The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

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Originally Posted by Loramski

The size thing has been a recurring theme in this thread and it's going to be an issue again with some of our lads if they don't have a growth spurt soon. George looks like a quality player but there's nothing of him, Twose, Barton, Beecher and Thomas the same. Mafico looks a bit stockier but is short too. Lads like James Waite and Kieron Evans before them. It's not the be all and end all but I don't get how so many of our Academy lads are vertically challenged. Is it a South Wales thing? Surely the area has produced plenty of rugby players over the years?

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I remember when Russell Osman became manager he told the Youth Development officer (who doubled up as Youth team coach) at the time "I don't want you to just have teams of 6 footers". This was a bit of a problem as the Youth teams best players at the time were Scott Young, Lee Jarman and Simon Haworth. It was an unfair request because we were in the fourth division and all the best technical footballers (Bellamy, Jeanne, Calliste etc) would have been pinched by the Premier teams. It was quite a result when we retained Christian Roberts and Cadette.The lower division teams were normally picking up late developers, the big six footers - Anthony Evans at 17 from Aberystwyth Town.

Everyone develops physically at differing ages. Twose is not short, but a couple of years ago was like a stick insect. He had undoubted talent. He's now 18 and starting to put a bit of muscle on. In fairness to the club they appear to be very patient with the academy players developments. Eli King is the opposite physically and thus was used by the 1st much earlier in his development. The criticism of King (by Bulut) is that he doesn't use his physique to his advantage (unlike a young Dwyer, Ramsay, Ledley or Scott Young.). It was about the only thing I'd agree with Bulut on.

Look at Tom Davies he's shortly to be 21 but has been kept on for 3 seasons beyond scholarship due to his athleticism (and a wand of a left foot). It was interesting that he played a centre back for the U21s and Giles played at left back. I wonder if this is to improve his defensive awareness/reactions. He is a real talent but appears to be 'dopey' defensively.

We just need a manager to have the confidence to integrate them into the first team more quickly and positively. The non use of Ashford recently is a mystery. Easy with hindsight, but he could not have contributed less than El Gahzi and Willock did on Tuesday.

It is often noticeable how much bigger opposing u21 teams are, as Ipswich were the other day.
Maybe we need to take inspiration from the Barcelona side that used to include Messi, Iniesta and Xavi, all of them 5ft 7.

Size never held Barry Bannan back and shouldn't for any of our youngsters if they play in midfield or attack and are good enough. It's often the little guys who caused us the most problems

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

It is often noticeable how much bigger opposing u21 teams are, as Ipswich were the other day.
Maybe we need to take inspiration from the Barcelona side that used to include Messi, Iniesta and Xavi, all of them 5ft 7.

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Ipswich always seem to have had a big side, I can remember the same being said a few years ago.

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Originally Posted by PontBlue

Size never held Barry Bannan back and shouldn't for any of our youngsters if they play in midfield or attack and are good enough. It's often the little guys who caused us the most problems

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Shorter players in the modern game especially tend to have to develop other skills to succeed in the game. One of our faults over recent years is that we’ve got the balance between the physical, imposing players you need at this level and the more technical, skilful and creative ones wrong - if we need to include some smaller players to get the balance right, I’m fine with that.

Regarding Twose, maybe the ref on Tuesday was tiny, but I remember seeing Twose talking to him and thinking he can’t be as short as I thought he was because he looked an inch or so taller than him.

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Originally Posted by PontBlue

Size never held Barry Bannan back and shouldn't for any of our youngsters if they play in midfield or attack and are good enough. It's often the little guys who caused us the most problems

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That's hard to say about Bannan, who knows how his career would've panned out if he'd been a bit taller. As it was, he played his last Premier League game at 25 and his last international at 27. I agree it doesn't mean you can't make it if you're small but it makes it more challenging. I don't believe James Waite would be playing for Weston-Super-Mare now if he'd had a growth spurt somewhere along the way.

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

It is often noticeable how much bigger opposing u21 teams are, as Ipswich were the other day.
Maybe we need to take inspiration from the Barcelona side that used to include Messi, Iniesta and Xavi, all of them 5ft 7.

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I looked up Ipswich's centre half (number 4) from Tuesday. He was very tall, and very good from what I saw, and I was half expecting him to be an over-age player but he's a Lithuanian who's just turned 18. If he said he'd had one or two of our players in his pocket during the game I wouldn't know if he meant it literally or metaphorically.

I saw you mention Reindorf's chip somewhere else but I'm not sure if the highlights of that game have been put up yet. Here they are anyway.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/vide...9-448cbd09a9e5

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Originally Posted by Loramski

I looked up Ipswich's centre half (number 4) from Tuesday. He was very tall, and very good from what I saw, and I was half expecting him to be an over-age player but he's a Lithuanian who's just turned 18. If he said he'd had one or two of our players in his pocket during the game I wouldn't know if he meant it literally or metaphorically.

