Albion U21s v West Ham United U21s - 7pm tonight at the Amex Stadium

[Keith Patel]

Attended the game last night, my first U21 game for a while. Overall I was quite impressed with the squad - we've certainly come a long way recently and we were playing a team such as West Ham with a historically good academy. I thought that Ward and Monakana on the wings showed good pace and skill at times and I thought Hambo and Harper showed some good touches on their return to fitness. For me Molumby looked so composed for a 16 year old and definitely our best player, he's got a bright player. This said, their lad from Norway - Samulesen - looked an absolute class above. I wouldn't say any of them are ready for first team football. I think it was a fair result but a good squad that's learning a lot in a league of strong opposition.

Yeah that Norway lad did look good!

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I felt Cullen was the best player on the pitch, certainly first half. Old fashioned box-to-box midfielder happy to put his foot in. But Molumby showed some promising touches and was not frightened of a challenge either.

I think I might have been sat in front of you, Not Andy Naylor, 1st half FWIW.

PG

I appreciate your patience in not telling me to put my phone on silent after all those texts to and from my WHU-supporting friend.

 

[Albumen]

Haven't we got a highly rated Spanish youngster on our books. I'm might be wrong but weren't Real Madrid looking at him?

This little fella wasnt it?
https://twitter.com/luis_garciam10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYgXDV-XG54&app=desktop

He's in the U18s

 

[Rogero]

This is all early days for our academy. It is a step forward that we are in this league. Our players will be learning every week. Our academy needs a. Mix of local lads and imports. Over the last few years local kids have been going to clubs like Chelsea. Brighton did not really exist for many years in the wilderness boys did not want to come to us. With the fantastic facilities at Lancing players will get attracted and eventually they will come through. Even if they do not become regulars some will be sold on. Very early days but some people will moan about anything.

 

[BigGully]

This is all early days for our academy. It is a step forward that we are in this league. Our players will be learning every week. Our academy needs a. Mix of local lads and imports. Over the last few years local kids have been going to clubs like Chelsea. Brighton did not really exist for many years in the wilderness boys did not want to come to us. With the fantastic facilities at Lancing players will get attracted and eventually they will come through. Even if they do not become regulars some will be sold on. Very early days but some people will moan about anything.

It is early days for the building and any current policy of course, but the key coaching roles of having Academy/Centre of Excellence coaches for each age group and Coach and assistant for Youth and U21's seems to me to be a continuation of what went for more than a generation or two, the biggest burgeoning staffing seems to go for video analysis, medical and sport science to fulfil the Cat 1 status.

So football wise the structure is similar but the surroundings and environment are unrecognisable, granted.

No ones moaning about the facility per se, or current results or at the coaches, I am just discussing the policy and the total misconception by so many of you that going further afield means we are trawling up untapped talent better than what we have in Sussex, we are not.

The very best talent in Sussex is good, very good and should be able to compete with the best of Iceland, Norway, USA and Ireland if any club is inclined to make that a priority to do so, but there is clearly a priority policy to bring in talent from elsewhere.

I am not necessarily even talking about just the good but the very best from Hastings, Crawley, Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Peacehaven, Bognor, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead, Horsham etc etc they to me are quite obviously comparable to a lad from a town from say Ireland.

A country where nearly every club has a historic and personal link with a few Premier League Clubs.

I personally saw Paddy Mcnair (Man Utd) play an invitation game when he was 12 years old, he was already signed with United and had a host of other Prem Clubs waiting in the wings, on this showing he was exceptional, the others very average, so what would be the likely outcome if Brightons current policy was implemented then ?

Forget the stand out Mcnair, forget the average kid who is rated very highly as well, we are soon looking down the pecking order.

It would be like the NFL draft system (in reverse) where we are quickly vying for the good Irish youngsters and not the exceptional ones, we are very quickly recruiting from a similar talent pool at least where the Sussex best could compete but are not offered the opportunity.

Ultimately if you dont care you dont care but opportunity is key in any fledgling footballing career, give it if you can, to a Sussex based kid.

 

[nwgull]

Are these Sussex youngsters that are being overlooked by BHA, with overseas lads favoured instead, being picked up by other clubs with Cat 1 or Cat 2 academies?

 

[BigGully]

Are these Sussex youngsters that are being overlooked by BHA, with overseas lads favoured instead, being picked up by other clubs with Cat 1 or Cat 2 academies?

Probably not, but again it might depend on those clubs policies.

 

[jamie the seagull]

Updated fixtures for City's Academy
NORWICH City's Development Squad will face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League Cup at the Amex Stadium on Thursday, November 12 (7pm).

Read more at http://www.canaries.co.uk/news/article/brighton-norwich-u21s-cup-2783717.aspx#kmR629rmEovCkFeZ.99