Topic: Youth and Under 23 Thread

[Yorkykopite]

It looks like Carragher has coached the central defence. They seem incapable of moving with the ball - even when there's 10-15 yards to move into.

[sminp]

Aside from Balagizi and Musialowski it’s worth mentioned Hill and Stewart who are out with long term injuries and Kaide Gordon who is cup tied. All 3 of those are really good players.

[Hazell]

Which one of these lads has potential do you think?

Not that I put too much emphasis on strong results in the youth (recall us winning the FA Youth Cup back in 2006 and 2007 which didn't yield any first team players shockingly enough).

But don't want to see the youth stagnate, would be grand to see a clutch of local lads coming through.

Yeah. The bolded should be remembered before anyone is hyper critical.

Am excited about Musialowski.

[jillcwhomever]

I can’t believe they’re playing so many long balls..

I am not as impressed with this coach to be honest.

[Coolie High]

I am not as impressed with this coach to be honest.

Same.

[b_joseph]

Of the mids and forwards, Balagizi seems to be the only one able to deal with their standard, at the moment.

Some of their players are excellent

[Oskar]

Chukwuemeka looks a great prospect, played 20 minutes against Chelsea yesterday and he's levels above this age group in terms of ability and physicality.

[tubby]

This batch of Villa youngsters remind me a little of Leeds in that their team is full of hard running, athletic players with very good technique.  Our smaller players aren't getting a kick here.

[TheShanklyGates]

The young lads have been taking finishing lessons from the first team...

[rawcusk8]

Bit tough watching this as the young Reds are getting outclassed in every department, can’t seem to get close to them. Even when we have the ball they just pinch it off us with ease. Tough on the lads but they’ll learn from this.

[Dave McCoy]

Not sure about Musialowski and even Balagizi isn’t a lock.  Odds are none will ever play for LFC but that’s nothing out of the ordinary.

[Chris~]

Chukwuemeka looks a great prospect, played 20 minutes against Chelsea yesterday and he's levels above this age group in terms of ability and physicality.

Yeah he's an absolute star amongst a fair bit of attacking quality for them.

[Butcher Knife Roberto]

I guess the one crumb of comfort is that the Villa keeper looks like he has an error in him, just need to get a few more chances created to test him.

[cptrios]

Can't watch this, sadly, but with all of these "men against boys" comments...are Villa's youth squad just much better than ours or is there an actual average age difference?

[MBL?]

Bring the German on.

[RyanBabel19]

Barry is wonderful, gotta be said

[cdav]

Chukwuemeka looks a great prospect, played 20 minutes against Chelsea yesterday and he's levels above this age group in terms of ability and physicality.

Think the physicality makes such a difference still at this age group, we look a step below on that front

Ref has let a few go for them, should be a yellow for the foul on our keeper there

[Chris~]

Can't watch this, sadly, but with all of these "men against boys" comments...are Villa's youth squad just much better than ours or is there an actual average age difference?

Age gap won't be big either way I'd have thought. Villa have put together a really good side. Maybe only City are clear of them in terms.of talent for this competition

[jillcwhomever]

Can't watch this, sadly, but with all of these "men against boys" comments...are Villa's youth squad just much better than ours or is there an actual average age difference?

They are more experienced some of the Villa players have had first team experience. We have some injuries but the team is younger, also I think our coach is more limited now which doesn't help.

[RyanBabel19]

Not sure about Musialowski and even Balagizi isn’t a lock.  Odds are none will ever play for LFC but that’s nothing out of the ordinary.

Disagree none will ever play for us.

Musialowski is still managing to show flashes in a game we're being utterly dominated which is a good sign.

Its hard to show a great deal in a game we are struggling in

[Coolie High]

Think the physicality makes such a difference still at this age group, we look a step below on that front

Ref has let a few go for them, should be a yellow for the foul on our keeper there

It’s easy to use physicality as the reason but honestly they look technically better and better coached also.

[4pool]

We need a game of two halves.

Our turn next half.

[Oskar]

They've recruited really well at academy level - Chukwuemeka, Barry, Chrisene, Bogarde. Three or four of these could be knocking on the first-team door at Villa relatively soon, Barry in particular has been very highly-rated for a while.

[naYoRHa2b]

We look poorly coached it has to be said.

[Goalposts for Jumpers]

Can anyone post who's who? I read this thread a bit and know the names but can't put a face to a name for most of these lads.

[cdav]

It’s easy to use physicality as the reason but honestly they look technically better and better coached also.

I don't just mean strength, I mean speed of movement too which is giving them so many options. We have been forced so deep and can't keep the ball

[Coolie High]

Disagree none will ever play for us.

Musialowski is still managing to show flashes in a game we're being utterly dominated which is a good sign.

