Over/Under on Academy lads in the team this week...

[Eggs]

I gotta say, you had us fooled here when you were saying "Martinez Out"...

Clever, clever Mr. Martinez.

....you can call me Roberto.

 

[mccole]

You don't win nothing with kids.....some Tefal headed gobshite said once.

Really?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I think with these things it's important to bring them into a team with the right approach so they gain good experience. Having a team full of youngsters is probably not going to achieve that, and it must have been hard for Pennington to be introduced into a team that was struggling so much. Compare that to Galloway's introduction for instance, and that appears a much better time to do it.

Given the shocking form of late, I'm keen to see just what kind of performance we get on Sunday. We're obviously not playing a great side, but we'll get a slight indication of just how much of our form was the Martinez effect.

 

[Edinblue]

I'd love to see Dowell and Davies start (as well as Pennington or Kenny at RB). However, I agree with those who say that farewell cameos to established players on their way may get in the way. And that could mean a fair few!

 

[johnnydawg68]

First of all this game means nothing, so I don't understand any hesitancy whatsoever for giving the lads a chance to play together for the most part.

This recent article on Hibbert's shock at how good they are is really interesting:

"Everton defender Tony Has admitted his surprise at just how talented the club’s current crop of youngsters are, in comments to their official website.

The veteran full back made a first team return at the weekend as he came on at half time in the win over Bournemouth.

Before then he had been working on his fitness with the academy graduates, featuring for the young blues in victories over Manchester City and Leicester City.

They gave him the chance to see how good the club’s youth prospects are first hand and says he was surprised by their overall quality.

“To physically play with them on the pitch and see the way they are with each other was really surprising,” he told evertonfc.com.

“I even said it to Unsy, that togetherness they have and how they are such a great bunch of lads…it’s frightening. That will win you games alone. And then there are the individuals with skill and class.”

http://www.[Publication is blacklis...t-surprised-by-quality-of-everton-youngsters/

 

[johnnydawg68]

As far as cameos...Howard should play the whole game. You can sub in Osman and Gibson on 90 minutes or so.

 

[mightymoyes]

As far as cameos...Howard should play the whole game. You can sub in Osman and Gibson on 90 minutes or so.

theyve had enough cameos for me recently thanks!

 

[catcherintherye]

.....I don't get the clamour to load the team with youngsters. Like everybody else, I love to see a young player come through the ranks but it's a massive step up and they have to be ready. Pennington was criticised by many on here after the Leicester game for simply not being good enough and fans will soon complain if we get a beating.

Walsh has really impressed at Yeovil and the signs are good that he and Dowell are real prospects. The likes of Anthony Evans initially struggled with the step up to U21 this season and it might do more harm than good to throw him into the first team at this stage.

We need to manage expectation and welcome them when they get an opportunity.

A fair point, I am a big fan of Evans but he has had a difficult season this season. He has not grown at the speed he was before so lets wait and see with him but he's nowhere near the first team. The ones below I would say are in contention, and by in contention I don't mean definite starters, just would be ok (in order of how close they are);
Pennington
Galloway
Dowell
Davies
Ledson
Kenny
Walsh
Connolly
Williams

The lower down the list you go, for me the less chance of them playing. It would be nice to see Dowell get a run though.

 

[mightymoyes]

A fair point, I am a big fan of Evans but he has had a difficult season this season. He has not grown at the speed he was before so lets wait and see with him but he's nowhere near the first team. The ones below I would say are in contention, and by in contention I don't mean definite starters, just would be ok (in order of how close they are);
Pennington
Galloway
Dowell
Davies
Ledson
Kenny
Walsh
Connolly
Williams

The lower down the list you go, for me the less chance of them playing. It would be nice to see Dowell get a run though.

he looks like being out a while now mate not sure what he did to his leg in last game of the season but serious enough to have a operation last week.

 

[johnnydawg68]

Unsworth has been the under-21s’ boss for two seasons and overseen nine players graduate from the Academy to the first-team.

Dowell made his Premier League bow last month as a late substitute in the win over Bournemouth but is now in contention to start against Norwich this weekend.

Unsworth was keeping his plans close to his chest but told the ECHO:

“I don’t really want to give my team away but we will pick a team we think will win the game.

“It may involve some of the young players.”

“It’s not just one or two there’s probably, in my honest opinion, six or seven of those boys who play for us week in, week out who could play at the highest level,” Unsworth said.

“And they are a group that has come through together and we are very, very - I won’t say lucky because there so many people who have done a lot of work with them - but we’re fortunate that we’ve got a group of players who are ready to play in our first-team.

“So whoever gets the job can integrate them into a top team.”

Tom Davies and Callum Connolly, who made their debuts against Southampton in April, trained with the first-team today.

Matthew Pennington, who has started the three matches, is likely to feature against Norwich while Mason Holgate also trained today.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spor...verton-star-kieran-dowell-contention-11331124