To build a good foundation at the clubs academy is the essential reason for progress at Leicester. Steve Cooper might be busy in the transfer market, too busy for our own good taste, since we believe in progress and graduation from the academy as the essential recruitment era for this football club.
We have seen over the years how that has given the club a chance to build good teams, but also be able to see som fantastic sales happening. For a club like Leicester, you have to depend on sales, but they should all be taken at the correct time and place, possibly not done as proper as we would have liked.
Last season gave us great results as we have followed the youth development in tournaments and also seen the fact that young players are drafted from the club to join the bigger and better, as we have a good example in Trey Nyoni, joining Liverpool and allready in the first team frame, being part of the clubs Champions League squad this season.
Looking at the results so far, we do believe thaat especially the U.18’s will be dominant, with an impressive 5-2 win vs. Chelsea, as a result to mention. One of the players making a marks in England U.16 international Jeremy Monga, being described as a wonderkid in national media.
A grand number of young players are out on loan, as we all have seen reports on Ben Nelson (Oxford), Sam Braybrooke (Dundee), Marcal Madivadua (De Graafschap), Brandon Cover (Port Vale), Chris Popov (Barrow), Silko Thomas (Wigan) and Amani Richards (Exeter).
Michael Golding is of course a special signing, hoped he would have been closer to the first team that he looks, but still a grand addition to the U.21 team. The U.21’s has so far played five games, three in the league, won one (Liverpool), defeated twice (Fulham, Southampton), two cup games, defeated away to Burton in the EFL Trophy tournament, winning 2-1 vs. Hull away in the PL Cup.
This looks a good set up, still of course as the U.21 team progress into a good force, hopefully bringing good results to the table in the games to come, seeing progress in every department and hopefully being able to challenge the top teams of development in the country.
There are players to watch in this group, as we have mentioned Jeremy Monga, the captain Henry Godsmark-Ford is one to have an eye on. Joe Wormleighton is a player we are waiting for shall take his step into the first team frame.
Leicester U.21 is 20th in the PL2 at this point. Games are coming thick and fast as we will see Middlesbrough next on the 23rd of September, played at home, Seagrave.
The work done at the academey looks fantastic at this point with the U.18 team possibly the strongest in years at the club. Seeing a number of the players winning the U.16 PL Cup tournament, progressing. Watching the U.14’s, when they visited Norway, reaching the final of that special cup tournament, losing out to Liverpool on penalties, shows how good the club works with the younger players, showing maturity, close control and good vision, as they were impressive.
The U.18 team is currently 2nd in the PL, just behind on goals to Spurs. They will play West Ham away and Brighton at home in their next two upcoming league fixtures. They have so far build up three wins vs. Aston Villa, Chelsea and West Bromwich, a draw vs. Reading and a near 1-2 defat vs. Man Utd.
The focus for Steve Cooper must be to build some sort of bridge down to the U.21 and U.18, and progress from there, hopefully not be tempted to by trash for major amounts, as that strategy will ruin the club long term, avoiding major mistakes as the club have done in the past with young players just being thrown out, who at this point are established full internationals and in good progress, thinking off Calvin Bassey (Nigeria) and Viktor Johansson (Sweden). Strange to see Leicester using heavy fees on 2nd and 3rd choice goalkeepers, as well as defenders far from a place in the starting eleven, when bright talents are not even graded. Hopefully we will not see those mistakes again being made for the future talents of this football club.
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