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U21's V Man City


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Just back. We started the much stronger had some decent chances but once they scored we let them dictate play and there was no way back.

 

Their number 8 bossed the game in midfield and their 11 had the run of Mugabi all evening.

 

McQueen did well first half, some lovely touches and good runs. Not many other positives to be honest.

 

Jaidi was doing most of the touchline coaching. Seems that Hunter had a broken arm?

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You obviously think getting beaten by City is a worth a "lol"? You post a lot of sense normally but sometimes you try to be too clever.

 

Was more of a shock lol than anything amazingly drastic. Didn't expect to see a score like that, you took my post a little too seriously!

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Good first 10 minutes from Saints, pressed City well and forced them into a few errors. Then City dominated till the last 10 minutes when they looked like they were going easy on us. We were battered for about 70 minutes and Cody Cropper kept us in it. It would have been about 10 if it wasn't for, I'd like to see him play the odd cup game next season, he looks a very good prospect and it's odd that he hasn't featured for the first team yet despite signing about 3 years ago and always being in the USA squad.

 

Very disappointed that J-Rod didn't play a part.

 

Hesketh, McQueen did well. Our bleach blonded CB also did okay. Murgabi was ****ing dreadful, he's been our weak link whenever I've seen the kids play this season. I also thought whoever it was who came on on our left flank looked quite lively.

 

Gallagher looked okay too but he's NOT a winger. We'd be far better playing him down the middle. Reid was quite composed enough but he takes forever to decide what to do with the ball once he gets it at his feet.

 

Couple of dodgy calls from the right sided lino on the second half but can't really blame that.

 

Saints MAYBE deserved a goal but in truth, City deserved more than 4. Their second goal was top class tbf. Most of the crowd applauded when it went in.

 

Also, I stupidly decided to take my thin jacket and now I'm pretty sure I've caught a cold. The game was the same as the weather, pretty miserable apart from a couple of bright spells.

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Josh Sims was the left winger who came on.

 

Cropper pulled off a few decent saves but there looked a lack of communication between him and the defence at times, maybe they have just got used to playing with Gazza.

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Good first 10 minutes from Saints, pressed City well and forced them into a few errors. Then City dominated till the last 10 minutes when they looked like they were going easy on us. We were battered for about 70 minutes and Cody Cropper kept us in it. It would have been about 10 if it wasn't for, I'd like to see him play the odd cup game next season, he looks a very good prospect and it's odd that he hasn't featured for the first team yet despite signing about 3 years ago and always being in the USA squad.

 

Very disappointed that J-Rod didn't play a part.

 

Hesketh, McQueen did well. Our bleach blonded CB also did okay. Murgabi was ****ing dreadful, he's been our weak link whenever I've seen the kids play this season. I also thought whoever it was who came on on our left flank looked quite lively.

 

Gallagher looked okay too but he's NOT a winger. We'd be far better playing him down the middle. Reid was quite composed enough but he takes forever to decide what to do with the ball once he gets it at his feet.

 

Couple of dodgy calls from the right sided lino on the second half but can't really blame that.

 

Saints MAYBE deserved a goal but in truth, City deserved more than 4. Their second goal was top class tbf. Most of the crowd applauded when it went in.

 

Also, I stupidly decided to take my thin jacket and now I'm pretty sure I've caught a cold. The game was the same as the weather, pretty miserable apart from a couple of bright spells.

 

I went too, agree that we started well, dominated possession for the opening period and created a few chances. Seager still hasn't shown me anything, and his finishing yesterday was dubious to say the least. Impressed by McQueen - again - who looks like Pelle in play and mannerisms and runs at people when it makes sense, rather than just because he hasn't seen the pass, which Seager was guilty of a few times. Our finishing yesterday was dismal.

 

Cropper's hands were great and he made two tremendous saves, but one booming kick out of his hands aside, he didn't look very comfortable kicking off the deck - if he can sort that out he could be first team material, and I suspect that's what's holding him back.

