Saints Academy Thread

Excellent!

 

Celebrate with a start at the weekend please, Nathy Baby.

 

Ballard has got two already...(twenty minutes gone)

 

I always put the B team in an acca, always good for some goals.

 

Such a shame he isn't making inroads into the first team, particularly given the current situation.

 

I have been waiting for the OS to post the teams, it just says the game hasn't started, useless.

 

I still maintain there must be a reason beyond “Jones is a prick lol”. We obviously prioritise youth players as a general rule at the club. We signed a couple from Spurs in the summer who are in the u18s so we obviously look further down then just the first team when signing players.

Maybe the club have come to the opinion that none of the current B team players are ready for first team football yet. Maybe they have decided that a relegation battle isn’t the time to be giving young players their debuts. Yes Ballard etc are doing very well in the B team but aren’t we in the 2nd division now at that level? I thought we got relegated last year but may have been thinking of something else.

 

Middlesborogh U21 V Southampton U21.Friday 27th January 2023'
Team: L G Wright (GK). L Payne. O Lancashire. L Pambou. J Meghoma. S Amo-Ameyaw, J H Turner. C Bragg. K Doyle. L Pearce. D Ballard.
Subs: T Dibling. M Hall. J Andrews. W Armitage.

Latest 1 - 2 Ballard both 3 min and 18 min.

1 - 2 HT.

2 - 2 59 minute.

2 - 2 FT

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/...outhampton-premier-league-2-27th-january-2023

 

Payne, Ballard and Doyle all starting - not playing tomorrow then - ridiculous

 

Is J J Morgan in the squad or out of favour because he hasn't signed up?

 

My guess he’s in the squad.

 

Having seen out under 20s (including Payne and Ballard) play against Newport and get bullied off the ball with ease at almost every opportunity, I have no issues with them not getting a start…physically, they are far from ready (or at least they were a few months ago) as it was very clearly men playing against boys.
Whilst I want the talent conveyor belt to churn out more and more first teamers, being prolific against youngsters is very different from coping against a team of men.

 

Although that was a team of kids against men. I'm sure one or two (say Payne and Ballard) with a couple more on the bench if we're comfortable and they'd look far more competitive

 

You have a better idea as you watched the match, but I believe Payne got an assist in that match and Ballard scored, so for the difficulties they faced, they still managed to get some end product.
I don’t mind us having to potentially carry a player slightly if it means that it helps them develop faster

 

True, makes sense I guess, Ballard just looked so small (not just short) against the defence

 

If I recall correctly, the goal was a bit of a bobble that even Schlong could have put away. Payne was a very lucky boy to stay on the pitch after an early horror challenge, but he showed composure as he had the fans on his back for a good hour after it. Again, he was very small, but as SF4L said, if he is one small player in a full team, we probably could carry him to give him some experience

 

U18PL Southampton U18 V West Ham U18 Saturday 28th January 2023 12:00 ko
Team: Mohamed Adli. A Prescott . T Dobson-Ventura . W Armitage . J Lett. A Stepien-Iwumene . J Squires. J Andrews. T Dibling. W Merry . N Oyekunkle

Subs: J Jeffries, T Edmondson, R Evans, E Hartness, J Robinson.

1 - 0 23 Minutes W Merry

1 - 0 Half Time

1 - 0 70 mins (TBC later I am off to SM)

1 - 1 74 minutes

2 - 1 79 minutes Dibling (P)

2 - 1 FT

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/...t-ham-united-under-18s-premier-league-2022-23

 

It comes to something with the Under 21's when they don't have enough players to field 5 subs, with several players from the Under 18's Squad, who played in Middles borough on Friday and one played this morning (Dibling) and another was on the bench this afternoon (Ballard).

 

Southampton forward Kazeem Olaigbe has been recalled from his loan spell at Ross County and has joined League Two side Harrogate Town for the remainder of the season.
With their usual efficiency the BBC Sport has it as :- 15:30 Kazeem Oliagbe [Southampton - Harrogate] Loan