Northern Ireland Milk Cup

Mr. MUJAC

Manchester United Youth Historian
Joined
Sep 19, 2005
Messages
6,346
Location
Walter Crickmer started it all...
The Northern Ireland Milk Cup kicks off in just under two weeks from 21st to 26th July.

United are sending a squad over as usual but no details have been confirmed as yet.

We are playing in the Premier Division and have been drawn against the following teams in the group rounds.

Saturday 21st v County Tyrone at Castlederg (5:00 ko)
Monday 23rd v Revo Express (Norway) at Ballymoney (6:00 ko)
Tuesday 24th v Ichifuna (Japan) at Ballymena (7:00 ko)

In a slightly different format, the organisers have decided to play a game on the Saturday and then have the official opening and parade in Coleraine on the Sunday.

If United are successful in their group they play in the semi-final on Wednesday and Final on Thursday.

We reached the final last year only to lose to a very strong Aspire team.

More info to follow.
 
Are Aspire in it again?

They were ridiculous.
 
rcoobc said:
Are Aspire in it again?

They were ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Best youth side that I have ever seen. That said, most of their success came against Van Velzen who was playing out of position at left back and he isn't very good in his proper position.
 
rcoobc said:
Are Aspire in it again?

They were ridiculous.
Click to expand...

They had a striker which just looked amazing. Tbf they're actually ridiculous. Not one Qatari in their side, from what i've heard they've just scouted african countries for their best talents in hope that some of them will turn out for Qatar in 2022 World Cup.
 
Jimy_Hills_Chin said:
Best youth side that I have ever seen. That said, most of their success came against Van Velzen who was playing out of position at left back and he isn't very good in his proper position.
Click to expand...

This whole bullshit about Van Velzen has to stop. He is nowhere near bad enough to get all the criticism people give him. Yes, he holds on to the ball too long but is that really worth almost every mention of him being extremely negative.

Some people seem to have an irrational hatred for the guy. A couple of years ago I saw someone wish he would get injured rather than be able to play in an FA youth cup tie.. WTF
 
Looking forward to hearing the squad for this. Should be a talented group.

rcoobc said:
Are Aspire in it again?

They were ridiculous.
Click to expand...

They sure were impressive but also I heard strong rumours that side included several overage players. It was obvious that physical advantage in youth football can cloud the picture at times and that was the case here. The United side that day was very young and weak physically and missing key players and others played out of position.

Van velzen can be infuriating at times but improved a lot last season, especially in the last 6 months. We will see a lot more of him next year since he has moved up to the reserves.
 
SkeppyRed said:
They sure were impressive but also I heard strong rumours that side included several overage players. It was obvious that physical advantage in youth football can cloud the picture at times and that was the case here. The United side that day was very young and weak physically and missing key players and others played out of position.

Van velzen can be infuriating at times but improved a lot last season, especially in the last 6 months. We will see a lot more of him next year since he has moved up to the reserves.
Click to expand...
They sure looked 2-3 years older, I remember debating it with people on here (perhaps you). Those rumours would start flying round regardless to be honest, they looked massive. Thrashed United, looked massive, etc.
 
rcoobc said:
They sure looked 2-3 years older, I remember debating it with people on here (perhaps you). Those rumours would start flying round regardless to be honest, they looked massive. Thrashed United, looked massive, etc.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it was literally men against boys. They were still a technically gifted team though. Great mental challenge for our youngsters to face a team that had them well beat in a final to see how it affected their confidence and see if they can overcome any dip though.
 
I was in the newbies last year but I do remember people debating it. Paul Mcguiness has also mentioned a few times how young our team was in that game compared to them and we did look physically intimidated by them. However they were never proven to have broken any rules and they also played some great football regardless of their size. A couple of their players looked massive prospects but I cant remember their names to keep an eye on their progress.

I hope they are in it again as it would be good to see how we compare to them now some of our lads are a older and players like Perreira, Januzaj and Iounnau are available. I also remember our keeper (either Coll or Jacob) making error after error in that game.

Also I hope we make the final again as its the only macth thats televised live.
 
SkeppyRed said:
I was in the newbies last year but I do remember people debating it. Paul Mcguiness has also mentioned a few times how young our team was in that game compared to them and we did look physically intimidated by them. However they were never proven to have broken any rules and they also played some great football regardless of their size. A couple of their players looked massive prospects but I cant remember their names to keep an eye on their progress.

I hope they are in it again as it would be good to see how we compare to them now some of our lads are a older and players like Perreira, Januzaj and Iounnau are available. I also remember our keeper (either Coll or Jacob) making error after error in that game.

Also I hope we make the final again as its the only macth thats televised live.
Click to expand...

That was my memory of it as well. I seem to remember them doing v well as things considered. We looked like an U8's team!
 
Possible squad? Players born on or after 1.1.95 available, which rules out second-years Sutherland, Barmby, Rudge, amongst others.

