MCFC U-18's

Frimpong looks to have a great combination of speed, technique and reading of the game. Definitely one to keep an eye on and I'm surprised he doesn't play as a winger more often.

Thought everyone else was pretty one paced which held us back a bit.

Great to see the fight in them though and Doyle and Mcdonald got better as the game wore on and it got a bit scrappy.

Braaf looks exciting. Knight needs time to develop physically. Didn't rate Wright-Phillips.
 
twosips said:
Looking over the team and how they play, I don't think they're anywhere near the level of 2015 generation of maffeo, angelino, tosin, gunn, bryan, celina, ambrose, barker etc etc who tore teams apart as a unit, likewise the one of 2016 with the likes of brahim, muric, sancho, foden, matt smith, davenport etc who had more individual quality and skill...

But having said that, there are still some good players and we've already seen Garcia play for the first team and do very well. Harwood-Bellis is fantastically highly rated, and Frimpong is a real talent. Doyle too has loads of good will, though i'm not convinced yet he's showing the ability which made people very, very excited a year or two ago. Braaf looks good, Taylor Richards is highly rated too. Just not sure a few have that 'x-factor' to do what most of the others couldn't in the earlier lists above ^^^

Wehn you break it down though you realise there are some good players. Maybe the coaching has dropped off? Dunno, all i know is the team isn't getting the results other generations have and the football isn't as free flowing. Not convinced its an age thing either, as Sancho/Foden's generation etc were all 1st year scholars too who came in and did v well against older lads.
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I agree - always thought the tacky, overly sanitised environment of the Etihad Campus would have a detrimental impact on player development psychologically. Having seen a few of the young players swaggering about there at youth games, it really does seem to breed an arrogance, and presumption that they’re already a ‘baller’ because the club have provided a comfort zone in which the essential desire to succeed is seemingly neutralised.

Also agree about the huge decline in quality of the current crop compared to those final groups forged at Platt Lane; outside of the two centrebacks, they look destined for the abyss eventually. Players like Matt Smith, Jack Byrne and even George Glendon showed far more ability in controlling a game from midfield - Doyle is naturally under a huge spotlight due to his family affiliation to the club, but he looks more Joey Barton than Steven Gerrard in all honesty. I need to see more of him, but from little I have, I’ve been left struggling to understand the hype; suggested in his thread the other day that he should think about moving to rightback ASAP and maximising his best attributes there, because he seems to lack elite quality moving forward as a midfield player.

Despite all of the initial smug excitement of poaching the best coaches, scouts and young talent in the North West, the academy is not ahead of any of the other clubs in the region in terms of talent on the cusp of making it in senior football (aged 16-19). Perhaps the cosmopolitan smart arses should have given Jim Cassell and his team the resources to continue and enhance their fine work, rather than their P45s.
 
Bleu said:
I agree - always thought the tacky, overly sanitised environment of the Etihad Campus would have a detrimental impact on player development psychologically. Having seen a few of the young players swaggering about there at youth games, it really does seem to breed an arrogance, and presumption that they’re already a ‘baller’ because the club have provided a comfort zone in which the essential desire to succeed is seemingly neutralised.

Also agree about the huge decline in quality of the current crop compared to those final groups forged at Platt Lane; outside of the two centrebacks, they look destined for the abyss eventually. Players like Matt Smith, Jack Byrne and even George Glendon showed far more ability in controlling a game from midfield - Doyle is naturally under a huge spotlight due to his family affiliation to the club, but he looks more Joey Barton than Steven Gerrard in all honesty. I need to see more of him, but from little I have, I’ve been left struggling to understand the hype; suggested in his thread the other day that he should think about moving to rightback ASAP and maximising his best attributes there, because he seems to lack elite quality moving forward as a midfield player.

Despite all of the initial smug excitement of poaching the best coaches, scouts and young talent in the North West, the academy is not ahead of any of the other clubs in the region in terms of talent on the cusp of making it in senior football (aged 16-19). Perhaps the cosmopolitan smart arses should have given Jim Cassell and his team the resources to continue and enhance their fine work, rather than their P45s.
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I think the huge change in Sancho's approach after 12 months at Dortmund is telling. He was a pointless dribbler at City. And he didn't change by playing in Dortmund's first team either.
 
Is it me or does the club’s coverage of the u23s/u18s seem to have disappeared off the face of the Earth? They used to be all over it, but can’t find highlights from the youth cup game anywhere?
 
Jacob Smith said:
Is it me or does the club’s coverage of the u23s/u18s seem to have disappeared off the face of the Earth? They used to be all over it, but can’t find highlights from the youth cup game anywhere?
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They give no fucks about it these days. Other clubs stream games for free, while our club doesn’t even post some highlights. Pretty annoying for everyone who doesn’t live around the Manchester area
 
It nothing else you'd think games would be streamed to showcase players for sale as we've seen most of the promising (well all apart from Phil) & all the lesser players sold so surely it'd make financial sense to have as many games as possible viewable.
 
McNeil is supposed to be very highly rated, I think he’s only 15.
 
Cobra said:
McNeil is supposed to be very highly rated, I think he’s only 15.
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Heard he scored 110 and assisted 38 for City U15s and England U16s in 72 games in 2018. He was mentioned as one of the biggest talents in the academy by Goal after Matondo and Brahim left. A month ago he was 14, so he sounds like a huge talent considering he’s already making the squad for the U18s
 
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