Non-televised academy matches | U21s vs West Ham | Fri 29 Nov

U18s:

Plunkett, Scanlon, T.Fletcher & Biancheri off
Bailey, Thwaites, Ibragimov & Musa on
 
This is one of the reasons I wanted us to loan out Wheatley this summer. With Chido still to come as well we just can't guarantee lot of game time to all 3 of them.

Chido and Wheatley were already better than u-18s level and now Biancheri is also showing the same. Nice problem to have in a way but not sure how the club are planning their developments.
 
This is one of the reasons I wanted us to loan out Wheatley this summer. With Chido still to come as well we just can't guarantee lot of game time to all 3 of them.

Chido and Wheatley were already better than u-18s level and now Biancheri is also showing the same. Nice problem to have in a way but not sure how the club are planning their developments.
Scanlon looks like to go out on loan in January as there's been reported interest in him. Would expect a couple more to go out in the winter window too.
 
Scanlon looks like to go out on loan in January as there's been reported interest in him. Would expect a couple more to go out in the winter window too.
Hasn't he been playing left wing this season after playing majority of last season on the right? Hopefully we can find him a loan at a good level when he can get consistent game time.
 
Really sums up the difference between the U18's and U21's. The worrying thing is, that was an U21 team featuring the current most hopefuls for stepping up - Collyer, Amass, Wheatley. Very poor result given we went strong for that one. Meanwhile, another impressive win for the U18's.
 
Really sums up the difference between the U18's and U21's. The worrying thing is, that was an U21 team featuring the current most hopefuls for stepping up - Collyer, Amass, Wheatley. Very poor result given we went strong for that one. Meanwhile, another impressive win for the U18's.
Doesn't help that we've not had a decent reserve manager since Warren Joyce.
 
Really sums up the difference between the U18's and U21's. The worrying thing is, that was an U21 team featuring the current most hopefuls for stepping up - Collyer, Amass, Wheatley. Very poor result given we went strong for that one. Meanwhile, another impressive win for the U18's.
I was at the game, United dominant first half, Amass very impressive , Wheatley a real handful and caused City problems, should really have gone in half time out of site and Wheatley missed decent chances you would back him to put away, City goal really against the run of play. Possession stats must have been heavy in United favour first half. Fair play to City they made changes at half time and were the better side for more of the second half but overall result still harsh as first half it could have been over.

Not all doom and gloom, some good players in that group. I’ve been slaughtered on here for the honesty but that City side that won youth cup last year were a very good side, and the team we played today was largely made up of that group and first half they couldn’t get the ball.

If MUTV got act together it would help
 
I was at the game, United dominant first half, Amass very impressive , Wheatley a real handful and caused City problems, should really have gone in half time out of site and Wheatley missed decent chances you would back him to put away, City goal really against the run of play. Possession stats must have been heavy in United favour first half. Fair play to City they made changes at half time and were the better side for more of the second half but overall result still harsh as first half it could have been over.

Not all doom and gloom, some good players in that group. I’ve been slaughtered on here for the honesty but that City side that won youth cup last year were a very good side, and the team we played today was largely made up of that group and first half they couldn’t get the ball.

If MUTV got act together it would help
If the stats I found online are correct - United seem to have about 70% possession in the first half
 
Two match reports today, they're really spoiling us. Wonder if they grace us with some tactical cam footage as well, really push the boat out
 
The U21s can more or less secure qualification to the next round of the EFL Trophy if they can beat Doncaster on Tuesday.
 
Just scrolled ahead to Saturday schedule on MUTV and supposedly U18's at home to Blackburn is to be shown!!!!!!!
Coverage to start at 10:55.
 
Just scrolled ahead to Saturday schedule on MUTV and supposedly U18's at home to Blackburn is to be shown!!!!!!!
Coverage to start at 10:55.

That’s good. The U21s’ match on Friday night not on the schedule.
Yeah, I was just about to say about the U21's. No PL match on Friday so nothing preventing them showing it other than it's another that they've just opted not to bother with by the looks of it.
 