Gollini, O'Hara
Grimshaw, Dalley, Wilkinson, Ioannou, Rowley
Daehli, Januzaj, McNair, Pearson, Rothwell, Weir, Pereira, Harrop
Byrne, Wilson, Fletcher

Maybe another defender in there for a midfielder. No ideas at this stage about any injuries. The remaining first-years (Barber, McConnell, Evans, Willock) are all available obviously, plus any U16s or triallists we may want to take (seems unlikely with such a large squad but you never know).

Interesting to see what the XI might look like - with Barmby and van Velzen now unavailable, the personnel perhaps doesn't look as suited to the 433 we usually saw last year. Might still work in a slightly different way...

Gollini
Grimshaw - Wilkinson - Ioannou - Rowley
Pearson - Rothwell
Daehli - Januzaj - Wilson
Byrne
 
Cant see you being too far off with that team at all.

Maybe Wilson up top and Perreira out wide left. Barber is also a highly rated defender but haven't seen much of him myself yet. Harrop also looks a tidy little player.
 
Drainy said:
This whole bullshit about Van Velzen has to stop. He is nowhere near bad enough to get all the criticism people give him. Yes, he holds on to the ball too long but is that really worth almost every mention of him being extremely negative.

Some people seem to have an irrational hatred for the guy. A couple of years ago I saw someone wish he would get injured rather than be able to play in an FA youth cup tie.. WTF
Click to expand...

No hatred for the guy, I don't hate anyone. I do think however that he is out of his depth and is far from good enough for Manchester United, I especially don't fancy him as a left back.

Is this tournament on TV or on some internet site as I am looking forward to seeing this team in action.
 
Jimy_Hills_Chin said:
No hatred for the guy, I don't hate anyone. I do think however that he is out of his depth and is far from good enough for Manchester United, I especially don't fancy him as a left back.

Is this tournament on TV or on some internet site as I am looking forward to seeing this team in action.
Click to expand...

BBC NI do very good coverage. The final is covered live. Last year their was highlights on the red button.
 
KM said:
They had a striker which just looked amazing. Tbf they're actually ridiculous. Not one Qatari in their side, from what i've heard they've just scouted african countries for their best talents in hope that some of them will turn out for Qatar in 2022 World Cup.
Click to expand...

My Saudi friend says all the Middle Eastern countries do that. Scout in Africa bring them over and naturalize them.

It wouldn't surprise me if those African kids were overage. It's so hard to tell fact from fiction. I've seen quite a few interviews from agents who work in those regions and they don't even know.
 
davisjw said:
My Saudi friend says all the Middle Eastern countries do that. Scout in Africa bring them over and naturalize them.

It wouldn't surprise me if those African kids were overage. It's so hard to tell fact from fiction. I've seen quite a few interviews from agents who work in those regions and they don't even know.
Click to expand...

The Qatar'is have been over to Africa and tested 1 million children for exceptional sporting talent. They then took the best of the children tested back to Qatar to be schooled in their sporting academies. They bring them up, give them Islamic names, neutralise them and then put them in international competition and pretend that they are Qatarian.
 
PS18 said:
Possible squad? Players born on or after 1.1.95 available, which rules out second-years Sutherland, Barmby, Rudge, amongst others.

Gollini, O'Hara
Grimshaw, Dalley, Wilkinson, Ioannou, Rowley
Daehli, Januzaj, McNair, Pearson, Rothwell, Weir, Pereira, Harrop
Byrne, Wilson, Fletcher

Maybe another defender in there for a midfielder. No ideas at this stage about any injuries. The remaining first-years (Barber, McConnell, Evans, Willock) are all available obviously, plus any U16s or triallists we may want to take (seems unlikely with such a large squad but you never know).

Interesting to see what the XI might look like - with Barmby and van Velzen now unavailable, the personnel perhaps doesn't look as suited to the 433 we usually saw last year. Might still work in a slightly different way...

Gollini
Grimshaw - Wilkinson - Ioannou - Rowley
Pearson - Rothwell
Daehli - Januzaj - Wilson
Byrne
Click to expand...

Looks about right...personally I think he might leave 1/2 of those behind and take a couple of 16's....Borthwick and maybe Mitchell...
 
heh, Aspire. wasn't an African academy side (or even Ghana?) pulled from the Aegeon Cup due to fielding a bunch of overage players.

i still don't believe Obafemi Martins was born in 84.
 
Jimy_Hills_Chin said:
No hatred for the guy, I don't hate anyone. I do think however that he is out of his depth and is far from good enough for Manchester United, I especially don't fancy him as a left back.

Is this tournament on TV or on some internet site as I am looking forward to seeing this team in action.
Click to expand...

Same for me - I don't dislike van Velzen and would never want him injured. But I just can't see him fitting into Fergusons United - and that is why I found it strange that we signed him in the first place.
 
PS18 said:
Possible squad? Players born on or after 1.1.95 available, which rules out second-years Sutherland, Barmby, Rudge, amongst others.

