Tottenham Vs Chelsea: Youth Cup Match Thread

[jambreck]

(i) Only those players are eligible to take part who have reached the age of 15 years by
midnight on 31 August of the current season and not reached the age of 18 years as at
midnight on 31 August of the current season. (For season 2008-09, a player must have
been born on or after 1 September 1990 and on or before 1 September 1993).

winks was already 18(and a half) by then.

Beat me to it by a millisecond!

 

[Firsttouch]

I'd be very surprised to see Marcus Edwards start - he's still in the U16 (schoolboy) age group, he won't even be considered a first-year scholar until next season, he's just had some off playing time along with Kaziah Sterling due to how talented they are. He'll either come off the bench or not play at all considering the national media exposure we'll have tonight with the game on ITV4.

Thanks.Would love to see him in particular tonight COYS

 

[Romulus]

I think most neutrals would rate Chelsea as favourites for this. Very good team which is running away with the U18 academy league south. They also have an excellent recent record in the FAYC. So even though we do have some exceptional prospects, those who haven't followed the youth teams much shouldn't be disappointed if we lose this tie or don't look as impressive as you'd hoped. It will simply be because we are up against another team with exceptional players. One who has impressed me for them is Isaiah Brown, who they poached off West Brom as a 16 year old. Very fast winger / wide forward with good end product.

Should be a high quality game, though, between two of the strongest clubs at academy level in England.

agreed, a lot of people will be seeing some of these players for the first time tonight and might be disappointed if they aren't blown away after reading so much about them. this will be the biggest stage most of them have played on and are up against a much more experienced team

 

[IGSpur]

Most likely from the bench - but Spurs are very protective of the younger players, and he's an u16 so might not appear for a game broadcast on a natiional channel (ITV4)

I dont see this being an issue tonight. I understand for general u16s hence why the u18s games against Chelsea wasn't open to the public last week but I can't imagine they would pull him out of this match with a real chance of winning the FAYC especially after he and Sterling have helped get us there.

Edward's name has been in the papers and both him and Sterling have played eng u17s so I think anyone that has an interest in youth football would already know them and as you say all clubs would already be aware of their talent.

Additionally if Georgiou is still injured those are the only 2 players that could cover for him unless we shifted Harrison to the wing and started Loft, but I'd assume we'd rather start with Harrison up top ,so could chance one could start most lielly Edwards

 

[IGSpur]

You can make your own mind up tonight! I will be looking for players who are EPL or Championship class. Judging by the reviews in the youth thread we have maybe 3. If one of those is good enough for Spurs I will be over the moon. I don't think you have to see too much of a player to judge whether they are "good enough." Whether or not they make it has more to do with attitude than ability.
The little I have seen of Onomah-he has impressed me.

Tbf I'd think that youd need more than one game to make a judgement. Especially as they have an off day. Anyone who caught. Onomah against Wolves would have left thinking he wasn't very good at all as he kept giving the ball away. Even at the start of the Man U game he looked ropey. And Kane was written off after Hearts.

I'd say make your own judgements but keep in mind the opposition and account for form

 

[IGSpur]

are they really all going to start tonight?

The 5 above? Most likely as none of em played for u21s Monday to be saved for this game. Only doubt is Edwards as Georgiou may be fit.

Also great job on the banner @chrissivad

From Chelsea I like Solanke and Loftus-Cheek. Not a fan of Brown myself but we will see how they get on

 

[Blake Griffin]

I dont see this being an issue tonight. I understand for general u16s hence why they u18s games against Chelsea wasn't open to public last week but I can't imagine they would pull them out of this match with a real chance of winning the FAYC especially after they have helped get us there.

Edward's name has been in the papers and both him and Sterling have played u17 I think anyone that has an interest in youth football would already know them and as you say all clubs would already be aware of their talent.

Additionally if Georgiou is still injured those are the only 2 players that could cover for him unless we shifted Harrison to the wing and started Loft, but I'd assume we'd rather start with Harrison up top ,so could chance one could start most lielly Edwards

wouldn't daly come in for georgiou?

 

[IGSpur]

wouldn't daly come in for georgiou?

Forgot about him. And you'd think so but against Man Utd him, Muscatt, Paul and Ross missed out and were included in the u21 squad that week which didn't include any of the players that featured in the FAYC match. Again the same 4 were on the bench against Everton earlier in the week while none of the main players tonight featured which suggests they may not be considered for tonight.

