Reserves/U18 next season

londonredmaniac

I suffer delusions of grandeur
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Messages
18,719
Location
Mid life crisis
Bit early I know...just wondered what people's thoughts were?

Vermijl, Thorpe, Lingard, Cole, Amos, Keane and of course Powell should all be on tour...with all (Powell aside possibly) looking for a good Championship loan next season. Januzaj to possibly stay and get some first team? Amos a possible number 2 if Anders is off? Will Keane will stay in the reserves I imagine after a season out.

Gollini/Sutherland sharing Reserve/U18 duty? Grimshaw/Daelhi/Barmby for some reserve team action next season with Pearson and Weir? Plans for Rudge? We're short of strikers a bit too so perhaps Wilson/Byrne (depending on what happens with Henriquez). Some more minutes in the u18 for the likes of Ashley Fletcher/Jos Harrop? (Seen both play wide and in midfield so not overly sure of their positions in the u17. Surely Demetre Mitchell will get some game time with the outside chance of Jackson and Rashford? Or are they too young to be considered?

What about Perreira? Another season in the u18's? Declan Dalley has quite impressed me...another season at this level with Donald Love? What's happened with Tom Lawrence? Rothwell might get another year at u18 given how long he has been out...

Is the above too much change or just what we expect in terms of development. Would be interested to get other people's comments/suggestions/opinions.
 
Tough question. Does very much depend on which players are sold / released in the summer...

You would think that Brown, Bebe, Macheda, Petrucci (maybe), Wootton, Giverin, McGinty and Cofie will leave the club in the summer. There's a possibility that the likes of Tunnicliffe, Amos, Johnson and Veseli could join them.

If this does happen then it frees up a lot of spaces for the current U18's... of which I would assume that Daehli, Pearson, Love, Weir, Barmby, Rudge, Gollini, Sutherland, Grimshaw, Rothwell and maybe a couple of others will have to come up as they will no longer be U18!

How much playing time they achieve will depend on the more experienced Ressies.. so the likes of Lingard, Cole, Vermijl, Fornasier etc and whether they get loans out. I would expect that Lingard might go out, and would be surprised if Vermijl didn't join him. I can't see Januzaj going out as he'll be part of the first team picture next year, but I'm undecided on Michael Keane... it really does depend if Fergie buys another central defender. Can see Thorpe getting first team experience on loan next year also and Powell probably needs a loan to top championship / lower premiership side.

As for the U18's we'll have to wait and see the scholars that are taken on. You would assume that Mitchell and Borthwick-Jackson will be in that group but nothing is decided until the end of the season.
 
londonredmaniac said:
Bit early I know...just wondered what people's thoughts were?

Vermijl, Thorpe, Lingard, Cole, Amos, Keane and of course Powell should all be on tour...with all (Powell aside possibly) looking for a good Championship loan next season. Januzaj to possibly stay and get some first team? Amos a possible number 2 if Anders is off? Will Keane will stay in the reserves I imagine after a season out.

Gollini/Sutherland sharing Reserve/U18 duty? Grimshaw/Daelhi/Barmby for some reserve team action next season with Pearson and Weir? Plans for Rudge? We're short of strikers a bit too so perhaps Wilson/Byrne (depending on what happens with Henriquez). Some more minutes in the u18 for the likes of Ashley Fletcher/Jos Harrop? (Seen both play wide and in midfield so not overly sure of their positions in the u17. Surely Demetre Mitchell will get some game time with the outside chance of Jackson and Rashford? Or are they too young to be considered?

What about Perreira? Another season in the u18's? Declan Dalley has quite impressed me...another season at this level with Donald Love? What's happened with Tom Lawrence? Rothwell might get another year at u18 given how long he has been out...

Is the above too much change or just what we expect in terms of development. Would be interested to get other people's comments/suggestions/opinions.
Click to expand...

Of the players you mentioned Wilson, Fletcher, Harrop, Borthwick Jackson, Mitchell and Pereira are the only ones still eligible for the under 18s next year along with Rashford who will still be eligible for the under 16s. Of the other players who have played for the under 18s this year the ones eligible again next year are Joel Pereira, Ioannou, McConnell, Evans along with Barber, Willock and Goss who are part of the under 18s but havent played this season. I could see us signing a couple of players this summer as well
 
backofthenet said:
Tough question. Does very much depend on which players are sold / released in the summer...

You would think that Brown, Bebe, Macheda, Petrucci (maybe), Wootton, Giverin, McGinty and Cofie will leave the club in the summer. There's a possibility that the likes of Tunnicliffe, Amos, Johnson and Veseli could join them.

