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Saints 'B' Team

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Nordic Saint

Nordic Saint

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, The Curse of St Mary's said:

B team winning 2-0. Ballard got the second. Throw the lad into the first team ffs can't do any worse than the other Muppets. 

His 23rd goal of the season. Surely, he deserves a place on the first team subs bench before the end of the season. He's obviously too young to be a regular but it would be good to see him come on for the last 10 minutes of a game when we need a goal. It's not as if we've got anyone in the first team who'd be any more likely to score.

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david in sweden

david in sweden

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23 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

His 23rd goal of the season. Surely, he deserves a place on the first team subs bench before the end of the season. He's obviously too young to be a regular but it would be good to see him come on for the last 10 minutes of a game when we need a goal. It's not as if we've got anyone in the first team who'd be any more likely to score.

I think my calculator might be different to yours  Nordic Saint .. I  make it ...24 goals. 

He made his first team debut coming on after 75 mins. in the Cambridge Utd League Cup game and scored near  the end.  A very impressive career start...

....and even more impressive when you consider that he is still young enough to qualify as an U18  ..where he has scored 8 times in 9 League and Cup games

.....and since moving up the the B team ...he has managed 15 goals in 23 games (with some of those coming on as a late sub). 

One of our best youth products in the last 15 years.   I guess Adam Lallana had a similar start when he was at  similar age. 

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daldridge7

daldridge7

Posted
Posted (edited)
38 minutes ago, david in sweden said:

I think my calculator might be different to yours  Nordic Saint .. I  make it ...24 goals. 

He made his first team debut coming on after 75 mins. in the Cambridge Utd League Cup game and scored near  the end.  A very impressive career start...

....and even more impressive when you consider that he is still young enough to qualify as an U18  ..where he has scored 8 times in 9 League and Cup games

.....and since moving up the the B team ...he has managed 15 goals in 23 games (with some of those coming on as a late sub). 

One of our best youth products in the last 15 years.   I guess Adam Lallana had a similar start when he was at  similar age. 

Wasn’t there news that the academy coaching staff are saying that his all round game has got a lot to improve to be playing with the first team. I think that’s why you hardly ever see him in first team training nowadays but Kami, Amo-Ameyaw, and Payne seem to be getting pushed instead. Although, I agree the first team just need goals, we’ve got plenty of other bodies who just run about. 

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david in sweden

david in sweden

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6 hours ago, daldridge7 said:

Wasn’t there news that the academy coaching staff are saying that his all round game has got a lot to improve to be playing with the first team. I think that’s why you hardly ever see him in first team training nowadays but Kami, Amo-Ameyaw, and Payne seem to be getting pushed instead. Although, I agree the first team just need goals, we’ve got plenty of other bodies who just run about. 

......seems to me that everyone "runs about" a lot , but no-one can score goals.    We've had to rely on Adams and Prowsey's meagre tally. 

I know we've conceded a lot  (in part because of having had 7 different CB combinations)  but we've also lost a dozen games by a one goal margin, 

and after today ... have played 13 games without  scoring at all.    If we can pay 16 million for a proven goalscorer, and only give him 30 minutes off the bench, 

then we might equally well give someone like Ballard  a little bit of game time - we surely can't get any worse..... next up is Arsenal !!!!!! 

 

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LGTL

LGTL

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Probably the best moment of the season was seeing how delighted Ballard was to score on that balmy night in Cambridge (yes, that was this season incredibly!). Deserves a start, wouldn’t do any worse then the other knob heads.

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disconnect

disconnect

Posted
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Great news for them. Amo-Ameyaw looks a talent and I guess we know players like Dibling, Doyle, Ballard & Diamond Edwards when fit will be around the first team squad next season and hopefully see a few making the breakthrough. Interesting that all of the goalscorers are actually from the under 18 squad. 

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The Curse of St Mary's

The Curse of St Mary's

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So who is the left back? Looks like Perraud won't be fit for Sunday. Need balance not KWP playing there.

I suspect we have a number of injuries / doubts for game on Sunday so I wonder if any of these lads could step up? Despite having 31 man squad we don't have another fit recognised left back or centre midfielder (exc Diallo who is terrible). 

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The Cat

The Cat

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3 minutes ago, The Curse of St Mary's said:

So who is the left back? Looks like Perraud won't be fit for Sunday. Need balance not KWP playing there.

I suspect we have a number of injuries / doubts for game on Sunday so I wonder if any of these lads could step up? Despite having 31 man squad we don't have another fit recognised left back or centre midfielder (exc Diallo who is terrible). 

Meghoma is the left back, one of the two that came from Spurs. He's only 16. Has played England youth games.

