Everton Youth Teams Thread

[Neiler]

I agree on most of your points but its still a mostly elitist sport.
Even your mate ended up in a fee paying school to further his career

That is true when i played it was during the 90s and early 00's though, i kind of played through when the game became professional, there was a significant change around this time when money started to flow into the game, in my opinion it gradually became less elitist definitely then it was, the academies became interested in elite players and talent as opposed to the easy win of just looking through the schools system, which is weird because the more popular it has gotten more elitist in the mindset of society got toward Rugby in my opinion.

Im thinking there is definitely more access now and less to do with class then it was, we have lads from everywhere now, in every back water and by way of representing Ireland and at provinces, rather then whats fed by the school system, the school system is still there for sure still but more with tradition and priority and is an easy win for scouts. But i definitely feel if you are good at Rugby the provincial scouts will find you and has very little to do with class then it did, i played for a rural low key club just made up of the local community lads about 15 mins from the Dublin border, wouldn't be an elites't area in anyway and i know there are scouts there all the time from all the provinces scouting the underage these days. I would say it was elitest oin the main in the past in Dublin, Cork and Limerick and the urban centers and scholls were the best routes, but by god it was dog rough everywhere else and outside those scholls playing locally and open to everyone, we used to love playing against the school teams. You tended to need like everywhere else a community that had a strong rugby club and interested volunteers though.

The IRFU have done terrific work with the structure of rugby, doing away with the club game largely and making representative provinces where other coutries have stuck to their club system, the provinces themselves have brilliant scouting networks and academies and development programmes, while they have the advantage of being the only professional pathway in term sport to make a living and stay in Ireland. That the crux of why Irish rugby has really taken off and been so successful.

 

[blueloon]

i was reminded the other day when Zatara liked my post in the Lewis Gibson thread of something I wrote back last July
: “

Yep, I’ll hold my hand up and say I could see him get some first team mins this season , probably as a LB for starters, so may depend on who we buy.”
.

This was before we bought Digne, an outstanding buy , and I thought he’d maybe get game time as Baines ‘s back up late season. There’s still a chance for Gibson this season, Silva made a thing about Lookman’s attitude in training being a reason for not giving him more game time, so far on the pitch Gibson’s play and attitude have been spot on so hopefully that translates well when training with the first team . He’s obviously nowhere near being able to challenge Digne or replace Baines this season, but he appears to be robust and talented enough to hold his own. Silva’s not going to be foolish and promote somebody who’s not ready , but it would be a great message to send to the other youngsters if Gibson does well in training and gets some first team minutes this season

 

[LinekersLegs]

Winning twice in three years is an amazing achievement, especially given the level of investment in some of the other teams.

Good to know that between this and EITC we have some consistently “best in class” parts of the club

 

[Billysgingham.]

Winning twice in three years is an amazing achievement, especially given the level of investment in some of the other teams.

Good to know that between this and EITC we have some consistently “best in class” parts of the club

Have not we spent 10m on 2 players?

 

[LinekersLegs]

Have not we spent 10m on 2 players?

We certainly have spent money but I would be surprised if our overall outlays for the youth team are comparable to either City or even Chelsea - happy to be proved wrong if you have more up to date info.

 

[Zatara]

Have not we spent 10m on 2 players?

We certainly have spent money but I would be surprised if our overall outlays for the youth team are comparable to either City or even Chelsea - happy to be proved wrong if you have more up to date info.

Gibson was something up front rising to £6mil

Bowler was £1.5mil upfront rising to £4mil

So not a huge amount...

 

[Barnfred 55]

Some of the over reactions in here are just priceless.

Over reaction to what mate? Congratulating one of our young teams on winning their league? Why shouldn't they be congratulated?

 

[zzr45]

Over reaction to what mate? Congratulating one of our young teams on winning their league? Why shouldn't they be congratulated?

Read about 4 posts after.

Oh yeah but the comments about the 1st team should be watching to see what winners look like when most have won equivalent types of trophies (if not higher honours) is a bit daft.

 

[blueloon]

Have not we spent 10m on 2 players?

I had a look into this “£6 mill” for Gibson last year. The background is he was the 17 yr old star of their youth set up at the time, but under Peter Beardsley things were not so good , but not public. We could have got him cheap under a tribunal type system deciding the fee but there was a lot of interest in him. So we decided to make a decent offer. I’m lead to believe we paid “ around about £1 mill down payment” plus add ons. Newcastle fans who knew of him were far from happy that they were allowing him to leave, the “£6mill” fee seems to have come from the Newcastle side to placate their fans.
I’m happy to admit I don’t know the exact figures , but I’m comfortable with my version. Similarly, I don’t believe we paid £4 mill for the then unknown Josh Bowler . I suspect both figures will be bandied about in the future as Gibson and Bowler hit the headlines.