 

I don't agree regarding Mugabi - he was excellent in the League Cup Final and looked first team ready - he was withdrawn and tentative against City though, and absolutely got caned over and over again because he was getting no support from the narrow midfield in front of him. City just played it into the 20 yards of space in front of him and then down his flank in a two on one over and over, and at no point did we do anything to help him out. Though the slowness in reacting to the ball into the corner for their first(?) was down to him. Not a patch on his Cup Final performance and made me reevaluate how good I think he can be despite it mostly not being his fault.

 

Which is also why I disagree on Hesketh's performance. He's fine when he has the ball, or if there's an obvious cause to chase, but positionally (and certainly in strength terms) I'm unconvinced. Someone needs to see that the right back is being exposed to a 2-on-1 and help out. Reed did Reed stuff, decent quick low passing, harried a lot. Nevertheless City's number 5 was a class apart, short guy with power who deflected everything to a teammate and took control when the game was close. Their 8 who scored the second, and brought one of the better saves out of Cropper, had a wicked bending shot when given time and played his part along with their compact 10 in running the show going forward.

 

Sims was the sub on the left, I've described him as "Lallana with pace" before, but he hasn't really had much of a chance when I've been watching.

 

I thought Targett had an absolute mare, at least as bad as Mugabi despite not having the attack coming down his side all of the time. Gave the ball away frequently with loose passes and got completely done at one point by a faked pass with the guy just turning him and driving into the box, Targett trying to hack him down and missing.

 

Gallagher looked composed, comfortable on the ball, usually played the right pass and along with McQueen was one of the few bright spots.

 

Not convinced on either Cook or McCarthy's performances at centre back - their 9 pulling to the halfway line from the edge of the box would have confused a lot of more experienced centre backs, but too often they didn't make decisions early enough or clearly enough and there was confusion where there didn't need to be.

 

It was reasonably even until nearly half time after Saints' started on top, but became a no contest after the first goal and I don't think Saints had a shot of note in the second half.

Edited by The9
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I went too, agree that we started well, dominated possession for the opening period and created a few chances. Seager still hasn't shown me anything, and his finishing yesterday was dubious to say the least. Impressed by McQueen - again - who looks like Pelle in play and mannerisms and runs at people when it makes sense, rather than just because he hasn't seen the pass, which Seager was guilty of a few times. Our finishing yesterday was dismal.

 

Cropper's hands were great and he made two tremendous saves, but one booming kick out of his hands aside, he didn't look very comfortable kicking off the deck - if he can sort that out he could be first team material, and I suspect that's what's holding him back.

 

I don't agree regarding Mugabi - he was excellent in the League Cup Final and looked first team ready - he was withdrawn and tentative against City though, and absolutely got caned over and over again because he was getting no support from the narrow midfield in front of him. City just played it into the 20 yards of space in front of him and then down his flank in a two on one over and over, and at no point did we do anything to help him out. Though the slowness in reacting to the ball into the corner for their first(?) was down to him. Not a patch on his Cup Final performance and made me reevaluate how good I think he can be despite it mostly not being his fault.

 

Which is also why I disagree on Hesketh's performance. He's fine when he has the ball, or if there's an obvious cause to chase, but positionally (and certainly in strength terms) I'm unconvinced. Someone needs to see that the right back is being exposed to a 2-on-1 and help out. Reed did Reed stuff, decent quick low passing, harried a lot. Nevertheless City's number 5 was a class apart, short guy with power who deflected everything to a teammate and took control when the game was close. Their 8 who scored the second, and brought one of the better saves out of Cropper, had a wicked bending shot when given time and played his part along with their compact 10 in running the show going forward.

 

Sims was the sub on the left, I've described him as "Lallana with pace" before, but he hasn't really had much of a chance when I've been watching.

 

I thought Targett had an absolute mare, at least as bad as Mugabi despite not having the attack coming down his side all of the time. Gave the ball away frequently with loose passes and got completely done at one point by a faked pass with the guy just turning him and driving into the box, Targett trying to hack him down and missing.

