Unsworth seems to be developing another strong team. I have to say I am always a bit surprised when I see some of the criticism of him as an under 23 coach. We have lots of players who’ve passed through the reserves into the first team. Fair enough many of them may not have developed as we had have hoped but once they are training with the first team that’s very little to do with Unsworth.
The budget for his side is reasonable but by no means the biggest and what you would also say is that in terms of under 18’s while we are generally in the top 10 we are not at the absolute pinnacle of the league. He seems to take players from the 18’s and generally improve them. Broadhead is probably the latest one who has really come on leaps and bounds under him.
If I’m honest with the group, I think we’ve got a lot of decent players but probably nobody quite standing out yet, certainly not amongst the younger players who you would hang your hat on. Feeney, Broadhead, Bowler, Adenarin & Hornby all look impressive but they are 19-20 and I do think that window of opportunity will be closing on them quite quickly. I think all of them will have good careers out of the game, we should get a decent fee for all of tehm with a hefty sell on value but I am not sure they will be ready to play in the first team next summer which is kind of the acid test.
The lads below that probably have a bit more of a chance. I really like the look of Gordon, who as an under 18 is getting into the best reserve team in the league and regularly showing promise. Astley is much the same and Gibson being 2 years younger than Feeney stands him in good stead. They need to keep kicking on, but there is a potential they could make the jump up if they keep improving over the next 18 months or so.
It will be fascinating to know Brands thoughts on it all though. Will he view it as necessary to start including some of these lads for Silva to prevent us having to spend money in the transfer window? At Holland they tend to have a broader longer term plan that involves that approach and maybe he thinks that can work for us? I don’t know, it will be interesting.
Of all the names mentioned while I can say I don’t believe any of the older age will make it and the younger age will need to keep developing I can’t say I’d be surprised if I saw any of them in the first team next season. It might sound a contradiction but young players tend to go in fits and starts, and have surges in development. Most of them are probably a big jump and a bit of good fortune away. None of them would let Everton down, I’m just not quite sure they will be good enough to beat the door down.
