The football blog for fans of all clubs
Making the jump from youth or travel football to the professional level isn’t just about talent—it’s about mindset, discipline, and making the right moves at the right time. As someone who’s been through the grind, I can tell you that the path isn’t easy, but it is possible if you approach it the right way. Here […]
Barcelona’s La Masia, Ajax’s esteemed youth academy and Lyon’s iconic production line all operate as a handful of Europe’s most prestigious talent pools. Racing Genk is a club not so commonly associated with this list. In a muddied environment of football transfers where short-term fixes and exuberant transfer fees reign supreme, self-sufficiency and youth development […]
The dust has just about settled on England Under-21s resounding 3-1 win over their Scottish counterparts on Friday night, but what can we learn from the match? Youth of Today England’s youth sides are having a golden time of it at the moment, and whilst the Under 21’s lost on penalties in the summer, they’ve […]
Final score: England U21 3 – 1 Scotland U21 (Onomah, Abraham, Solanke; Cadden) A comfortable win in the end, which puts England top of the group as Ukraine haven’t played tonight. A good night for the Three Lions, one to forget for Scotland. Thank you for your company tonight, we’ll have a full write up […]
It’s been a testing start to the season for David Moyes at first team level. In a new job with a new squad results haven’t been quite what was expected and there’s most definitely a sense of uneasiness with all things related right now. As part of the managerial change some new staff arrived but […]
VIDEO: Portsmouth 7-4 Reading, September 29, 2007
It has been a funny summer for Arsenal fans. For the first off season since Done Howe was in charge, the threat of losing players to the more glamorous clubs of Spain, or er, Manchester, is not apparent. Add to that the claim by the club that there is money to spend of anything between […]
Bang! Egypt ruin England’s footballing summer as the U20s, like the U21s, go home at the group stage of an international tournament without managing to win a game. It’s a damning, bleak story say the press with England looking no closer to progress at any level. You can’t argue with it. Or can you? The […]
There was plenty of frustration from England fans after the U-21s were comfortably beaten by Norway in the UEFA Under-21 European Championship at the weekend. A lot of the anger was directed at Stuart Pearce, the manager, who often gives the impression of someone who doesn’t have a clue. In 2007, when Pearce first got […]
There was little more than a brief Twitter outcry of joy as United in true typical fashion came from behind to defeat Spurs 3-2 at Old Trafford and seal the U21 title. Much like at first team level, winning is something that’s become a routine and good habit for Warren Joyce and this group of […]
At the end of season awards last week, Paul McGuinness was the United coach who had the hardest task. When being interviewed by MUTV he was the sole coach who couldn’t report back completely positively. The first team won the title and the U21s are in the league final but the U18s have won nothing. […]
Having no fit or available strikers has been a problem for United’s U21s for much of 2013. With either Powell orJanuzaj have to fill in there’s been no natural focal point and when attacking, it’s not been uncommon for a move to break down or for players to get into good positions to cross only to discover there’s no one […]
If you’re used to watching United’s first team you could be forgiven for being a bit confused by the club’s U21s and U18s. It would be normal to assume that United would prepare players for the first team by replicating the system the first team play but on the whole, that’s not the case. Even […]
Danny Rose was sent off for reacting to what appears to be racial abuse in England U21’s 1-0 victory against Serbia U21s. “I think there one or two racist incidents from the crowd, they’ve been reported to Uefa I believe by ourselves, and it’s in their hands now,” said U21 boss Stuart Pearce. “I’m very […]
It’s still early days in the 2012-13 season, but the turning point for the fortunes of Tottenham Hotspur may have been half-time in the home match to Queens Park Rangers. Spurs were 1-0 down, playing terribly against the side bottom of the table. QPR with central midfield duo Alejandro Faurlin and Esteban Granero to the […]
As the new England U21 campaign begins next month it will bring questions about what direction England are heading towards and whether there is even a plan at all. FA chairman David Bernstein said: “Continuity is vital as we continue to build our club ethos, and Stuart [Pearce] is an important member of the England […]
Coming off the back of a successful 3-1 win over the United Arab Emirates, one thing that stood out with regards to the Team GB squad was the true lack of a potent up-and-coming marquee striker for England that is still young enough to play at U21 level (or below!) for their country. Wayne Rooney […]
“I can’t believe that in England they don’t teach young players to be multi-functional. To them it’s just about knowing one position and playing that position. To them, a striker is a striker and that’s it. For me, he is somebody who has to move, who has to cross, and who has to do this […]
It’s been nearly two years since I profiled Ryan Tunnicliffe. He was about to embark on an important final season in the club’s Academy and was now a full-time professional. Off the back of an injury hit season in his first year as an U18, this was to be an important year for him as […]
With half a dozen players resting up after their exertions at Euro 2012, a further four set to participate in the football tournament at the London Olympic Games and a trio of centre-backs nursing injuries, Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad has been deprived of thirteen first-teamers as they embark on the first leg of their pre-season […]
