Everton Youth Teams Thread

I think it is more on the progression pathways of the players. The club have put their hat on Welch and see him for the long term. Kristensen and Hagan are different types of player. Hagan very combative and a traditional type of CB. Kristensen is well balanced and can play with both feet.
Welch had a slow start to season, making errors and poor decisions. Physically he has it, and he got stronger toward the end of the season, so hopefully he kicks on.
I know Hagan got his contract early, but on the evidence of two seasons Dylan Thompson seemed to get more games so yeah hard to see him progressing . Kristensen from memory had one good game, Chelsea Youth Cup I think, when Welch was with the first team. Maybe he’ll do a Con Ouzoundis, not first team squad material but a strong u23 defender helping younger CBs.
 
…not sure I get these ‘pathway’ plans. You can agree pathways but at the end of the day, youngsters need to impress to progress, they need to be outstanding to make the leap to first team.
Totally agree, for me you need to impress to play. A few pages back, comments on Small, about him not being strong defensively, raises a similar question. Is it size and power or skill, technique and being able to read the game, that Everton go for when they choose players to go with
 
Anyone know anything about Francis Okoronkwo
Only what came up on Google , Sunderland press say he’s a midfielder, 6 ft 3 ins, 16 . If he was a striker it would be an interesting addition, given we seem to have quite a number of promising midfielders at u18 I’m taking it as positive that someone sees something special/ different in him. Unless we‘re going to try doing a Fraser Hornby and move him up front.

Edit: couldn’t find any video but this from the Sunderland match report last season when he would have been a Schoolboy.
And it looked game over just before the hour mark when the lively Francis Okoronkwo went for the direct approach in running at his man on his left before cutting inside and finishing past Leban.

The lifeline looked to be extinguished when Sunderland found the back of the net again on 69 minutes, Okoronkwo's fine through ball allowing Kachosa to finish.
 
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Totally agree, for me you need to impress to play. A few pages back, comments on Small, about him not being strong defensively, raises a similar question. Is it size and power or skill, technique and being able to read the game, that Everton go for when they choose players to go with
Alot of clubs nowdays are picking the athlete first and making the footballer second.
Its the way the game is going, some will see that as a positive, some will see it as a negative.
Its why we might see the U.S.A become a force in the next 10 or so years.
You can coach football into an athlete but you cant turn a really good footballer into a 6ft 4 running machine if he dosent have the physical atributes
 

Only what came up on Google , Sunderland press say he’s a midfielder, 6 ft 3 ins, 16 . If he was a striker it would be an interesting addition, given we seem to have quite a number of promising midfielders at u18 I’m taking it as positive that someone sees something special/ different in him. Unless we‘re going to try doing a Fraser Hornby and move him up front.

Edit: couldn’t find any video but this from the Sunderland match report last season when he would have been a Schoolboy.
And it looked game over just before the hour mark when the lively Francis Okoronkwo went for the direct approach in running at his man on his left before cutting inside and finishing past Leban.

The lifeline looked to be extinguished when Sunderland found the back of the net again on 69 minutes, Okoronkwo's fine through ball allowing Kachosa to finish.


His Transfermarkt page says he played at least two games up front. In one of those games he scored a brace v Newcastle. You could be onto something here.
 

His Transfermarkt page says he played at least two games up front. In one of those games he scored a brace v Newcastle. You could be onto something here.

It’s a bit more difficult at 16 to read into positions played as academies often move players all over the pitch just to try things.
 


His Transfermarkt page says he played at least two games up front. In one of those games he scored a brace v Newcastle. You could be onto something here.
So he started 12 and on as sub 5 , that’s a decent return for a Schoolboy player even if Sunderland have been poor in recent times.
 
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