Miscellaneous Reserve/Youth News

Whats our squad for this Elite cup?

There isn't a squad list anywhere but from photos, these are the ones I recognize:

Idris Fabiyi, Joe Deighton, Billy Hartley (GK), Jacey Carrick, Estan Chinsall-Devent, Kyle Scowen (GK), Eddie Wright, Jack Waters, Will Aldred, Pharell Silvester, Ayo Fagbenle, Silva Mexes, Jasper Mantato, Lincoln Fagborun, Gus Murdock.
 
Feel like I've been hearing about this JJ kid for a while already, is he super highly rated?
 
Feel like I've been hearing about this JJ kid for a while already, is he super highly rated?

Supposedly so. He's been spoken about for the last couple of years quite a bit but still such early days and it's unfair to give young kids such exposure but it's hard to prevent in these times.
 
There isn't a squad list anywhere but from photos, these are the ones I recognize:

Idris Fabiyi, Joe Deighton, Billy Hartley (GK), Jacey Carrick, Estan Chinsall-Devent, Kyle Scowen (GK), Eddie Wright, Jack Waters, Will Aldred, Pharell Silvester, Ayo Fagbenle, Silva Mexes, Jasper Mantato, Lincoln Fagborun, Gus Murdock.

Thanks!
 
In a week of dramatic success on the pitch, Manchester United’s Academy also celebrated the achievements of our players away from football.

The Under-18s put in an impressive display at Manchester City for an opening day victory in the U18 Premier League, which they won last season, before defeating Leicester City in the U18 PL Cup on Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Under-21s backed up a wonderful comeback EFL Trophy win with a four-goal haul at home to Stoke City.
Players involved in all of those wins were receiving exam results during August, and all Academy staff, especially those in the Education department, were proud of their efforts.

At GCSE level, students across the country were collecting their results last Thursday, and our players were no different. The majority of our new scholars achieved excellent grades, with a dozen grade 8s (equivalent to A* in the old system) and six grade 9s, the highest possible grade.

More than 85% of second-year scholars achieved their target grade or above, with 10 achieving a Btec Extended Diploma (worth three ‘A’ Levels), including five full distinction profiles (Tom Myles, Ruben Curley, Louis Jackson, Jack Kingdon and James Nolan). Another 10 have successfully completed the Sporting Excellence Professional (SEP) at Distinction level while three are at the mid-point of their ‘A’ Level programmes.

“As an Education team, we are delighted with the achievements of our players across our Academies over the last year,” said Ian Smithson (Head of Education).

“As well as seeing some significant successes in final outcomes at both GCSE and Btec level, we are delighted that some players are embarking on ‘A’ Level study, with academic options now part of the curriculum we offer for players, alongside our well-established first-class vocational courses.

“Similarly, players in our U21 age groups are taking the opportunity to further themselves by taking on part-time degrees and Education short courses. This bodes well for the future, as young players demonstrate a real commitment to their personal development, and our programme is evolving to enable this.”

Two Under-21 players (Sonny Aljofree and Dermot Mee) have begun a three-year part-time Bachelor of Arts honours degree with the Professional Football Association (PFA) in Football and Business Management, with six signing up for short courses in Entrepreneurship and Cybersecurity at UA ‘92.

Players in our Girls’ Academy are also celebrating some highly impressive results.

“Five girls finished their PGA journey with two players now already in the USA starting their degrees and enjoying American life,” explains Vanessa Walker (Education Officer).

“All girls secured the Extended Diploma in Sport with one achieving the highest grade possible of DDD*.

“The new cohort received their GCSE results this week with some outstanding grades, well done to all. Special mention to one particular player who achieved five grade 9s amongst her 8s and 7s! All will start their A Levels and BTECs in September.”

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/academy-weekly-29-august-2024
 
So looks like this will be our main U21 squad for the next months.


GOALKEEPERS
Mee
Graczyk

RIGHT-BACKS
Ogunneye
Overy
Kamason

CENTRE-BACKS
Fredericson
Jackson
Kingdon

LEFT-BACKS
Murray
Amass

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS
Kone
Gore
Curley
McAllister
Moorhouse

J.Fletcher
Devaney

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
Mather
Scanlon
Ennis
Williams
Missin
Sharpe


STRIKERS
Obi Martin
Wheatley

Biancheri


+ This Tommy Rowe guy :smirk:


LOANS
Vitek (BW Linz)
Harrison (Chester)
Myles (Runcorn)
Wooster (Farsley)
Nolan (Inverness)
Bennett (Fleetwood)
Aljofree (Accrington)
Hugill (Wigan)


Our loans are good.......i just think Murray and Mather should have gone out on loan too (Gore too but he is still injured).
 
