Everton Youth Teams Thread

Still a background in GAA and I'm sure he played Gaelic football as well

I beleive O'Driscoll was a cracking GAA footballer as well.

Brian Howard of Dublin, was with the Leinster academy for many years as well. His footwork and ghosting as well as his fielding are sublime.

Crokes have lost some cracking footballers to Rugby as well who have gone on to represent Ireland.
 
As a slight aside (and feel free to DM if needs) whats the deal with Rugby in ireland mate? Is it as big as football? Do the same sort of people play it? There's a big class divide over here (well with union anyway) and always wondered what the reasoning with the Irish being so good at Rugby was?
Rugby is played mainly in private schools.
A few public ie state schools play it as well but mostly private fee paying schools.
Brian O Driscolls father was a doctor and he played rugby for Ireland B as well so Brian was always going to play rugby.
Schools rugby is dominated by 3/4 schools.
Belvedere .Blackrock (both Dublin and St Michaels outside Dublin
Its definitely an elitist sport but with a sprinkling of working class people.
GAA is still the mainstay of every village. town, and county in Ireland with soccer having a foothold in large urban areas.
The GAA is well organised ,well funded and in the main totally amateur with a lot of high quality grass roots coaching
Rugby is where the money is even though with Ireland and Provincial success through leinster and Munster its getting a lot of working class support,on the sidelines only
 
I was a bit disappointed with the boys last night. I've seen them play much better and more fluently this season. But, as they say, job done.
By the way, any reason why Rhino didn't go on the pitch after the game to join in the presentation etc?
 
.....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.

I think this is an important point. It's a real team effort last night, which on the one hand is great, but don't be fooled that the club would much rather see a team win it on the back of the talent of 1 or 2 lads (who they can then promote to the first team).

He seems to get a lot of stick on here, but I can only wonder if it's a matter of time until someone gives Unsworth a chance. While he has a good budget, it's nowhere near as big as the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, City etc yet he makes the team effective at what they do. I know people will want a more expansive game plan, but I tend to be a bit more glass half full- each player he sends up to the first team will know the basics of what mens football is about.

They will know the importance of winning, of shape, of how to position yourself without the ball, of how to take responsibility off set pieces etc. In essence they will know how to be a team player. Some will then have exceptionally ability to go alongside that, which can be brought out, but it's by no means a bad grounding for any of those players- and will probably help most of them in their careers outside of Everton (which lets face it is what most are destined for) and should allow them the maximum chance to earn a good living out of the game.

We all view it as if thats a consolation prize, it's Everton or nothing but for the lads in question (most of them not even from Liverpool or the surrounding areas) the main focus will be getting a contract from a league club and becoming financially secure in the process. If it's with Everton then it's a great bonus but that's it alone.

For reasons in the first paragraph I am cautious about the team, or more cautious than with other teams. None of the attacking players really stand out to me. None of them are as eye catching as Dowell was 3 years ago and while he has trained with the first team and had some good moments, he's currently in and around the squad of a top championship team (which feels his level). The counter I suppose would be that some like a Hornby isn't a million miles off where Calvert Lewin was for the under 23's, though clearly DCL had attributes the first team felt could be developed quickly.

There are no weak links in that side though, and in a strange way you couldn't rule out any of the lads in question making it on an individual basis, but you'd be very cautious about predicting them to do so.
 
Rugby is played mainly in private schools.
A few public ie state schools play it as well but mostly private fee paying schools.
Brian O Driscolls father was a doctor and he played rugby for Ireland B as well so Brian was always going to play rugby.
Schools rugby is dominated by 3/4 schools.
Belvedere .Blackrock (both Dublin and St Michaels outside Dublin
Its definitely an elitist sport but with a sprinkling of working class people.
GAA is still the mainstay of every village. town, and county in Ireland with soccer having a foothold in large urban areas.
The GAA is well organised ,well funded and in the main totally amateur with a lot of high quality grass roots coaching
Rugby is where the money is even though with Ireland and Provincial success through leinster and Munster its getting a lot of working class support,on the sidelines only

I think its changing though mate, with the advent of the provincial system and professionalism. I played club rugby for years and certainly there were scouts at each of the provenances at a lot of our games, one of the lads i went to school with and played was offered a scholarship with Leinster, he was removed from our school in his teems and went to one of the Rugby schools - he was a joe soap like ourselves but just great at Rugby, so it was a terrific opportunity for him. Not to name names, hes gone on to win multiple Heineken Cups, played in World Cups and multiple Grand Slams, still a lovely down to earth, salt of the earth lad, hes still playing today.

I suppose my general point is though, when i played Rugby there wasnt a hope of representing Ireland unless you t to one of the schools and were part of that food chain, i think that has changed somewhat, with really i think most of the development work being done in the provical academie snow - if you are good enough. The provincal scouting system is excellent i have to say. They are everywhere, club games, schools games, even GAA and football. They have an advantage on every other sport here, given they are the only sport here that you can play professionally and stay in Ireland and make a living at.

it actually annoys me how popular Rugby has gotten now, so many people dont understand the game or the rules or the dynamic of the game. Just go and shout there heads off, and its like a staus thing now, you go to watch rugby if you wan to be considered a certain class. Ireland gets stranger by the hour. You couldnt give tickets away for an international game in the 90s. I remember the world cup game in Landsdowne in the 90s Vs Austraila i had a fist full of tickets, i struggled to give away.
 