Its hard to show a great deal in a game we are struggling in

Musialowski hasn’t got had much of a chance with the midfield behind him, but one thing I would say he needs to improve going forward is his aggression pressing and movement in terms of making himself available for the ball and making space for himself.

This is one aspect someone like Sterling was so far ahead of many players we’ve seen at the same age, tactically he was outstanding, Musialowski has the natural talent but that side of his game needs to improve.

[Hazell]

Disagree none will ever play for us.

Musialowski is still managing to show flashes in a game we're being utterly dominated which is a good sign.

Its hard to show a great deal in a game we are struggling in

The other thing is no one's ever a lock, most youth players for clubs don't make it, doesn't make me less excited that someone ours eventually could though.

[Coolie High]

I don't just mean strength, I mean speed of movement too which is giving them so many options. We have been forced so deep and can't keep the ball

I can agree with that, we could do with a couple more agile midfielders, maybe bring Mabaya on? I’m not a fan of Balagizi playing on the right either.

[RyanBabel19]

Physicality, technique and movement are superior in that first 45 minutes from the Villa side.

Someone in the middle of the park needs to take the game by the scruff of the neck for us or there's no way back into the game. Their keepers got a mistake in him but it will take more than that so someone needs to step up and we're just silent in the centre

[rawcusk8]

It’s easy to use physicality as the reason but honestly they look technically better and better coached also.

Hard to argue with this, they look better in every department. How do Villa compare against the likes of City and Chelsea at this level?

The young lads haven’t been good this half but they’ll learn, they’ve done brilliantly well to get this far so it’s not all doom and gloom.

Villa have a few potential gems in their side, hope Edwards is watching.

[67CherryRed]

Bit weird to see everyone piling in on MBW all of a sudden, where was this 3/6 months ago? Takes the team to the youth cup final and now he's a shite coach apparently.

[Dull Tools]

Bit weird to see everyone piling in on MBW all of a sudden, where was this 3/6 months ago? Takes the team to the youth cup final and now he's a shite coach apparently.

Its because most people don't watch them all season and they are getting outplayed in the first game they have seen.

[Butcher Knife Roberto]

Can't watch this, sadly, but with all of these "men against boys" comments...are Villa's youth squad just much better than ours or is there an actual average age difference?

A few of their lads have got first team experience, whereas ours have not really got near apart from Koumetio being on the bench a few times. It's showing in terms of their ability, just that bit above some of our lads. Balagizi and Musialowski have definitely been the stand-out players so far for the mini reds, but Villa have just bullied our midfield so far. Good experience for the lads but barring some serious development I sadly can't see many of them getting too near the first team any time soon

[terry_macss_perm]

Aside from Balagizi and Musialowski it’s worth mentioned Hill and Stewart who are out with long term injuries and Kaide Gordon who is cup tied. All 3 of those are really good players.

Harvey Elliott also unavailable.

[Goalposts for Jumpers]

We look poorly coached it has to be said.

We're clearly following JKs template, but don't have the players to execute it. Subsequently end up punting the ball up field, but our 5'5'' number 9 has no chance. We need to start passing it to our midfield 3 - even if they have a man on them - otherwise there's no way we'll get anything from this.

[jillcwhomever]

Bit weird to see everyone piling in on MBW all of a sudden, where was this 3/6 months ago? Takes the team to the youth cup final and now he's a shite coach apparently.

His use of tactics have been poor tonight, too much over-reliance on the long-ball. He needs to be more flexible especially when we are getting overrun.

[sminp]

Can't watch this, sadly, but with all of these "men against boys" comments...are Villa's youth squad just much better than ours or is there an actual average age difference?

This is an exceptional Villa team to be fair but despite that if you add in the missing players who are eligible for this age wise (Hill, Stewart, Gordon)  for us it wouldn’t be quite so one sided. Chukwuemeka played in Villa’s wins over Spurs and Chelsea, another guy played in the Spurs win too and a lot of this side got really good experience against our first team squad in the cup just to give you an idea of how advanced this Villa side are.

Edit: as someone else mentioned above Harvey Elliott would also qualify for this game for us if he hadn’t already been fast tracked way beyond this level.

[RyanBabel19]

The other thing is no one's ever a lock, most youth players for clubs don't make it, doesn't make me less excited that someone ours eventually could though.

100%, I think we're very fortunate with our youth set up in the last few years. Trent, both Williams, Phillips, Clarkson all have done well in varying degrees and there will be more to follow.

I feel for some of the young lads, the hype too early can be really harmful. Mostly feel for Koumetio, the expectation amongst fans is unfair, he's a kid and I see as much focus on his ability as there is for some of the first teamers, its ridiculous

[tubby]

I’m not a fan of Balagizi playing on the right either.

Yup, whenever I've watched him he's screamed central midfielder or number 10 to me.  Should absolutely be playing through the middle, but do we have anyone else available to play wide right with Gordon cup tied?