 

Gallagher looked composed, comfortable on the ball, usually played the right pass and along with McQueen was one of the few bright spots.

 

Not convinced on either Cook or McCarthy's performances at centre back - their 9 pulling to the halfway line from the edge of the box would have confused a lot of more experienced centre backs, but too often they didn't make decisions early enough or clearly enough and there was confusion where there didn't need to be.

 

It was reasonably even until nearly half time after Saints' started on top, but became a no contest after the first goal and I don't think Saints had a shot of note in the second half.

 

Good resume

 

I initially thought we would run away with the game

 

Man City looked all over the place defensively and we created a number of early chances including a great move which saw a Lloyd Isgrove shot cannon off the base of the upright

 

After that the good start and a goal against the run of play, the team performance degenerated and flaws in individual performances became quite evident.

 

Even Harrison Reed and Matt Targett failed to show why they are first team material

 

Hopefully this was a one off but on last nights performance, quite a few of the prospects seemed a fair distance from first team selection.

 

And it was very cold sat watching after the sun went down!!

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Good resume

 

I initially thought we would run away with the game

 

Man City looked all over the place defensively and we created a number of early chances including a great move which saw a Lloyd Isgrove shot cannon off the base of the upright

 

After that the good start and a goal against the run of play, the team performance degenerated and flaws in individual performances became quite evident.

 

Even Harrison Reed and Matt Targett failed to show why they are first team material

 

Hopefully this was a one off but on last nights performance, quite a few of the prospects seemed a fair distance from first team selection.

 

And it was very cold sat watching after the sun went down!!

 

It was cold

Very disappointed in as much the Saints management didn't seem to have a clue tactically last night - we were pulled all over the place and yet no one changed anything. Sam Gallagher should have come inside, he was wasted on the wing, hardly got a decentball all night and Seager faded after a bright start. Reed was poor imo - he offers defensive destructive qualities but not much else. Thought McQueen did alright and Mugabi got in some good tackles but that was about it. Hesketh was like a puppy chasing a feather all night. He has promise but very undisciplined.

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It was cold

Very disappointed in as much the Saints management didn't seem to have a clue tactically last night - we were pulled all over the place and yet no one changed anything. Sam Gallagher should have come inside, he was wasted on the wing, hardly got a decentball all night and Seager faded after a bright start. Reed was poor imo - he offers defensive destructive qualities but not much else. Thought McQueen did alright and Mugabi got in some good tackles but that was about it. Hesketh was like a puppy chasing a feather all night. He has promise but very undisciplined.

 

Agree with all these comments especially re Hesketh

 

Dont have the information to hand but would be interesting to see what changed in the respective line ups from Saturday when we apparently won 2-0 at City

 

It appears that the City team playing last night was a lot younger than ours with one 16 year old, as was the case when we played Blackburn in the U 21 Cup Final

 

In the early stages, when we were playing well, I was wondering how the U21's would fare against a League 2 side but, as the game went on I realised that, whilst players at this level have good individual skills, they would suffer against the physicality of the lower league teams

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It is impossible to play football when you are constantly off balance and needing to fight a battle and readjust just to be able to put the ball where you want to, and that's why our mostly slight, short, technical players would struggle in adult football at the moment.

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City's U21s would have played in the UEFA Youth League, think they got knocked out by the AS Rome in the quarters, so they'd have been playing a far higher standard of football than our lads for most of the season. Doubt if they bothered much with stuff like the U21 Cup.

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City's U21s would have played in the UEFA Youth League, think they got knocked out by the AS Rome in the quarters, so they'd have been playing a far higher standard of football than our lads for most of the season. Doubt if they bothered much with stuff like the U21 Cup.

 

This is a good point

 

However at least half our side have played or been in the first team squad.

 

I wonder how many City youngsters get a sniff of first team action

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This is a good point

 

However at least half our side have played or been in the first team squad.

 

I wonder how many City youngsters get a sniff of first team action

 

Their number 5 was better than anyone our academy has put in the first team this season. Might not come through City's team but he'll have a career somewhere.

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