The Bluebirds Academy and DVP thread...

[jamieccfc]

28 I believe.

Fair play that seems like a great amount, do you think he could make the step up Paul? Maybe a short loan to a league 1/2 side

[Loramski]

Fair play that seems like a great amount, do you think he could make the step up Paul? Maybe a short loan to a league 1/2 side

Good shout. Griffiths doesn't strike me as a Warnock type centre forward but he's very combative and I wouldn't think he'd be fazed by a first team spell in the lower leagues, even at his age. There's a bit more to him than just being a fox-in-the box but he's obviously going to be more effective in a team that creates chances, probably best he stays away from our first team for a bit.

As for his future here, a lot will depend on the direction the club moves in at the end of the season. That goes for other youngsters too, of course. I think there's a fair bit of talent here but there have been so many injury problems at youth level, coupled with the stark contrast between the youngsters' style of play and the first team's, that it's hard to actually pick one out and say he could play first team football for us next season as it stands. However, if the club does want to change things and the lads have a good pre-season then there could be a much more positive outlook for the youngsters here.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

My only point of reference was the club's own twitter feed but it seemed like we did well to get back into the game at 0-2, but conceding right after we got one back did for us and the 2 late red cards didn't help. Still, seems like a valiant effort all through the season and one where they had to overcome their head coach having to disappear for a while so Robert Mueller, I presume, could look into his conduct. Maybe those who took over are Bellamy's equal (or superior) but I wonder if he'd have made a difference.

[the other bob wilson]

My only point of reference was the club's own twitter feed but it seemed like we did well to get back into the game at 0-2, but conceding right after we got one back did for us and the 2 late red cards didn't help. Still, seems like a valiant effort all through the season and one where they had to overcome their head coach having to disappear for a while so Robert Mueller, I presume, could look into his conduct. Maybe those who took over are Bellamy's equal (or superior) but I wonder if he'd have made a difference.

Based on what I saw when Sheffield Wednesday played us down here in March, I'm not surprised by the result last night - in fact, full credit to our lads for running them so close despite being down to nine at the end.

On that subject, until recently you could easily count on the fingers of one hand the number of red cards you would see if you watched a season of Academy football - in fact, it was probably more likely that you wouldn't see any at all, but now they are commonplace (I think I'm right in saying that it's the second time Dan Griffiths has been sent off this season). Nothing I have seen leads me to think that the game at this level is dirtier than when we had the likes of Ledley, Jerome, Blake, Gunter, Matthews, etc. in our side, so I can only assume that referees are stricter than they were. It wouldn't be fair for me to be critical of last night's ref when I've not seen anything of the match, but, looking at the Twitter reporting of it, there seems to have been an awful lot of bookings in the game so I hope the ref wasn't one of those who thinks everyone has turned up to watch him (e.g. Clive Thomas back in the seventies).

With Bellamy, if you just look at results when he was there and when he was on his "sabbatical", I'm pretty sure you'd find that they were a fair bit better earlier in the season when Bellamy was there.

Any review of our season at Under 18 level would have to include some reference to the amount of pretty long term injuries we had to important players, but I believe their impact was much the same in the time Bellamy was there and the period when he wasn't because there were members of the squad missing for weeks or months virtually from August to May.

In last month or two, I've formed the opinion that there is a good chance that there will not be a Mueller Report style announcement of the findings of the club enquiry into the Bellamy allegations - I feel that, especially if the verdict is unfavourable towards Bellamy and the club, that it will be more like what we saw at Newcastle with Peter Beardsley.

[Loramski]

Based on what I saw when Sheffield Wednesday played us down here in March, I'm not surprised by the result last night - in fact, full credit to our lads for running them so close despite being down to nine at the end.

On that subject, until recently you could easily count on the fingers of one hand the number of red cards you would see if you watched a season of Academy football - in fact, it was probably more likely that you wouldn't see any at all, but now they are commonplace (I think I'm right in saying that it's the second time Dan Griffiths has been sent off this season). Nothing I have seen leads me to think that the game at this level is dirtier than when we had the likes of Ledley, Jerome, Blake, Gunter, Matthews, etc. in our side, so I can only assume that referees are stricter than they were. It wouldn't be fair for me to be critical of last night's ref when I've not seen anything of the match, but, looking at the Twitter reporting of it, there seems to have been an awful lot of bookings in the game so I hope the ref wasn't one of those who thinks everyone has turned up to watch him (e.g. Clive Thomas back in the seventies).
...