I saw you mention Reindorf's chip somewhere else but I'm not sure if the highlights of that game have been put up yet. Here they are anyway.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/vide...9-448cbd09a9e5

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He was huge - he towered over the ref!

Some live Saturday afternoon football to watch, it’s also being streamed on the usual You Tube channel.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...rlton-athletic

Kpakio, Giles, Ashford and Reindorf all in the starting eleven today, so I can’t see any of them featuring tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Some live Saturday afternoon football to watch, it’s also being streamed on the usual You Tube channel.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...rlton-athletic

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Cheers Bob, didn't know this one was on. Although I also only realised the first team weren't playing today a couple of hours ago.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Kpakio, Giles, Ashford and Reindorf all in the starting eleven today, so I can’t see any of them featuring tomorrow.

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This news is a bit disheartening, no, not a bit, a lot.

0-0 at half time, but an enjoyable match that could go either way - George and Reindorf have hit the crossbar for City.

Ashford has reacted well to being left out of the senior squad and is looking too good for this level.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Kpakio, Giles, Ashford and Reindorf all in the starting eleven today, so I can’t see any of them featuring tomorrow.

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FFS!!!!!

Crazy.

Great finish by Barton, 2 goals for the 17 year old in two games now.

Sub Mannie Barton scores with his first touch after coming on to break the deadlock with just over a quarter of an hour to go.

Lovely goal by Nyakhuwa makes it 2-0 against the league leaders.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Lovely goal by Nyakhuwa makes it 2-0 against the league leaders.

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Could have been 4 or 5 in the end with the amount of very good chances created

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Lovely goal by Nyakhuwa makes it 2-0 against the league leaders.

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Showed some decent touches.

Finished 2-0, good win for second placed City after a second half where they had to do a lot of work out of possession. Cody Twose very impressive again and all of those in the first team picture played a full ninety minutes.

Enjoyed that. Some really nice football.
Reindorf didn't do a lot until late assist.
Other players stood out.

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Originally Posted by Former Labour leader

Enjoyed that. Some really nice football.
Reindorf didn't do a lot until late assist.
Other players stood out.

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I have to take issue. I thought Reindorf was impressive, his energy and hold up play for a no 9 was excellent and his cross for the second goal was superb. He is light years in front of Kanga and Meite IMO.

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Originally Posted by pomeroy

I have to take issue. I thought Reindorf was impressive, his energy and hold up play for a no 9 was excellent and his cross for the second goal was superb. He is light years in front of Kanga and Meite IMO.

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How can a player who doesn’t play in the championship be described as light years ahead?

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Originally Posted by Citizen's Nephew

How can a player who doesn’t play in the championship be described as light years ahead?

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His work rate alone is superb, for pretty much the entire 90 minutes he makes himself available, closes down, etc.

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Originally Posted by pomeroy

I have to take issue. I thought Reindorf was impressive, his energy and hold up play for a no 9 was excellent and his cross for the second goal was superb. He is light years in front of Kanga and Meite IMO.

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I bow to your greater knowledge, but what I saw was a player who was on the periphery for much of the game. There were several other City players who were more involved.
Having said that there were 2 moments from him, the first when he hit the underside of the bar and the 2nd when he crossed for the 2nd goal.
I agree with you about Kanga. I could do a better job, than him.

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Originally Posted by Former Labour leader

I bow to your greater knowledge, but what I saw was a player who was on the periphery for much of the game. There were several other City players who were more involved.
Having said that there were 2 moments from him, the first when he hit the underside of the bar and the 2nd when he crossed for the 2nd goal.
I agree with you about Kanga. I could do a better job, than him.

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If you look at one of those charts showing the players who have touched the ball the least during a game, it’s more often than not a striker at the top of it. Even going back sixty years, someone like Jimmy Greaves was often described as on the periphery of a game until half a chance came along for him.

Off the top of my head, I can remember Reindorf hitting the bar, being denied by a great save from the keeper and having one or two other decent chances - he also provided an assist for the second goal. I know it’s a lower standard, but, by City striker standards, that’s way above average.

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Originally Posted by Former Labour leader

I bow to your greater knowledge, but what I saw Jo was a player who was on the periphery for much of the game. There were several other City players who were more involved.
Having said that there were 2 moments from him, the first when he hit the underside of the bar and the 2nd when he crossed for the 2nd goal.
I agree with you about Kanga. I could do a better job, than him.

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Regarding Kanga, it’s a low bar to be better than him.
Moving around and looking for space would make anyone look better than anything I’ve seen from him

Highlights of the Charlton game here.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/vide...9-448cbd09a9e5

Some of our lads are involved in international squads this week.

Colwills Major and Minor, Cian Ashford, Tom Davies and Eli King all in the u-21s.

