U18/U21 Development Thread (5 Viewers)

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
Under 18s won 5-0 today. Triallist scored two (Cork guy?) nee also scored 2. Nee looks one to watch out for

No it’s Marco Rus from Southampton he’s been here a while but don’t think he’s signed.

Dinanga is an U19 and as far as I’m aware hasn’t played for the 23s. Unless there’s a side issue stopping him doesn’t look like that ones happening
 

rexo87

Well-Known Member
Question for anyone close to U18/academy set up - not sure who is technically a second year scholar but out of those that are, who is looking likely to getting a pro contract?


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Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
Question for anyone close to U18/academy set up - not sure who is technically a second year scholar but out of those that are, who is looking likely to getting a pro contract?


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Not involved in the set-up or whatever but I think these are the current second years technically.

Bapaga (ST - signed pro til 2023)
Burroughs, G (CB - seems to be captain, played most of the games and featured a few times for U23 so decent chance of a contract)
Costa (CM - not featured much at all so likely to be released I reckon)
Evans-Harriott (AM - signed pro til 2022 when he joined but technically still academy and has mainly featured for them with a few U23 appearances
Fallows (GK - not featured as much as expected and 1st year Bell played more often so likely to be released)
Finnegan (CM - signed from Brum on pro deal til 2022 but mainly featured for academy with a few U23)
Forsythe (CB - not featured as much as others so likely to be released)
Harland (CM - featured a lot for academy but not for U23. Could go either way)
McGrath (CB - signed pro til 2022 and has played a lot for both academy and U23)
Nee (CF - scored a lot of goals so very likely to be given a chance)
Nightingale (AM/W - played quite a lot for the academy but not really U23. Maybe/maybe not)
Pitts-Ekersall (CM - similar to Nightingale.)
Purves (W - not really featured so likely to be released)
Taylor (RB - not featured much but has been injured I believe. Probably released)

Howley is a first year who's also already signed a pro deal.
 

rexo87

Well-Known Member
Not involved in the set-up or whatever but I think these are the current second years technically.

Bapaga (ST - signed pro til 2023)
Burroughs, G (CB - seems to be captain, played most of the games and featured a few times for U23 so decent chance of a contract)
Costa (CM - not featured much at all so likely to be released I reckon)
Evans-Harriott (AM - signed pro til 2022 when he joined but technically still academy and has mainly featured for them with a few U23 appearances
Fallows (GK - not featured as much as expected and 1st year Bell played more often so likely to be released)
Finnegan (CM - signed from Brum on pro deal til 2022 but mainly featured for academy with a few U23)
Forsythe (CB - not featured as much as others so likely to be released)
Harland (CM - featured a lot for academy but not for U23. Could go either way)
McGrath (CB - signed pro til 2022 and has played a lot for both academy and U23)
Nee (CF - scored a lot of goals so very likely to be given a chance)
Nightingale (AM/W - played quite a lot for the academy but not really U23. Maybe/maybe not)
Pitts-Ekersall (CM - similar to Nightingale.)
Purves (W - not really featured so likely to be released)
Taylor (RB - not featured much but has been injured I believe. Probably released)

Howley is a first year who's also already signed a pro deal.

Brilliant that, cheers pal
 

rexo87

Well-Known Member
Any idea of 18’s who have signed pro deals. No mention of it on the official?


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Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
Is there any confirmation on who was released/taken on from this year or on the new first years?
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
Saw on twitter fallowes the young goalie was let go

Yeah. Saw him and Pitts-Ekersall saying they were leaving but nothing official or news on anyone else.

I reckon it might only be Nee and Burroughs that get deals on top of the ones like Bapaga or those we signed from elsewhere like McGrath and Evans-Harriott.
 

Frostie

Well-Known Member
Is there any confirmation on who was released/taken on from this year or on the new first years?

Dan Lafferty released.

Alex Costa, Keelan Fallows, Kai Forsyth, Matthew Harland, Joe Nightingale, Sam Pitts-Eckersall, Hayden Purves and Adam Taylor have not been offered professional contracts.


 
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SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
Any surprises here?

Not really, Lafferty is talented but injured a lot. May have got another year but got Howley in the same position who’s 17 and will be getting fast tracked. The 23s will be more of an U19/U20 side next season.