I wonder if the redundancies and down sizing of staff along with having to cover the youth teams, womens team and men's team is stretching the teams that provide coverage. They've never had the best coverage but its also never been this bad.
 
I wonder if the redundancies and down sizing of staff along with having to cover the youth teams, womens team and men's team is stretching the teams that provide coverage. They've never had the best coverage but its also never been this bad.
That's definitely the case - and it was finally as good as confirmed when I got a recent reply to a complaint that said:

"Club media resources need to stretch across our men’s, women’s and Academy teams. Demand for content from all these teams is growing, whilst resources must be managed responsibly to manage costs. This results in hard choices about what to cover and we cannot always capture everything."

They've obviously decided that the order is:

Men's Team
Women's Team

U18 Team


U21 Team

With the U21's coverage being pretty much jettisoned. Which is a real shame for those many subscribers who are mostly interested in seeing the players coming through that might make it to the men's team.
 
We were better.
I think you may have made that point strongly previously.

They backed up your argument in the first half yesterday, but second half it swung the other way.

Both sides have some very good players fact! Who will progress is difficult with so many variables at stake.
 
Having Biancheri at U18s level at this moment is almost cheating. I don't know how will we resolve this situation especially after Obi-Martin is available to play. Playing two upfront at U21s level?
 
Having Biancheri at U18s level at this moment is almost cheating. I don't know how will we resolve this situation especially after Obi-Martin is available to play. Playing two upfront at U21s level?
If players are just too good at u18 then it would be obvious that they would go up a level or even be brought into the first team squad if they are that good.
I am interested to see if he is.
 
Regarding the Wheatley-Obi-Biancheri situation. I’d say it’s obvious from experience that you can not go to a youth league season with one striker per squad.

So having three very good ones for two teams is not too much. There will always be injuries, suspensions, international call-ups, possible loans etc.

I think we tried to sign a striker for the U18s in Tyjon & co., but I don’t see the current situation as a bad thing in any way. They’ll all get plenty of game time. They don’t need to start every single match either.
 
Regarding the Wheatley-Obi-Biancheri situation. I’d say it’s obvious from experience that you can not go to a youth league season with one striker per squad.

So having three very good ones for two teams is not too much. There will always be injuries, suspensions, international call-ups, possible loans etc.

I think we tried to sign a striker for the U18s in Tyjon & co., but I don’t see the current situation as a bad thing in any way. They’ll all get plenty of game time. They don’t need to start every single match either.
I'm glad to read that, as I was puzzled at the comment and thinking the same thing you posted. We've got U18 league, U21 league, EFL Trophy, FA Youth Cup, U19's in CL, PL International Cup, etc - seems to be loads of games and competitions for three strikers to make plenty of appearances in. And that's if they all stay fit and available.
 
I'm glad to read that, as I was puzzled at the comment and thinking the same thing you posted. We've got U18 league, U21 league, EFL Trophy, FA Youth Cup, U19's in CL, PL International Cup, etc - seems to be loads of games and competitions for three strikers to make plenty of appearances in. And that's if they all stay fit and available.

Exactly. And they all need the experience of coming off the bench and trying to make an impact too. I don’t see the situation as challenging in any way. All part of player development.

It’s not like we haven’t had tough competition for minutes in the past. The evidence suggests our academy staff know what they’re doing.
 
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I never questioned Kamason going forward - I question Kamason defensively. That's the part of his game that still isn't good enough. Going forward he is pure class.

Who is the player with the assist for that goal ? Can't really make it out while at work
 
I never questioned Kamason going forward - I question Kamason defensively. That's the part of his game that still isn't good enough. Going forward he is pure class.

Who is the player with the assist for that goal ? Can't really make it out while at work

Most websites say it’s Baumann but to me it looks like Scanlon.

Edit: Our match report (yes there is one) says Scanlon too.
 
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Surely a new thread for this match then?