4 trialists start for our U23 Development Squad tonight

[Ianto13]

I seem to remember Blake playing Wayne Rooney off the park in a Wales v England International and Rooney’s lifestyle wasn’t great?

[Loramski]

The thought occurs to me that if the Development team keeps on "progressing" as it has done this season, then will it start impacting on the type and quality of young player being attracted to the club? I don't like saying it, but natural footballers like Waite and Veale are better off elsewhere at the moment really.

It would've been good to see a couple of our youngsters go out on loan in January but no one seemed to want them which makes it hard for us, or anyone else, to say they should be involved in our first team set up, whichever way we're playing.

I take your first point. The weird thing is that so many of the trialists don't seem like Warnock-type players at all, most of them look like they'd be happy to play a possession based game but we now spend most of the time kicking it away even though there's never a target man to aim for. There's some muddled thinking going on. We drew 1-1 at Barnsley today, our goal was scored by Jason Akiotu, a left back who's been released by Palace and says David Alaba is his footballing role model. What's Warnock going to make of him? The mind boggles.

A couple of points in defence of the club here. Firstly, the injuries at that level have made it hard to have any kind of a settled side recently. An outfield 10 of Coxe, Brown, McKay, Abbruzzese, Obi, Veale, Duffus, McKay, Waite and Harris with players like Young, Humphries and Meite to come in would've been fine. Maybe it wasn't the plan to use this many trialists?

Secondly, the club have been very unlucky that three of our best talents, Waite, Abbruzzese and Veale, just haven't grown enough. I haven't seen quite enough of Veale to be sure but I think the other two are terrific players who would be playing first team football somewhere already if they'd filled out more. It'll be a great shame if Waite doesn't make it. I agree with you, he's always enjoyable to watch whatever nonsense is going on around him.

[Ianto13]

Looks like another of our released youngsters will make it according to Birmingham Mail, Villa have joined Celtic, Swansea and Bristol City are all interested in signing centre half ex Cardiff City Tom James. Declan John and Keith Poole now with Man Utd
Also look sure to have good career’s despite being rejected by us?
There seems to be a problem bringing our Academy players thro to 1st Team?

[ccfc_is_my_life]

Declan John is playing for Rangers at a poor standard of football.

Tom James? Paper talk. Who knows how valid any interest is - and who would argue he's better at centre back or right back than what we have available in the first team squad?

Poole may make it, probably not with United as he'd have to be incredibly good given Utd can spend big money on other better players. Interestingly, at Northampton he's playing in midfield - doubt that would be happening without Man Utd's "permission" so maybe his development will be somewhat delayed by learning a new position. Again, at the back would he be better than what we have now?

[Pontprennau Bluebird]

If we just look at local players, I can’t think of many Welsh youngsters who have come through the ranks in recent years. Our only Welsh players lately have been Jazz, Emyr Huws, Declan John, Tom Lawrence.... with the possible exception of DJ it’s not a hatful of locally raised riches. I guess the pressure is on NW to deliver instant results though, hence we sign Jamie Ward and Wildschutt.

[Tokyo Blue]

Apparently the young lad Rabbi Matondo -who was poached by Man City for about half a mill- was the best prospect that we had since Aaron Ramsay, but don't quote me on that. It's frustrating not seeing any youngsters coming through. There are a fair few clubs that have academies just for the sake of it without producing any real talent, but we've always had young local lads making it in to the side.

I remember watching Ledley's home debut after we sold Kav and I was delighted to see him play despite having never heard of him before he was announced on the team sheet. I kept a keen eye on every young player's development even in those days and he still slipped under the radar for me, so perhaps there's another waiting (or Waite-ing) in the wings to break through....

[Since62]

Looks like another of our released youngsters will make it according to Birmingham Mail, Villa have joined Celtic, Swansea and Bristol City are all interested in signing centre half ex Cardiff City Tom James. Declan John and Keith Poole now with Man Utd
Also look sure to have good career’s despite being rejected by us?
There seems to be a problem bringing our Academy players thro to 1st Team?

Tom James has been a regular at Yeovil but it is at the lower end of League 2 level. He is now 22 and wouldn`t make the current CCFC first team squad as a defender , so a move to one of the 3 clubs mentioned would be a big step up for him. Those clubs are probably looking at him as a cheap possible option at squad cover level.

Declan John has been doing OK for Rangers according to press reports but there is really very little quality in the teams he plays against up there. He struggled against Celtic who are the best team by far in Scotland but still probably only upper Championship level.

