The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

[the other bob wilson]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

The Development team are at home to Bolton at Leckwith today, kick off 1 pm - just rang the club and got confirmation the match was going ahead.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

I saw little of the game and only in dribs and drabs so this is a very unfair appraisal but from what I saw, if someone picked up the ball and said "shall we just knock this on the head" everyone would've voted to go home. Even Margetson's 2nd yellow looked like someone who wasn't that bothered about being out there. It'd be interesting to know who exactly in the world of football thinks the U23 league is a good idea. (My apologies if the game burst into life when I wasn't able to watch it).

Also, while I'm in the mood for unfair appraisals - Andy Legg, for all I know, might be a fantastic and knowledgeable teacher but he seems to me a standard, dour ex-pro; a monotone encyclopedia that's good for reference but not necessarily inspiration. Although perhaps he's just as pissed off as everyone else for having to be there. Anyway, there was another guy standing with him today - Sol Bamba? Is he getting involved in all this?

[Former Labour leader]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

I saw little of the game and only in dribs and drabs so this is a very unfair appraisal but from what I saw, if someone picked up the ball and said "shall we just knock this on the head" everyone would've voted to go home. Even Margetson's 2nd yellow looked like someone who wasn't that bothered about being out there. It'd be interesting to know who exactly in the world of football thinks the U23 league is a good idea. (My apologies if the game burst into life when I wasn't able to watch it).

Also, while I'm in the mood for unfair appraisals - Andy Legg, for all I know, might be a fantastic and knowledgeable teacher but he seems to me a standard, dour ex-pro; a monotone encyclopedia that's good for reference but not necessarily inspiration. Although perhaps he's just as pissed off as everyone else for having to be there. Anyway, there was another guy standing with him today - Sol Bamba? Is he getting involved in all this?

I've been wondering if Sol us being earmarked to take over from Warnock.

[Loramski]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

I saw little of the game and only in dribs and drabs so this is a very unfair appraisal but from what I saw, if someone picked up the ball and said "shall we just knock this on the head" everyone would've voted to go home. Even Margetson's 2nd yellow looked like someone who wasn't that bothered about being out there. It'd be interesting to know who exactly in the world of football thinks the U23 league is a good idea. (My apologies if the game burst into life when I wasn't able to watch it).

Also, while I'm in the mood for unfair appraisals - Andy Legg, for all I know, might be a fantastic and knowledgeable teacher but he seems to me a standard, dour ex-pro; a monotone encyclopedia that's good for reference but not necessarily inspiration. Although perhaps he's just as pissed off as everyone else for having to be there. Anyway, there was another guy standing with him today - Sol Bamba? Is he getting involved in all this?

That report brought it all to life, I almost felt I was there.

City won 1-0, the goal was scored by Liam Soule, a striker who is on trial from West Brom. Not sure why they're releasing him, he apparently attracted interest from Borussia Dortmund last season while scoring in every round of the FA Youth Cup as West Brom reached the semis.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

The team sheet for today's game had the name Liam Soul, not Liam Soule on it. I looked that name up on my phone at the game and there is a Liam Soul currently without a club having been released by MK Dons - he's. a winger like the player who scored today was and he looked a lot like the player in the photo I saw of him on the MK Dons website.

[Loramski]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

The team sheet for today's game had the name Liam Soul, not Liam Soule on it. I looked that name up on my phone at the game and there is a Liam Soul currently without a club having been released by MK Dons - he's. a winger like the player who scored today was and he looked a lot like the player in the photo I saw of him on the MK Dons website.

That makes a lot more sense, apologies for the misinformation. I was misled by this report from last week,

http://www.dai-sport.com/47947-2/

Youthhawk have him as Liam Soule too. Thanks for clearing that up.

Did you enjoy the game as much as Bluebirdman? Even more perhaps?

[Loramski]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

That makes a lot more sense, apologies for the misinformation. I was misled by this report from last week,

http://www.dai-sport.com/47947-2/

Youthhawk have him as Liam Soule too. Thanks for clearing that up.