....I think Galloway’s game was always based on rapid pace, more attack minded than liking to defend. I think Gibson is a bloke who likes to defend but is composed on the ball and looks to break into space ahead of him. Both left sided, of course.

I agree about last night’s performance from Feeney, but Gibson just looks a player to me. I see Gibson leapfrogging Feeney in the pecking order, not so much a first teamer next season but part of the squad. It’s a big advantage he can also play LB but he’s definitely not got the flair of Digne or Baines.

Also worth mentioning that Gibson cost money, it shouldn’t be the main factor but it could still be a factor!!

Personally don’t see a future for Holgate at the club. I assume a choice was made this season that Kenny would be back up and there has to be a chance that a new RB is on the shopping list. Regardless, it would be folly to have Coleman, Kenny and Holgate in the squad (Kyle John clearly well thought of as well).

I agree with most of that. Gibson looks a proper defender to me as you say, and you can see he has learnt a fair bit under Unsworth (as indicated in another post we produce lads who know how to defend properly). You can see with his physique he will be ahead of Feeney and he looks better on the ball to me.

Overall that seems fair regards Holgate, though he has done very well on loan while Kenny has struggled a bit here. I wouldn't be surprised if they took a view on Holgate as more of a right back (whereas he was previously seen as a centre back) and pushed him up the pecking order. What is clear though, is I don't see a situation where they are both here. Is West Brom put a decent offer for Holgate in (perhaps dependent on them being promoted) then he could well go.

I really like Kyle John too. He looks your archetypal modern full back and is quicker than Kenny. Definitely one to keep an eye on.
 
Rugby is played mainly in private schools.
A few public ie state schools play it as well but mostly private fee paying schools.
Brian O Driscolls father was a doctor and he played rugby for Ireland B as well so Brian was always going to play rugby.
Schools rugby is dominated by 3/4 schools.
Belvedere .Blackrock (both Dublin and St Michaels outside Dublin
Its definitely an elitist sport but with a sprinkling of working class people.
GAA is still the mainstay of every village. town, and county in Ireland with soccer having a foothold in large urban areas.
The GAA is well organised ,well funded and in the main totally amateur with a lot of high quality grass roots coaching
Rugby is where the money is even though with Ireland and Provincial success through leinster and Munster its getting a lot of working class support,on the sidelines only

Interesting that. Is there a lot of crossover between GAA players to rugby players as the games seem similar? Is football the biggest game in big urban areas? Seems a similar class divide to here, with possibly Rugby League filling the role of GAA over there in the north (being the game that's bigger in smaller towns).
 
i think feeney will be sent out on loan next season and gibson will continue to be in and around the 1st team

I think you are probably right mate. I know @Eggs has mentioned this a lot, but generally the best youth prospects don't really get sent on loan, we didn't with Stones and I doubt we would have done. I see similar with Gibson.

My view on Feeney is that I am not sure he will be quite big/strong enough to make it with us. I really hope I am wrong as I think having a boyhood Evertonian, who sat in the Gwladys Street playing for our defence would be fantastic. He is also a proper leader and organiser in the way Carragher used to for Liverpool, and it would make an enormous difference but the comparison to Peter Clarke from yesteryear (and even a lad called Mark Hughes) may be more where he is heading.

In a strange way I am more optimistic for young Astley than Feeney.
 
Interesting that. Is there a lot of crossover between GAA players to rugby players as the games seem similar? Is football the biggest game in big urban areas? Seems a similar class divide to here, with possibly Rugby League filling the role of GAA over there in the north (being the game that's bigger in smaller towns).
Not a lot of crossover but I'm sure there is some.
I'm not a big Rugby fan(I will watch it as i do most sports bar cricket.)
My wife works in a private school where rugby and Cricket are the main sports.
England's one day international cricket captain is a past pupil.
It may be changing slightly but it is still mainly an elitist sport ,but as Neiler pointed out they are spreading their wings to catch more players














0
 

As a slight aside (and feel free to DM if needs) whats the deal with Rugby in ireland mate? Is it as big as football? Do the same sort of people play it? There's a big class divide over here (well with union anyway) and always wondered what the reasoning with the Irish being so good at Rugby was?
A lot of rugby players would have gone to fee paying schools. Definitely more of a game played by the rich..
But only 9 or 10 teams play rugby at a high standard internationally and Ireland have never got past the last 8 in a world cup.
And also north and south play together at rugby too.
Gaa would also have a massive participation
 
A lot of rugby players would have gone to fee paying schools. Definitely more of a game played by the rich..
But only 9 or 10 teams play rugby at a high standard internationally and Ireland have never got past the last 8 in a world cup.
And also north and south play together at rugby too.
Gaa would also have a massive participation

the club/province teams do very well though
 

Top