The FA Youth Cup thread

Pogue Mahone said:
Jesus. I know I’m being a grumpy git but I’ve honestly watched my young fella play in better U14 matches this season. So many basic errors. By both teams.
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Spent a lot of money on last seasons group. Glossed over real picture. Less money spent this season.
 
Bigsid said:
Spent a lot of money on last seasons group. Glossed over real picture. Less money spent this season.
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Isn't that more a case of us missing out on most our targets? Also, are you still posting here after being outed as a City fan?
 
Bigsid said:
Spent a lot of money on last seasons group. Glossed over real picture. Less money spent this season.
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I don’t think money spent per season makes much difference at this age group. More about general variation in the different crops coming through. Not as though our best players in last season’s group cost a lot of money.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
I don’t think money spent per season makes much difference at this age group. More about general variation in the different crops coming through. Not as though our best players in last season’s group cost a lot of money.
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Jurado Garnacho Mcneil Hugill Hansen Vitek. Cost buttons!
 
Pogue Mahone said:
How much are you talking? None of them cost a load of money as far as I know. Most of them were compensation fees?
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Several million. City as bad if not worse. Fair play to likes of Stoke. Probably have no budget whatsoever.
 
A combination of bad recruitment/selection, poor coaching and some average players.
 
Bigsid said:
Yes and theres other articles saying half a million with a trigger of the same if he makes first team. Great signing either way. Point is the players that won the Youth cup were certainly not home grown. Mcneil incremental again at certain milestones like most contracts.
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Laurie Whitwell's the most reliable United journalist out there, and I doubt that the info in the other articles is as reliable as this. Same with Rich Fay & McNeill. There's a reason none of the reliable journalists have reported any clauses being triggered in McNeill's deal.
 
AltiUn said:
Yeah, think that tournament is what's generated a bit of buzz, although I've heard his name floating about for a while now. According to Twitter he finished our top scorer with 10 goals, next closest was Berry with 4, but like you said the opposition wasn't up to much. I quite like Gore and Oyedele but this squad definitely is underwhelming, even with everyone fit. Probably the weakest set of attackers we've had in a good while.

Anyone know what happened to Ennis? Was absolutely carrying us then dropped off the face of the earth, admittedly haven't been able to follow the U18s as closely as I'd have liked this season.
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Not sure how many goals he scored exactly as a couple of the early morning matches weren't streamed but he did rack up the goals against the amateur sides with a hattrick and I think a couple braces, he was able to just take the piss out of them.

Against the pro clubs it was:
2-4 Eintracht Frankfurt - Oriola, Lacey
2-2 Monchengladbach - Oriola, Berry
2-3 Austria Wien - unfortunately wasn't streamed so I'm not sure if it available anywhere who scored
0-3 AZ Alkmaar

I like Gore and particularly Oyedele too but they're more akin to the likes of Levitt and Galbraith than the true big talents, good players but not great. It is actually quite unbelievable when you look at the set of attackers between both the u18s and u21s. I know Garnacho has been promoted early and is doing well but there isn't a single winger or striker who you'd think to take note of in either 18s or 21s. That is really bad for a club of our stature and youth history.

Ennis tore is ACL in pre-season so unfortunately is set to miss pretty much the entire season I believe.

mazhar13 said:
Laurie Whitwell's the most reliable United journalist out there, and I doubt that the info in the other articles is as reliable as this. Same with Rich Fay & McNeill. There's a reason none of the reliable journalists have reported any clauses being triggered in McNeill's deal.
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Tbf the article you linked also includes Whitwell criticizing the club for not illegally signing Hannibal at 14. It isn't exactly the bastion of quality journalism.

Bigsid could be talking out of his ass but a simple reason why no journalists would report it would be the fact that no one actually cares. Reporting on anything youth related unless they can sensationalise it is few and far between. We've complete youth signings without a single mention from any journalists. A ~£100k or whatever clause being triggered by McNeill making his debut in the Europa league isn't going to get anyone a top story.
 
limerickcitykid said:
I know Garnacho has been promoted early and is doing well but there isn't a single winger or striker who you'd think to take note of in either 18s or 21s. That is really bad for a club of our stature and youth history.
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Which makes Anthony made of glass Martial the only #9 available for first team selection at the entire club. Which is unbelievable. How the feck does this happen?!
 
Mickson said:
Hard-working group. Lacks talent in attack. Not much more to say.
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Unfortunately under the current coaching set up, hard work comes before flair and they are incouraged to play it safe and be reliable over everything else.
 
Too many injuries this season (we are at least 5
players short today from the best XI) and lack of attacking depth/quality compared to last season so not a surprise that we didn’t go far.
 
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Pogue Mahone said:
Which makes Anthony made of glass Martial the only #9 available for first team selection at the entire club. Which is unbelievable. How the feck does this happen?!
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McNeill and Hugill were the investment. McNeill struggled in the U23s and Hugill’s progress is hampered by injuries. Not much of what the club could do.

The only valid complain is the lack of U18s forward signing this season and last in my opinion.
 
khoazany said:
McNeill and Hugill were the investment. McNeill struggled in the U23s and Hugill’s progress is hampered by injuries. Not much of what the club could do.

The only valid complain is the lack of U18s forward signing this season and last in my opinion.
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We tried to sign Emre in the summer, he was very disappointing yesterday given his reputation
 
FromTheBench said:
Hugill was so good in his first season then injuries happened.
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Tbf he still scored like 15+ goals aggregated last season, just very stop-start in general and getting dropped back to the U18s post-injury after already breaking to the U23s the season before must be a let down.
 
I agree there's seemingly no top quality central / wide strikers coming through the current U18's at the moment. But Garnacho has already progressed to the first team at just 18, so he's that generations star.

And the key players seem to be CM's - Mainoo, Gore, maybe Oyedele.

As others have said, a solid, hard working group but without Garnacho and Mainoo there's a lack of top quality. Though Gore combines work rate and quality quite well. And the injured Ennis would have been one of our bigger attacking threats this season.
 

Match starts in around 30mins. Live on MUTV for people in the UK and Ireland.
 
Didn't have a clue this was on, nice Tuesday night treat.
 
Derby have had a good second half.
 
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