I'm chuffed for the lad. He has upped his game since he stepped up to the 23s and he's got to be knocking on the door now.
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I'm chuffed for the lad. He has upped his game since he stepped up to the 23s and he's got to be knocking on the door now.
7 - 1 final score & Waite scored 4
It does appear that Warnock's decision to revamp the U23's & bring in Bellers is really paying off as most of these youngsters would probably have had little/no chance of playing much at this level this season. As a consequence we should see some in first team action very soon which can only be a good thing for their development. As you say James Waite must be knocking on the door.
When I've watched him (and I've watched him quite a few times for the u18s) you can see he has all the ability in the world but i always thought he lacked confidence to impose himself enough in games. This seems to have changed as he seems to have adapted seamlessly into 23s football and if anything he seems to have grown by playing with better players.
If there are headlines made by this game, they'll go to Waite for his goals, but Marco Weymans was brilliant - it was a young Watford team, but they were bigger, and I daresay a little older, than us.
WOW
Yes, I was thinking Weymans can't be far off a first team chance now, really impressive. Do we take it that Meite is with the first team squad? He was on the pitch at half time during the Fulham game, kicking around with the subs as though he was part of the set-up. Good on Warnock if he is. Not that we missed an out and out striker tonight, Waite must be the most unlikely centre forward I've ever seen but he sure can finish. Stunning performance all round tonight, good luck trying to put it into words for your write-up.
I thought that must have been Meite at the Fulham game, so it seems likely that he is with the first team squad at Blackburn - here's my attempt to describe last night's match;-
http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/
I like the way this thread works but sometimes a game deserves a thread of it's own, last night's was certainly one of those. The first goal didn't come till the 37th minute but Watford were still lucky to only concede seven. Jamie Bird seemed to be struggling for confidence, he could easily have had a hat-trick in the second half if he'd been as calm as Waite in front of goal. A fantastic display of football, so good to watch.
The other subs last night were Sam Bowen (I saw Jason there, I hope he didn't see it as a wasted trip), Ollie Byrne and Jack Bodenham. I think the stewards are under orders not to give you a team sheet after your continual misbehaviour up at the Vale last season.
:hehe:
I would like to think that Sam's dad would have liked watching a City team playing Jason Bowen type football even if his son didn't get on the pitch.
I was very impressed by Bodenham when he came on as a sub in the last home game against Burnley.
Early in the season, Jamie Bird was the stand out young player in the Under 23 team and I wouldn't have thought you would have got any of the regulars at these games taking a bet which said that City would score seven and Bird wouldn't get one of them. I didn't think he played badly last night and like to think others have caught him up as opposed to him going backwards, but the loan to Weston doesn't seem to have worked out for him - I suppose there is always a chance of this happening (I remember Semi Ajayi and Ben Wilson having loan spells at AFC Wimbledon which didn't end well) and when you see the sort of signs of progress in younger players that recent home Development team games have shown, then the adage about them needing to be away somewhere playing first team football doesn't seem quite as relevant,
I agree with you about Watford being lucky that it was only 7-1 - 10-1 honestly wouldn't have flattered City.
I also agree with you about the game deserving it's own thread - it should be getting more attention than it is on here, maybe starting a separate thread will get more people reading about the game.
Thanks for the report. Whilst it would be naive to think that all the players on show last night will develop into First Teamers it is certainly encouraging to see the progress that is being made. We are certainly on the lookout for a creative midfielder and hopefully Weymans will be given an opportunity before the season ends. I have this vision of him finding a pass to release the likes of Zohore and and Harris to use their speed. If I dream a bit more then Saadi may also come into the picture next year.
As you say what a transformation from earlier in the season.
Although they are usually so impressive when they play at home, City's new look Under 23s still can't get it right on the road - they were beaten 3-1 at Bolton last night.
Another defeat for the Under 18s on Saturday, but as they only lost 2-0 to a Coventry team which beat them 7-0 at Leckwith about six weeks ago and were recording their tenth successive victory, it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it might have been beforehand.
Definitely, but maybe I'm biased! That said, I truly believe that Matondo will have to be a truly outstanding talent if he is to make a first team career for himself at Man City and, although he stood out because of his pace and, to a lesser extent, skill at Cardiff, I didn't see the all round game to believe that he would be that good. For example, Aaron Ramsey played most of his Under eighteen team football for Cardiff before he was seventeen and impressed me far more than Matondo did - I think he'll make a good career for himself somewhere if he can add physical strength and more game awareness while keeping his pace mind.
Cambrian & Clydach are through to the final of the FAW youth Cup after a thumping 7-1 win over Llandudno in the semi finals on Sunday. They'll face Swansea in the final, an almost impossible task for a club from the Rhondda valley you'd think, against a team that have won the cup for the last 7 yrs.
But you never know - it also looks likely they'll win the Welsh Prem development league this weekend and have only suffered one defeat all season.
Swansea could be a game too far but the underdog has been doing pretty well lately.......
Did I see something a couple of days ago about the Final being at Cardiff City Stadium?
Congratulations to Cambrian and Clydach for what sounds like an unbelievable season - did they win the league after?
What an embarrassing stat for City that one about the jacks going for their eighth consecutive Welsh Youth Cup win is.