If this does happen then it frees up a lot of spaces for the current U18's... of which I would assume that Daehli, Pearson, Love, Weir, Barmby, Rudge, Gollini, Sutherland, Grimshaw, Rothwell and maybe a couple of others will have to come up as they will no longer be U18!

How much playing time they achieve will depend on the more experienced Ressies.. so the likes of Lingard, Cole, Vermijl, Fornasier etc and whether they get loans out. I would expect that Lingard might go out, and would be surprised if Vermijl didn't join him. I can't see Januzaj going out as he'll be part of the first team picture next year, but I'm undecided on Michael Keane... it really does depend if Fergie buys another central defender. Can see Thorpe getting first team experience on loan next year also and Powell probably needs a loan to top championship / lower premiership side.

As for the U18's we'll have to wait and see the scholars that are taken on. You would assume that Mitchell and Borthwick-Jackson will be in that group but nothing is decided until the end of the season.
Click to expand...

Id love to see a clear out of that size. As you say theres a large number who now have to step up to the U21's. Some serious potential in that bunch....
 
Decotron said:
Id love to see a clear out of that size. As you say theres a large number who now have to step up to the U21's. Some serious potential in that bunch....
Click to expand...

But the same was said of this bunch. Not sure I'd want to see Petrucci and Amos got rid of yet. Wooton probably move on but he's a very solid centre back.
 
jb8521 said:
Of the players you mentioned Wilson, Fletcher, Harrop, Borthwick Jackson, Mitchell and Pereira are the only ones still eligible for the under 18s next year along with Rashford who will still be eligible for the under 16s. Of the other players who have played for the under 18s this year the ones eligible again next year are Joel Pereira, Ioannou, McConnell, Evans along with Barber, Willock and Goss who are part of the under 18s but havent played this season. I could see us signing a couple of players this summer as well
Click to expand...

Cool! Cheers mate!
 
londonredmaniac said:
But the same was said of this bunch. Not sure I'd want to see Petrucci and Amos got rid of yet. Wooton probably move on but he's a very solid centre back.
Click to expand...

Maybe in terms of Macheda & Petrucci but certainly not the rest of those listed by the OP.

If I had to make a call on it, id say Wootton seems a good lad and will hopefully go on to have a decent career at a lower level. Not good enough for us now and wont be in future.
 
londonredmaniac said:
But the same was said of this bunch. Not sure I'd want to see Petrucci and Amos got rid of yet. Wooton probably move on but he's a very solid centre back.
Click to expand...

Only Petrucci really. Well, Macheda too but he did get his chances with the first team, which is always the most we can hope for.

The worst thing would be to fail to make those hard decisions, and have a load of no-hopers still lingering around, keeping so many of that special generation (Daehli, Pearson etc) from developing as they need to.
 
We need to be a bit ruthless with the U21s as harsh as that sounds. Irrespective of whether people feel we've got any special talents in our current crop of youngsters, there are definitely some excellent ones at the very least. We can't be constantly playing Tunnicliffe and Thorpe in midfield at the expense of Pearson's development, for example. Thorpe should finally get a loan and Tunnicliffe may well move on. Cole has stagnated massively so it'll be interesting to see what happens there - along with Lingard and Vermijl, we'll probably be looking at loaning him at this point. Can see Michael Keane going the route of Evans and moving up to a Premiership loan but we can probably be confident that Will Keane will stay.

As far as the academy goes, it will obviously be interesting to see Pereira developing into a key member of that team, with Wilson possibly moving to and from reserves and U18. Given the talent we're going to have at U21 level there's probably no need to rush Pereira into the reserves yet unless he's really taking the piss at U18 level. In terms of signings, I reckon we'll add a couple of young defenders.
 
People are forgetting those caught between the U18's and U21's that will get more game time next season in the U21's.

Hendrie, James, Blackett, Giverin, Mccullough and to a lesser extent Van Velzen/Cofie.

Can see a few of the current U18 batch getting stuck as too old for the U18's but not getting U21 game time.

Edit - Tom Lawrence too.
 
