....others will know the ages of these lads more than me, but I know a number played in the recent Youth Cup game so I imagine there’s a few U18s on display tonight. It is a big step-up to playing with and against your elders, not to mention a different coach etc.
I really like Welch at CB. It was some achievement to keep City & Chelsea at bay in the Youth Cup and my attention was immediately focused on the defenders. Automatically, watchers will look at midfielders & strikers for the next Wayne Rooney but there was high quality and heroic defending in that FA Youth Cup run.
i don’t know if we have a future player on show but I wouldn’t totally dismiss it.
It was a perfectly fair comment to have made, and I know I ahve covered this before but I think people probably underrate the aforementioned age group. Davies has made it to the 1st team, Ledson has just been given POTY for Preston, Dowell will be in the premiership next season, Robinson has showed hismelf an accomplished PL level left back and Kenny has played a number of games in the PL/Bundesliga. That's before you mentioend Joe WIlliams, Callum Connolly and Liam Walsh who have all had a good go in the championship. Unfortunately for that age group, they turned 18 at just the time when Moshiri arrived, the manager was sacked, the DOF was brought in and sacked and turbelence occured. You probably had another 3 or 4, who if things had gone diddrently may have made the 1st team with an Everton without Moshiri's millions.
This current age group are doing things that age group didn't either. To go to City and Chelsea and win, is as big a statement as you can make at that level. We lost to West Brom in a tight match missing key players. The exposure they are getting in the reserves is also slightly beyond what Ledson's age had, and in truth they are probably excelling a bit more.
Welch is one who has really kicked on for me, and you probably see the benefit of not only under 23's action but also 1st team training. In that under 18's match at Wigan he looked Van Dijk esque in his age group. Quick, powerful, calm, composed etc. We've spoken a bit about Small, Price and Onyango before so won't dwell on those.
The other one I didn't mention who probably deserves a bit of a mention is Whittaker. He is flying through the age groups very quickly, which I always think is a very positive sign. He had a couple of games to find his feet at under 23 level, and then he is excelling. That is what you want to see.
He reminds me a little bit of Anthony Gordon, maybe a bit more rugged though not quite as quick. I had pinpointed in that City game, where he outjumped a CB for our goal, he has an excellent spring. You saw it again for his 2nd goal yesterday off a corner. He attacks the ball really well. He's another I like.
In terms of the stand out player, the name everyone talks about is Lawrence in the under 15's. The size and power of Ebere in the 15's is impressive, but Lawrence is
that player that gets spoken about.
