U21’s

[Risc]

Should be involved in the first team squad for preseason, no question. Better than Cullen was at that age, quicker and tougher to knock off the ball with the same knack for putting the ball in the net. Same sort of workrate as Cooper. But for the car crash and long-term injury he'd probably have made a breakthrough already.

Jasper have you heard anything about the club going back to Cat1 next year?

 

[jasper_T]

Jasper have you heard anything about the club going back to Cat1 next year?

No. I'm not sure why we would consider it. Cat 2 is the right spec for a club with our budget and pedigree imo.

We do still have the second and third jacuzzis required though, so it wouldn't be an impossible task if someone upstairs decided it was a neat idea. Quite a few recruitment notices have gone up for existing vacancies across the age groups.

 

[Risc]

No. I'm not sure why we would consider it. Cat 2 is the right spec for a club with our budget and pedigree imo.

We do still have the second and third jacuzzis required though, so it wouldn't be an impossible task if someone upstairs decided it was a neat idea. Quite a few recruitment notices have gone up for existing vacancies across the age groups.

If it was any truth in it, it would be a signal of intent from new investors, headed up by Brett Cravatt, imo.

 

[Neath_Jack]

Who is the number 11 for us?

 

[Risc]

Who is the number 11 for us?

Liam Smith from Man City wasn’t it? Looks pie hot.

 

[Neath_Jack]

Liam Smith from Man City wasn’t it? Looks pie hot.

Looks a player him.

 

[Darran]

https://twitter.com/swans_academy/status/1656350429708419111?s=46&t=p94KZqA33SfSPKkithZEfA

Just watched the highlights, can’t help but feel sorry for brum lads, not nice to see. But future looking very bright for us.

Signed from Briton Ferry.

 

[K23]

I wonder who the Birmingham coach is and why he's instructed his players not to tackle anyone? I wonder if it's to show his players first hand what can happen when you don't tackle. :? :shock:

 

[bakajack]

I think that Josh Thomas has smashed in a good wedge of goals for the U21s this season.

Definitely deserves to go away with the pre season camp - even if he ends up being sent on loan for experience the experience of pre season will do wonders for his motivation to make it.

 

[J_B]

I read today that Brentford didn’t bother with an academy until they got into the Premier League.

 

[Risc]

Signed from Briton Ferry.

Athletes produced down that neck of the woods.

 

[jasper_T]

I read today that Brentford didn’t bother with an academy until they got into the Premier League.

It didn't make sense for them to try to compete with the big boys in their catchment area. Rather than spending millions a season to comply with the EPPP specs and still get all their prospects poached by mega clubs down the road, they ran an informal 18+ B team that signed players already in the professional phase of development (like we did with McBurnie, Byers, Fulton, Grimes etc.) Their ownership was involved in European scouting and a Danish club so they were better able to compete abroad than in London.The team would play loads of friendlies against good sides at home and abroad, pretty sure our u23s played them at least once.

The Premier League demands that they operate an official 13-21 academy under the EPPP rules. Not sure they would have bothered otherwise, although continental recruitment of young players isn't as straightforward as it was in the EU days and £100m of TV money makes the costs pretty meaningless.