Squad size - First team & U23

[NottsYellow]

If we are running a fully competitive U23 squad, surely our actual first team squad has to be a bit smaller, say 18 players as there should always be about 6 players ready to step up from the U23 squad, (hence giving us a squad of 24) to cover for injuries.
Which squad will Napa and Carroll (separate thread on CC) be in?

 

[beyondthefourth]

If we are running a fully competitive U23 squad, surely our actual first team squad has to be a bit smaller, say 18 players as there should always be about 6 players ready to step up from the U23 squad, (hence giving us a squad of 24) to cover for injuries.
Which squad will Napa and Carroll (separate thread on CC) be in?

This is what I said in a different thread, and didn't get much support for.

I imagine we will probably need more than 18 in the first team, but not more than 22.

I don't think Napa and Carroll are going to be U23 players, though they might be the first of the squad to be dropped to that level as part of the rotations. If they're not in first team plans, they're more likely to go out on loan.

 

[Mellowyellow]

If we follow the model of other clubs, the under23 squad will be completely separate, without a blurred edge between the first team. I’m sure that is what Allen will want. Of course the idea is that if a player is good enough, and there are injuries they step up.
The first team squad needs to stand alone, with around 23 players, roughly 2 players for each position, which I believe is what KR said is what he wanted.
Napa and Carroll would be U23, the question is, will the younger youth players be included or go out on loan.

 

[Jason N]

If we follow the model of other clubs, the under23 squad will be completely separate, without a blurred edge between the first team. I’m sure that is what Allen will want. Of course the idea is that if a player is good enough, and there are injuries they step up.
The first team squad needs to stand alone, with around 23 players, roughly 2 players for each position, which I believe is what KR said is what he wanted.
Napa and Carroll would be U23, the question is, will the younger youth players be included or go out on loan.

Not necessarily sure that this is correct. The u23 squad/team will be mostly independent from the First Team but players who are on the First Team bench or First Team players who are recovering from injuries will play in the u23 matches to help keep/get them Match Fit. We need the Fringe First Teamers to be ready when called upon.

 

[RATC]

If we follow the model of other clubs, the under23 squad will be completely separate, without a blurred edge between the first team. I’m sure that is what Allen will want. Of course the idea is that if a player is good enough, and there are injuries they step up.
The first team squad needs to stand alone, with around 23 players, roughly 2 players for each position, which I believe is what KR said is what he wanted.
Napa and Carroll would be U23, the question is, will the younger youth players be included or go out on loan.

Napa 100% won't be U23 if he has spent the summer getting bigger. The one thing that lets him down is his strength. If he's worked on that over the past 6 weeks then i cant see him in the u23 but see him as the back up to Hall. Carroll on the other hand will probably be Captain of U23/Edge of first team.

 

[Mellowyellow]

Not necessarily sure that this is correct. The u23 squad/team will be mostly independent from the First Team but players who are on the First Team bench or First Team players who are recovering from injuries will play in the u23 matches to help keep/get them Match Fit. We need the Fringe First Teamers to be ready when called upon.

That's what I said in a roundabout way, whereas there will be players who are in the U23's that, if good enough, will feature in the first team. But as a starting point, we need 23 players in a first team squad, along the lines of what we haven promised by Tiger and KR, in terms of numbers and quality.

 

[Craig]

There will be some blurring of the lines because the under 23 squad will need to borrow from other squads to make up the match day numbers, but I don't think the first team will borrow from the under 23 squad nearly as often. Unless one of the players is a bit special of course.

Allen said the under 23 squad will have a base of 10-12 players. Which is bare bones. If players get injured - which almost certainly will happen - or the first team starts relying too heavily on the under 23 squad, it'll prevent that squad from operating properly. If, for example, the first team borrows 2 players, which then prevented the under 23 squad from being able to field a team for a game, and as a result it gets cancelled. What then? Are the remaining players meant to accept that? How is that helping their development?

I don’t think it has been mentioned, but how often are they hoping the under 23 team will play? Weekly, maybe? Certainly no less than once every two weeks. I doubt players will have agreed to sign if they were going to be playing less frequently than that. So with the first, youth and under 23 teams all playing concurrently, there has to be sufficient numbers, otherwise it just won't work.

 

[Sarge]

There will be more blurring of the lines because the under 23 squad will need to borrow from other squads to make up the match day numbers, but I don't think the first team will borrow from the under 23 squad nearly as often. Unless one of the players is a bit special of course.

Allen said the under 23 squad will have a base of 10-12 players. Which is bare bones. If players get injured - which almost certainly will happen - or the first team starts relying too heavily on the under 23 squad, it'll prevent that squad from operating properly. If, for example, the first team borrows 2 players, which then prevented the under 23 squad from being able to field a team for a game, and as a result it gets cancelled. What then? Are the remaining players meant to accept that? How is that helping their development?

I don’t think it has been mentioned, but how often are they hoping the under 23 team will play? Weekly, maybe? Certainly no less than once every two weeks. I doubt players will have agreed to sign if they were going to be playing less frequently than that. So with the first, youth and under 23 teams all playing concurrently, there has to be sufficient numbers, otherwise it just won't work.

Id think if the 'official' U23 squad became a bit stretched a few of the more senior youth team squad would get called up to fill the gaps?

dunno as yet how frequent U23 are scheduled to play .... though theres always the Shaun Harvey abombination competition..... though who knows what ridiculous rules Harvey will introduce both before and during the 2018/19 contest !

 

[beyondthefourth]

Don't forget that we have non-professional academy players that could look to play a game or two to try and prove they're worthy of a pro contract.

Is that allowed? Academy players playing U23 games without a pro contract? Assuming it's not a competitive game and just friendlies, I can't see the issue there.

 

[Foley]

Id think if the 'official' U23 squad became a bit stretched a few of the more senior youth team squad would get called up to fill the gaps?

dunno as yet how frequent U23 are scheduled to play .... though theres always the Shaun Harvey abombination competition..... though who knows what ridiculous rules Harvey will introduce both before and during the 2018/19 contest !

Agree. The better youth team players will of course play in the U23s.
One of the problems has been that there is a huge gap between the YT and first team.
This will bridge the gap.

 

[sarumox]

I have absolutely no idea why the label under 23 has been used as it leads to all sorts of conjecture as to its purpose. I see no reason to have it if it is not seen as a way of coaching young players to the first team level and of helping first team players back to fitness and recovering loss of form. If the morons who run the game reverted back to having a proper competitive reserve team leagues there would be a point to them. At the moment playing the odd game here and there seems pointless and would remove the need to insult clubs in the bottom 2 tiers by playing the top 2 tiers youth teams in a cup competition designed for us.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Surely though, it shouldn't be beyond the clubs to organise this themselves, rather than having to rely on the FA to set up a 'Football Combination' type of competition? We, for example, have quite a few clubs that are geographically relatively close who must also want to have some games to allow their subs, players returning form injury, promising youngsters etc to get a game? MK, Northampton, Wycombe, the Bristols (ooh err), the scum, Reading, Watford - none of those are far and with us would make up a league of eight or nine. Home and away matches would give you a low key sixteen game season (one every two or three weeks) which wouldn't be too expensive, could be played on training pitches or local amateur club grounds. I think if the will were there it could be done, since other clubs must be in a similar situation. Just thinking out loud really!

 

[Corporate_Clive]

If we are running a fully competitive U23 squad, surely our actual first team squad has to be a bit smaller, say 18 players as there should always be about 6 players ready to step up from the U23 squad, (hence giving us a squad of 24) to cover for injuries.
Which squad will Napa and Carroll (separate thread on CC) be in?

1st team.