Everton Youth Teams Thread

Spot on mate, totally agree. Having proof that there is a clear pathway to the 1st team if the player is good enough is massive.

I think Unsworth has been superb and I don't think it's any coincidence that having Royle in the background helping him would be a massive factor.
Could you get any better 'education' from unsworth (one of the best youth coaches around) and Royle (vastly experienced in all areas of the game and someone who can relate to what these lads can aspire to having made his debut at 16). It's so nice today that the emphasis in the press and the media, has been the excellent job Everton does at developing and promoting youngsters. I really hope yesterday has taught koeman, there is a 'well of talent' at the club in the academy if he wants to promote from within. Also the fans will get behind the local lads from the academy more.
 
I was thinking that after yesterday's match, great headlines for us, RK and the future - two teenagers given their chance and scoring PL goals, wonderfully attractive to a talented teenager wondering which club to join.

I've got to say as well mate, I was very concerned about 5/7 weeks ago when we were in a bad run of form and Koeman just kept playing the same players over and over again.

I don't know what happened, I'm hopeful he woke up and realised he's at a massive club and can't just coast to January without switching things up.

Was it good management to wait as long as he did, or lucky management and and throw of the dice because the usual players were under performing. Certainly bringing Calvert Lewin on against Arsenal with 17 minutes to go and at 1-1 I personally felt "yeah, regardless if it works I like that he's done that and it will be a massive boost to the kid". A couple of weeks later the kid is an inch a away from scoring the winner against Hull, then gets his start. Holgate has come in and done the same, Davies has been a breath of fresh air.

Maybe Koeman now realises he has a fair bit of talent right under his nose after all
 
Could you get any better 'education' from unsworth (one of the best youth coaches around) and Royle (vastly experienced in all areas of the game and someone who can relate to what these lads can aspire to having made his debut at 16). It's so nice today that the emphasis in the press and the media, has been the excellent job Everton does at developing and promoting youngsters. I really hope yesterday has taught koeman, there is a 'well of talent' at the club in the academy if he wants to promote from within. Also the fans will get behind the local lads from the academy more.

Just posted the same mate a about Koeman ;)
 
My hope is these young players will always get a chance before we decide to buy. No question we should have best first 11 possible and few backups as well, but 4th choice centre half or 5th choice CM... These players always have to see a way to our first team squad. It is absolutely unbelievable a player like Darron Gibson, Arouna Kone or Bryan Oviedo are getting training and game-time instead of these young players.
 
I've got to say as well mate, I was very concerned about 5/7 weeks ago when we were in a bad run of form and Koeman just kept playing the same players over and over again.

I don't know what happened, I'm hopeful he woke up and realised he's at a massive club and can't just coast to January without switching things up.

Was it good management to wait as long as he did, or lucky management and and throw of the dice because the usual players were under performing. Certainly bringing Calvert Lewin on against Arsenal with 17 minutes to go and at 1-1 I personally felt "yeah, regardless if it works I like that he's done that and it will be a massive boost to the kid". A couple of weeks later the kid is an inch a away from scoring the winner against Hull, then gets his start. Holgate has come in and done the same, Davies has been a breath of fresh air.

Maybe Koeman now realises he has a fair bit of talent right under his nose after all
Couldn't agree more. One of the major frustrations for the fans this season is the likes of cleveley getting game and bench time over the likes of Davies and Walsh. As you say something has 'happened' recently as there definitely seems a change in emphasis in his team selection.
 

Couldn't agree more. One of the major frustrations for the fans this season is the likes of cleveley getting game and bench time over the likes of Davies and Walsh. As you say something has 'happened' recently as there definitely seems a change in emphasis in his team selection.
It's entirely possible that we end up with little chance of catching the top 6 but have a healthy enough gap on 8th to give Walsh a debut & get kenny, dowell game time.
 
We are all talking about the performances of Davies, Holgate, Lookman and in my opinion, it is this very reason why I started my own thread on fearing for the youth.

We have seen the stats; within the PL we have the leading number of teenage appearances, leading number of british teenagers, leading number of teenage scorers...something to be very proud of.

The gateway and path to the first team has ALWAYS been one of our fundamental principles of this football club. It should always be a priority and a mainstay of any regime.

Our club is changing; we have ambition, cash and a desire to get up the ladder quick. With this does bring short termism. I stand by my comments when I opened this thread. It will be extremely easy for the club to go for proven, expensive individuals and fill the squad with average players. The fans are desperate to get higher and will use the money as an excuse as to why we should go out and buy Depay etc.

Our academy has recently appointed a new figurehead; our football operations has too. Times are changing within the club in terms of the focus on the youth.

But I know, we all know, as a club, we are the BEST at providing young players with a gateway to the first team and an opportunity to make a career out of football, ideally with us. We wont produce a Rooney every year but we produce talented, well grounded, polite young men who pretty much know if they work hard, have talent they will get the opportunity.

Bringing through the youth and providing them with a route into the first team is as important in my eyes as going and getting the proven, top class players. Whilst its great to sign Schneiderlin and I am delighted with the purchase, deep down we know that giving Davies the platform to show his talent as he has been able to recently, is as equally important.

Who will all the kids at school today be wanting to be like in the playground? The local lad who has come from the same streets as them and shown them that hard work, talent and desire will give you an opportunity at the club which is at the forefront of the community.
 