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Charlie Wayman

Charlie Wayman

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Posted (edited)

I am very surprised that there has not been more rejoicing and jubilation at this fine achievement.  A glimpse of a possible brighter future in two or three years time? The perfect riposte to the A team's relegation. Well done lads you have given us hope.

Come on you young reds! 

Edited by Charlie Wayman
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The Cat

The Cat

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20 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

I am very surprised that there has not been more rejoicing and jubilation at this fine achievement.  A glimpse of a possible brighter future in two or three years time? The perfect riposte to the A team's relegation. Well done lads you have given us hope.

Come on you young reds! 

Agreed. A great achievement, especially as the team is largely filled with players from younger age groups.

For example the Norwich team we beat 5-2 in our last game was made up of 19-21 year old players while ours (apart from Ollie Lancashire) were 16-18. 

Hopefully we'll see some of them breaking through into the first team next season and develop into regular pro players.

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S-Clarke

S-Clarke

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It's a good achievement because in the main this is the U18 group, that's where the core players have come from. Ballard, Doyle, Amo-Ameyaw, Meghoma, Bragg, Dibling, etc. They've done really well and have played above their age, good sign for a couple of them maybe being ready for a step up to senior football in some way.

There was a bit of focus on the U18 team in the summer to bridge a bit of a gap in quality and It's fair to say that worked, probably the only thing that has worked mind, but worth giving credit for that.

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Baird of the land

Baird of the land

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Charlie Wayman said:

I am very surprised that there has not been more rejoicing and jubilation at this fine achievement.  A glimpse of a possible brighter future in two or three years time? The perfect riposte to the A team's relegation. Well done lads you have given us hope.

Come on you young reds! 

I'll hold off my excitement until we get a less bloated 1st team squad and a first team manager willing to play talented kids

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Fabrice29

Fabrice29

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Posted
On 29/04/2023 at 10:16, The Cat said:

Agreed. A great achievement, especially as the team is largely filled with players from younger age groups.

For example the Norwich team we beat 5-2 in our last game was made up of 19-21 year old players while ours (apart from Ollie Lancashire) were 16-18. 

Hopefully we'll see some of them breaking through into the first team next season and develop into regular pro players.

Achievement is definitely impressive and even more so because it’s a very young group but I also think when we are calling for a step up to the first team we should remember they’ve impressed in the PL2 and not the top division. There’s a whole other league worth of talent above them currently and that explains our desire as a club to continue to target talent from these teams. This group are clearly doing all they can, so it’s not their fault at all, and I think they do deserve an opportunity next season when it’s right for them, but it always amuses me that people just casually think the likes of Ballard should take a natural step up to the first team now when the level he’s impressed at is an even bigger step than the one Edozie for example made last summer. 

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kristian

kristian

Posted
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4 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Achievement is definitely impressive and even more so because it’s a very young group but I also think when we are calling for a step up to the first team we should remember they’ve impressed in the PL2 and not the top division. There’s a whole other league worth of talent above them currently and that explains our desire as a club to continue to target talent from these teams. This group are clearly doing all they can, so it’s not their fault at all, and I think they do deserve an opportunity next season when it’s right for them, but it always amuses me that people just casually think the likes of Ballard should take a natural step up to the first team now when the level he’s impressed at is an even bigger step than the one Edozie for example made last summer. 

While true, I think the divisions at u21 level are pretty useless given the massive turnover and promotion of youth players at every club, each season meaning players very rarely spend 2+ seasons in the same u21 teams. Obviously top teams (City, Utd, Chelsea) will tend to always have the best, but I wouldn't have put it past our u21s this season finishing near the top of PL2 Div 1 if they were in it and potentially even better next year when they're actually closer to that age group. Sadly for us, it was just a case of the previous generation not being good enough for Div 1. Also, Ballard and Doyle are very clearly two of the best in the country given their international callups and u18 (non division based) performances, so I don't think the step up is that much bigger for them.

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david in sweden

david in sweden

Posted
Posted (edited)
9 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Achievement is definitely impressive and even more so because it’s a very young group but I also think when we are calling for a step up to the first team we should remember they’ve impressed in the PL2 and not the top division. There’s a whole other league worth of talent above them currently and that explains our desire as a club to continue to target talent from these teams. This group are clearly doing all they can, so it’s not their fault at all, and I think they do deserve an opportunity next season when it’s right for them, but it always amuses me that people just casually think the likes of Ballard should take a natural step up to the first team now when the level he’s impressed at is an even bigger step than the one Edozie for example made last summer. 

It's not wrong to consider these lads are worth " some minutes"  at the highest level - they have to start sometime, but we should be careful not to overload 

the team with too many untried youngsters all at once.  Most of the teenage summer signings were a good investment, but there is a world of difference 

between being the " star act " in someone's  B team,  and then coming up against hardened internationals in the toughest league in the World, but to start 

3 or 4 of them every week-  is a recipe for disaster, as we have seen to our cost this season.

