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Tom Davies

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Eggs said:
....we haven't come close to winning a Youth Cup for many years and I think that is always a good indicator of a potential diamond (Rooney) or a number of very good players (Osman, Jeffers, Hibbert, Dunne et al). Saying that we might have a crop at various age groups and I think Unsworth's pre-match declaration that 6 or 7 are ready for the step up is very encouraging.

We can assume Davies, Dowell, Pennington and Connolly are 4 of those. Liam Walsh couldn't have done more at Yeovil and might be another.
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I think the Youth cup was always a barometer but I do wonder if it's taken as seriously now by the club. Back to the 90's and I know Colin Harvey took the competition very seriously. However over the last 2-3 years we haven't. When you look at our youth cup win in 98 you had lads like Ball, Jeffers, Cadamateri & Dunne all involved who had all played numerous games for the first team. I know other clubs and indeed
most clubs still take it seriously but I don't see that as much with Everton.

Over the last couple of years I don't think Ledson or Kenny played at all and lads like Dowell, Walsh, Davies may well have missed out as well. At the very least they weren't rested up for it as they might have been. When we lost to a side I think that was intimated that they had put out a full strength side. I also remember us being hammered this season (by Wolves I think) and they said they had put out their strongest possible team in a league game to give them practice ahead of the youth cup. It was an interesting comparison.

I maintain had we have kept Ledson, Kenny, Walsh, Dowell, Connolly, Davies & Williams playing at the same level most weeks (ie under 18's) we'd have been a serious contender to win it. The club have elected to go down a different route though. What we can say, is over the last 3 years we have finished 1st 2nd & 3rd with those players in the league. Perhaps not as good a barometer as the Youth Cup but I do think it's shown a consistency that I doubt many other academies have done.

It may not be a deliberate choice of course. With so many players out on loan, not much of a reserves squad and the modern desire not to play first team players in the reserves has left us a bit bare. That has meant under 18's have by in large filled that gap. It's funny as on Saturday it's hard not to caste your mind back to Royle taking over 20 years ago. He went to watch a reserves match and saw players like Hinchcliffe, Parkinson and Ebbrell and immediately noticed the greater work rate and intensity they had than a "soft touch" first team (sound familiar?). I thought Unsworth, playing in that team himself would do much the same. The only difference is you don't get good pro's like that in the reserves anymore so his equivalent were 17 & 18 year olds.

Anyway long story short our 98 youth team was very talented. O'Brien I always thought was the best player (captain and got a bad injury) and I always liked Poppleton who never made grade (2 of the few who didn't). The think the current crop are as strong and would use the league performance as my defence!
 
johnnydawg68 said:
Cheers mate. I was just going to ask with the glut of midfield talent we have (knowing full well the liklihood of ALL of them making it into our first team isn't 100%), how do we fit them all in? Then you have Liam Walsh, who plays as a deep lying playmaker and Joe Williams who is a defensive mid...how do they all play together at U21 level? This isn't even counting Evans...who I'm led to believe plays in an attacking role?
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For a while I thought we would be overloaded with midfield talent and partly why Barry was brought in, to hold the fought until they were ready. Bare in mind that Kenny also played as a CM sometimes! My thoughts on the below 2 are;

Williams- Very highly rated as a young player and has continued to develop. The most natural defensive midfielder we have and a really battler who probably played under Ledson's shadow. I would say he needs to fill out to make it at Everton. He might come into the side the Pennington/Browning way, with loans to league 1 sides.

Walsh- A very talented player. You have to think Paul Scholes at the end of his career in how he picks up space and sprays the ball about. Great technique and loves a tackle. Still a very little lad though and I think will be a little while until we see him make his debut. He will be given a lot of experience on loan so he can grow to his maximum.

As regards fitting them in, I have no idea. A good headache to have!
 

catcherintherye said:
For a while I thought we would be overloaded with midfield talent and partly why Barry was brought in, to hold the fought until they were ready. Bare in mind that Kenny also played as a CM sometimes! My thoughts on the below 2 are;

Williams- Very highly rated as a young player and has continued to develop. The most natural defensive midfielder we have and a really battler who probably played under Ledson's shadow. I would say he needs to fill out to make it at Everton. He might come into the side the Pennington/Browning way, with loans to league 1 sides.

Walsh- A very talented player. You have to think Paul Scholes at the end of his career in how he picks up space and sprays the ball about. Great technique and loves a tackle. Still a very little lad though and I think will be a little while until we see him make his debut. He will be given a lot of experience on loan so he can grow to his maximum.

As regards fitting them in, I have no idea. A good headache to have!
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Certainly looks like we would be best served keeping with 3 in midfield due to the numbers coming through there.

If you had to choose 3 players for the central positions (including Barkley in one role) who would they be from the young players coming through?