I've got to say as well mate, I was very concerned about 5/7 weeks ago when we were in a bad run of form and Koeman just kept playing the same players over and over again.

I don't know what happened, I'm hopeful he woke up and realised he's at a massive club and can't just coast to January without switching things up.

Was it good management to wait as long as he did, or lucky management and and throw of the dice because the usual players were under performing. Certainly bringing Calvert Lewin on against Arsenal with 17 minutes to go and at 1-1 I personally felt "yeah, regardless if it works I like that he's done that and it will be a massive boost to the kid". A couple of weeks later the kid is an inch a away from scoring the winner against Hull, then gets his start. Holgate has come in and done the same, Davies has been a breath of fresh air.

Maybe Koeman now realises he has a fair bit of talent right under his nose after all

I just wonder if it was a case of Koeman working through the squad. Earlier in the season he had Gana, Barry and Barks in the middle it was his preferred midfield based on preseason. Then when we had a few injuries he tried McCarthy who got injured again and Cleverley who was pretty crap. I think since then he has realised that Barry cannot play all the time and of course Gana has gone to AFCON. He has since decided that Cleverley is not playing again (so loaned out) and McCarthy is injured so it was time to try Davies. The success of Davies could open the door for others in the U23s to get a chance if required.
 
We are all talking about the performances of Davies, Holgate, Lookman and in my opinion, it is this very reason why I started this thread.

We have seen the stats; within the PL we have the leading number of teenage appearances, leading number of british teenagers, leading number of teenage scorers...something to be very proud of.

The gateway and path to the first team has ALWAYS been one of our fundamental principles of this football club. It should always be a priority and a mainstay of any regime.

Our club is changing; we have ambition, cash and a desire to get up the ladder quick. With this does bring short termism. I stand by my comments when I opened this thread. It will be extremely easy for the club to go for proven, expensive individuals and fill the squad with average players. The fans are desperate to get higher and will use the money as an excuse as to why we should go out and buy Depay etc.

Our academy has recently appointed a new figurehead; our football operations has too.

But I know, we all know, as a club, we are the BEST at providing young players with a gateway to the first team and an opportunity to make a career out of football, ideally with us. We wont produce a Rooney every year but we produce talented, well grounded, polite young men who pretty much know if they work hard, have talent they will get the opportunity.

Bringing through the youth and providing them with a route into the first team is as important in my eyes as going and getting the proven, top class players. Whilst its great to sign Schneiderlin and I am delighted with the purchase, deep down we know that giving Davies the platform to show his talent as he has been able to recently, is as equally important.

Who will all the kids at school today be wanting to be like in the playground? The local lad who has come from the same streets as them and shown them that hard work, talent and desire will give you an opportunity at the club which is at the forefront of the community.

I mentioned before mate I thought your thread was spot on and was a big concern for me and I should imagine a lot of others. It's great to see a few of the lads getting some game time and making a difference because if you would have asked me 3 month ago I would have said I don't think he would be giving anyone from the u23's a proper chance.

Make no mistake, every kid on the playground this morning wanted to be Tom Davies. I took my 8 year old to school this morning and we were chatting about the goal, Tom's age, anything is possible when you put your mind to it and give it your maximum.
 

I just wonder if it was a case of Koeman working through the squad. Earlier in the season he had Gana, Barry and Barks in the middle it was his preferred midfield based on preseason. Then when we had a few injuries he tried McCarthy who got injured again and Cleverley who was pretty crap. I think since then he has realised that Barry cannot play all the time and of course Gana has gone to AFCON. He has since decided that Cleverley is not playing again (so loaned out) and McCarthy is injured so it was time to try Davies. The success of Davies could open the door for others in the U23s to get a chance if required.

Of course mate, Koeman could have been assessing all the players. I just felt that between game 6 to 12/13 he didn't do enough to get positive results and was almost like "I'm not arsed because I will just buy in January". Top managers work with what they have and get the best out of what they have available.

Something changed imo around the man Utd home game 2nd half, attitude wise. Maybe he realised with the atmosphere that we are a massive club, bigger than he gave us credit for and had to sort out his own performance. Little by little ( except 2nd half against the rs as we were awful and the fa cup last week was awful reminder that we've got some distance still to go to get it right ) we've become hard to beat, look fitter, stood up to the test more. I think the young lads have given the whole squad a lift. Schneiderlin will have given them a lift. Lookman comes in and slots a beauty and everyone will be thinking "hang on, this kids got something as well". Suddenly Mirallas picks up form, suddenly Ross is putting tackles in ( still not enough for me like but that's only because I think he could be an absolute star and the complete player ), Rom who is a kid starts looking like a father figure to the others.

Sorry for the long post mate, goes to show that when Everton win with so many positives like yesterday, it's hard for me to not stop chatting absolute crap because I'm still buzzing about it over 24 hours later ;)
 
The team were decent tonight, but Reading were not on the same level as our lads. The first goal came from a great cross from Kenny and the lad Broadhead I think finished it well. The injury Reading suffered then seemed to affect their shape. The second goal from Dowell was good, he picked the ball up on halfway and carried it a long way before slotting in the corner. There was no real defensive pressure on Dowell though. The third goal showed Charsley's ability to sniff out a chance. He shot from about 25 yards and the ball was blocked but he continued running after he'd hit the first shot and the ball broke back to him allowing him to put it away. I thought Charsley was the best player on the pitch, but both centre backs looked really solid.
 

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