Looking back Prowsey got game time in our first match after Prem. promotion 2012-13 , but was sparingly used as a sub for several seasons before becoming

an automatic starter, whilst learning to play alongside others who were already established professionals with international status.     

400 games later, he's still first on the team sheet and (statistically) covers more ground than any other Prem. player.   He's paid his dues to Saints.

 

In time, some of the new arrivals will undoubtedly make good careers, and some of our current group of U18's (who have been playing together since

they were 8 year olds), have been the backbone of the U21 success this season,  and one or two will still be eligible for the U18 's next season.

Certainly the best Academy group in the last 10 years.  (was JWP, Stephens, Chambers, Shaw, Targett, McQueen and Reed ) from memory.

 

Playing at a lower level (Championship) will certainly give our new U21's the opportunity for real game time and progress in their careers, but we

must sign a few seasoned pro's who know the pitfalls of the lower level  (we already have Bree), and our own loanees like Tella and Smallbone 

who have sampled the lower level with some success. 

IF - we do  go down, there will be a huge generational shift and hopefully a real start for the brightest / best of our youngsters. 

Edited by david in sweden
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tippingnoddles

tippingnoddles

Posted
Posted

Just an observation, since Brexit, less imports in the prem 2 Div 2, bigger gap now between that level and men’s football. Under 18 resembles Southampton school boys of old, with some of the better English players recruited with promises that can’t be cashed but overall standard definitely  not strong enough for step up yet. Better boys need testing elsewhere rather than frustrated not getting a look in because managers job is always on the line here.

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Master Bates

Master Bates

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Posted

How has PL2 changed?

 

Previously, PL2 operated as a two-tier system where teams from Category One academies were placed in two divisions. Teams could be promoted out of PL2 Division Two and relegated from PL2 Division One.

However, that will no longer be the case as there will now be one 25-team group made up of Category One teams without the possibility of relegation.

The format uses the ‘Swiss model’ popularised in chess, where teams do not play every other team in the league.

It is the same model being implemented by UEFA in the Champions League from the 2024-25 campaign.

In the Division One and Division Two current model, all teams across both divisions would play every other team in their league home and away.

Now, the 25 teams will be placed into five pots based on their seeding, calculated using their performance over the last three years. It is unclear at this stage exactly how the fixtures will work but the plan is for clubs to face each of the other teams in their pot as well as four or five of the teams in other pots.

Ultimately, each team will play 20 games, a reduction from 26 games in the current PL2 Division One.

Once the games have been played, the top 16 teams in the league will enter the play-offs where single-leg ties will be played until a winner is determined in the final.

Currently, the top 12 teams qualify for the following season’s PL International Cup. That has not changed as part of the new plans.

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Holmes_and_Watson

Holmes_and_Watson

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Posted
9 hours ago, Master Bates said:

In the Division One and Division Two current model, all teams across both divisions would play every other team in their league home and away.

 

Well, I'm glad they're dropping that mental format, which blatently favours the richest clubs, essentially rigging the competition and allowing them to hoover up talent. It's later than it should be, but this is a massive victory for fairness, transparency and the spirit of football.

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Master Bates

Master Bates

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1 hour ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Well, I'm glad they're dropping that mental format, which blatently favours the richest clubs, essentially rigging the competition and allowing them to hoover up talent. It's later than it should be, but this is a massive victory for fairness, transparency and the spirit of football.

I'm yet to understand it all.

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josebaiw

josebaiw

Posted
Posted

Has anyone else noticed we've started using U21 and B team interchangeably? 

The website lists our "U21" squad, but has the "B Team" staff, for example.

Did our B Team Rebranding just fall flat on it's face? I know it's trivial, but the name change did have a little fanfare attached? 

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SaintsFan86

SaintsFan86

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, josebaiw said:

Has anyone else noticed we've started using U21 and B team interchangeably? 

The website lists our "U21" squad, but has the "B Team" staff, for example.

Did our B Team Rebranding just fall flat on it's face? I know it's trivial, but the name change did have a little fanfare attached? 

The "B" team thing was something that was put in place by Crocker and Co. I only imagine that it's been rebunked back to under 21 by the new leadership.

As for the website I'm sure they just haven't updated it yet.

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spyinthesky

spyinthesky

Posted
Posted

I wonder if anyone on here went the the U21/B Team game at Weymouth last night.
A Terras fan I know went and said Weymouth were far too good for our youngsters and walloped them 5-0.
Apparently we gave the ball away quite frequently and whoever played in goal often stood with the ball at his feet for some time trying to find someone to play a short pass to.
Seems that the Russell Martin style of play already affecting/infecting the youngsters.
No idea who played for us and there doesnt seem to be any detail on the Saints website

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