However Daly never came on so if Georgiou is still injured I'm sure he could still be used but his appearance in the u21 squad suggests he won't be

 

[jambreck]

agreed, a lot of people will be seeing some of these players for the first time tonight and might be disappointed if they aren't blown away after reading so much about them. this will be the biggest stage most of them have played on and are up against a much more experienced team

Indeed.

I remember there being a 19,000 crowd at the Lane for the FAYC quarter final between Spurs and Arsenal in 2009. We were well beaten on the night (although only late on) by a clearly superior Arsenal team. Having followed the youth team quite closely that season, I knew how good some of our players were. But the majority who turned up that night left very disappointed and assumed that we were just a typically average Spurs academy team.

But look at the players from both sides now:

Only Wilshere and Coquelin have made it, long term, into the Arsenal first team picture. The remainder of their team that night are now playing in the lower tiers of major domestic leagues or, as in the case of Emmanuel Frimpong (one of Arsenal's most impressive players on the night), playing for Ufa - a minnow, based in the arse end of nowhere, competing in the Russian Premier League.

For Spurs, Ryan Mason and Andros Townsend (Spurs' one really good performer that night) have made it into our first team picture. And Steven Caulker did well enough, long enough for the first team to command an £8-9m transfer fee. Paul Jose M'Poku, meanwhile, is good enough to have become a first team player for a good club like Standard Liege before earning a loan move to Cagliari in Serie A.

The Spurs U18's that year were the first visible indication that our academy had been transformed. They were the vanguard. The result of that one game against Arsenal did not suddenly undermine how good the players were or where the academy was headed. So whatever happens tonight and in the second leg, fans should be reassured that these players of ours are good - very good - and that the future is bright.

 

[jambreck]

The 5 above? Most likely as none of em played for u21s Monday to be saved for this game. Only doubt is Edwards as Georgiou may be fit.

Also great job on the banner @chrissivad

From Chelsea I like Solanke and Loftus-Cheek. Not a fan of Brown myself but we will see how they get on

You might merely have been remarking that you rate him generally rather than specifically with regard to this game but, just in case, Loftus Cheek is too old for this season's FAYC.

 

[PrettyColors]

Remember, this is a cup semi and we are Tottenham supporters; thus, if a player makes a mistake or doesn't play that well he is shit and we shall describe him as such. A striker misses a chance? Ship him off to non-league. That's his level. If we lose we will blame the players and write them off.

If we win, and someone scores or gives a good performance, say Onomah or Azzaoui, it's only fair to say that they're the new "insert successful player here" and make wild comparisons to fully formed stars. If they don't score at least as many goals as Kane did in his first season, they'll be a disappointment.

Seriously, we need to remember that this is a youth team and a youth match. I have never seen this much coverage or excitement around a youth match, which is indicative of the times and a sign of our progress but does not change the nature of this match. It is still a youth match, the most experienced players won't even be 18 years old yet, and everyone has a long way to go. If a player looks off the pace, has some weaknesses, and doesn't seem ready for first team football, it's because he isn't. No one really is. Players like Onomah are certainly promising and have made the bench, but the gap between 17 and 21, the gap between youth training and Poch's PL fitness regime, the gap between 0 years of first team experience and 8 is giant. Remember that our goalscorer and MOTM yesterday didn't make his first PL appearance until he was 23 years old. Let's temper our expectations and try to have a good time.

I'm much more intrigued by how we set up and how we are coaching our youth teams to play. Should be a fun match.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Kid Army!

 

[npearl4spurs]

Come On You Spurm!

 

[JerryGarcia]

We should shave Soldado, give him one of those young looking one direction haircuts, and see if he can sneak on and get a few goals for his confidence.

 

[talkshowhost86]

We should shave Soldado, give him one of those young looking one direction haircuts, and see if he can sneak on and get a few goals for his confidence.

He wouldn't though.

 

[JerryGarcia]

He wouldn't though.

Can't we shave him anyway?

 

[mpickard2087]

Should be a good match. Chelsea favourites, and I think should go through on paper, but we have enough quality to give a good account of ourselves and then who knows... Hope all of the players enjoy the occasion and can play with confidence.

 

[IGSpur]

You might merely have been remarking that you rate him generally rather than specifically with regard to this game but, just in case, Loftus Cheek is too old for this season's FAYC.

I was saying I rated him in general but mind slip I forgot he was a year older than Onomah and not eligible. I thought he played with Onomah last year for England but it was Winks he played with. Thanks for correction. One less player to face.

 

[nightgoat]

Kid Army!

Goat?

 

[chinaman]

Will be relying on posters here for latest updates as match is not available in Toronto.