I've been surprised how competitive the Academy games have been this season, there's been a real edge to them. Has that always been the case or do you think that's been a part of Bellamy's philosophy? I know you said its not dirtier than in the past but I wouldn't necessarily say the games have been dirty, just really hard fought. Maybe the refs are cracking down more at youth level, there have been a few reds in DVP games too, but I've been more than happy to see a number of full-blooded matches this season and I'd say that the bookings have come out of a hunger to win rather than over-zealous officials.

Interested to see Griffiths getting a red last night. When I replied to Jamie's post about him at the top of the page, I was going to mention that one problem with him going on loan to a lower league club might be that experienced defenders will pick up on his super-competitive attitude and try to wind him up into getting cards. I didn't because he seemed to have got that under control lately, I may have to rethink that after last night although I've no idea what happened. Good player though, if he can channel his aggression in the right way he's got every chance of making it.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyk0h8UPgZQ

All the U23 goals from the season. Nice to see we didn't concede any.

[City123]

All U18 goals

[the other bob wilson]

A late season tournament win for City's Under 15s in Poland - well done to all involved.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...m-cup-winners/

[Loramski]

James Waite's second goal against Kortrijk here (sorry if it's already been posted). Talented lad.

https://twitter.com/CardiffCityFC/st...90047764295682

[the other bob wilson]

James Waite's second goal against Kortrijk here (sorry if it's already been posted). Talented lad.

https://twitter.com/CardiffCityFC/st...90047764295682

What a fabulous goal - he really should have played at a higher level than Hereford by now,

Highlights of the game are now on the club website for subscribers.

Also there are highlights of the Under 18s' win at Southampton which it seems finished 4-0 and not 5-0 as earlier reported. These show a Southampton player getting sent off by a female referee for a fearful hack at one of our players and the end of what the voiceover says was a fifty one pass move by City - Neil Warnock would've been pulling his hair out if he had been watching!

[Loramski]

Mark Harris scored for Wrexham tonight in a 2-2 draw.

Our u-23s won 4-1 at Penybont, goals for Waite, Moore, Mayembe and Williams.

[the other bob wilson]

I see Terry Phillips is sure that match with Southampton did finish 5-0, not 4-0, and names the scorers of each of the goals .

http://www.dai-sport.com/46982-2/

Still no fixture lists for the Development and Under 18 sides on the club website - the Academy league season usually starts on the same weekend as the Premier League.

[thehumblegringo]

I see Terry Phillips is sure that match with Southampton did finish 5-0, not 4-0, and names the scorers of each of the goals .

http://www.dai-sport.com/46982-2/

Still no fixture lists for the Development and Under 18 sides on the club website - the Academy league season usually starts on the same weekend as the Premier League.

I think the 18s are away at Hull on Saturday then they are home versus Crewe on the 17th.

[CCFC99]

A friend of mine played for Haverfordwest against the U23s the other day and said Waite was on another level to everyone else on the pitch. He scored twice and they couldn't get near him until he was moved upfront and got drowned out by the centre backs.

[the other bob wilson]

I think the 18s are away at Hull on Saturday then they are home versus Crewe on the 17th.

Thanks Gringo, Saturday does not sound like it's going to be a day for watching football out in the open, so I'm pleased to see that.

[Loramski]

A friend of mine played for Haverfordwest against the U23s the other day and said Waite was on another level to everyone else on the pitch. He scored twice and they couldn't get near him until he was moved upfront and got drowned out by the centre backs.

He's a terrific talent but vertically challenged and needs to be playing in a possession based set-up, two factors which might hamper his progress here in the short term. In case you missed his recent goal against Kortrijk that I posted on Monday, here it is again

https://twitter.com/CardiffCityFC/st...90047764295682

[the other bob wilson]

City's under 18s begin the defence of the title they won last season with a few new names in the team at Hull today - it's 0-0 at half time.

[the other bob wilson]

City's under 18s begin the defence of the title they won last season with a few new names in the team at Hull today - it's 0-0 at half time.

Finished 0-0.

The Under 23s are at home to Sheffield United today at Leckwith, kick off 1 o clock.

[the other bob wilson]

My take on this afternoon's 3-1 defeat for the Under 23s against Sheffield United.

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

[Loramski]

My take on this afternoon's 3-1 defeat for the Under 23s against Sheffield United.