 

[Ring master]

Maybe a future number 1 for us

 

[Eggs]

I had a look into this “£6 mill” for Gibson last year. The background is he was the 17 yr old star of their youth set up at the time, but under Peter Beardsley things were not so good , but not public. We could have got him cheap under a tribunal type system deciding the fee but there was a lot of interest in him. So we decided to make a decent offer. I’m lead to believe we paid “ around about £1 mill down payment” plus add ons. Newcastle fans who knew of him were far from happy that they were allowing him to leave, the “£6mill” fee seems to have come from the Newcastle side to placate their fans.
I’m happy to admit I don’t know the exact figures , but I’m comfortable with my version. Similarly, I don’t believe we paid £4 mill for the then unknown Josh Bowler . I suspect both figures will be bandied about in the future as Gibson and Bowler hit the headlines.

...yep, I remember vividly the Newcastle fans were fuming at the time. £6m was the fee quoted. It did surprise me that he left. I appreciate we must’ve paid him a very tidy signing fee, and I dare say his salary is high but it was a major move for a young lad from that area. It makes sense that things were not to pleasant at Newcastle.

Being realistic, paying decent money for a youngster must have an impact on the course of action a club take on a player. They probably get more time to prove themselves over regular Academy players to enable a return on investment. Fortunately, Gibson looks to have ability to match the £, and £6m could prove to be shrewd business.

 

[Eggs]

Maybe a future number 1 for us

.....quite possibly another shrewd bit of business.

I have to say, though, that he’s not my type of keeper. I have him as a similar type to Pickford, a good shot stopper and distributor of the ball. A modern day keeper. I prefer a goalie to be dominant in the air and I don’t see that with Virginia, just as I don’t see it with Pickford. I just don’t trust them, the next mistake is just around the corner.

I’m old, though, and the game changes.

 

[Nymzee]

.....quite possibly another shrewd bit of business.

I have to say, though, that he’s not my type of keeper. I have him as a similar type to Pickford, a good shot stopper and distributor of the ball. A modern day keeper. I prefer a goalie to be dominant in the air and I don’t see that with Virginia, just as I don’t see it with Pickford. I just don’t trust them, the next mistake is just around the corner.

I’m old, though, and the game changes.

I'm skeptical of how much you've paid attention to him if you don't think he's been dominant in the air.

 

[Eggs]

I'm skeptical of how much you've paid attention to him if you don't think he's been dominant in the air.

....i’m more encouraged if i’m wrong, but a few times i’ve not been convinced of him with balls above his head. He got completely lost with a floaty cross down the Park End at a recent game and only just missed the far post.

Hopefully you’re right.

 

[catcherintherye]

...yep, I remember vividly the Newcastle fans were fuming at the time. £6m was the fee quoted. It did surprise me that he left. I appreciate we must’ve paid him a very tidy signing fee, and I dare say his salary is high but it was a major move for a young lad from that area. It makes sense that things were not to pleasant at Newcastle.

Being realistic, paying decent money for a youngster must have an impact on the course of action a club take on a player. They probably get more time to prove themselves over regular Academy players to enable a return on investment. Fortunately, Gibson looks to have ability to match the £, and £6m could prove to be shrewd business.

It was a really odd summer all in all. We added Gibson, Bowler, Markelo, Adanerin very quickly for that side (having bought Lookman earlier that year). I know we were looking at the Sessegnon twins, Brooks, Zizkee (I can't remember his exact name). It seemed to be being pushed a lot by Walshand had he closed on such deals who knows what might have happened. Either way the hope will certainly be there will be one or two gifts from him in the above.

I think Gibson's quotes today are very telling (and also very impressive). It looks like he moved for the best opportunity he would get to play first team football. It's good to here someone talking with such maturity and taking such ownership at such a young age really. I'm not really one who thinks young English players should be endlessly loyal to clubs, you really have to do whats best for your career at that age and to me it's really good for English football more and more seem to be making moves to go abroad.

Gibson made an excellent choice coming here and I'm glad he said as much. We should be pushing this more as well, that there is a clear pathway to the first team for lots of players compared to many PL teams. It will do us no harm them quotes being out there, and less harm still if he can fulfil that ambition. He's definitely benefited from David Unsworth and his coaching too. Learning to defend properly like it matters, rather than treating development as a schooling exercise does players good too.

There is a bit of an aura building about Gibson that tends to build around players as they get close to the first team squad when you know they have something about them. I remember it about Stones before he broke in, there was a bit of an aura about him, nothing too over the top, but just comments about him in the media. I think he might surprise people if he steps up.

Overall thats the biggest differentiator with younger players. It's not just that they always look head and shoulders above in a game, but often that when they are moved up they are able to adapt easily.

Anyway he looks a good player and I hope we can revisit this approach of buying players who are 16-19 from other clubs once the bans over as we have everything we require to be a good option for them, and to potentially rival some of the Bundesliga sides.