The official EDS and academy thread 2012/13

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Exeter Blue I am here said:
For want of anything better to do, and in the hope they'd fucking lose, I watched the rags play Newcastle last night. By the end they'd had 6 teenagers on the field at various stages and had beaten a fairly presentable Newcastle side 2-1. Over at the Hawthorns at the same time, Liverpool had 4 teenagers playing, including 2 x 16 year olds, and beat a full strength West Brom. And as for Arsenal, well there's always 3 or 4 kids you've never heard of playing in cup competitions.
What struck me about the rags game was how seemlessly they fitted in. All mobile, quick and reasonably technically accomplished, and I just wonder whether we don't need a complete overhaul at youth level.
I've seen the EDS side once this season, away at Chelsea (played at Griffin Park), and to be quite frank, we were cack, a lumpen, paceless, mirror image of the first team at the moment, barely mustering a shot at goal in 90 minutes as we ground out an ill deserved 0-0 draw. A month later my eldest lad went along to Griffin Park with his mates and watched Liverpool tear Chelsea's EDS a new one, thrashing them 4-1. He described them (Liverpool) as everything City's EDS weren't. Supremely athletic, pace galore and full of attacking invention.
I often thought that City have been great at producing good youth sides in the past, but perhaps not so hot on developing stand out individuals. Sturridge was the last one I can recall who really looked the part, and before that, Ireland.
I've seen Razak a number of times now and Suarez 3 or 4 times if you count pre-season friendlies. They are clearly our two biggest hopes, and whilst I think Razak has what it takes physically to eventually make it to at least Championship level, I've been less convinced by Suarez, who just doesn't look sharp or quick enough for me. They though seem to be the only two, although Rekik is widely tipped to be the next graduate.
What I'm wondering is if the rags, Liverpool, Arsenal etc are just currently each blessed with an outstanding crop of youngsters, or whether they are doing something fundamentally different to City, such as actively focussing on players with particular attributes, pace and power for example, that will enable them to perform in their team's first XI's as though they were born to it, rather than seeming out of their depth as Suarez did on Tuesday? Either way, no-one seems ready to me to make that big step up and it's a concern, not least because some youthful pace and vitality in midfield would be a real Godsend to both the team and the fans at the moment
Click to expand...

I'm hearing a lot of word like "physicality" and "pace" to which I say means nothing at the 16-19 year old level. It's about developing smart footballers. Footballers capable of playing in multiple positions and spaces. We breed one trick ponies in this country. Midfielders who graft tireless but can't pick out a pass, wingers who can whip in a cross but can't cut in and find a better one, strikers who poach but can't distribute. The Rags play the same tired old system from top to bottom. None if their players know how to press high, distribute in the middle of the park or anything of value in 2012. Where as we are slowly grooming small versatile footballers or large footballers with nimble attitudes.

I'd rather Suarez be out of his depth at 18 and develop
into Silva or Iniesta than start like Sterling and develop
into Walcott.
 
1-1, Lopes scored an apparently sweet goal right before half-time. Suarez apparently playing very well.

Good text commentary: <a class="postlink" href="https://twitter.com/Official_CPFC" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://twitter.com/Official_CPFC</a>
 
1-1 FT. From the text commentary it sounds like we absolutely dominated but couldn't turn our many chances into goals (sounds familiar) and as such were held to a draw by the (before today at least) bottom place team. Several Twitter accounts said Suarez was fantastic and at the heart of everything. Crystal Palace players and staff raving about him.
 
The NextGen team picked up a decent point away in Turkey today meaning they took 4pts from the Fenerbahce double header. There are signs of progress in the NextGen but points from the Juventus double header and the PSG away matches are the real challenge as they probably have better youth systems than Fener.

Also Jules Ntcham debuted at last today for City, only 16 but very highly regarded and was our big youth signing of the summer... from the same club as Pogba and regarded as better than Pogba was at the same age. Let's hope our developmental system can turn him into a first team player.
 
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