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So looks like this will be our main U21 squad for the next months.


GOALKEEPERS
Mee
Graczyk
Myles

RIGHT-BACKS
Ogunneye
Kamason

CENTRE-BACKS
Fredericson
Jackson
Kingdon

LEFT-BACKS
Murray
Amass

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS
Kone
Gore
Curley
McAllister
Moorhouse

J.Fletcher
Devaney

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
Mather
Scanlon
Ennis
Williams
Missin
Sharpe


STRIKERS
Obi Martin
Wheatley

Biancheri


LOANS
Vitek
Harrison
Wooster
Nolan
Bennett
Aljofree
Hugill


Our loans are good.......i just think Murray and Mather should have gone out on loan too (Gore too but he is still injured).
Missing Rowe as well I think? I also can't really believe Murray is still here. It's probably the strongest our U21s has looked in a long while.
 
So looks like this will be our main U21 squad for the next months.


GOALKEEPERS
Mee
Graczyk
Myles

RIGHT-BACKS
Ogunneye
Kamason

CENTRE-BACKS
Fredericson
Jackson
Kingdon

LEFT-BACKS
Murray
Amass

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS
Kone
Gore
Curley
McAllister
Moorhouse

J.Fletcher
Devaney

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
Mather
Scanlon
Ennis
Williams
Missin
Sharpe


STRIKERS
Obi Martin
Wheatley

Biancheri


LOANS
Vitek
Harrison
Wooster
Nolan
Bennett
Aljofree
Hugill


Our loans are good.......i just think Murray and Mather should have gone out on loan too (Gore too but he is still injured).

Strong squad this year. Bit light in defence as so often in recent years but real quality in midfield and attack.
 
So looks like this will be our main U21 squad for the next months.


GOALKEEPERS
Mee
Graczyk
Myles

RIGHT-BACKS
Ogunneye
Kamason

CENTRE-BACKS
Fredericson
Jackson
Kingdon

LEFT-BACKS
Murray
Amass

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS
Kone
Gore
Curley
McAllister
Moorhouse

J.Fletcher
Devaney

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
Mather
Scanlon
Ennis
Williams
Missin
Sharpe


STRIKERS
Obi Martin
Wheatley

Biancheri


LOANS
Vitek
Harrison
Wooster
Nolan
Bennett
Aljofree
Hugill


Our loans are good.......i just think Murray and Mather should have gone out on loan too (Gore too but he is still injured).

Gore will be with the 1st team, don't think he will play for u-21s.
 
Gore will be with the 1st team, don't think he will play for u-21s.

Of course he will. He hasn't played any games since I think it's February, he will at the very least spend a few weeks getting fit with the U21s even if he then goes out on loan or gets some first team game time.
 
Johnny Evans actually spoke out about the job cuts which I thought was brave of him. Didn't necessarily critiscise it, but thought it was brave none the less
 
AZ is a very tough draw for the second round.
Of course this is a new generation but they have won this competition in the 2022-2023 season and are the current champions in the Netherlands.

 
So looks like this will be our main U21 squad for the next months.


GOALKEEPERS
Mee
Graczyk

RIGHT-BACKS
Ogunneye
Overy
Kamason

CENTRE-BACKS
Fredericson
Jackson
Kingdon

LEFT-BACKS
Murray
Amass

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS
Kone
Gore
Curley
McAllister
Moorhouse

J.Fletcher
Devaney

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
Mather
Scanlon
Ennis
Williams
Missin
Sharpe


STRIKERS
Obi Martin
Wheatley

Biancheri


+ This Tommy Rowe guy :smirk:


LOANS
Vitek (BW Linz)
Harrison (Chester)
Myles (Runcorn)
Wooster (Farsley)
Nolan (Inverness)
Bennett (Fleetwood)
Aljofree (Accrington)
Hugill (Wigan)


Our loans are good.......i just think Murray and Mather should have gone out on loan too (Gore too but he is still injured).
I have updated this list.

A shame Murray and Mather haven't gone out on loan in the last days......i have hoped maybe a loan to a Eredivisie club would be possible.

Hopefully Obi Martin is soon registered.
 
Good article on the current state of academy football in England. The first few lines almost certainly referring to a player who was at United.

https://thechels.net/2024/pathways-to-destruction/
I mean, isn't this what Chelsea and City have been doing to other club's academies for a long time? Paying more than rivals, bending rules and paying families in City's case. Now everyone is trying to do the same because of PSR.

