looked the ideal type for a switch.

Was it Hibbert that started out in central midfield for the youth teams?
See above.,
 
Phil Parkinson at Wrexham has stuck religiously to 3 at the back throughout his successful lower league career. When you have the right players it works well , but I personally think it’s a very difficult system for our u21s to adapt to. The wing backs are often too far up the pitch and out of the game leaving the midfield outnumbered and defence exposed , with big gaps that the opposition overruns. When it works well and the wing backs are flying into attacks it’s wonderful.
It’s interesting reading the different views, it’ a “ nature or nurture” debate at times , if the players are not good enough will coaching ever turn them into good players - you would hope so at times!
He never played five at the back at Bradford. 442.
 
Phil Parkinson at Wrexham has stuck religiously to 3 at the back throughout his successful lower league career. When you have the right players it works well , but I personally think it’s a very difficult system for our u21s to adapt to. The wing backs are often too far up the pitch and out of the game leaving the midfield outnumbered and defence exposed , with big gaps that the opposition overruns. When it works well and the wing backs are flying into attacks it’s wonderful.
It’s interesting reading the different views, it’ a “ nature or nurture” debate at times , if the players are not good enough will coaching ever turn them into good players - you would hope so at times!

…all these youngsters have talent, it’s often attitude that makes a difference. When you have top quality and attitude (like Rooney) it’s a formidable combination.

I signed for RS during the ‘Boot Room’ days and I hated my time there. I honestly don’t remember a coach talking to me one-on-one in over 3 years but I think they quickly recognised ‘winning attitude’ and concentrated on those that had it. I remember Dave Fairclough taking an inswinging corner in training and Tom Saunders saying; “you’ll play for the first team if you hit corners like that”, it bemused me. I scored 25 in 19 games the previous season, Dave scored 9 but he was the one they concentrated on. I was genuinely chuffed for Dave, he’s a good lad.

Football was never for me and they must’ve realised that. Attitude can be the big difference in coaches developing youngsters.
 

We started the game really poorly and went behind on 14 mins, giving away possession trying to play out from a goal kick. All Everton after that but we should have been 2-0 down on 28 mins as Shandong missed a real sitter. Graham went close on 30 and we finally scored on 33, a nice little move ending with Moses playing in Foster. A good save from Seve in injury time kept it at 1-1 for half time.
 
Lambert on at half time for Clarke. Pita went up to right wing.
56 mins, Roberts on for Stewart, no surprise, another quiet game for Stewart.
Within seconds Roberts scores a tap in as the goalie spills Grahams shot. 2-1.
58 mins, Graham gets his goal, rounds the keeper very calmly after pouncing on a poor back pass. 3-1.
62 mins, Matos come on for Billington. Lambert comes over to LB, Akarakiri to RB.
63 mins, Wren on for Pita.
64 mins, Graham gets his second. Left foot finish, nice little move, assist from Wren. 4-1.

Think 4-1 flatters us a bit but if you score 4 goals, you generally deserve to win.
 
For anybody who wants the full results so far:

Day 1
=====
Espanyol 1 - 2 Everton (Graham x2)
Kashiwa 0 - 2 Suwon
Sociedad 0 - 2 Augsburg
Shandong 1 - 3 Seoul
Busan 1 - 0 Incheon
Jeonbuk 1 - 0 Bupyeong

Day 2
=====
Shandong 1 - 2 Espanyol
Augsburg 3 - 1 Busan
Everton 1 - 4 Jeonbuk (Clarke)
Kashiwa 3 - 0 Sociedad
Seoul 1 - 2 Bupyeong
Suwon 3 - 1 Incheon

Day 3
=====
Sociedad 1 - 2 Busan
Everton 1 - 3 Seoul (Poland)
Espanyol 2 - 0 Jeonbuk
Shandong 1 - 5 Bupyeong
Kashiwa 1 - 1 Incheon
Augsburg 1 - 1 Suwon

Day 4
=====
Augsburg 1 - 1 Kashiwa
Incheon 2 - 1 Sociedad
Everton 4 - 1 Shandong (Foster, Roberts, Graham x2)
Bupyeong 1 - 5 Espanyol
Suwon 0 - 2 Busan
Seoul 2 - 2 Jeonbuk
 
Lambert on at half time for Clarke. Pita went up to right wing.
56 mins, Roberts on for Stewart, no surprise, another quiet game for Stewart.
Within seconds Roberts scores a tap in as the goalie spills Grahams shot. 2-1.
58 mins, Graham gets his goal, rounds the keeper very calmly after pouncing on a poor back pass. 3-1.
62 mins, Matos come on for Billington. Lambert comes over to LB, Akarakiri to RB.
63 mins, Wren on for Pita.
64 mins, Graham gets his second. Left foot finish, nice little move, assist from Wren. 4-1.

Think 4-1 flatters us a bit but if you score 4 goals, you generally deserve to win.
I quite enjoyed that, it was hard to pick out the numbers at times but I’m starting to recognise players and positions accurately . I was impressed with the play leading up to Fosters goal and Graham’s second . I’m liking the players we brought in from outside, particularly Akariki and Clarke . Graham is the standout again , he’s prepared to run at defenders with the ball , create space for a shot and is just so calm when he gets a chance , no matter what foot. I rarely make daft predictions particularly when they’re so young , only playing against 16 year olds etc but I can see Graham getting into a first team squad this season and maybe getting minutes off the bench.
 
For anybody who wants the full results so far:

Day 1
=====
Espanyol 1 - 2 Everton (Graham x2)
Kashiwa 0 - 2 Suwon
Sociedad 0 - 2 Augsburg
Shandong 1 - 3 Seoul
Busan 1 - 0 Incheon
Jeonbuk 1 - 0 Bupyeong

Day 2
=====
Shandong 1 - 2 Espanyol
Augsburg 3 - 1 Busan
Everton 1 - 4 Jeonbuk (Clarke)
Kashiwa 3 - 0 Sociedad
Seoul 1 - 2 Bupyeong
Suwon 3 - 1 Incheon

Day 3
=====
Sociedad 1 - 2 Busan
Everton 1 - 3 Seoul (Poland)
Espanyol 2 - 0 Jeonbuk
Shandong 1 - 5 Bupyeong
Kashiwa 1 - 1 Incheon
Augsburg 1 - 1 Suwon

Day 4
=====
Augsburg 1 - 1 Kashiwa
Incheon 2 - 1 Sociedad
Everton 4 - 1 Shandong (Foster, Roberts, Graham x2)
Bupyeong 1 - 5 Espanyol
Suwon 0 - 2 Busan
Seoul 2 - 2 Jeonbuk
Apologies for hogging the thread a bit but I think we have enough info now to say that there's 2 groups and (assuming 3 points per win) they currently look like this:
Group A
=====
Espanyol 9
Seoul 7
Jeonbuk 7
Bupyeong 6
Everton 6
Shandong 0

Group B
=====
Busan 9
Augsburg 8
Suwon 7
Kashiwa 5
Incheon 4
Sociedad 0

Tomorrows fixtures:
Group A
=====
Everton vs Bupyeong
Espanyol vs Seoul
Jeonbuk vs Shandong

Group B
=====
Sociedad vs Suwon
Incheon vs Augsburg
Busan vs Kashiwa

If I'm right, these are the final group games, who knows what happens after that.
 

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