Regan Poole may develop as a player in due course as he is only 19 but, like Tom James , wouldn`t get near our first team at present which is why he is currently plying his trade with Northampton Town.

Our Academy system seems to be a mixed bunch in terms of quality at present. At younger age groups , from under 11s to under 15s (a game I saw between our under 15s and Swansea had some of the best football in it I had seen for some time at any level) and up to under 18s seems to be focusing on quality and have a large number of players with longer term prospects in it. However , the under 23s or Development Squad seems to be run as a "short term fix" for at least a few seasons until those younger talents come through to that level.

[Rjk]

I was surprised that semi ajayi wasn't kept on abd loaned out to develop. He almost looked good enough for the championship at 21 and central defenders don't peak until late 20s early 30s usually.
He seems to be one of the better defenders in league one already, and could have been ideal to step in once the likes of bamba start to decline.

[the other bob wilson]

A fifth successive win for the Under 18s this morning - 3-0 over Barnsley at Leckwith.

They made a poor start to the season, but turned it around with a winning run around the turn of the year and, with this latest lot of good results are challenging to finish third in their division which would be very good considering that they were without a win after their first six games as I recall - unfortunately, some of them will have to make the "step up" into the Development team next season.

[Fine Lines]

Local players is the one thing we are missing in my opinion. I yearn for the days of an Earnie or Lefkey etc. Having local players developed by the club provides that extra connection between fans and club.

[dembethewarrior]

I've just watched the second half of Leverkusen v Bayern. Was 1-2 and Leverkusen missed a chance to equalise, next thing I know it's 1-6.
Leverkusen had a lot of youngsters playing tonight who will go on to play for good teams and become very good players, the manager got it wrong and decided to take the game to Bayern.. and played wingers at wing back who left space for Thiago and Muller to exploit..but from what I have seen Leverkusen have had a good season and aren't scared to play youngsters. They will definitely lose games, but the experience they get will be invaluable in the long run.
English football even at our level in the second tier is too scared to follow because results matter more.
Real shame, more and more kids from our leagues will go over there to play now as they can see a route to a first team career.

[dembethewarrior]

I seem to remember Blake playing Wayne Rooney off the park in a Wales v England International and Rooney’s lifestyle wasn’t great?

Not going to post on here, butI really doubt Wayne Rooney lifestyle choices and Blake's were anywhere near being the same.
Shagging prostitutes and a few pints is tame in comparison.

[life on mars]

Not going to post on here, butI really doubt Wayne Rooney lifestyle choices and Blake's were anywhere near being the same.
Shagging prostitutes and a few pints is tame in comparison.

Yes wasted talent strong old fashioned defender would be certain to earn good coin for a few years with mist clubs outside of the Premeirship or in Scotland ,silly lad , still only 29.

[Loramski]

A fifth successive win for the Under 18s this morning - 3-0 over Barnsley at Leckwith.

They made a poor start to the season, but turned it around with a winning run around the turn of the year and, with this latest lot of good results are challenging to finish third in their division which would be very good considering that they were without a win after their first six games as I recall - unfortunately, some of them will have to make the "step up" into the Development team next season.

Cheer up. 'It's always darkest before the dawn' and all that. We survived Slade, we can survive this too.

[Loramski]

I was surprised that semi ajayi wasn't kept on abd loaned out to develop. He almost looked good enough for the championship at 21 and central defenders don't peak until late 20s early 30s usually.
He seems to be one of the better defenders in league one already, and could have been ideal to step in once the likes of bamba start to decline.

He's a good example of the kind of player that the next manager might want even if Warnock didn't, he features in the 40 pass goal I put up earlier in the thread playing a couple of lovely balls out to the flanks. Too dreamy for Warnock (he seems to have had some more episodes of this recently as he's back on the bench at Rotherham for now) and centre half wasn't a big priority at the time so it was going to be tough for him to break through here. A shame as Warnock would seem like the ideal manager to sort out the concentration lapses he has.

[cardiff55]

Didn't we have goalkeeper called Luke O'Reilly in the development squad? I saw he played for Tottenham in their Checkatrade Cup game earlier this season, so i presume he left us?

[Loramski]

Didn't we have goalkeeper called Luke O'Reilly in the development squad? I saw he played for Tottenham in their Checkatrade Cup game earlier this season, so i presume he left us?

We released him last season, presumably because we saw Ollie Byrne as a better prospect, but we've released Byrne too (he signed for Blackburn) so we are now using different keepers on trial at under-23 level as well as Chris Konopka who's here as cover till the end of the season.