Development squad thread

Cheers! I've assumed for ages it was the same Yussuf.

 

Does this mean it will automatically be on Player? I have just noticed that a lot of stuff on Player also appears on YouTube for free. This makes Player even more of a rip-off in my opinion.

 

Charlton u21 2 Sheffield Utd 0

Watched this game on YouTube. Even though I turned the quality down to the lowest, I suffered a lot of stop-start through buffering. Camerawork was poor too, so hard to judge, but I was less than impressed even though we won 2-0.

First goal was completely against the run of play. Their keeper dropped the ball from a long free-kick and Lennon slammed it in. Second goal came from one of our very few sustained passing moves, from Daniell, playing experimentally at CF.

First half the Blades played all the football. Second was more even. They created far more scoring chances but their shooting was feeble and Pope was authoritative.

Thomas looked liked Bikey, all action and very physical. Lennon just mopped up calmly. Holmes-Dennis and Munns looked good. Ansah, Muldoon and Browne feeble.

Sheffield Utd looked like a team with assured passing, but with powder-puff finishing.

My impression was that man for man, our players were at least the equal of theirs, but we had no game-plan or team-work, relying on spurts of individual skill and, as the game wore on, individual strength. Our defenders were excellent at winning the ball but then either gave the ball away being caught in possession or from aimless long clearances. Did not enhance my faith in Euell's coaching.

 

M.

I went to the Valley today and from Eddie's summation of the match I must have been at a different game. We played ok and certainly it was a good Team display. Everybody put in a shift. Back five were excellent, Cumberbatch impressed me with his pace and ability on the ball and Munns used the ball well. We tried to play it out from the back but Sheffield Utd closed us down well. Not impressed with Ansah, his shooting was all over the place. Don't forget that we were short of our best U21 players like The Harriotts, Ahearne- Grant, Fox, Gomez.

Like the first team we have learnt how to grind out a result even though we are not on top form. It all bodes well for the future.

Team
Pope
Pyke, Thomas, Lennon, Holmes- Dennis
Browne, Muldoon, Cumberbatch Munns,
Daniel
Ansah

Subs Phillips, A Trialist, Umerah, Obileye, Gerard

Goals Lennon, Daniel.

 

Obviously I defer to your opinion, DP, as I only watched stuttering online coverage and you know the players better than me, but I don't really see where our opinions differ.

I certainly didn't mean to imply they didn't give 100%. They all did.

This club is certainly short of strikers, though.

 

The trialist was Mitchell Pinnock.

 

Glad to see Holmes-Dennis had a very good debut for Oxford yesterday. A lot of their fans had to eat humble pie after slating the manager for bringing him in. I've been singing his praises for a while now, always liked him in midfield, but it seems his future might be at LB. Ahearne-Grant made his debut for us yesterday, and I haven't said much about him because I thought he needed a bit of time in the U-21's before making the step up. However necessity is the mother of invention, and let's hope he learns quickly about coping with Championship defenders.

 

Another win, 1-0 away to Udders, Kadell Daniel getting the goal. Neither Munns nor Ansah featured, presumably they'll be in tomorrow's squad.

 

I'd be worried if Ansah got the call up to the first team squad.

 

He hasn't cut it with the U-21's. Munns has, and has earned his chance, if it comes.

 

Ansah has been very poor. We are so lacking in forwards that he will probably be on the bench. RD is in this Country today and tomorrow, I have got a message for him. GET YOUR CHEQUEBOOK OUT.

 

Make more sense with Daniell instead of Ansah and play 4-5-1. We would have the natural LM we have been lacking all season. I don't really think he is League standard, but got to be better than Ansah. At least he would have "nuisance" value.

As to who the "1" would be, the mind boggles. I guess Tucudean and Ahearne-Grant sharing the role. What a prospect!

Good away win for lads with so many missing. I think home advantage/away disadvantage counts for a lot more with younger players. And Huddersfield are no mugs. I wonder if Sir Chris is taking much interest in his development squad there? He probably went along to this one with Euell visiting so they could bitch about RD together!

 

In a year or two LM should be the least of our problems, with Holmes-Dennis and Edwardes both able to play LM or LB. Holmes-Dennis seems to have made a bit of a name for himself after just one game at Oxford, and is a bit ahead of Edwardes in terms of development, we just need someone to keep the left side warm until these two come through!

 

Phillips ,Pyke,Edwards,Muldoon,Thomas,Obileye,Cumerbatch,Charles-Cook,Browne,Daniel,Kennedy Subs: Beeney , Konsa,Barnes,Gerard,Umerah.

From someone who was there stated that Obileye was a beast and Muldoon played the defensive midfield role well. He was standing with a number of Div2 scouts who were very impressed with Archie Edwards.

Kadell Daniels got his second goal in two games. He was playing off the main striker Kennedy and ran the channels well.

 

If Daniels makes a real fist of playing in this position it will be a feather in Euell's cap, considering we signed Daniels as a LB.

 

Apart from the keeper, that was our u21 "Second XI".

Our under-21 "First XI" would be:

Phillips
Osborne Gomez Lennon Fox
Harriott, Cousins, Munns, Holmes-Dennis
Sho-Silva, Pigott

and that still leaves out Ahearn-Grant

Looking at the team we did field, it does support the point Greg Dyke and others are making, that there is too great a gulf between the u21 league and the Football League. (Not that I have any enthusiasm for their proposed solutions). Apart from prodigies like Gomez, Cousins and Poyet, most u21s need a spell on loan in the lower leagues as a stepping stone.

It's been a while since Harry Gerard's injury, but he seems to have lost ground in the pecking order to the newer recruits. He was a regular in the u21s two years ago, when still an u18, so seems to have gone backwards.

 

I noticed Ajayi was on the bench for Arsenal on Saturday, so his career must be ticking over nicely. Always sad to lose a good youngster but I suppose CB is one position where it did not hurt too much.

 

More positive reviews on TDH after their win last night at Northampton. Obviously this is only League 2, but it's a very promising start to league football for the lad. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the Charlton first team, hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

The U-18's are at home to Palace on Saturday, 11:30 at Sparrow's Lane. Should be worth a visit since Charlton are playing friday. I like these local derbies, you get fans from both sides and they have an extra competitive edge.

 

Polish Pete has become an internet sensation for his goal at the weekend. It's gotten nearly 10k like on facebook and even more retweets on Twitter. It was an amazing goal, and if you haven;t already seen it then you should find it.