Under 23s | Vital Football

Under 23s

The Under 23s carried on with their great run of form beating second placed Barnsley 3 - 0 away from home earlier today.

First half goals from Will Swan (2) and Julien Larsson were enough to take the points

League Table:

1. Forest U23s - Pl 12 31 pts
2. Barnsley U23s - Pl 13 24 Pts
3. Sheffield Utd U23s - Pl 11 23Pts
4. Hull U23s - Pl 12 22Pts
5. Wigan U23s - Pl 9 21 Pts
 
Looks like we have a good crop of youngsters coming through. Just got to hope that they can make the step up.
 
The Under 23s carried on with their great run of form beating second placed Barnsley 3 - 0 away from home earlier today.

First half goals from Will Swan (2) and Julien Larsson were enough to take the points

League Table:

1. Forest U23s - Pl 12 31 pts
2. Barnsley U23s - Pl 13 24 Pts
3. Sheffield Utd U23s - Pl 11 23Pts
4. Hull U23s - Pl 12 22Pts
5. Wigan U23s - Pl 9 21 Pts

So they play 2 up front?
 
So they play 2 up front?
Almost always and forever as far as Im aware.
Great to have Reidy here, same as Brazil and Im glad those sort of roles seem to avoid the chop n change unplanned nonsense of the first team coaches etc. Not a coincidence that they do well season after season after season
 
Almost always and forever as far as Im aware.
Great to have Reidy here, same as Brazil and Im glad those sort of roles seem to avoid the chop n change unplanned nonsense of the first team coaches etc. Not a coincidence that they do well season after season after season

Wouldn't it make more sense to play the same system and tactics as the first team?

I know these have tended to change with the manager and the manager tends to change twice a season, but if the club was run better I think you would see more of a joined up approach throughout the age groups which is surely more important than winning?

Apart from the first team winning, obviously.
 
So they play 2 up front?

No, they play 4 2 3 1 just like the first team do; I am led to believe that the Under 18s adopt that formation as well.

Swan plays as the lone forward and Larsson plays in the 3 behind.

The last time I went to watch them play Dale Taylor was the forward as Swan was with the first team.

Larsson played wide left, Keith Asare, who looks very quick, played wide right and Ateef Konate played in the 10 role.

Most people cannot wait for Brennan Johnson to get into the first team; Konate looks to be a level up from him in terms of skill and technique.
 
Wouldn't it make more sense to play the same system and tactics as the first team?

I know these have tended to change with the manager and the manager tends to change twice a season, but if the club was run better I think you would see more of a joined up approach throughout the age groups which is surely more important than winning?

Apart from the first team winning, obviously.

That's when you need a director of football and recruit to that ethos/philosophy that runs throughout the football club. That then makes it easier to make the step up in to the first team as your role is the same.

You then recruit your managers based on the preferred/desires of the style of play that is engrained in the football club. That's when manager changes do not have as big of an impact especially when doing it twice a year.
 
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Almost always and forever as far as Im aware.
Great to have Reidy here, same as Brazil and Im glad those sort of roles seem to avoid the chop n change unplanned nonsense of the first team coaches etc. Not a coincidence that they do well season after season after season

They play one up front.

The big difference is the front four in the Under 23s display a range of passing and movement the Dutch would be proud of.

The last time I went to watch them play I stood talking to one of the coaches during play; he told me that everything that happens in the Academy is geared towards succession planning.

This is an initiative emanating from Gary Brazil, and it looks like one of many.
 
Most people cannot wait for Brennan Johnson to get into the first team; Konate looks to be a level up from him in terms of skill and technique.

I guess most of the people calling for BJ to be given the number ten role haven't seen him play since he was last in a Forest shirt. When the first eleven aren't playing well, there's a tendency to let the heart rule the head. Replace Grabban with Walker/ Swan, Christie with Gabriel etc. We all love home produced players, but unfortunately only a small percentage make it at our level or higher.
 
After winning league last season and now we’ll clear this, it appears too easy. They can only play what is put in front of them but it appears not to be as challenging as hoped. Better opposition in cup but that will be limited in game time. Strongly feel some of theses lads need to go out on loan. Several of U 18’s are capable of seeing the season out for U23’s.

Gone are the days when I watched U18’s and 23 so am unable to comment on individual players but reports sound more than hopeful. Way to senior squad is blocked by “bomb squad” and cheap imports. Mighten could have played double the games last season if we hadn’t played De Costa and Huddersfield loanees. New transfer strategy required.
 
As mentioned above, it’s superb that despite all the awfulness and chaos that’s been engrained within the club for the last 20 years at first team level, the academy appears to be professionally run and geared towards creating genuine talent that can either help the first team on the pitch or support the club financially.

It shouldn’t be dismissed how much we produce either - there can’t be any clubs in England other than arguably Southampton that have generated the cash we have through production and sale of young players.

Even at premier league level, When was the last time an Everton or Spurs brought somebody through that played and created demand? Rooney?

Look at Sheffield United vs West brom a few weeks ago - Oliver Burke, Ben Osborn and Matty Cash, never played at premier league level before and yet £30m in fees alone in the last 4/5 years.

Newcastle captain Lascelles and their Goalkeeper Darlow, whose been worthy of cries for an England call up - our academy.

Leeds main striker and one of the top scorers in the prem, Bamford - our academy.

Leicester Captain and title winner - our academy.
 
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As mentioned above, it’s superb that despite all the awfulness and chaos that’s been engrained within the club for the last 20 years at first team level, the academy appears to be professionally run and geared towards creating genuine talent that can either help the first team on the pitch or support the club financially.

It shouldn’t be dismissed how much we produce either - there can’t be any clubs in England other than arguably Southampton that have generated the cash we have through production and sale of young players.

Even at premier league level, When was the last time an Everton or Spurs brought somebody through that played and created demand? Rooney?

Look at Sheffield United vs West brom a few weeks ago - Oliver Burke, Ben Osborn and Matty Cash, never played at premier league level before and yet £30m in fees alone in the last 4/5 years.

Newcastle captain Lascelles and their Goalkeeper Darlow, whose been worthy of cries for an England call up - our academy.

Leeds main striker and one of the top scorers in the prem, Bamford - our academy.

Leicester Captain and title winner - our academy.

Nigel Doughty set the Academy up and employed very good people to run it; Nick Marshall was the Academy Director at that time and he did a great job.

Nick was unceremoniously fired by that petty vindictive c * n t Billy Davies upon his return; the Academy was then starved of the cash that was needed to run it effectively during the Fawaz era.

The work that Gary Brazil did during that period was nothing short of miraculous, and his patience during that difficult period has since paid off.

He has received great support from the current owners and, if the reports are correct, is very highly thought of, deservedly so.