Did you enjoy the game as much as Bluebirdman? Even more perhaps?

Dai Sport still running with Liam Soule from West Brom in this match report, even though his first name is Jamie.

http://www.dai-sport.com/teenage-striker-scores-earn-young-bluebirds-victory/

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/8987132/borussia-dortmund-jamie-soule-west-brom-sancho/

Dai Sport seem to have been confused by this article, which links to the Sun article above but calls him Liam.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/borussia-dortmund-linked-with-interesting-move-for-west-brom-wonderkid/

I tend to believe we're looking at a lad who's been rejected by MK Dons and was playing for St Albans last season rather than pinching one from under the noses of Dortmund and Man City but maybe I'm just being cynical.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

That makes a lot more sense, apologies for the misinformation. I was misled by this report from last week,

http://www.dai-sport.com/47947-2/

Youthhawk have him as Liam Soule too. Thanks for clearing that up.

Did you enjoy the game as much as Bluebirdman? Even more perhaps?

I did quite enjoy it actually, I thought a young team played well in patches and showed a lot of spirit to hang on for their win.

Here's my report on it as well as my thoughts on last night's Wales game.

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

[Loramski]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

I did quite enjoy it actually, I thought a young team played well in patches and showed a lot of spirit to hang on for their win.

Here's my report on it as well as my thoughts on last night's Wales game.

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

Sounds like there were a few positives to take from that. It was a shame Bolger was injured at the time of the Luton cup game, I'm sure he would've got a run out of some sort then.

I saw that Dan Martin got the man of the match award for Weston at the weekend in a 3-0 win but they're playing at such a low level this season that it's hard to know what to make of it. My eldest knows a Barry fan and he's saying how good George Ratcliffe has been for them, not the first time I've heard that being said. Apparently there were a couple of flaps at crosses in pre-season but since the league season started he's been outstanding.

[Enoch Mort]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

I noticed the other day that Sion Spence had gone to Barry on loan. I thought that he was one of great hopes for the future. Am i correct in thinking this and is the move to Barry a good one for him and us ? Perhaps those regulars at Academy and DVP games ( TOBW, Loramski etc.) might have a view ?

[Rjk]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

Good to hear bolgwr is playing well, it would be nice to bring one or two players into the first team squad this season, as it has been a while!

[Loramski]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

I noticed the other day that Sion Spence had gone to Barry on loan. I thought that he was one of great hopes for the future. Am i correct in thinking this and is the move to Barry a good one for him and us ? Perhaps those regulars at Academy and DVP games ( TOBW, Loramski etc.) might have a view ?

Time will tell on this one. I'm no expert on Spence, he certainly was being seen as a future star not long ago but I think injury problems have stalled his progress as much as the internal politics here. I saw him playing for the DVP side in January 2017, just turned 16. He came on at the start of the second half that game and we scored the 40 pass goal from the kick off. Him and James Waite ran central midfield by themselves, it was all possession based stuff back then, they made it look easy.

Spence moved forward in the following season and scored a lot of goals for the Academy. I know TOBW was very frustrated that he wasn't playing DVP stuff any more, this seemed to be down to a Bellamy led policy of keeping the Academy together although there was a poster on here who was suggesting that Spence had an injury problem that was holding him back.

An injury on international duty early last season led to a disrupted season for him, mainly at Academy level again. He scored some good goals but never really imposed himself. Even the games where he managed to get ninety minutes in he seemed to be cramping up by the end.

Personally, I'm happy to see any of our youngsters going out on loan rather than waste a season in the seemingly rudderless under-23 set up. Spence is still only 18, a run of first team games should be good experience for him and, if he can stay injury free, I'd like to think he'll be challenging for a first team squad place here next season. Unless Warnock stays on, of course.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

Time will tell on this one. I'm no expert on Spence, he certainly was being seen as a future star not long ago but I think injury problems have stalled his progress as much as the internal politics here. I saw him playing for the DVP side in January 2017, just turned 16. He came on at the start of the second half that game and we scored the 40 pass goal from the kick off. Him and James Waite ran central midfield by themselves, it was all possession based stuff back then, they made it look easy.

