http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-QRlyvmRHys#t=170 Loving this goal! (link should take you to 2m 50s). From the highlights the Portsmouth lads defending really was awful.
tend to agree with this rather than Godders. It was a good night for the families although obviously the Pompey parents were disappointed. Only thing I didn't agree with was booing the Pompey lads when they were being subbed. For the Saints lads playing in front of a good crowd with the rivalry is an experience they won't forget.
Dodd said that the experience of playing at SMS in front of a crowd was valuable experience. Gallagher remarked that being in the dressing room with the first team and seeing how they prepare for a game has helped him. We all think about experience as game time, but mustn't underestimate the need to gain other experiences. Just think how difficult it would be to come straight from the u18s onto a pitch in front of 30K fans without becoming familiar with sitting in the changing room, being near the other players, going out and sitting on the bench.
Their goalkeeper was 15 to be fair, there may have been others his age as well, maybe Lapras knows some of their ages?
Pompey are successful in their own league. It was no doubt a nasty shock to come up against a team of players at a good PL Academy (including one on the verge of playing for the first team). I always feel sorry for youngsters under those circumstances because we naturally tend to protect kids against disappointment, but that is what sport is all about. Doesn't take anything from our lads who were brilliant.
Playing football for my club in a big stadium? Too bloody right I could. Would have ****ing killed for that sort of opportunity. Those nippers are unbelievably lucky. If they do nothing else in football, they have had an experience that millions of people who have played football have never got.
I doubt they enjoyed losing 7.0. They no doubt really looked forward to it, enjoyed the facilities, and harboured secret hopes of being 'discovered', but it will be quite a while before they recover from being trounced and reach the point where they talk about the experience...I'd give it 5 years.
So? Why should we care about players of another club? I'm pleased for the Saints U18's who will hopefully have taken another step up in their development this week.
at 17 I played at Hamilton Academicals against Scotland schoolboys and was spat at and tried to be grabbed if there was a corner or a throw-in. We had to accept it, but the experience of playing infront of a crowd at a (almost) proper stadium was the most memorable part. CBK is right, these boys are very lucky.
They do like abit of rough sex up there . Reed may have tweeted a couple of things that fans from other clubs may think was cocky, but what most of them do not realise is that most of our young players are local lads and are fans of the club so abit of piss taking can be expected. I will be in two minds when we start buying in promising foreign youngsters like Chelsea, City and Utd. It may damage morale abit but who would say no to the likes of Lukaku or Januzaj?
Yeah, I saw that earlier on Twitter, taking my Saints head off for a moment he was easily their best outfield player, and it would have been impossible for him to have a good game really as the rest of their defence was woeful. The amount of abuse he has been getting on Twitter means that even if he turns out to be a world beater we have no chance of signing him!
Jack Whatmough was a Southampton player until they released him aged 13 for not being good enough. The way the Saints attack destroyed him on Tuesday highlights why they let him go, and yet he has been playing games for the senior Pompey side in League 2. The gulf between the academies and clubs is huge.
A bit like Chelsea turned down Shaw? Or Omar Rowe was released by West Ham? Or Lambert was let go by Liverpool? Surely I don't have to remind you how close we were to letting Gareth Bale go? Players develop at different rates, the fact we released him at 13 doesn't really prove anything.