U23s 21/22:

GK:
Cian Tyler (U20)
Tom Billson (U21)

DEF:
Blaine Rowe (U20)
Jay McGrath (U19)
George Burroughs (U19)
Josh Reid (U20)
Malakai Reeve (U18)

MID:
Jonathan Ngandu (U20)
Aaron Evans Harriott (U19)
Aidan Finnegan (U19)
Ryan Howley (U18)

ATT:
David Bremang (U22)
William Bapaga (U19)
Harrison Nee (U19)
Fabio Tavares (U21)

Incoming?

Marco Rus MID U19
Ricardo Dinanga ATT U20


Excluded Drysdale, Eccles and Burroughs.
 

Frostie

Well-Known Member
Not really, Lafferty is talented but injured a lot. May have got another year but got Howley in the same position who’s 17 and will be getting fast tracked. The 23s will be more of an U19/U20 side next season.

U23s 21/22:

GK:
Cian Tyler (U20)
Tom Billson (U21)

DEF:
Blaine Rowe (U20)
Jay McGrath (U19)
George Burroughs (U19)
Josh Reid (U20)
Malakai Reeve (U18)

MID:
Jonathan Ngandu (U20)
Aaron Evans Harriott (U19)
Aidan Finnegan (U19)
Ryan Howley (U18)

ATT:
David Bremang (U22)
William Bapaga (U19)
Harrison Nee (U19)
Fabio Tavares (U21)

Incoming?

Marco Rus MID U19
Ricardo Dinanga ATT U20


Excluded Drysdale, Eccles and Burroughs.

Agree. Think it's the way most clubs will go now.
If you think about it, our first team has the 2nd lowest average age in the Championship at just 25, so you'd expect once they reach their early 20s they need to be impacting the first team.

Do feel for Dan Lafferty though - hopefully he can prove his fitness & get a good move elsewhere.
 

Frostie

Well-Known Member
Wording of that statement is strange, suggests that Lafferty was offered a contract but turned it down - as it doesn’t actually say he wasn’t offered a contract whereas below for all of the others it does?

Lafferty already had a pro deal but he's come to the end of it.
Sorry, my post might have made it more confusing - amended.
 

SkyBlueSam01

Well-Known Member
Any surprises here?

Real shame about Laff - really intelligent and technically gifted player but lacks dynamism and pace (think Toni Kroos), and has been let down by injuries the last year or so.

Nightingale and Harland both previously highly rated but struggled more recently.

Got a few players who are progressing into the U18s who I fully expect to make a big impact in the future...
 

SkyBlueSam01

Well-Known Member
Don't leave us hanging Sam...

Looking back at my post I now appreciate that I made it sound like we have Maradonna's rebirth in our youth ranks, which is somewhat misleading...

I don't think it's appropriate to name lads below the U18s online, but there are some real prospects throughout the age groups, including one son of a former Sky Blues player from overseas 👀

And then in the current U18s, the ones to watch are probably Sam Rodber, Reese Massey, and Ryan Howley!
 

hamil99

Facebook User
Looking back at my post I now appreciate that I made it sound like we have Maradonna's rebirth in our youth ranks, which is somewhat misleading...

I don't think it's appropriate to name lads below the U18s online, but there are some real prospects throughout the age groups, including one son of a former Sky Blues player from overseas 👀

And then in the current U18s, the ones to watch are probably Sam Rodber, Reese Massey, and Ryan Howley!

What has Malakai Reeve been like. I heard previously he was one of our top prospects.
 

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
Looking back at my post I now appreciate that I made it sound like we have Maradonna's rebirth in our youth ranks, which is somewhat misleading...

I don't think it's appropriate to name lads below the U18s online, but there are some real prospects throughout the age groups, including one son of a former Sky Blues player from overseas 👀

And then in the current U18s, the ones to watch are probably Sam Rodber, Reese Massey, and Ryan Howley!

Is that Claus Jorgensen’s lad? Seen he signed a few years back but must be pretty young still?
 

Philosorapter

Well-Known Member
I am absolutely confused here.

Trying to get some understanding of the setup. First time I have ever looked at this.

There's the first team, U23's and Academy.

What are the main team's setups in the Academy?
 

SBchimp

Well-Known Member
The Academy runs from u9 to u18. There are teams for each age group as far as Under 14's. After that it 15 & 16's play as an u16s team and the 17&18s play as u18's.
All age groups are part time, train in the evenings with occasion school release during the day.
Once in the u18s its a full time program training 4 days a week during the day just like the 23's and 1st team.
 

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