I mean, would you have Dowell in attacking midfield with Barkley and Davies central? Or Davies more as a defensive midfielder?

Im just interested to see how you feel they would line up in the centre + would assume Ledson and walsh would be more in the defensive midfield positions?
 
Zatara said:
Certainly looks like we would be best served keeping with 3 in midfield due to the numbers coming through there.

If you had to choose 3 players for the central positions (including Barkley in one role) who would they be from the young players coming through?

I mean, would you have Dowell in attacking midfield with Barkley and Davies central? Or Davies more as a defensive midfielder?

Im just interested to see how you feel they would line up in the centre + would assume Ledson and walsh would be more in the defensive midfield positions?
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Similar questions on my end, but as for Dowell it looks like he's best playing on the right, forward in a 4-3-3. Also begs the question, can he and Geri and/or Lennon play in the same team or is either/or? Dowell is left footed, and likes to cut in, whereas Geri and Lennon are more traditional wingers who get to the touchline. So could he play up top with Geri or Lennon behind in a midfield 3? If not who who be better on the right behind him?
 

Zatara said:
Certainly looks like we would be best served keeping with 3 in midfield due to the numbers coming through there.

If you had to choose 3 players for the central positions (including Barkley in one role) who would they be from the young players coming through?

I mean, would you have Dowell in attacking midfield with Barkley and Davies central? Or Davies more as a defensive midfielder?

Im just interested to see how you feel they would line up in the centre + would assume Ledson and walsh would be more in the defensive midfield positions?
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Wow what a good question. I like a 3 man midfield I just think we haven't used it right under Martinez.

The question is difficult, because as with young players you are always looking at their current ability and balancing that against potential ability. If you take Liam Walsh, if you want me to pick currently he's probably a bit off but at age 21 he might be the best of the bunch.

If we look for next season and we were looking at playing a young midfield 3 for the Carling cup it might look like. Ross would play probably with Tom Davies and Ledson. A lot depends on Ross really, will he get fit enough and show enough responsibility to play in a deeper lying role to accommodate Dowell too.

I liked how we played on Sunday. All 3 players have the responsibility to get forward and get back. You utilise the athletic abilities of McCarthy/Davies better.

I think it will be a big season next year for Ross. He has stepped up this season with goals and assists but he has a number of players breathing down his neck. Going forward Davies, Walsh & Ledson has a really good blend.
 
johnnydawg68 said:
Similar questions on my end, but as for Dowell it looks like he's best playing on the right, forward in a 4-3-3. Also begs the question, can he and Geri and/or Lennon play in the same team or is either/or? Dowell is left footed, and likes to cut in, whereas Geri and Lennon are more traditional wingers who get to the touchline. So could he play up top with Geri or Lennon behind in a midfield 3? If not who who be better on the right behind him?
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Aside from a couple of decent runs I am not sure Lennon really suits us. He has been very poor on the left. His major attribute seems to be hard work which is shown up because of the lack of work of others. I am not sure how much of a future he will have under a new manager.

As for Geri he can go either way. He can be destructive but also inconsistent. I have always thought he could play all across the front but again he will need to step up for the new manager.

Dowell's best position is in the 10. Whether we play with a number 10 or with 3 central midfielders will dictate how we move forward.
 
catcherintherye said:
Aside from a couple of decent runs I am not sure Lennon really suits us. He has been very poor on the left. His major attribute seems to be hard work which is shown up because of the lack of work of others. I am not sure how much of a future he will have under a new manager.

As for Geri he can go either way. He can be destructive but also inconsistent. I have always thought he could play all across the front but again he will need to step up for the new manager.

Dowell's best position is in the 10. Whether we play with a number 10 or with 3 central midfielders will dictate how we move forward.
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A point about Deulofeu. Apologies for slight derail but I've also been thinking about it in terms of Dowell fitting in. If we do get Koeman in, he absolutely loves crossing being a big part of his tactics. Del is in with a shout of best crossing delivery in the league. Have to think Koeman will use him all day down that right flank.
 
hetion said:
A point about Deulofeu. Apologies for slight derail but I've also been thinking about it in terms of Dowell fitting in. If we do get Koeman in, he absolutely loves crossing being a big part of his tactics. Del is in with a shout of best crossing delivery in the league. Have to think Koeman will use him all day down that right flank.
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Yes a lot depends on the new manager with all these young players. Firstly for their attitude on young players and secondly for the tactics they will use.
 
hetion said:
A point about Deulofeu. Apologies for slight derail but I've also been thinking about it in terms of Dowell fitting in. If we do get Koeman in, he absolutely loves crossing being a big part of his tactics. Del is in with a shout of best crossing delivery in the league. Have to think Koeman will use him all day down that right flank.
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We'll only cross if we have someone to head the ball.
 

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