EFL (Checkatrade) Trophy | Page 2 | Vital Football

EFL (Checkatrade) Trophy

garygaryshaw said:
Think its a terrible idea to let PL U23 teams into it myself. Most lower league clubs dont want us in it either as it could potentially take away a Wembley appearance for them. If Man City reached the final, I couldnt see many of their fans bothering to turn up considering they seem to reach a cup final every year anyway.
Would anyone go if our U23's reached the final? I'm not sure I could be bothered myself
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Agree it’s terrible, a decision made by those that do not understand the football pyramid.

It’s still being boycotted by many.
 
The draw has now taken place and we've been drawn alongside Bury, Salford and Tranmere.

So much for local groups. I was hoping for Cov, Walsall and Forest Green!

Our kids should batter those 3 though. Come on the Villa kids!


Northern groups
A: Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe United, Sunderland, Leicester City U21

B: Accrington Stanley, Oldham Athletic, Fleetwood Town, Liverpool U21

C: Bury, Salford City, Tranmere Rovers, Aston Villa U21

D: Port Vale, Shrewsbury Town, Macclesfield Town, Newcastle United U21

E: Crewe Alexandra, Burton Albion, Mansfield Town, Everton U21

F: Bolton Wanderers, Bradford City, Rochdale, Manchester City U21

G: Blackpool, Carlisle United, Morecambe, Wolverhampton Wanderers U21

H: Doncaster Rovers, Rotherham United, Lincoln City, Manchester United U21

Southern groups
A: Gillingham, Colchester United, Ipswich Town, Tottenham Hotspur U21

B: Crawley Town, Portsmouth, Oxford United, Norwich City U21

C: Leyton Orient, AFC Wimbledon, Southend United, Brighton & Hove Albion U21

D: Coventry City, Forest Green Rovers, Walsall, Southampton U21

E: Exeter City, Cheltenham Town, Newport County, West Ham United U21

F: Swindon Town, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Chelsea U21

G: Stevenage, MK Dons, Wycombe Wanderers, Fulham U21

H: Peterborough United, Cambridge United, Northampton Town, Arsenal U21
 
How are Walsall in the Southern section yet we are in the Northern section?

My geography isn't the best but come on.
 
McGrath4Pope said:
Disgusting really that the Football League allowed their competition for lower league clubs to be undermined by turning it into a training exercise for clubs higher up the pyramid - good experience for the youngsters but I think I'll give these matches a swerve...

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Some of the top clubs want to see their U23 teams play in the lower leagues like they do in Spain and Germany. This could be just testing the water, hope it never happens myself.
 
The clubs voted for it given the payment sweetener from the Prem once B sides were totally guaranteed not to happen.
 
Cannot wait for this, done 65 league grounds, with the Villa , what other chance will i get to do Bury and Salford. I reckon I will do more away games in this competition than the Premier League this year
 
Tranmere away tomorrow.

Having lost our first game to Salford this is a must win game to stand any chance of progressing.

Tranmere are currently 4th from bottom in League 1.
 
Seeing that we lost to Salford does show how poor (relatively speaking) our under 23 football is compared to the semi-pro football level.

Great experience though for them, I think it’s a good thing for us to blood our youngsters and find out what they’re made of. No doubt they take some knocks playing against these clubs!

It sounds like these clubs take it half seriously and play good sides, if they played their youth players we would win the game easily.
 
Echo the thoughts above about it being a good experience testing the kids against real men from League 1 and League 2.

Shame they only got 2 games out of it (due to Bury's expulsion).

Looks like Delaney has his work cut out with that team. Doesn't seem to be any of them touted as the next big thing. Usually you get one who everyone is excited about.
 
Reminds me of when I was an Apprentice 45 years ago and every lunch hour we played the "men" at football. Every day we'd run rings round these old 25-50-year-old men and every day by the end of the hour we'd lose.
Eventually, we had to mix age and youth to get a fair sided game.

Those were the days! An HOUR's lunch break, doe people even have lunch breaks in this money grabbing social-climbing world any more.
 
Villan57 said:
Reminds me of when I was an Apprentice 45 years ago and every lunch hour we played the "men" at football. Every day we'd run rings round these old 25-50-year-old men and every day by the end of the hour we'd lose.
Eventually, we had to mix age and youth to get a fair sided game.

Those were the days! An HOUR's lunch break, doe people even have lunch breaks in this money grabbing social-climbing world any more.
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I don't really. 10 mins if I am lucky.
 
Draw has just been made for this years EFL Trophy.

We have drawn Sunderland, Fleetwood and Carlisle.

Tough group that is, so I fully expect us to lose every game as we did last year and fall at the first hurdle.

Unless Purslow is right and we have the best kids in the world, then maybe, just maybe we might take a point somewhere?
 
I don't really care how they do as a team. We've had loads of good youth sides who have not broken through. I'm more interested in who can make the step to "proper" football. I'd say take whoever our top 4 or 5 performers from this tournament and get them loans to league 2 or 1 sides in January. Get them games early.
 
What was that thing our youth team won a few years ago? Who was in that team? (Albrighton, Bannan?) And what are they all doing now? (This is one for the Villa geeks).
 
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