u21 Premier League rebranded to u23 "Premier League 2"

Neville Kneville said:
Interesting we have gone down this road. I'm not sure what the reasoning behind it is, whether it's because it's seen as good for the kids to have to battle it out & play their style versus more experience, therefore handle defeat & come back or whether they want to bring through a 'team' at the same time, hoping a group of them come through together.

I'm fine with it whatever. None of it made any sense under Pellegrini, as the end goal seemed to be 5 mins sat watching Demichelis in midfield, but if the end goal is actually a young kid in the first team, it all makes sense.

One thing though looking at it completely the other way: Giggs was talking about how much he learned as a kid, playing with & against 'old pros' in the old reserve team system. I remember Colin Bell after his injury, basically doing a 'Pep' with the reserve team, where he played a sort of Kroos type role (but also with tackles & headers) & organised all the kids into a team.

There could also be some truth in that argument, but I suppose if the 'old pro' you learn from is Joey Barton, or earlier, Gazza, it doesn't stand up very well.
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I think it's purely because we seem to be battering everyone at the lower age groups when up against those the same age, and even older in cases. Technically our younger players are miles ahead of their peers which is credit to the board and their investment at youth level. The one thing our young players lack when they get to 17/18 and are in that middle ground between EDS and first team is physicality and experience.

They'll now be playing against quite a few who have made their debuts in the premier league. They can test themselves physically and see what they need to do to cope with that side of things. It will also help their general fitness and they can pick up the tricks and nous that others will have at that level. Gives Pep a chance to see who can step up to the first team and who can't and hopefully we see a better transition.

Like you say, there has been no plan. It's been a case of even those starring at EDS level either going out on loan then ending up back in the EDS or getting the chance to sit on the bench and watch every player but them get on the field. Consistency is crucial. The carrot needs to be dangled and there needs to be a clear reward for good performances as confidence is crucial at a young age. People have moaned about Barker's attitude and yes, if it is an issue he needs to work hard and prove himself but, in his defence you can't blame him for being slightly fed up with how things have gone at City when he's played on the same pitch as Leroy Sane in the youth CL and been more threatening. Now he's being berated by a lot of City fans, who then drool over potentially buying Sane for £40m.
 
supercity88 said:
I think it's purely because we seem to be battering everyone at the lower age groups when up against those the same age, and even older in cases. Technically our younger players are miles ahead of their peers which is credit to the board and their investment at youth level. The one thing our young players lack when they get to 17/18 and are in that middle ground between EDS and first team is physicality and experience.

They'll now be playing against quite a few who have made their debuts in the premier league. They can test themselves physically and see what they need to do to cope with that side of things. It will also help their general fitness and they can pick up the tricks and nous that others will have at that level. Gives Pep a chance to see who can step up to the first team and who can't and hopefully we see a better transition.

Like you say, there has been no plan. It's been a case of even those starring at EDS level either going out on loan then ending up back in the EDS or getting the chance to sit on the bench and watch every player but them get on the field. Consistency is crucial. The carrot needs to be dangled and there needs to be a clear reward for good performances as confidence is crucial at a young age. People have moaned about Barker's attitude and yes, if it is an issue he needs to work hard and prove himself but, in his defence you can't blame him for being slightly fed up with how things have gone at City when he's played on the same pitch as Leroy Sane in the youth CL and been more threatening. Now he's being berated by a lot of City fans, who then drool over potentially buying Sane for £40m.
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Couldn't agree more.

I've made the point before, if you stick Jimi Hendrix in an Oasis tribute band at 17 with no chance of anything better, 2 years later he's Noel Gallagher on the guitar.
 
Neville Kneville said:
Interesting we have gone down this road. I'm not sure what the reasoning behind it is, whether it's because it's seen as good for the kids to have to battle it out & play their style versus more experience, therefore handle defeat & come back or whether they want to bring through a 'team' at the same time, hoping a group of them come through together.

I'm fine with it whatever. None of it made any sense under Pellegrini, as the end goal seemed to be 5 mins sat watching Demichelis in midfield, but if the end goal is actually a young kid in the first team, it all makes sense.

One thing though looking at it completely the other way: Giggs was talking about how much he learned as a kid, playing with & against 'old pros' in the old reserve team system. I remember Colin Bell after his injury, basically doing a 'Pep' with the reserve team, where he played a sort of Kroos type role (but also with tackles & headers) & organised all the kids into a team.

There could also be some truth in that argument, but I suppose if the 'old pro' you learn from is Joey Barton, or earlier, Gazza, it doesn't stand up very well.
Click to expand...

I think it's happened quite simply to placate that u16s generation to be honest. It was so good that they've changed the whole system. Practically a whole team has moved up to the u18s now as first year scholars. If last year's first year scholars, who were all performed excellently at times (Brahim, Duhaney, Davenport, Nmecha, Diallo, Kigbu etc), stayed with the u18s again which was very possible as they're eligible still, then we would have all the u16s who had potentially moved up sitting on the bench and they might have left, so they've cleared a pathway for them.

It's a wise move in general I think. Everyone's happy, and the likes of Brahim, Duhaney, Davenport have already outgrown the u18s league. They won it easily. They're only 17 (Brahim doesn't turn 17 for another two weeks which is crazy!) but challenging them against potentially u23 players already will toughen them up drastically. In fact, they beat Girona's first team 3-2 yesterday in a friendly, and this is a team that nearly got promoted to La Liga last year, losing in the playoff final. I like this move. It's made sense in preseason as it's just been an EDS u19s side as planned, but the interesting thing is going to be what happens to all the EDS lads from last year who are out with the first team now.

