Was wondering about Mejia myself. Kambwala's pretty much spent the entire season injured.
U18's: Middlesbrough (H)
- Thread starter Bertie Wooster
- Start date
Hopefully Willy will be raring to go next season.
A recent(ish) update on Mateo Mejia:
https://www.unitedinfocus.com/academy/mateo-mejia-has-operation-as-injury-bad-luck-continues/
Jeez, Boro are so shit! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a decent Boro youth side
It's been a shame for both as they've not had chance to progress since joining. Hopefully injuries don't curtail either career and its just a result of their body's still developing and growing.
I love the modern, ball playing, build from the back style. But one thing that drives me mad is when the keepers and defenders won't clear it even when under huge pressure and giving away a goal seems almost inevitable without a clearance.
It's a great style of play in general, but there should still be room for some common sense and decision making over when to do it and when not. It seems players are under instruction to do it at all times, but so often with the U18 and U23's you can see they're really struggling and should be clearing their lines but just play themselves into danger and gift a goal.
Brilliant performance today.
We really deserve to be the champions, but I guess City do as well. That early defeat to them when they had 10 men might prove the difference. Or, more recently, that poor defeat against Newcastle. Other than those, the U18's have put in some great performances and have been a joy to watch.
We really deserve to be the champions, but I guess City do as well. That early defeat to them when they had 10 men might prove the difference. Or, more recently, that poor defeat against Newcastle. Other than those, the U18's have put in some great performances and have been a joy to watch.
Joe Hugill injured too?
Say it ain’t so Joe!
Not sure but he was missing from previous u23 game
Enjoyed the dominating performance from start to end. Midfield of Savage - Iqbal - Hansen controlling the game throughout (personally liking this midfield combination the most)
Burnley's no gimme for City.
They’ve been so good this season, along with u23s just seem like they’ll score at least four every game. Really enjoyed watching Iqbal, McNeil, Hoogerworf etc but mostly i like watching Hansen as he reminds me of Scholes.
Gap between likes of us and City and rest is looking massive these days. Been some big scoreline knocking around. Guess looking at recruitment strategies of both clubs and finances it's obvious but have never seen it quite as apparent.
22 goals in the last 16 for McNeill - insane numbers
Pretty sure I remember them getting to a youth cup final a few years ago. Had some little kid that looked like a Juninho regen... never heard of him again
They won the FA Youth Cup in 2004. A couple of players who went on to have decent careers in that side - the best were David Wheater, James Morrison and a certain Adam Johnson. The Villa-team they destroyed in the final, had quite a few decent players: Craig Gardner, Gary Cahill, Jamie Ward, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Luke Moore
Jesus 17 years ago! Remember watching that game!
Didn't this same Middlesborough team just batter Burnely 4-1 recently? City will be up for it, and when they're on form the only team who could really take points off them would be us. I don't see anything but a heavy victory for City tbh. Our lads have done fantastic though, the U18s have been my favourite to watch this season - even more so than the first team. First or second, can't fault them one bit.
What’s he like with his play in general? Is he more than just a goal scorer?
Don't know, I haven't gone back through Burnley or Boros results.
Think they beat us earlier in the season? Maybe a one off but maybe they do it again.
They're no Sunderland anyway.
He's very much an old fashioned goal scoring #9, but I think the club are trying to improve his team play and there have been signs of it as the season has progressed.
He's improved his all round game to some degree, but there was a lot of improvement needed in those areas as he was mainly a very good finisher who is hungry for goals.
His link up play is OK but nothing special. And he's started pulling wider more at times and putting in crosses for team mates, but he doesn't look particularly happy even when he gets assists as he mainly looks to get on the end of a pass or through ball and doesn't look happy unless he's scoring - which he does a lot as he's very alert in and around the box, and is a good finisher with either foot.
Yes the gulf over the next five years could be huge. United, City and Chelsea could leave the rest behind. We’ve got to try to keep up with those two regardless of their finances. As for the rest of football, well they let the owners in the door
How is he physically? Is he quick, sprinters speed, good in the air, etc? Thanks
Boro played kids of 15 and 16 as they had 23s game Friday night. Really hard to know which team plays at this level.
I wouldn't say he stands out in any of those areas, no. Which is probably the biggest doubt as to whether he'll make it at the very highest level?
He's very much a lead the line, #9 striker, and can hold up the ball a bit and has started to link up in attacks more, but I wouldn't say he does much of the unselfish target man duties with back to goal.
He's much more of a goal hungry striker who is always looking to get in behind, or find space in the box, and shows his displeasure at times when he doesn't get the pass from teammates. He's got very good movement and an ability to find space in the box, and is a brilliant finisher with either foot, but he does it without really being particularly all that quick.
I'd say physically, and technically in terms of an all-round game, there's nothing special that really screams out 'first team player'. But he's clearly a penalty box player with very clever movement and awareness for finding space, and has good close control when working space for a shot, and is a brilliant finisher with either foot - so it's a matter of can he continue to be effective at that against U23 and then senior defenders? And how much he can continue improving his all round game, which has improved as the season has gone on - and has done so without any reduction in his goal return which is the most important thing.
not exactly
Boro had starters 7x17 and 4x 18
subs 1 x 16 year 3x17 and 1x18
United had starters 6 x18 / 2x 17 / 2x16 / 19 year old keeper
subs 1x18 / 3x16 / 1x15
so not a huge difference
No they didn't, they had 1 16 year old come on & the rest were 17 or 18
Vitek is 17 not 19
Must have misread his date of birth but it confirms there was little age difference between teams
From winning side week before only 4 started so fair to say a much changed side. As I say dominance of top sides at this level is becoming more apparent and be interesting to see how limited foreign signings will change this.