Spence moved forward in the following season and scored a lot of goals for the Academy. I know TOBW was very frustrated that he wasn't playing DVP stuff any more, this seemed to be down to a Bellamy led policy of keeping the Academy together although there was a poster on here who was suggesting that Spence had an injury problem that was holding him back.

An injury on international duty early last season led to a disrupted season for him, mainly at Academy level again. He scored some good goals but never really imposed himself. Even the games where he managed to get ninety minutes in he seemed to be cramping up by the end.

Personally, I'm happy to see any of our youngsters going out on loan rather than waste a season in the seemingly rudderless under-23 set up. Spence is still only 18, a run of first team games should be good experience for him and, if he can stay injury free, I'd like to think he'll be challenging for a first team squad place here next season. Unless Warnock stays on, of course.

While I agree that loaning youngsters out rather than having them stagnate, like so many others have done in the Under 23s, is a good idea in theory, it would be nice to see examples where playing first team football elsewhere has aided in the progress of a youngster into our senior side because without that, it's as broad as it's long as far as staying with the Development team or being loaned out goes - either way, you're not going to get into our first team.

As far as Sion Spence, and our other youngsters loaned to Welsh Premier League clubs, goes, I think a lot depends on what sort of standard that league is compared to the English pyramid structure. I'd say that we have a few in last season's title winning Academy side who are good enough to play whatever the Conference is called these days standard football. Judging by the little I see of the Welsh Premier League and the record of its clubs in Europe and that competition they play with Scottish and Irish clubs, my guess would be that standards are similar with the top clubs, but some way below that level with the majority of them.

Several of those loaned out this season, including Spence, are still young enough to play in the Academy team's league this season, but I feel they have moved on from that level now and so, I'd say playing first team football against men elsewhere is a preferable option, but, given what our Development team has become in recent years, playing for them when they return to City would be something of a downward step.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

I did quite enjoy it actually, I thought a young team played well in patches and showed a lot of spirit to hang on for their win.

Here's my report on it as well as my thoughts on last night's Wales game.

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

Glad to hear it wasn't as bad as I thought. Perhaps I was in a bad mood.

[Loramski]

Re: The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

While I agree that loaning youngsters out rather than having them stagnate, like so many others have done in the Under 23s, is a good idea in theory, it would be nice to see examples where playing first team football elsewhere has aided in the progress of a youngster into our senior side because without that, it's as broad as it's long as far as staying with the Development team or being loaned out goes - either way, you're not going to get into our first team.

As far as Sion Spence, and our other youngsters loaned to Welsh Premier League clubs, goes, I think a lot depends on what sort of standard that league is compared to the English pyramid structure. I'd say that we have a few in last season's title winning Academy side who are good enough to play whatever the Conference is called these days standard football. Judging by the little I see of the Welsh Premier League and the record of its clubs in Europe and that competition they play with Scottish and Irish clubs, my guess would be that standards are similar with the top clubs, but some way below that level with the majority of them.

Several of those loaned out this season, including Spence, are still young enough to play in the Academy team's league this season, but I feel they have moved on from that level now and so, I'd say playing first team football against men elsewhere is a preferable option, but, given what our Development team has become in recent years, playing for them when they return to City would be something of a downward step.

I'd say Joe Ralls benefited from his loan spell at Yeovil, Kadeem Harris and Rhys Healey only appeared for the first team after loan spells. We'll never know how Oshilaja and Ajayi would've progressed here if they'd been given a chance after successful loan spells, both Championship players now.

I'm clutching at straws there, I know, but I'd say that the chances are better after some time away from our increasingly futile under-23s. Saying that, if Bolger or Coxe can progress from there it would surely give a huge boost to the whole youth section, and some meaning to under-23 games.