General Academy watch

There is a National U23 league ( mainly PL & championship U23 sides)

with an U23 north and U23 south leagues too - these have a few PL U23 sides, along with Championship U23 sides plus from L1 and L2
Wigan, Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday, Crewe, Colchester among the U23 teams competing ....

so why not OUFC?
 
There is a National U23 league ( mainly PL & championship U23 sides)

with an U23 north and U23 south leagues too - these have a few PL U23 sides, along with Championship U23 sides plus from L1 and L2
Wigan, Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday, Crewe, Colchester among the U23 teams competing ....

so why not OUFC?
Because, in short, to do so would mean not loaning players out to get regular senior football, or having our u18s (and some U16s) playing twice a week, which doesn't help them
 
Think it was poor our academy players were not given a chance on the bench when we couldn’t fill it. Would of been an incentive and a good experience.
I think Robinson is doing a good job with the first team squad but seems a bit wanting when it comes to our youngsters
Maybe our youngsters are not good enough yet to be in the first team squad of a L1 promotion chasing team.
Look where they are playing and who wants them on loan.
If you think about McNally he was what, 21 when he joined us? I assume that he is better than Golding and McNally has had a lot of game time .
Goodrham seems to be doing well in the 6th tier, and O'Donkor, Golding and Brearley seem rated (+ Johnson?).
Really hope that they make the step up, but if we were to be promoted they need to be far better than if we stay put.
 
Maybe our youngsters are not good enough yet to be in the first team squad of a L1 promotion chasing team.
Look where they are playing and who wants them on loan.
If you think about McNally he was what, 21 when he joined us? I assume that he is better than Golding and McNally has had a lot of game time .
Goodrham seems to be doing well in the 6th tier, and O'Donkor, Golding and Brearley seem rated (+ Johnson?).
Really hope that they make the step up, but if we were to be promoted they need to be far better than if we stay put.
The promising youngsters probably need to spend six months proving themselves in League two or the Conference, if they can't do that they probably won't be good enough for the first team.
 
We do seem to have a rather odd approach I think to it . Playing some at 16/ 17 , making Captain when really no need to add an extra pressure onto them then having players staying until 20 but not seemingly being anywhere near the first team .
Elechi as a left back when we have been extremely short in that position but not even making the bench seems odd .
Would expect 20/30 minutes from the bench to really blood them into the side.
I must admit I've wondered about Elechi getting a chance left side. odd that he hasn't as an outsider looking in.
 
It wasn't too long ago that we thought Stevens would get ditched without playing any more than a couple of games. Eastwood gets an injury, and the likes of Jonathan Mitchell or Jordan Archer get brought in to cover.

I know goalies readiness/peak tends to be a little more offset from outfield players, but then you talk about Sam Long going to Hampton and Richmond at 23 as the last throw of the dice for him. All of this was back when there wasn't a squad size cap for over-21s, which if it was around would have certainly meant he'd have been cut loose.

I hope this cap gets revisited at some stage, even just to raise the age limit to 22/23 for the young players.
 

I like that the club are looking to develop/invest in people like this. Good that it is ex-Academy players as well. Welcome back Jack Stevens and Jack Gardner.
I noted former Reading man & son of Martin, Niall Keown, is also part of that scheme. Last seen in Scotland in 2019 & looks to be retired at 26
 
Thanks for posting - enjoyed that - it does show how much of a step up it is though for GOD from that level to first team. Comedy defending for the last two goals from both sides!
 
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