Cheers.
Surely, if they keep trying to play out from the back, then some of them, at least, should learn how to get around the block. There really is nothing to gain by hoofing the ball up field, even when under a lot of pressure. These guys are developing how to become better players, so this is part of their development.
Agreed. When they hit the U23s they can start coaching a little more pragmatism into their decision-making but at this level the results don't matter, the development does.
I see you support Northampton - this is an interesting debate to be had between the style of Keith Curle and Jon Brady.
I know what you mean, and, certainly, I think they should be encouraged to mostly play out from the back and help develop a learning how to get around the block. However, part of that learning, for use at first team level as well, should be judging when it's just impossible to do that without giving a huge goalscoring chance away.
When I watch live games, or just highlight packages on TV, there's plenty of goals conceded by keepers and defenders still trying to play themselves out of such tricky situations - some almost impossible - and yet one clearance would do it.
Now I know there's also plenty of chances created at the other end thanks to building from the back, and many that plenty won't realise as it's subtly dragging players out of position, etc. So I'm a fan of it in general. But, like most things, there's a time to do it and a time when it's best not to. And I just think we're at a point were players are not making those choices, and are trying to do it 100% of the time. Whereas making good judgement on the 5, 10% of times when it's too risky would prevent a lot of avoidable goals.
But the U23's have been giving soft goals away doing it all season as well. As do plenty of first teams all over the country.
As I've just posted above, I'm a fan of it as a general rule because it does help create chances at the other end when done well. But I think players need to be prepared / allowed to use their judgment more on those times when it's far too risky and a clearance is the better option.
At the moment, keepers and defenders at all levels and age groups are often taking huge risks in almost impossible situations rather than accept that, on that occasion, the opposition have got the upper hand on the press and they need to clear it away.
Part of the development of training players to use the style should be judging the occasions when to do it and when not to.
I see you support Northampton - this is an interesting debate to be had between the style of Keith Curle and Jon Brady.
I know what you mean, and, certainly, I think they should be encouraged to mostly play out from the back and help develop a learning how to get around the block. However, part of that learning, for use at first team level as well, should be judging when it's just impossible to do that without giving a huge goalscoring chance away.
When I watch live games, or just highlight packages on TV, there's plenty of goals conceded by keepers and defenders still trying to play themselves out of such tricky situations - some almost impossible - and yet one clearance would do it.
Now I know there's also plenty of chances created at the other end thanks to building from the back, and many that plenty won't realise as it's subtly dragging players out of position, etc. So I'm a fan of it in general. But, like most things, there's a time to do it and a time when it's best not to. And I just think we're at a point were players are not making those choices, and are trying to do it 100% of the time. Whereas making good judgement on the 5, 10% of times when it's too risky would prevent a lot of avoidable goals.
It's all about development, and against Roma I saw signs that our first team were overcoming the high press by De Gea finding AWB wide on the right many times, so you are right that just trying to play around the block 'ad infinitum', is probably not ideal, and yes, there are probably times when a good long ball forward can be quite a weapon, as seen from Lindelof several times.
Yes, quite a difference in style with the two managers, Brady, who was named as the new manager today, likes to press and get forward quickly, with full backs highly involved in attacks.
The team was ill equipped to survive in Division One, having lost Goode, sold to Brentford, Wharton, loan back to Blackburn, Turnbull, who was, surprisingly to me, released and signed for Salford, and played alongside Bernard, and the West Brom striker, whose name I can't remember, going back. Those players were not replaced, and with a very good player, Scott Pollack, being injured all season, they were struggling most of the season. Brady changed a lot of things, mostly for the better, but not having a real top goal scorer made this job just too difficult.
The keeper, Mitchell, I didn't rate too highly, but his main competition, Arnold, was injured for the second half of the season.
Div 2 is where they need to be, where they can bring in some good young players, and some coming from the academy, so they can learn their craft playing football.
I'll be keeping my regular eye out to see how Northampton do. And I hope they do well under Brady.
I'm in my early 40's and have had a soft spot for them since being young when they were bottom of the football league. I saw from afar the Bobby Barnes, Tony Adcock promotions, and the Pat Gavin final day survival v Shrewsbury.
And I went to both the old County Ground and the new Sixfields a few times, and was at Wembley for the play off finals v Swansea (John Frain!) and Grimsby.
It's been a good few years since I saw one of their games live, but I still follow the results and keep up with the transfers, style of play, etc.
The only players they were missing because of the u23s game were Gitau & Kavanagh, they had 5 starters from the previous game & another 4 on the bench. I don't know why as a supposed United supporter you have this habit of trying to downplay United's academy at every opportunity but when it's so easy for anyone with an internet connection to actually check the facts it might be an idea to tone down the sensationalist bollocks
Brady seems to have the right attitude to get the team playing good football, as opposed to Curle, who's philosophy seemed to be get the ball forward to two big, hard working strikers, and then pick up the pieces from that. Ironically, the play off final was one off the best games Northampton played all season, we were lucky to get into the play offs anyway.
I don't watch them so much these days, but I get reports from my cousin, and brother in law, who are both season ticket holders.
By the way, the are always known as The Cobblers locally.