Man City V Bayern - Youth Champions League 3pm today

[squirtyflower]

Taped the game and I am watching the replay atm.

There are so many players with terrific potential in this team. Ambrose is outstanding. For all the talk of Pozo, Ambrose is a very skilful player with enormous talent. The only thing with Ambrose is that I am not sure what his correct position is. Viera has him playing as a winger with Celina in the centre, but Ambrose looks like he would be a ready made number 9.

It seems to me that playing the kids out of their recognised positions is probably a development method,i cant see any other reason as,when there is no apparent requirement for doing so,several of our players have been utilised in this way.

It would make sense to give them with the opportunity to play in unfamiliar positions to provide them with an improved understanding of the game as well as an empathy with their peers.

Ajax have done this for years
All their outfield players are expected to have spells in every postion except goalkeeper

 

[FantasyIreland]

^^^
Cheers Squirty,and lets be honest,the Ajax academy isn't a bad benchmark.....;-)

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

If all you see is City playing Bayern youth team you would think we are world beaters as 2 wins scoring 6 both times is really emphatic.The reality is Bayern are weak at this level.Nothing special at all individually but also they don't seem to be coached or organised well.

But is that just because Bayern were crap or were we really that good? Somewhere in between obviously but the development of our lads and the teams really is seriously promising. It would take a negative sod to find a player that didn't play well yesterday but I would probably single out Bryan,Barker and Ambrose as my pick of the bunch.

Bryan did seem to control the game and showed a good range of passing but I like his composure and reading of the game. Jack Byrne and Ntcham also in the middle helped a real domination of the game.

Barker is in a hot streak at the moment and seems to be learning well when to go for the outright attacking play and when to just keep the ball and recycle it.The reality is that he can beat most full backs I have seen him against and is getting goals and assists to show it's not all flair and no end product.

Ambrose really impresses me each time I see him and it's not just skill but the effort he puts in every 90 minutes he plays.Plus ,as said already, the right wing is not his preferred position as I think he prefers a central striking role.At least 2 assists yesterday but so much about his game that frightened Bayern. Interesting that we played Celina at center forward with Ambrose right when Celina surely is 100% a central midfield player.

Viera continues to play people in positions for experience and they are all thriving. Celina's 2 goals yesterday were superb as was his all round effort. Maffeo also playing center back when I would have thought he is a natural right back and the other way around for Bossaerts. For me Maffeo remains our best defender.

Angelino getting better as defender but remains a great attacking threat and maybe does need a loan year to help him develop even more. Not sure I would like to see us buy in a new young left back for a fortune with this lad around and not that far away.

 

[LoveCity]

Is the win over Benfica not a demonstration of our progress more than this? The foreign coach who was in charge (not sure his name) said he felt Benfica brought an even stronger team than the one which beat us in the Youth League last year, yet City beat them quite convincingly. If these kids are beating other big club academies and doing well domestically, our academy must now be up there with some of the very best. But our ability to turn them into first team players is still yet to show. Greg Dyke's failed B team proposal might have helped that.

Bossaerts slow walk when subbed yesterday was one of the strangest things I've seen in a while. The match was won but he took forever to get off, does he have an attitude?

 

[waspish]

Is the win over Benfica not a demonstration of our progress more than this? The foreign coach who was in charge (not sure his name) said he felt Benfica brought an even stronger team than the one which beat us in the Youth League last year, yet City beat them quite convincingly. If these kids are beating other big club academies and doing well domestically, our academy must now be up there with some of the very best. But our ability to turn them into first team players is still yet to show. Greg Dyke's failed B team proposal might have helped that.

Bossaerts slow walk when subbed yesterday was one of the strangest things I've seen in a while. The match was won but he took forever to get off, does he have an attitude?

He probably didn't want to come of and was disappointed at being Subbed..

