[Albion] EFL Trophy Quarter Final - Amex, Tuesday 9th January ko 7pm

[Seagull Stew]

No. We have a gentleman's agreement (or something similar) in the Sussex Senior Cup. We know we're competing with level 5 or 6 teams, or lower. This is different - full-time professional EFL teams that are out to win it, all wanting to see off a PL U21 team and rejoicing if they do it. Perfectly right that we should take advantage of anything, anything at all, that gives us an edge. And we'd still be quite fairly, playing our U21s, as per the competition rules.
Not like the All-Blacks never try and take advantage if they think they can, eh?

I don't know. I couldn't give a stuff about rugby. But I'm the only bugger around here that doesn't!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Every bit we should be taking it seriously. It's a competition, there to be won, and I hope we do; we haven't won many yet. It would be a terrific achievement, and a trophy for the shelf. Obviously the needs of the first team come first, but depending on the timing, and where the 1st. team is at the time, yes, use everything we can that's to our advantage.

And as for laughing at us, the other PL clubs would be right hacked off that we'd done what their academies couldn't do.

Its the EFL Trophy, for L1/2 sides. It would be a terrific achievement if the U21s won it. It would not be a terrific achievement if Spanish wonderkid Ansu Fati and Puskas Award winner Julio Enciso banged a couple past Doncaster to win it. I mean, we could also pick Lewis Dunk and Pascal Gross to play alongside them. In the rules yes, stupid yes, achievement no.

 

[The Mole]

Its the EFL Trophy, for L1/2 sides. It would be a terrific achievement if the U21s won it. It would not be a terrific achievement if Spanish wonderkid Ansu Fati and Puskas Award winner Julio Enciso banged a couple past Doncaster to win it. I mean, we could also pick Lewis Dunk and Pascal Gross to play alongside them. In the rules yes, stupid yes, achievement no.

This trophy means a lot to the lower league teams and a day out at Wembley is great for their supporters and communities. I’d take no pleasure in taking that away from them. Let the players who have got us this far be rewarded if they make it.

 

[GT49er]

Its the EFL Trophy, for L1/2 sides. It would be a terrific achievement if the U21s won it. It would not be a terrific achievement if Spanish wonderkid Ansu Fati and Puskas Award winner Julio Enciso banged a couple past Doncaster to win it. I mean, we could also pick Lewis Dunk and Pascal Gross to play alongside them. In the rules yes, stupid yes, achievement no.

I take it you wouldn't want to have a day out at Wembley and wouldn't enjoy winning something then, if we put out our strongest team.



OK. Suit yourself. I would!

 

[Albion 4ever]

I think the QF is due to be played on the week of the Luton (A) match.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I take it you wouldn't want to have a day out at Wembley and wouldn't enjoy winning something then, if we put out our strongest team.



OK. Suit yourself. I would!

No i wouldn't. I'd feel a fraud

 

[London Irish]

This trophy means a lot to the lower league teams and a day out at Wembley is great for their supporters and communities. I’d take no pleasure in taking that away from them. Let the players who have got us this far be rewarded if they make it.

Yes I think we shouldn't get carried away here. The points that Seagull Stew made are utterly correct. Beyond that we should still recall that participation by academy teams remains a bit controversial among lower league fans who go along to games in this competition but I think has become more accepted in recent years because the big names have treated it as a genuine development exercise. To suddenly financially dope a tournament for League 1 and League 2 teams by playing players with experience in the Premier League would be rightly regarded as a nonsense by many involved. As much glory as that teacher in Kes shoving schoolkids around.

Get along and support the development lads in the last 8, they may win but we know they were fortunate to get through the last 16 so certainly be realistic.

I doubt we will see any academy team match what Chelsea did a long time ago and that will probably be a good thing. Remember the academy teams Chelsea had back then, a lot of bloated overseas signings who would never have a chance of getting near the first team. Crap for everyone involved.

 

[Simster]

Its the EFL Trophy, for L1/2 sides. It would be a terrific achievement if the U21s won it. It would not be a terrific achievement if Spanish wonderkid Ansu Fati and Puskas Award winner Julio Enciso banged a couple past Doncaster to win it. I mean, we could also pick Lewis Dunk and Pascal Gross to play alongside them. In the rules yes, stupid yes, achievement no.

On the flip side, if this team somehow gets through to the next round then they are through to the regional final. At that point, you can be 100% sure that our opponents will play their first XI against our kids. Perhaps there's a balance to be struck somehow.

 

[Springal]

Given how empty our trophy cabinet is (thanks Chris & Micky) let’s go for it and win the thing

 

[SeagullinExile]

Wimbledon away please.

 

[Whitechapel]

FWIW I’d love to see us win something in my life time, I’m sure we all would. But f*ck me our strongest U-21 team would include:

Verbruggen
Baleba
Enciso
Fati
Ferguson
Buonanotte
Hinshelwood

5 full internationals, £50m+ worth of transfer fees paid, a La Liga winner & the highest scoring teenager in Prem history since Wayne Rooney.

Imagine putting that side out against Doncaster in the final just so we can say our youth team won a tournament? It would be laughably tinpot. It’s the real life equivalent of putting FIFA down to the easiest difficulty and winning 10-0 every game.

It's what clubs do in this country - A Spurs team, for instance, in the 3rd. round of the Cup would bear little resemblance to a team they would play in a final. That's the way it is - live with it!

Surely the fact that no academy team has made it further than the semi-final kind of prove the point that it isn’t “what clubs do”?

