toffeejack
Player Valuation: £100m
Well done young blues
Theo Walcott ran after Josh Bowler to congratulate him - I believe he has still not caught up with him as yet -
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
That's a bad miss.
Cork Evertonian
Player Valuation: £40m
Well done to everyone.It's great to see an Everton team do exactly what it should be doing, and that's winning trophies.
.....and I think this is the point for those calling for wholesale promotion to the first team. Unsworth has a well organised and very hard working group of lads who lack nothing for attitude. I remember Craig Short saying Everton provide the ultimate test for opposing youngsters in that league because they set-up like a Premiership team.
Credit to the lads and to Unsworth, the real achievement will be if one or two can become regulars in the first team.
......nice reaction considering he’s a North-East lad bought in.
Particularly interested in his performance, he just looks right to me. One outstanding tackle epitomised his desire to defend, one rash tackle almost cost his team via the penalty spot. His reaction when the penalty was missed demonstrated the attitude i’ve seen regularly, although I think it was a little unprofessional and with experience it wouldn’t be so showy. He’s grown to be a big old unit and he’s still one of the youngsters in that team.
He continues to be the one that stands out to me.
The policy of buying promising youngsters (Gibson, Hornby, Bowler, Virginia, Adeniran etc) is a strategy that definitely works (Stones, Holgate, DCL, Lookman et al). Low risk, high reward so no complaints when some don’t work out.
....thanks for all the work in here, Matey. I’m sure i’m not alone in appreciating the information and updates.
I think Astley ,Gibson and maybe Virginia may have a chance of making the first team squad.
The rest I'm not sure about.
That Carroll lad and and Kyle John are another 2 young lads who have impressed me in the bits I've seen.
I'd like to see Simms do it at U 23 before singing his praises.
I coached under age football for years and physicality can more that compensate for a lack of natural ability at under age football.
Not saying Simms has a lack of ability ,he can finish but open age football is a whole different animal
.....mainly defenders, which isn’t a surprise give the skill set a forward needs to come through in the modern game. Regarding a forward player, I would include Anthony Gordon in that list. His inclusion at U23 suggests they think he’s much more likely than Simms and let’s not forget he has been part of the 1st team in Europa League and SportPesa friendly.
Haven’t seen lots of Carroll but he scored a nice goal at the weekend and is clearly talented. Perhaps a similar type to Liam Walsh in terms of quality and physical stature.
Noticed Anthony Evans on the lap of honour, a reminder of the players not involved last night but who played their part throughout the season. Well done to them all, and Unsworth and his staff.
I remember a young lad who played for me went to united on trial at 14.
He played as a No 10 for us and had great ball control could glide past a player ,could pick a pass but lacked an engine
They played him at Right full (if you are under 40 google it ) for 2 games.
They reckoned in that position he had the full pitch in front of him and they could judge his ability to read a game better if he played there.
Never made it unfortunately ,his lack of an engine and his inability to put it in in training went against him.
As an aside I also coached Brian O Driscoll for a short period.
A hell of a football player but obviously a world class rugby player
....clubs would often try young forward looking players in more defensive positions. Some of the greatest full backs we’ve had (Ray Wilson, Tommy Wright etc) started as wingers and I think John Hurst was a youth team striker at Everton. Tony Hibbert played midfield in an FA Youth Cup winning team.
Doesn’t surprise me about O’Driscoll, world class Rugby player without the absolute physicality of others suggest he was a natural. Also, lots of examples of Gaelic Football (hope that’s an acceptable term) producing soccer players.
Kevin Moran Shane Long and our own seamus Coleman being 3 notable cases
....it’s a fine achievement to win PL2 title and should rightly be applauded. Saying that, if one comes through to PL1 level it’ll be good but many of these lads will have a future in the game.