Gollini, O'Hara
Grimshaw, Dalley, Wilkinson, Ioannou, Rowley
Daehli, Januzaj, McNair, Pearson, Rothwell, Weir, Pereira, Harrop
Byrne, Wilson, Fletcher

Maybe another defender in there for a midfielder. No ideas at this stage about any injuries. The remaining first-years (Barber, McConnell, Evans, Willock) are all available obviously, plus any U16s or triallists we may want to take (seems unlikely with such a large squad but you never know).

Interesting to see what the XI might look like - with Barmby and van Velzen now unavailable, the personnel perhaps doesn't look as suited to the 433 we usually saw last year. Might still work in a slightly different way...

Gollini
Grimshaw - Wilkinson - Ioannou - Rowley
Pearson - Rothwell
Daehli - Januzaj - Wilson
Byrne
Click to expand...

One thing is certain - if all players are fit to play, McGuiness will have a hard time picking our midfield in FA Youth cup matches. There should be 8-9 very good players fighting for 6 places - and all of them are more than capable!
 
Wasn't there talk that Januzaj would be with the first team for their upcoming tour?
 
De Selby said:
Wasn't there talk that Januzaj would be with the first team for their upcoming tour?
Click to expand...

It was mentioned in the leading Transylvanian nightly The Moon, but the story proved to be bloodless,and crumbled to dust in the light of day.

(no one knows where that story came from, but it originated in his home press, so maybe they have inside information)
 
Will Absolute said:
It was mentioned in the leading Transylvanian nightly The Moon, but the story proved to be bloodless,and crumbled to dust in the light of day.

(no one knows where that story came from, but it originated in his home press, so maybe they have inside information)
Click to expand...

Would be strange - he played some 10 matches for the academy, and even if he was talented, you could clearly see that he was pretty far from the finished article.
 
Will Absolute said:
It was mentioned in the leading Transylvanian nightly The Moon, but the story proved to be bloodless,and crumbled to dust in the light of day.

(no one knows where that story came from, but it originated in his home press, so maybe they have inside information)
Click to expand...

He went to the Us with the Academy for training, that was the misunderstanding.
 
Nice one, Oskar. Good to hear he's back in training.
 
MUFC Squad: Pierluigi Gollini, Kieran O’Hara; Ryan McConnell, Louis Rowley, Liam Grimshaw, Nicholas Ioannou; Ben Pearson, James Weir, Joe Rothwell, Andreas Pereira, Matthew Willock, Paddy McNair, Sean Goss, Josh Harrop, Devonte Redmond; Sam Byrne, James Wilson, Ashley Fletcher.

Looks like a strong side, particularly the midfield.

No Daehli, Januzaj or Barmby, presumably because they are with the reserves which is a good thing, but could just be because they are too old.
 
SkeppyRed said:
MUFC Squad: Pierluigi Gollini, Kieran O’Hara; Ryan McConnell, Louis Rowley, Liam Grimshaw, Nicholas Ioannou; Ben Pearson, James Weir, Joe Rothwell, Andreas Pereira, Matthew Willock, Paddy McNair, Sean Goss, Josh Harrop, Devonte Redmond; Sam Byrne, James Wilson, Ashley Fletcher.

Looks like a strong side, particularly the midfield.

No Daehli, Januzaj or Barmby, presumably because they are with the reserves which is a good thing, but could just be because they are too old.
Click to expand...

Barmby is the only one too old of these three.
 
Was a story in Norway about Mats Daehli practically being told by United that he is now considered a reserve player - and probably won't participate in anything else than the Fa Youth Cup at academy-level
 
SkeppyRed said:
MUFC Squad: Pierluigi Gollini, Kieran O’Hara; Ryan McConnell, Louis Rowley, Liam Grimshaw, Nicholas Ioannou; Ben Pearson, James Weir, Joe Rothwell, Andreas Pereira, Matthew Willock, Paddy McNair, Sean Goss, Josh Harrop, Devonte Redmond; Sam Byrne, James Wilson, Ashley Fletcher.

Looks like a strong side, particularly the midfield.

No Daehli, Januzaj or Barmby, presumably because they are with the reserves which is a good thing, but could just be because they are too old.
Click to expand...

Looks very vulnerable in defense - otherwise strong.
 
Yeah, looks a centre-back short of being ideal. No idea who'll partner Ioannou in the centre. Have to hope Rowley stays fit as well. Tons of options in midfield and attack though.
 
Lost the first game 2-0 against Tyrone. Ioannou who was the only recognised centre half in the squad went off injured with what seems like a bad injury after 19 mins.
Team
Gollini
McConnell
Ioannou
Grimshaw
Rowley
Weir
Rothwell
Pearson
Pereira
Wilson
Byrne
Subs
McNair for Ioannou
Harrop for McConnell
Goss for Pereira
 
Cutch said:
Know a couple of guys that went to the game today against tyrone. They said United were absolutely shite. What's that all about. Young team just?
Click to expand...

Didn't see the game but I heard that United only had one fit centreback.. who got injured fairly early in the game so it was a struggle at the back. United had a lot of possession but didn't really create against a more physically dominant side.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.