 

[BigOscar]

Is the win over Benfica not a demonstration of our progress more than this? The foreign coach who was in charge (not sure his name) said he felt Benfica brought an even stronger team than the one which beat us in the Youth League last year, yet City beat them quite convincingly. If these kids are beating other big club academies and doing well domestically, our academy must now be up there with some of the very best. But our ability to turn them into first team players is still yet to show. Greg Dyke's failed B team proposal might have helped that.

Bossaerts slow walk when subbed yesterday was one of the strangest things I've seen in a while. The match was won but he took forever to get off, does he have an attitude?

Not sure, the Benfica team has been a lot worse this year than last, a few of the better players from last years team are in this years B team. They were battered 5-1 by Zenit's U19's today and have generally been a bit iffy this year, which certainly wouldn't of happened last year. We do look better though, with a very young team. Our younger players look particularly bright, so you'd imagine it should only get better.

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

Is the win over Benfica not a demonstration of our progress more than this? The foreign coach who was in charge (not sure his name) said he felt Benfica brought an even stronger team than the one which beat us in the Youth League last year, yet City beat them quite convincingly. If these kids are beating other big club academies and doing well domestically, our academy must now be up there with some of the very best. But our ability to turn them into first team players is still yet to show. Greg Dyke's failed B team proposal might have helped that.

Bossaerts slow walk when subbed yesterday was one of the strangest things I've seen in a while. The match was won but he took forever to get off, does he have an attitude?

He probably didn't want to come of and was disappointed at being Subbed..

My gut feeling is that he isn't overly happy at being played at right back when he wants to be centre back. Especially when our best right back and imo best defender is being played at center back. There was a recent game where our center backs were George Evans and Kean Bryan were paired as centre backs with Bossaerts on the bench. can't do his confidence a lot of good but I am sure Vieira knows what he is doing.

 

[MaineRoadmcfc]

Not getting to excited as you never know how players develop, Chelsea have been winning everything at youth level for a good few years now and apart from Ake few players have been given even a sniff of first team opportunities.

Denayer after his loan spell should be in or around the squad next season you think along with Rekik.

Barker looks exactly the type of player we lack, someone who will beat a man and score goals.

Good to see Glendon and Pozo on the bench on yesterday although I though young players would have been given much mor an opportunity this season especially in the league cup.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Is the win over Benfica not a demonstration of our progress more than this? The foreign coach who was in charge (not sure his name) said he felt Benfica brought an even stronger team than the one which beat us in the Youth League last year, yet City beat them quite convincingly. If these kids are beating other big club academies and doing well domestically, our academy must now be up there with some of the very best. But our ability to turn them into first team players is still yet to show. Greg Dyke's failed B team proposal might have helped that.

Bossaerts slow walk when subbed yesterday was one of the strangest things I've seen in a while. The match was won but he took forever to get off, does he have an attitude?

He probably didn't want to come of and was disappointed at being Subbed..

My gut feeling is that he isn't overly happy at being played at right back when he wants to be centre back. Especially when our best right back and imo best defender is being played at center back. There was a recent game where our center backs were George Evans and Kean Bryan were paired as centre backs with Bossaerts on the bench. can't do his confidence a lot of good but I am sure Vieira knows what he is doing.

Surely the physio was involved when he came off ? Injured by a late challenge by one of the Bayern players on the far touchline ? (something they seemed to be under instruction to do 2nd half).

 

[spinzer]

Is the win over Benfica not a demonstration of our progress more than this? The foreign coach who was in charge (not sure his name) said he felt Benfica brought an even stronger team than the one which beat us in the Youth League last year, yet City beat them quite convincingly. If these kids are beating other big club academies and doing well domestically, our academy must now be up there with some of the very best. But our ability to turn them into first team players is still yet to show. Greg Dyke's failed B team proposal might have helped that.

Bossaerts slow walk when subbed yesterday was one of the strangest things I've seen in a while. The match was won but he took forever to get off, does he have an attitude?

To be fair last year's was against Benfica was so unlucky. Their goalkeeper had the best game i've ever seen a goalie had. He must have taken like 10-15 100% chances it was so ridicoulus. And they didn't have many chances at our but somehow they got the goals they needed..