Taking the list from U21 appearances thread.

| Larnell COLE - Out on loan. Will have to be a good one considering his size disadvantage. Otherwise i can see him staying.
| Tom THORPE - Out on loan.
| Michele FORNASIER - He'll probably stay for another season.
| Frederic VESELI - Loan or Sold. He is pretty ready for Championship atleast.
| Ryan TUNNICLIFFE - He's stagnated badly this season. His last loan was a dissapointment too. Probably needs to be sent out again as there is no point him staying at this level.
| Jesse LINGARD - Needs a Loan.
| Marnick VERMIJL - He might either stay as a backup in first team or go out on loan.
| Tyler BLACKETT - Get's more game time in the U21's.
| Adnan JANUZAJ - He'll stay probably for the first half of the season.
| Sam JOHNSTONE* - Doing well on loan right now. Probably another one next season.
| Tom LAWRENCE - Will probably go from Sub to regular hopefully.
| Charni EKANGAMENE - Will stay and be a regular.
| Kiko MACHEDA* - Sold.
| Sean MCGINTY - Released possibly ? Or out on loan again.
| BEBE* - Sold
| Nick POWELL - Out on loan. Preferably PL.
| Scott WOOTTON* - Sold or out on loan again.
| Davide PETRUCCI* - I'd keep him till January atleast. Maybe another loan too.
| Reece JAMES - More regular at U21 level.
| Michael KEANE* - PL loan hopefully.
| Angelo HENRIQUEZ* - A better loan this time.
| Jonny SUTHERLAND - More involved at U21 level. Might get stuck behind Gollini though.
| Ben AMOS - He might want to leave. Might get another loan too or stay as 3rd choice.
| Luke MCCULLOUGH - More involved at U21 level.
| Luke HENDRIE - Same as above.
| Reece BROWN - Out on loan/Sold or should be. Might just stay though.
| Mats DAEHLI - Regular at U21 level hopefully.
| Pierluigi GOLLINI - Regular at U21 level depending on the 2nd or 3rd goalie dropping down or not.
| John COFIE - Another loan or Sold hopefully.
| Luke GIVERIN* - People underestimate him, i think. Might be a regular at U21 level if he stays next season.
| Jack BARMBY - He'll probably get stuck between U18 and U21 level or be a U21 sub.
| Liam GRIMSHAW - Can definitely see him getting stuck.
| Ben PEARSON - He might be in Lawrence situation next year and on the bench.
| Gyliano VAN VELZEN - Released/Loaned/Sold possibly.

That right ?
 
Cevno said:
People are forgetting those caught between the U18's and U21's that will get more game time next season in the U21's.

Hendrie, James, Blackett, Giverin, Mccullough and to a lesser extent Van Velzen/Cofie.

Can see a few of the current U18 batch getting stuck as too old for the U18's but not getting U21 game time.

Edit - Tom Lawrence too.
Click to expand...

Great post.
 
Yep, is a very good point, especially with such a large crop of second-years moving up from the U18s, much larger than the Lawrence, Hendrie et al group - Gollini, Sutherland, Grimshaw, Dalley, Love, Rowley, McNair, Pearson, Dæhli, Weir, Rothwell, Rudge, Barmby, Byrne (plus Januzaj who's already there)...

I'd like to see a bit of a change in philosophy with more going out on loan, allowing these younger guys to move out of this limbo/no mans land into more regular U21 action. Might mean a dip in terms of results from what we've become used to but that's no big deal really, a lot of the other Category One teams are fielding much younger U21 sides these days so we'd not necessarily be at any disadvantage anyway. A lot depends on how the U21 format works out next season though and whether the coaches' view of it changes.

Best guesses/what I'd do:

Sell: Bébé, Macheda, Wootton, Amos (maybe Tunnicliffe if the right offer comes in?)
Release: Brown, Cofie, McGinty, Hendrie, Dalley, McCullough if he's still firmly in the doghouse
Long-term loan: Powell, Petrucci, Michael Keane, Will Keane from Jan onwards if his return goes well, Thorpe, Vermijl, Lingard, Cole, Tunnicliffe, Henríquez
Other potential short-term loans: Johnstone (need to be able to recall at short notice if Amos is gone), Fornasier

Core U21 squad, with above loan candidates to be added as and when:
Gollini, Sutherland
Veseli, Blackett, James, McGinty, McCullough, Grimshaw, Love, Rowley, McNair
Januzaj, Lawrence, Giverin, Ekangamene, Van Velzen, Pearson, Dæhli, Barmby, Weir, Rothwell, Rudge
W Keane, Byrne, Wilson (up from the U18s regularly if Will is loaned out)
 
Wish we could recall Henriquez now, he'd get more minutes with us than he would with Wigan.
 
I disagree slightly Deco...not getting enough minutes at either first team or reserve level since he got over here can only be detrimental to his progress surely? He is playing no actual competitive football bar the odd 5/10 minutes.
 
Think the whole 'being part of a relegation fight is great experience' thing is overrated if that part is basically a non-playing one. Not like he's even getting a game every now and then, he's really not playing at all. Not sure anything he gains from it wouldn't be more than cancelled out by training alongside much better players.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.