Haven't read it yet but theory is that winning all the time, isn't good when you're young. Better to win say 60% of games and toughen up mentally by losing 40% instead of winning 90%.The article isn’t very clear, but I think the approach now is to move players up the age groups quicker, even if it means not winning as many games as before. If you look at the EDS team now, almost all of them are 18 or under (whereas the Utd reserve team we played on Saturday seemed to be full of players in their 20’s)
If thats the case my lads team is going to be so mentally strongHaven't read it yet but theory is that winning all the time, isn't good when you're young. Better to win say 60% of games and toughen up mentally by losing 40% instead of winning 90%.
Means moving players up 1 or 2 levels compared to age groups.
Also means pressurising the older lads to shape up or ship out. If you're 19/20 and not pushing the first team you're unlikely to make it.
Worth noting how many young players at other clubs come through after being in average/poor youth teams where they've had to be tough to survive. Like city in the 80s/90s.
So if they are getting pushed up what happens when they hit the EDS, does it mean that they could play together as a team for 3 years building team chemistry
was under the presumption is was more the majority of the teams got moved up, so cheers for that.I think we'll see them in the EDS until they're 19 at most and then loaned out. Matt Smith is 17 now, will turn 18 this season. I think he'll stay with the EDS this year, and possibly next, and then go on loan. I think we'll see loans for lads as young as 18 too.
It's worth bearing in mind that they're not ALL moving up early. Mainly the stars of the generation.
Thanks. Appreciate the explanation. It does seem to fall short of being radical though. Surely moving a youngster up a level to match their ability and performance level is common sense. What do you make of Jason Wilcox if you don’t mind me asking?It's a really poorly written article tbh that doesn't make the point of the new approach clear at all.
Basically, in terms of pure age, we have the best of the best. We're too good when our 17 year olds play other team's 17 year olds and we end up with a win percentage of 90 odd percent. Bear in mind, Sancho, Foden and crew, if the former was still here, could still be turning out for u18s as second year scholars. Last year Sancho and Foden, along with Matt Smith, Latibeaudiere, Dele-Bashiru and more absolutely walked the u18s league, despite only being first year scholars.
Likewise, at the start of this season our first year scholars included Taylor Richards and Rabbi Matondo, and it became immediately clear that they found it too easy for u18s football too. So they were moved up to the EDS immediately.
The plan now is to basically push them up as soon as they can. The two stars of this year's first year scholars (matondo, Richards) have basically bypassed the 18s entirely to learn with the EDS despite being 16 turning 17. This year's u18s team is mainly new first years mixed in with u16s as well - take Tommy Doyle as an example. He's 15 and playing fir the 18s this year cos there is nothing he could learn at 16s level as he's miles better. We're playing very, very young teams compared to our rivals. This will of course result in some games not being won, but as Wilcox says, its more realistic and we're having to battle to win games a lot more, and that is evident watching this u18s team. You could throw Matondo and Richards in if you want, evne Foden/Latibeaudiere and Dele-Bashiru in technically, and they'd win every game 4/5-0. But what's the point?
If this method existed last year Foden and Sancho would have basically skipped u18s football entirely and gone straight to the EDS, but that didn't really happen.
I like this approach. It's testing them. It's why all last year's first year's are now with the EDS instead.
So long story short: we're moving up players very very quickly, which challenges them more and will see a lower, more realistic, win percentage.
Thanks. Appreciate the explanation. It does seem to fall short of being radical though. Surely moving a youngster up a level to match their ability and performance level is common sense. What do you make of Jason Wilcox if you don’t mind me asking?
If thats the case my lads team is going to be so mentally strong
played 6 games and conceded over 50 and scored 2 its like watching City in the 90s
my lad has some talent tries to play like Silva bringing the ball down when other hoof but thinks he can just turn up and be a superstar. He plays on the left and the goalie kicks it down the right/middle all the time (ala Joe Hart), so at times the game passes him by, He hasnt scored in 2 seasons but then again think the striker has scored 2 in that time. It doesnt help that the team down the road is one of the best in Southampton league at this age group,so they can pick and choose the better players. Give the lads their dues they turn up nearly every week and turn up to training each week as well.Haha, join the club mate. 12 games played, 4 points (how the heck they won and drew one is miracle), losing 9:0, 10:0 regularly and my lad is the keeper and by mile the best in the team, without him easily 15:0 in most games. Mind you, beside saving some goals he's shit in everything, just like the rest of them - they can't run, they can't pass, they can't shoot, they can't bring the ball to half of their half - nothing :D
But I won't move him to any other team for next two-three years at least. It's a perfect situation for keeper, being tested literally every 30 seconds, if he doesn't learn the business there, than he's not up for it :D
Haha, join the club mate. 12 games played, 4 points (how the heck they won and drew one is miracle), losing 9:0, 10:0 regularly and my lad is the keeper and by mile the best in the team, without him easily 15:0 in most games. Mind you, beside saving some goals he's shit in everything, just like the rest of them - they can't run, they can't pass, they can't shoot, they can't bring the ball to half of their half - nothing :D
But I won't move him to any other team for next two-three years at least. It's a perfect situation for keeper, being tested literally every 30 seconds, if he doesn't learn the business there, than he's not up for it :D
my lad has some talent tries to play like Silva bringing the ball down when other hoof but thinks he can just turn up and be a superstar. He plays on the left and the goalie kicks it down the right/middle all the time (ala Joe Hart), so at times the game passes him by, He hasnt scored in 2 seasons but then again think the striker has scored 2 in that time. It doesnt help that the team down the road is one of the best in Southampton league at this age group,so they can pick and choose the better players. Give the lads their dues they turn up nearly every week and turn up to training each week as well.
they do enjoy it but with any team at any age on a losing run it would boost their moral to get a win.As long as your lads are enjoying it then that's all that matters. The most important thing to coach into kids is a love of the game come rain or shine. The rest will come with any half decent coaching and hard work from your lads.
The MEN have gone into overdrive with the clickbait this season.I was surprised when I saw the headline in the MEN because this isn't really news! We first heard this "new approach" two months or so ago. MEN must have found themselves short of a story