City 2-1 leeds (DVP)

[Barry Shitpeas]

Manayese and Healy the scorers for City. Att 6010 (6000 from leeds)

[CCFC CASUAL]

Manayese and Healy the scorers for City. Att 6010 (6000 from leeds)

[Whisperer]

Get Healy in the Squad.....Far better prospect than La Fondra

[Blue in the Face]

Cardiff City's Development Squad overcame a defiant Leeds United side to maintain their 100% start to the Professional Development League season.

The young Bluebirds began the match strongly, and took an early lead through defender Rollin Menayese's headed effort after nine minutes.

City goalkeeper Luke O'Reilly was forced into an impressive save after 24 minutes, adjusting his body in midair to push away a deflected effort.

Leeds were given the chance to level the match just after the break from the penalty spot. Frank Mulhern stepping up to slot in the equaliser.

An end-to-end final thirty minutes saw both teams go for victory, but it was Kevin Nicholson's home side that managed to secure all three points when forward Rhys Healey clinically latched onto a long ball before placing the ball past Leeds 'keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Highlights from all Cardiff City Development Squad and U18 matches are available on Cardiff City Player HD.

FINAL SCORE: CARDIFF CITY 2-1 LEEDS UNITED (Menayese 9', Healey 81'; Mulhern 55')

Cardiff City: O'Reilly, James, Tutonda, Patten, Menayese, Blaise, Green (Phipps, 56), Wharton, Healey, O'Sullivan (Bird, 76), Weymans (Humphries, 71). Subs Not Used: Coughlan, Southam.

Leeds United: Peacock-Farrell, Taylor, Pearce, Oduor, McKay, Kitching, Whitehouse (Wollerton, 49), Shackleton, Wilks, Stokes (Nicell, 49), Mulhern (Knight, 85). Subs Not Used: Richardson, Downing.

http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/...-3264936.aspx?

Bolton perspective...

http://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/article/2...-3264753.aspx?

[Blue in the Face]

Who's Green in our team? New youth signing?

[Blue in the Face]

Messed up with the link above.

U18s drew 1-1 away to Bolton

http://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/article/2...-3264753.aspx?

[RichardM]

Why is it called DVP when it is the Professional Development League ?

[the other bob wilson]

Who's Green in our team? New youth signing?

There's some info on Devarn Green in my blog piece on today's match - I think he was probably on trial.

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

[Blue in the Face]

There's some info on Devarn Green in my blog piece on today's match - I think he was probably on trial.

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

You really are a bit brilliant. I think Bob Wilson should change his name to "the other other Bob Wilson"

[Loramski]

There's some info on Devarn Green in my blog piece on today's match - I think he was probably on trial.

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

Excellent write-up, thanks for that. Interesting that the youngsters seemed to respond to a switch to 4-4-2. Maybe they should stick with that and then, for the sake of continuity, we could bring in a first team manager who plays that system every week? Just an idea.

[B. Oddie]

Great.

Personally I think we should all take a serious interest in the development squad, particularly when we're not bringing in any external players. Isn't Rhys Healey our darlin' youth prospect?

[jon1959]

Leeds seem to think they were unlucky ('harsh').

http://www.leedsunited.com/news/arti...ff-2-1-united?

We know from painful experience how balanced and rational the Leeds viewpoint is - so I can only assume they were robbed (again)!

So sad. And did you all know they're a really big club.

[chris]

Leeds seem to think they were unlucky ('harsh').

http://www.leedsunited.com/news/arti...ff-2-1-united?

We know from painful experience how balanced and rational the Leeds viewpoint is - so I can only assume they were robbed (again)!

So sad. And did you all know they're a really big club.

most football fans realise leeds are a big club , its only dimwits like you that delude themselves thinking because leeds have been in the lower tiers of english football for years that they are doomed.

its only a matter of time before somebody grabs the bull by the horns and puts leeds back in the top flight again, and not do a cardiff just trying to survive.

the potential is massive

[City123]

most football fans realise leeds are a big club , its only dimwits like you that delude themselves thinking because leeds have been in the lower tiers of english football for years that they are doomed.

its only a matter of time before somebody grabs the bull by the horns and puts leeds back in the top flight again, and not do a cardiff just trying to survive.

the potential is massive

Irony

[Croesy Blue]

most football fans realise leeds are a big club , its only dimwits like you that delude themselves thinking because leeds have been in the lower tiers of english football for years that they are doomed.

its only a matter of time before somebody grabs the bull by the horns and puts leeds back in the top flight again, and not do a cardiff just trying to survive.

the potential is massive

No one gives a shit how big a club are because we aren't 10 year old children, give it a rest for a day ffs.

[Loramski]

There's some info on Devarn Green in my blog piece on today's match - I think he was probably on trial.

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

Did you see Trollope there? I'd like to think he's going to take more of an interest than Slade, he can hardly take less I suppose.

[the other bob wilson]

Did you see Trollope there? I'd like to think he's going to take more of an interest than Slade, he can hardly take less I suppose.

No I didn't, but with the drizzle that was coming down for most of the game he could have decided to watched the match from one of the buildings which overlook the pitch - I saw Russell Slade watching games from there occasionally last season.

[CCFC CASUAL]

Why is it called DVP when it is the Professional Development League ?

