http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/spurs/News/academy-fixture-changes-16042013.page Seems a bit harsh to make our lads play their final 2 games on consecutive days, especially when they've got to travel for both. Good to see the under18s are competing at the top of the league just as our under 21s are too, it will be interesting to see over the coming years whether this early promise translates into more young players coming through the ranks and up to the first team.
As a club we have consistently bent over backwards this season to help other clubs when they have requested fixture changes, so from that point of view, yes it does seem harsh. On the other hand, the competition rules do say the fixtures are to be completed by 27 April, so there is another side to it. Also, a lot of the lads who have played in the under 18's this season are Academy trainees who have been on the go since the end of last June and it is considered vital they be given an adequate break to avoid burn out.
Hi YV, Spurcat and others - Fulham fan here. What are your opinions on the Next Gen competition please? Our U18s are doing very well and some people are making noises that we should be joining NG, others think it is better to stay as we are - "under the radar" Do your lads really benefit from the european angle do you think? if so how? or is it just a marketing moneyspinner of some sort? Look forward to your views, cheers fellas
I am convinced our players benefit from this competition. In fact I believe our players need this calibre of opponent, as we have played this season against Sporting Lisbon, Barcelona, Anderlecht in a competition which has also included Ajax, Juventus and PSG. I am sure you can appreciate this is far more of a test and an education than staying "under the radar" and playing say Brentford and Leyton Orient. Part of a young players development should include a time away from their comfort zone, and to travel abroad and play against teams from Germany, France, Spain etc is a part of doing that and for those who do go onto make it, it's a fantastic experience for them at a vital stage of their early development. This has been the Nextgen's second season and there are rumours that UEFA are scheming to usurp the competition by introducing one of their own, purely for the clubs who are in the Champions league. So if you're in the CL, then your kids are automatically put in the NextGen CL tournament. Not sure if it'll happen but it does give you an idea of how highly thought of the current competition is. .
Thanks Spurcat - do you know if you have a big squad in your U18/19 group? I'm just thinking that if they have to play 2 games every week that would be tough on a core group of 18 or 20 youngsters. Our lads had a mid season tournament in America with some good teams in (Fluminense, Eintract Frankfurt, Man Utd etc) but this was only 1/2weeks - though obviously intensive as they played 5 games in less than a fortnight. Though they did very well, I wonder if preparation for this tournament upset their main season - they lost the 2 games before travelling - lads avoiding injury? We seem to have a very good core and then some that come in few a few games but don't seem to make it.
As you know, this seasons new structure of the under 18 league, does commit to playing pretty much every week. However, in it's current structure, the Nextgen commits to 6 games (groups of 4 playing the other 3 at home and away), played between the middle of August and Christmas, before the knock out stages after Xmas. We played 8 games in the Nextgen this season and used 27 players. Of these, 5 players played in all 8 games and at the other end of the scale, we had 4 players who only made the one appearance. Of the 27 players, 21 have appeared for our under 18 side with 18 of those pretty much playing every game,. We have used well over 30 players this season at under 18 level in 21 league games.
It seems to be working too, SC. The rate at which our players are going from U18s, U19s, U21s and then out on loan seems to be far, far quicker than I've ever known, though this might be down to my perception of it. Our lack of youth team coverage in the past was pretty universal. Isn't the best player in Fulham's youth set up Moussa Dembele, by the way? Time for another transfer?
Yeah, I guess so, I just would've thought that Sunderland academy couldn't be that busy that they couldn't even move the game forward a day or two. From a fans point of view I think it's very positive, it's a higher profile youth competition that brings in more interest from fans in our youth ranks and their performances. As for the players, I'd imagine it's positive too, they get to travel across Europe against a variety of different styles of football and in general there seems to be a more professional feel to the tournament that I think rubs off on the players. It's all well and good going off to play in week long, friendly tournaments across the World but in the NextGen there seems to be more of an edge of seriousness, especially when they get to play in a top flight stadium. As for generating interest from other clubs, this was our second season in the Nextgen and other than a rumour in a paper about Real and Barca wanting 2 of our players after we beat Barca 4-1, I haven't seen anything that suggests an attempt to poach any of our players off the back of the tournament. Given the way a lot of the bigger clubs are bringing in younger and younger players and from further afield I'm not sure it's so easy to keep talented youngsters underwraps these days. All in all, I wouldn't worry about it, as a fan the competition's exciting and I think the players benefit too.
Thanks for all the thoughtful feedback fellas. Our academy is obviously doing something right - U 18s look like winning the Elite Group and so into the semi final play off in the most advantageous position - Moussa Dembele is knocking in plenty of goals - (this one is a tall strong centre forward). We've got plenty youngsters out on loan too and we also seem to have a goalkeeper farm - there's loads of them - don't yet know how good they all are but one of them should make it out of the twenty or so there seems to be (maybe a bit of poetic license )
Talking of young goalkeepers, have you see anything of Billy Granger ?? I know he's covering for injury in non-league football at the moment, but just wondered if you've seen him for your development squad ?
I'd say our lads have definitely benefitted from it. Mainly because they're going against what the best of Europe has to offer, not just England, so naturally not only can they learn ideas/ tactics from foreign teams but it also gives them a some sort of work experience or taster if you like what European competition is all about. We've seen in previous seasons many teams struggle when they get into Europe for the first time and it also affects their league position due to fatigue, so by having this sort of experience at their age can help get them more prepared for what the future may hold for them. Then there's the exposure, I've noticed Eurosport and I think other channels have shown Next-Gen games, so it gives youngsters a chance to showcase their skills to larger audience and again, gives them a taster of performing under pressure as fans will want to see who the next prospect/ wonderkid of their respected clubs are. I'd presume it'd help our recruitment network too, any youngster being looked at by a number of clubs would surely be interested in joining an academy that partakes in a European competition. The only some what downside I can think of would be that the "bigger" clubs in the competition may try and poach another clubs' promising youngsters, Alex Pritchard and Shaq Coulthirst both played blinders against Barcelona with Coulthirst bagging a hat trick at La Masia which resulted in Barca supposedly becoming interested and readying a move. This could unsettle players and clubs. On the whole I think it's massively benefitted the club and I hope we continue with the competition for years to come, hopefully we can reap the rewards in the not so distant future
Yeah, you're right, SC. Some little Italian club or other... They were being managed by the same bloke who took charge of their first team this season, strangely. He must totally hate us!
Have you been able to get to any under 21 games this season SoS ?? I know you're local to the area, so if you haven't then you should, it's well worth it if only to see the super-duper new training centre. The games have been very entertaining, give it a try .
The U18s beat Stoke 3-1 yesterday with Victor Zapata-Caicedo scoring all of our goals. Currently 2nd in the 2nd group 2 points behind Sunderland with 2 games left 2 play. 2.
He is a striker who has been coverted into a wide midfield player and who is now back playing as a striker. Yesterday was his 2nd hat-trick of the season and puts him on 7 goals in 10 games for the under 18's.