Garcias, Horsfield, Gunn, O'Brien, Humphreys, Bryan would've been there, Adarabioyo, Celina, Barker, Bytiqi, Maffeo, Angelino. If these all don't move on somewhere then they'll have to drop back into the EDS, and lots of last year's u18s lads that moved up already will find themselves benched once again, which would be a shame. Smith-Brown and Glendon are at NAC already I think, but there's some big decisions to make for some. I'd like to think 3/4 (at least 2) could be in with a first team spot, and then there's loan moves to find for the rest of them. Loans now have to be transfer window to transfer window too, so whenever the decision is made, we've got to get it right cos we can't recall lads after a month if its not working. It's not going to be easy.
 
twosips said:
I think it's happened quite simply to placate that u16s generation to be honest. It was so good that they've changed the whole system. Practically a whole team has moved up to the u18s now as first year scholars. If last year's first year scholars, who were all performed excellently at times (Brahim, Duhaney, Davenport, Nmecha, Diallo, Kigbu etc), stayed with the u18s again which was very possible as they're eligible still, then we would have all the u16s who had potentially moved up sitting on the bench and they might have left, so they've cleared a pathway for them.

It's a wise move in general I think. Everyone's happy, and the likes of Brahim, Duhaney, Davenport have already outgrown the u18s league. They won it easily. They're only 17 (Brahim doesn't turn 17 for another two weeks which is crazy!) but challenging them against potentially u23 players already will toughen them up drastically. In fact, they beat Girona's first team 3-2 yesterday in a friendly, and this is a team that nearly got promoted to La Liga last year, losing in the playoff final. I like this move. It's made sense in preseason as it's just been an EDS u19s side as planned, but the interesting thing is going to be what happens to all the EDS lads from last year who are out with the first team now.

Garcias, Horsfield, Gunn, O'Brien, Humphreys, Bryan would've been there, Adarabioyo, Celina, Barker, Bytiqi, Maffeo, Angelino. If these all don't move on somewhere then they'll have to drop back into the EDS, and lots of last year's u18s lads that moved up already will find themselves benched once again, which would be a shame. Smith-Brown and Glendon are at NAC already I think, but there's some big decisions to make for some. I'd like to think 3/4 (at least 2) could be in with a first team spot, and then there's loan moves to find for the rest of them. Loans now have to be transfer window to transfer window too, so whenever the decision is made, we've got to get it right cos we can't recall lads after a month if its not working. It's not going to be easy.
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Seems pretty likely Angelino and Maffeo will be around the first team at least. That might mean dropping into the EDS to play a few games, but I don't think Pep will want to loan them. I think Aleix Garcia might be the same.

I can see Horsfield, Tosin, Barker going on loan after the tour.

Honestly have no idea about Celina or Bytiqi - both seem like they could do a job in the first team. I wonder if one will be in the squad until Gabriel Jesus turns up in January.

Either Gunn or O'Brien will need to stay now that Wright has gone.

Humphreys is only 17 himself- do you really think he needs moving on from the EDS?
 
I'm finding this seasons setup with who goes where more interesting then the transfer forum, I'd just want them to stream more of the matches.
 
twosips said:
I think it's happened quite simply to placate that u16s generation to be honest. It was so good that they've changed the whole system. Practically a whole team has moved up to the u18s now as first year scholars. If last year's first year scholars, who were all performed excellently at times (Brahim, Duhaney, Davenport, Nmecha, Diallo, Kigbu etc), stayed with the u18s again which was very possible as they're eligible still, then we would have all the u16s who had potentially moved up sitting on the bench and they might have left, so they've cleared a pathway for them.

It's a wise move in general I think. Everyone's happy, and the likes of Brahim, Duhaney, Davenport have already outgrown the u18s league. They won it easily. They're only 17 (Brahim doesn't turn 17 for another two weeks which is crazy!) but challenging them against potentially u23 players already will toughen them up drastically. In fact, they beat Girona's first team 3-2 yesterday in a friendly, and this is a team that nearly got promoted to La Liga last year, losing in the playoff final. I like this move. It's made sense in preseason as it's just been an EDS u19s side as planned, but the interesting thing is going to be what happens to all the EDS lads from last year who are out with the first team now.

Garcias, Horsfield, Gunn, O'Brien, Humphreys, Bryan would've been there, Adarabioyo, Celina, Barker, Bytiqi, Maffeo, Angelino. If these all don't move on somewhere then they'll have to drop back into the EDS, and lots of last year's u18s lads that moved up already will find themselves benched once again, which would be a shame. Smith-Brown and Glendon are at NAC already I think, but there's some big decisions to make for some. I'd like to think 3/4 (at least 2) could be in with a first team spot, and then there's loan moves to find for the rest of them. Loans now have to be transfer window to transfer window too, so whenever the decision is made, we've got to get it right cos we can't recall lads after a month if its not working. It's not going to be easy.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there is quite a job to do with those older kids. We've got Ambrose & Boadu to consider as well.

If they turned over Girona's first team, then perhaps they will fancy taking a few on loan.
 
Neville Kneville said:
Yeah, there is quite a job to do with those older kids. We've got Ambrose & Boadu to consider as well.

If they turned over Girona's first team, then perhaps they will fancy taking a few on loan.
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Everyone keeps saying "Girona's first team" but do we actually know how serious a team it was? I mean Bayern beat our "first team" last week, but we had 10 teenagers on.
 
Neville Kneville said:
I know nothing about it.

Just going off what twosips said.
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No idea about the strength if the squad, but I doubt they had internationals on a rest there.

Still, it was their first match while EDS lads had been training for 2-3 weeks and already played 2-3 friendlies.

Of course I don't doubt their quality. They wouldn't win if they weren't good enough. Hopefully Pep stops just buying players and notices more of our youngsters.
 
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