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

Thanks for that. I'm baffled though, if Warnock is going in 9 months time then why are we teaching our youngsters to play anti-football now? We haven't got the right kind of players to be doing it at that level anyway. If we've turned Coxe into Peltier, Waite into Paterson or Bodenham into Flint before the end of the season then I'll eat my words but I'm pretty confident it won't happen.

One other slight worry is that having had so many injury problems at that level last season there are already a few absentees this. Bolger, Griffiths, Humphries & Martin all missing lately, although Martin may be serving a club ban for persistent overlapping in pre-season.

[the other bob wilson]

Thanks for that. I'm baffled though, if Warnock is going in 9 months time then why are we teaching our youngsters to play anti-football now? We haven't got the right kind of players to be doing it at that level anyway. If we've turned Coxe into Peltier, Waite into Paterson or Bodenham into Flint before the end of the season then I'll eat my words but I'm pretty confident it won't happen.

One other slight worry is that having had so many injury problems at that level last season there are already a few absentees this. Bolger, Griffiths, Humphries & Martin all missing lately, although Martin may be serving a club ban for persistent overlapping in pre-season.

As I mentioned, the way we played suited Moore who did well in what I'm pretty sure was my first look at him, but Waite was anonymous, Spence missed a couple of decent chances and was not seen much otherwise, Coxe didn't get forward as much as usual and although Patten did some good defensive work in preventing a four on two for Sheffield from producing a goal, he was pretty subdued overall - we certainly weren't playing to their strengths.

[Loramski]

As I mentioned, the way we played suited Moore who did well in what I'm pretty sure was my first look at him, but Waite was anonymous, Spence missed a couple of decent chances and was not seen much otherwise, Coxe didn't get forward as much as usual and although Patten did some good defensive work in preventing a four on two for Sheffield from producing a goal, he was pretty subdued overall - we certainly weren't playing to their strengths.

What's confusing me is that we seemed to be doing away with all that by the end of last season. I saw a couple of games where we shifted to a back 3/5 with the full backs bombing on to give width, it seems a logical system as that's similar to how the Academy play and with the personnel available (Mayembe excluded maybe) there's not much point in trying to replicate the first team's set up. Here was my upbeat summary of the last game against Bolton.

http://www.ccmb.co.uk/showthread.php...=1#post4966208

Maybe there was an expectation that Warnock wouldn't be around this season but even in the knowledge that he is the under-23s seemed to be playing some good football pre-season. It was all Tomlin initially, then all Waite. I guess some of the opposition wasn't that great but, even so, I would've thought it hard for those two to be running games if the ball was continually being kicked down the channels. Hard to understand what's going on.

[City123]

I see Mark Harris scored again for Wrexham, his third in three games!

[the other bob wilson]

What's confusing me is that we seemed to be doing away with all that by the end of last season. I saw a couple of games where we shifted to a back 3/5 with the full backs bombing on to give width, it seems a logical system as that's similar to how the Academy play and with the personnel available (Mayembe excluded maybe) there's not much point in trying to replicate the first team's set up. Here was my upbeat summary of the last game against Bolton.

http://www.ccmb.co.uk/showthread.php...=1#post4966208

Maybe there was an expectation that Warnock wouldn't be around this season but even in the knowledge that he is the under-23s seemed to be playing some good football pre-season. It was all Tomlin initially, then all Waite. I guess some of the opposition wasn't that great but, even so, I would've thought it hard for those two to be running games if the ball was continually being kicked down the channels. Hard to understand what's going on.

Leggy seems to be more high profile this season (in fact, I'm not sure if Jarred Harvey is still there) and so I wonder if the two things are related? To be fair, I wouldn't say City were playing a lot of high balls to a target man on Monday, it was more long balls knocked into the channels and their goal did come from one of those long throws. However,having have had a moan about the small number of footballers in the first team on transfer deadline day, the Under 23s approach didn't seem suited to the footballers in their side (and there were four or five of them).

I suppose that having maintained that it is easier to get technical footballers to play the sort of attritional, percentage game favoured by our manager than it is to get players who have been developed to play the Warnock way to switch to a technical, possession based approach, I suppose the next few months will see me proved right or wrong in that opinion.

[the other bob wilson]

Anyone thinking of going to today's Academy game with Crewe at Leckwith should note that it kicks off at the later than normal time of 1 o clock.