Hayden Allmark, Oliver Reynolds and Noah Williams in the u-17s

Dakarai Mafico, Trey George, Luey Giles and Ronan Kpakio go for two friendlies in Italy with the u-19s. Also in that squad is our keeper Ewan Griffiths, who's been called in to replace Lewys Benjamin, who has moved up to the u-21s to replace the injured Ed Beech.

As anyone following the loan stuff this season will know, Griffiths is on loan at Plymouth Parkway. This Saturday is the biggest day in the club's history as they try and qualify for the FA Cup proper for the first time so I guess there will be mixed emotions for Ewan as he'll now, presumably, miss that game.

As an avid follower of the U21's I must say I am becoming more and more impressed with Dakarai Mafico - what a really neat and hard working player he is developing into. He may not get the headlines, but his influence on games is significant.

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Originally Posted by Loramski

Highlights of the Charlton game here.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/vide...9-448cbd09a9e5

Some of our lads are involved in international squads this week.

Colwills Major and Minor, Cian Ashford, Tom Davies and Eli King all in the u-21s.

Hayden Allmark, Oliver Reynolds and Noah Williams in the u-17s

Dakarai Mafico, Trey George, Luey Giles and Ronan Kpakio go for two friendlies in Italy with the u-19s. Also in that squad is our keeper Ewan Griffiths, who's been called in to replace Lewys Benjamin, who has moved up to the u-21s to replace the injured Ed Beech.

As anyone following the loan stuff this season will know, Griffiths is on loan at Plymouth Parkway. This Saturday is the biggest day in the club's history as they try and qualify for the FA Cup proper for the first time so I guess there will be mixed emotions for Ewan as he'll now, presumably, miss that game.

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I like your Molesworth description of the Colwills

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Originally Posted by Citizen's Nephew

How can a player who doesn’t play in the championship be described as light years ahead?

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Light years ahead of Kanga and Meite not the Championship. You haven’t studied relativity nor the theory of!

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Originally Posted by AfricanBluebird

As an avid follower of the U21's I must say I am becoming more and more impressed with Dakarai Mafico - what a really neat and hard working player he is developing into. He may not get the headlines, but his influence on games is significant.

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He's good yes, I enjoy watching him play. Him and Twose make an interesting central midfield pairing. I'm old school and always assume that if there's not an 'enforcer' of some kind in there then the midfield will get overrun but Twose and Mafico hold it together nicely when I've seen them there. I guess the key is that if you don't lose possession in the first place then you don't have to spend so much time and effort trying to get it back. Obviously that's a bit of an alien concept to me as a City fan but Twose and Mafico are educating me.

I'm not sure what will happen when Gbadehan comes back, maybe Twose will go to number 10 then but Trey George is in outstanding form there for now. As Twose is the one who's got on for the first team this season it's interesting that he seems to have been dropped from the Wales u-19 squad while Mafico and George are still in there but I don't know the story behind that.

Wales u19s just drew 3-3 in Italy. Kpakio, Giles and Mafico all started. Griffiths and George on the bench, don't know if they got on.
Cardiff old boy Biancheri got 1 of the goals.

Luey Giles is captain of the Wales under 19 side currently taking on Italy. Ewan Griffiths is in goal and there three City players on the bench - Wales 1-0 up at half time.

Wales 4-3 Italy full time

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Originally Posted by City123

Wales 4-3 Italy full time

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That’s an impressive result.

An article on Reindorf here which, I think, is just a City fan saying he rates him but it's hard to argue with.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/mi...-cardiff-city/

The u-21s have a game at Watford tomorrow evening. Their League Cup quarter-final with Cardiff Met is at Leckwith on Monday evening at 8.00 (as far as I know, I have seen Tuesday afternoon mentioned too but that seems unlikely).

A round-up of the City players who played international stuff in the break here, including the age group players.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...ctober-round-0

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Originally Posted by Loramski

An article on Reindorf here which, I think, is just a City fan saying he rates him but it's hard to argue with.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/mi...-cardiff-city/

The u-21s have a game at Watford tomorrow evening. Their League Cup quarter-final with Cardiff Met is at Leckwith on Monday evening at 8.00 (as far as I know, I have seen Tuesday afternoon mentioned too but that seems unlikely).

A round-up of the City players who played international stuff in the break here, including the age group players.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...ctober-round-0

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disappointing lack of Latin in those match reports.

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Originally Posted by Rjk

disappointing lack of Latin in those match reports.

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:hehe:

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Originally Posted by Rjk

disappointing lack of Latin in those match reports.

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It's a sign of the times I'm afraid, everyone's dumbing down these days.

Reindorf is playing for the under-21s tonight, Kpakio and Giles too, so it doesn't look like Riza willl be getting too funky with his squad selection on Saturday. To be expected I guess after a couple of decent results.