[Blue in the Face]

No I didn't, but with the drizzle that was coming down for most of the game he could have decided to watched the match from one of the buildings which overlook the pitch - I saw Russell Slade watching games from there occasionally last season.

That's a good question from Loramski. It would do our club a huge amount of good if the head coach shows an avid interest for the DVP and Academy.

Sounds like it's likely to be a no go for Devarn Green judging from your write up.

I presume Tom James was at right back last night. Do you think would make a good understudy for Jazz in the seniors? I'm thinking perhaps he hasn't got the pace and attacking skills to suit that role? But better in a flat back four. I hope both Tom James and Tutonda can find first team football with us or someone else soon. We have other good full backs in our academy who should be playing at DVP level now. Tudonda I would've thought is the next likely candidate to follow Harris and Declan in breaking through to our senior side. I really thought he should've played against Brizzle Rovers.

Also a mention to Rollin Meneyase. He is the player I've wanted to get the chance to check progress on over the past few years. He didn't make it into the Wales u19 sguad just recently announce, yet has become a regular now for the DVP. There's clearly a lot of defensive talent in that Wales u19 side though.

Very happy to see Bird breaking into the DVP side already. I hope we don't sign players like Green for the sake of adding bodies. If there are deficiencies in numbers in the DVP side, that can be a good thing in giving opportunities to players in academy.

[the other bob wilson]

That's a good question from Loramski. It would do our club a huge amount of good if the head coach shows an avid interest for the DVP and Academy.

Sounds like it's likely to be a no go for Devarn Green judging from your write up.

I presume Tom James was at right back last night. Do you think would make a good understudy for Jazz in the seniors? I'm thinking perhaps he hasn't got the pace and attacking skills to suit that role? But better in a flat back four. I hope both Tom James and Tutonda can find first team football with us or someone else soon. We have other good full backs in our academy who should be playing at DVP level now. Tudonda I would've thought is the next likely candidate to follow Harris and Declan in breaking through to our senior side. I really thought he should've played against Brizzle Rovers.

Also a mention to Rollin Meneyase. He is the player I've wanted to get the chance to check progress on over the past few years. He didn't make it into the Wales u19 sguad just recently announce, yet has become a regular now for the DVP. There's clearly a lot of defensive talent in that Wales u19 side though.

Very happy to see Bird breaking into the DVP side already. I hope we don't sign players like Green for the sake of adding bodies. If there are deficiencies in numbers in the DVP side, that can be a good thing in giving opportunities to players in academy.

Right wing back/full back probably offers Tom James his best chance of a way into the first team currently and I thought he played pretty well at right back yesterday, but, realistically, I see him as one of a group of players we have around the 20 to 23 age group who will probably have to move on to get regular first team football - if we are going to carry on playing with wing backs, then I think that gives current Academy team captain Cameron Coxe a chance because he's a natural for that position.

I think you are right about Tutonda (who didn't have his best game yesterday) being the most likely of our young full backs/wing backs to break into the first team this season, but it's interesting that Trollope played him at centreback in a couple of our pre season games - playing him there would mean that he wouldn't be able to use his ability to run with the ball, but having someone with his pace in a three centreback system would be a real bonus, but, for now, I would have thought any first team call up (and I don't see it happening this season really) would be as a left wing back.

Regarding Rollin Menayese, to be honest I was a bit underwhelmed by his performances for the Under 18s for much of the previous two seasons, but he is someone who has responded very well to a promotion into the Development team and I'd almost go as far as to say he's playing better for them than he did for the Under 18s. It was reported at the back end of last season that City had only given him a six month pro contract which surprised me given that he was playing well then after breaking into the Under 21s. I think he's done enough to earn a longer deal, but he's unfortunate in that he's playing in the position where we are strongest - especially as Peltier seems to doing well in the centreback role so far.

Currently there are four senior centrebacks in front of Menayese and then you have Ajayi after his good pre season, Tutonda, James and Jordan Blaise has improved quite a bit from when I first saw him play for us, so I think we are some way off yet before he could come into serious consideration for a first team place.

I can remember watching Joe Ledley play in the year before he broke into the first team and then I saw him play a game or two in the newly formed Academy side in 2004/05 - six months earlier he had looked like a kid who looked nowhere near a first team contender in terms of physique, but he shot up in those few short months and, all of a sudden, he had the body of man ready for first team football. I found myself thinking something like that watching Jamie Bird and Robbie Patten yesterday - maybe I imagined it, but they both seem quite a bit bigger.

[Blue in the Face]

Coxe definitely looks a contender to be a RWB. But his pathway to the DVP might be blocked yet by Dylan Rees (who also used to make Welsh squads).

I think we need to make final choices now on a few DVP players. I suppose loaning is the best outcome as it gives the club a cost free way of speculating on them blooming into good players. At the same time we don't want to spite the careers of players we know aren't going to make it. The best option for players we know won't make the grade is allow them to move on free transfers but with sell on clauses. I'm sure Newport and Wrexham would be interested in some of the older players.

Good to hear all the details on this crop TOBW. I'm hoping that Patten and Bird can push on. Another show of the strength Wales have at youth level (below the u21s) is that I don't remember Bird ever getting a call up.

[Phill Stants brother]

No one gives a shit how big a club are because we aren't 10 year old children, give it a rest for a day ffs.

Chris has a mental age of 10 though.