 

[Whitechapel]

Also, the final is the day after we play Arsenal in the league. Are people genuinely hoping we throw a league game so half our team can go and duff up Bradford?

 

[Gabbiano]

FWIW I’d love to see us win something in my life time, I’m sure we all would. But f*ck me our strongest U-21 team would include:

Verbruggen
Baleba
Enciso
Fati
Ferguson
Buonanotte
Hinshelwood

5 full internationals, £50m+ worth of transfer fees paid, a La Liga winner & the highest scoring teenager in Prem history since Wayne Rooney.

Imagine putting that side out against Doncaster in the final just so we can say our youth team won a tournament? It would be laughably tinpot. It’s the real life equivalent of putting FIFA down to the easiest difficulty and winning 10-0 every game.



Surely the fact that no academy team has made it further than the semi-final kind of prove the point that it isn’t “what clubs do”?

We should look at it for what it is - a development exercise for the U21s.

If the player is already playing PL senior football they have nothing to gain from this competition, except some silverware that they probably don't value anyway.

Play the kids who are not getting regular first team minutes, still in the U21 team or recovering from injury.

 

[schmunk]

I doubt we will see any academy team match what Chelsea did a long time ago and that will probably be a good thing. Remember the academy teams Chelsea had back then, a lot of bloated overseas signings who would never have a chance of getting near the first team. Crap for everyone involved.

Out of interest, I looked up the Chelsea team which reached the semi in 2017-18:

59 Marcin Bułka (now at Nice)
64 Reece James (Chelsea medical room)
44 Ethan Ampadu (Leeds Leeds Leeds Leeds Leeds Leeds Leeds Leeds)
56 Richard Nartey (free agent, formerly Salford City)
66 Dujon Sterling (Rangers)
50 Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea, but hasn't played this season)
46 Ruben Sammut (c) (Retired in 2021 at age 23)
60 J Fanilia-Castilo (Free agent, released by Chelsea in 2023)
70 Callum Hudson-Odoi (Forest)
57 Harvey St Clair (Free agent, released by Venezia in 2023)
73 Daishawn Redan (On loan from Venezia to Triestina in the Italian 3rd division)

(Plus some subs which included Kylian Hazard, the worst Hazard brother)

There were a handful of first team appearances between them, but no "ringers".

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Even if we throw in our more senior U21s nothing is guaranteed, plus could you imagine the meltdown losing someone like Evan Ferguson to injury in the Paint Pot trophy.

Back in the 17-18 season when squad rules were less strict for academy sides we started a game against Stevenage with the following XI

Krul
Schelotto
Hutchinson
Hunemeier
Rosenior
Molumby
Collar
Tilley
Izzy Brown
Murphy
Connolly

So 5 overage players, including a goalkeeper who had played at the previous World Cup and even one of our under age players was signed as a part of the Premier League squad and had already played over 60 first team games before joining us. We lost 3-1.

I'm sure if we get our injured players back to full fitness, those players who are currently in the senior squad to cover, like Leigh Kavanagh, Jack Hinchy, Baker-Boaitey etc will be available to the U21s again, we won't be seeing Evan Ferguson, Ansu Fati etc involved though.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Grrr - bloody Wikipedia

View attachment 172529

A good article about the Hinshelwood heritage

From Stanley Matthews to the Amex in one footballing family

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Jack Hinshelwood is the latest talent to emerge from a famous dynasty with a remarkable story to tell

www.thetimes.co.uk

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Imagine playing Ansu Fati in the Bristol Street Motors trophy, him getting injured and the resultant conversation with Barcelona to explain that some lad from Bradford has put him out for 6 months?

It's like parking your Ferrari outside the "Dog and Gun" and wondering why your windows were smashed in.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Imagine playing Ansu Fati in the Bristol Street Motors trophy, him getting injured and the resultant conversation with Barcelona to explain that some lad from Bradford has put him out for 6 months?

It's like parking your Ferrari outside the "Dog and Gun" and wondering why your windows were smashed in.

Haha, the Dog and Gun. Lovely Croxteth pub where Mrs GCCM declared her love for GCCM the first time. Yes there was sawdust on the floors, yes there was a chap in there threatening people the day before with a shotgun and most importantly the Guinness was fantastic!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Even if we throw in our more senior U21s nothing is guaranteed, plus could you imagine the meltdown losing someone like Evan Ferguson to injury in the Paint Pot trophy.

Back in the 17-18 season when squad rules were less strict for academy sides we started a game against Stevenage with the following XI

Krul
Schelotto
Hutchinson
Hunemeier
Rosenior
Molumby
Collar
Tilley
Izzy Brown
Murphy
Connolly

So 5 overage players, including a goalkeeper who had played at the previous World Cup and even one of our under age players was signed as a part of the Premier League squad and had already played over 60 first team games before joining us. We lost 3-1.

I'm sure if we get our injured players back to full fitness, those players who are currently in the senior squad to cover, like Leigh Kavanagh, Jack Hinchy, Baker-Boaitey etc will be available to the U21s again, we won't be seeing Evan Ferguson, Ansu Fati etc involved though.

Squad rules haven't got more strict actually, can have 5 overage including 2 with more than 40 first team appearances. However our academy has got to a stage where we don't need to do that thankfully

 

[sparkie]

The whole idea behind U21 teams in this competition is to give those players competitive match experience. We'd look like complete tossers if we parachuted in PL-hardened U21s into our team for the later rounds. Let's just leave it to our U21 squad and see how far they get.