As a follow up to this game against Wolves, which was played in grotty weather conditions, the club has been reminded that if a under 21 competition game is played at the training ground, then there is supposed to be covered accommodation for a minimum of 500 spectators. Thankfully, this was given as a gentle reminder rather than any disciplinary action.
Just to update on this weeks games, our under 21 fixture away to WBA yesterday was called off and has been rescheduled for March. Meanwhile, our Academy side are at Upton Park this evening in the FA Youth cup. The game started at 7 and as I post, it's 0-0. Our side this evening includes our central defender Milos Veljkovic. There is a little story with Veljkovic, he was supposed to be drafted into our squad on Sunday when Vertonghen was taken ill hours before the kick off. We sent a club employee to collect Veljkovic from his home but the driver went to a wrong address (doh), and by the time he had found the correct address and then battled through the bad weather conditions and the matchday traffic, got to the ground too late to put Veljkovic on the team sheet. So Verts'name remained on the team sheet even though he had been sent home to his bed.
We're 3-0 up, SC. http://www.whufc.com/articles/20130122/fa-youth-cup-live_2236884_3050105? Shaw OG, Coulthirst and McEvoy (Bale MkII), who appears to be involved in everything.
Thanks for the info, shame he didn't get to make the bench, I imagine that would've been a great moment for the lad. Does that mean Gallas is still out?
"Academy of Football? Flunked." Countered by 'the U18 League is more important to us than a cup' ... ??
Spurs 2 Southampton 2. A disappointing slip up this morning at the new training ground when we let a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes, turn into a draw. Coulthirst headed us into an early lead and then Alex Pritchard netted from a narrow angle and having scored 4 against Saints in each of our earlier games this season, it looked as if we would at least get that again. But Saints didn't lie down and die, and encouraged by the several over age players in the team, including our ex-young prospect Lee Barnard, they regained their composure and we were put under more pressure than we could have expected. They deservedly pulled one back and we had gone from cruising to being pushed back in our own half for the rest of the first half. Both teams went for it in the second half, but Saints were more organised than the early stages and we were reduced to nothing more than a few half chances before Saints equalised. Prictchard was outstanding throughout, playing in a wider role on the left and during the first half in particular, was giving his marker a torrid morning. Overall, probably a fair enough result, but after being 2 goals ahead, we will be the more disappointed of the two sides.
Thanks. Can't say I recognise any of their names apart from Barnard and Jonathon Forte, who I looked up to double check but I still have no idea why I recognised the name straight away. I don't think we had any overage players from the looks of things though so I guess we can take a little away from that but I'd still hope we'd have won, especially after taking the lead, it's a talented group we have there.
Not surprising though as both players have been back at the club for a while now and yesterday was Bostock's 2nd sub appearance since he returned. Swindon made a lot of noise about wanting Bostock to remain there for longer, but never came up with the financial contribution, so he had to come back. Not sure what the position was with Nathan Byrne, as reports were he was doing ok and getting regular games, so surprising to see him back.
Byrne came back a few days before Smith went out didn't he? I thought it might have been connected to that as Naughton was covering left back so if we got another injury we probably would've needed an emergency right back. Thinking about it maybe that wasn't the reason as we could surely have just recalled them once a player got injured so I guess it is a bit strange.
