City U18's v Chelsea U18's @ CFA Saturday 5th March, 11 am KO

[boothy_]

Couldn't get to the game any idea when highlights are posted?

 

[moenchengladbach blau]

Hope the rest of my day is as funny as that article. Not ONE article about city in that sports section today!

Kids are gettin a bit of a lesson here!!

I bet City will pull something out of the bag;-)

I also bet that such an amazing come back will not be reported in the national press.

AND I bet that little will be said about the decline of such a world beater as Bashford in the last two two games as United fail against WBA.

 

[FantasyIreland]

I understood what he meant though - he had a definite presence in midfield. Chelsea weren't going to do anything without having to get past him and he was a real nuisance every time they tried to attack he would either cut it out or slow it down until people got back.

Very effective. The reason why their striker got almost no ball in the second half.

No argument with the merits of his game but to use Cattermole as a comparable? as NLF has elegantly highlighted......surely a better example could have been found?

 

[the plasterer]

diaz = different gravy, what a talent

 

[ANewBlue]

First half was very poor from both sides. Second half was The Brahim Diaz Show... rapidly becoming my favourite thing to watch! Not only scored a couple of superb goals, I like how he just took the game -- which was going nowhere -- by the scruff of the neck and almost single-handedly brought City back into it.

In the end City were deserved winners. Chelsea barely got out their own half in the second period.

Sancho and Dele-Bashiru made a big difference too coming on.

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

I think it's a bit unfair on Chelsea to say they were very poor in the first half.Some of their attacking play was superb and clinical and they deserved to be leading as they were. Chelsea are a good side make no mistake about that which makes it even more pleasing that City and obviously mainly Brahim Diaz took the game over to get the 4.3 win.

Fascinating that Sancho did make a difference. With Diaz terrorising them in the middle Chelsea were also really troubled by Sancho.In the end he didn't quite set anything up or score but he did hold onto the ball well and push them back and for 15 does look another special talent. That key difference of holding onto the ball better was the biggest change for me. Included in that was Davenport breaking up so many potential moves and also Oliver and Kigbu just getting tighter on their men. That 2nd half was magnificent especially as it was against Chelsea.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Went into the academy on Sunday as my 7 year old was lucky enough to get invited for training there. Two things stood out (1) what an absolutely fantastic place, loads of youngsters and what seemed like dozens of coaching staff, all pleasant and good humoured (2) on the next pitch to where my lad was training there was a City team playing a Burton team a year older (under 9's v under 10's) and the standard of some of our kids was frighteningly good for such a young age, great to watch, the pass and move that is being taught looks superb

 

[BlueDejong]

Oh Brahim..

 

[Otamendi's Beard]

Oh Brahim..

Superb comeback.

Brahim is one of those players that's so impossibly difficult to dispossess in the penalty area. He'll quickly become the most fouled (if given...) players we have.

I think he'll still need some time to physically mature a bit, but once he does he'll be a fantastic player for the first team. He's having way more impact in the U18s than previous foreign wonderkids we've had and has started to bang in the goals (mostly beautiful) on a weekly basis.

I'd imagine he'll end up looking a bit like Marcos Lopes in the next two years and that's when he can have a real impact at first team level.

What I also enjoy is his determination and passion. He chases everything and always puts in 100%, while he celebrates his goals as though it's the first he's ever scored.

 

[bugsyblue]

Diaz is one of our most exciting players. Truly a lovely above anyone in the EDS. Fingers crossed he keeps developing into the star he clearly is.