The rules should have been changed a long time ago but this comes off as the author being annoyed that Chelsea can't do what they have been doing because there's more competition now.
 
AZ excellent academy pretty much always very good level. AZ Jong play in second tier of Dutch football and so many of the AZ lads I suspect will be exposed to much more competitive mens football. Not watched this AZ cohort but I imagine it will be a very tough[/QUOTE]
 
It's a bit rich for a Chelsea leaning site to talk about what United will be paying Obi-Martin, when a decade ago Loftus-Cheek was on obscene money in their academy and nearly two decades ago Aaron Lennon took a pay cut to join Spurs from Leeds.
 
AZ excellent academy pretty much always very good level. AZ Jong play in second tier of Dutch football and so many of the AZ lads I suspect will be exposed to much more competitive mens football. Not watched this AZ cohort but I imagine it will be a very tough
[/QUOTE]

I don't know much about AZ's academy - but they must have one of the youngest squads in World Football. They have 23 players in their squad aged 24 or younger - including 2 fairly familiar names: Peer Koopmeiners and Sem Westerveld. And yes - that is Teun Koopmeiners younger brother and Sander Westervelds son (who also is a goalie)
 

I don't know much about AZ's academy - but they must have one of the youngest squads in World Football. They have 23 players in their squad aged 24 or younger - including 2 fairly familiar names: Peer Koopmeiners and Sem Westerveld. And yes - that is Teun Koopmeiners younger brother and Sander Westervelds son (who also is a goalie)
[/QUOTE]

That champions path is very very tough, if I were betting AZ and Betis would be high on my list. If we can get through AZ I think we could do ok, but tbh I don’t expect us to. No English academy really equipped to win this, our u21 format doesn’t provide a sufficiently competitive platform
 
I don't know much about AZ's academy - but they must have one of the youngest squads in World Football. They have 23 players in their squad aged 24 or younger - including 2 fairly familiar names: Peer Koopmeiners and Sem Westerveld. And yes - that is Teun Koopmeiners younger brother and Sander Westervelds son (who also is a goalie)

That champions path is very very tough, if I were betting AZ and Betis would be high on my list. If we can get through AZ I think we could do ok, but tbh I don’t expect us to. No English academy really equipped to win this, our u21 format doesn’t provide a sufficiently competitive platform
[/QUOTE]
Whenever United played it always felt like we were almost always outcompeted physically. The Chelsea squads that won it were very strong technically and physically. Also playing a mish mash of U18s and U21 ruins the team balance, and playing the U18s fully means you can't compete physically. We've never really struck a good balance but I have hope for this year, hope Lawrence is coaching.
 
JJ Gabriel came on at half-time vs Newcastle U16s, scored a hat trick and grabbed an assist in 45 minutes. If I remember correctly he turns 14 in October.
 
JJ Gabriel came on at half-time vs Newcastle U16s, scored a hat trick and grabbed an assist in 45 minutes. If I remember correctly he turns 14 in October.
That is spectacular! Surely he will have his debut for U-18 this season.
 
MEN have done a feature on Scanlon, main takeaways being that he is leaning towards committing with Gibraltar in October (his next match will lock him in) which I hope he does, and that his international exploits have attracted the attention of EFL clubs who want him on loan in January.
 
We’ve been drawn against the winner of the Žalgiris (Lithuania) / The New Saints (Wales) tie in the UEFA Youth League Domestic Champions Path (2nd round). The dates 23 Oct & 6 Nov (TBC). Žalgiris won the 1st leg 3-2.

If we go through we’ll face either Strømsgodset (Norway) or AZ Alkmaar. The third round dates are 27 Nov & 11 Dec (TBC).
 
We’ve been drawn against the winner of the Žalgiris (Lithuania) / The New Saints (Wales) tie in the UEFA Youth League Domestic Champions Path (2nd round). The dates 23 Oct & 6 Nov (TBC). Žalgiris won the 1st leg 3-2.

If we go through we’ll face either Strømsgodset (Norway) or AZ Alkmaar. The third round dates are 27 Nov & 11 Dec (TBC).
TNS would be the ideal opponents, guaranteed a packed stadium at Park Hall in Oswestry for that.
 

Sounds a good idea.

No doubt lower league fans will be complaining again that its a stepping stone to getting PL2 sides into the pyramid system - just like they do with the current EFL Trophy format.

But, like that, it seems a good idea that should be a mutually beneficial tournament.