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The Under-18s Thread

Afro Mugo

Active Member
The conditions were horrible and these non category 1 u18 teams are always good in the youth cup. There are alot of interesting players coming up. Good to know the conveyer belt doesn't end with Saka. I'm intrigued by Patino and Azeez. I really hope they make it . Have all the attributes I like in a midfielder.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
The conditions were horrible and these non category 1 u18 teams are always good in the youth cup. There are alot of interesting players coming up. Good to know the conveyer belt doesn't end with Saka. I'm intrigued by Patino and Azeez. I really hope they make it . Have all the attributes I like in a midfielder.
They seem as though they could be an excellent pairing as well as good individual talents. Decent athletes, great passers. I think the issue with both of them as that they'd both be great #6s so they'd vie for the same spot. I think Azeez could easily end up being an #8 though because his forward play is actually quite good and coaches will be tempted to use him further forward. Patino is very sharp though, and smart in deeper areas in how he moves. Glides like Wilshere on the ball.

The next year group of scholars coming up look very intriguing - particularly as there are more defenders in that one aswell. Monlouis, Foran and Awe all talented. Then there's Bandeira in midfield, Patino technically part of the same group. Going forward there's Flores, Edwards and of course Omari Hutchinson. Good set of youngsters there. Hopefully Taylor-Hart returns soon, as he's the most promising winger at the moment in terms of the 1st years.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
https://player.arsenal.com/video/u-18s-leicester-city-h-highlights-0

Some really, really bad defending in these clips, and I'm not sure I put that all down to individual defending as this is actually a pretty promising batch of defenders (Ogungbo, Oyegoke and Kirk all very decent). Graczyk had a tough game aswell.

EDIT: Catalin Cirjan looked really good in this game, definitely one to keep an eye on.
 
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Afro Mugo

Active Member
https://player.arsenal.com/video/u-18s-leicester-city-h-highlights-0

Some really, really bad defending in these clips, and I'm not sure I put that all down to individual defending as this is actually a pretty promising batch of defenders (Ogungbo, Oyegoke and Kirk all very decent). Graczyk had a tough game aswell.

EDIT: Catalin Cirjan looked really good in this game, definitely one to keep an eye on.
I've watched this and i stick with my gut that Gillard is not a good enough coach for the u18s. I hope Per does the necessary changes at the end of the season. Cirjan looks really good . He of course is still adapting physically just like Dragomir.
 

Afro Mugo

Active Member
@Afro Mugo @Geofranco

Was just talking about Bandeira yesterday in the other thread. He starts in a very young team for U18s today vs Brighton.
They are currently leading 3-1 with Cirjan scoring twice. Monlouis with another wow! Flores and Patino makes that 4 schoolboys on the pitch . That's impressive. Bandeira was out for over a year in 2018 . It slowed down his progress . It seems he's one to watch out on. He's gameplay seems very similar to Musah.
 

Afro Mugo

Active Member
The game is now 3-2 . The u18s really struggle to preserve leads . Lack of a DM is a really big problem in this team. Laing who's been injured is the only current DM and can get a game because Patino Cirjan and Azeez have to play.
 

Afro Mugo

Active Member
The game ends 3-2 . U18s previous win was 4-3 against Brighton. The quarter final of the youth cup is on Friday Vs Blackburn who are also having a poor league season. Man City awaits in the semis. The other semi is Chelsea Vs Man U who have another young greenwood like baller Shola Shoretire. The KO for u21 international cup is on Tuesday and it's likely Azeez and Cottrell drop down to the youth cup so it'll be interesting to see Tuesday's midfield for the u21s.
 

Afro Mugo

Active Member
The U16s won 3 0 . Khayon Edwards *2 and Charles Sagoe Jr scored. This was without Flores Patino Monlouis Bandeira Jeffcott(LB) Mitchell(GK)who were all with u18s and Foran who's currently injured. Norton- Cuffy(RB) and Awe(CB) were recently with England u16s as they won against USA Spain and Denmark but they played . The other CB Joshua Robinson who's still U15 is also highly rated. Tall with very good feet.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐

Marcelo Flores. Possibly the pick of the scholars - midfielder who can play CM/AM and out wide. Magnificent in tight spaces, great dribbler and very strong technically.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
That level was way too easy for him. If he can match those performances in the U18's, there's no doubt he'll make a few U23 appearances if he keeps this up.
Yeah, it will be interesting to finally see him in the U18 set-up. A midfield of him, Cirjan, Patino and Flores should be interesting to watch. With Plange likely upfront. Hutchinson's ability in tight areas and his shooting should all translate pretty well.

I'm more intrigued by how the defence will look. Individually we have good defenders but collectively they haven't quite put it together yet. If Swanson stays and doesn't go on loan, U18 back 4 could have a choice of Oyegoke, Awe, Monlouis, Ogungbo, Kirk, Jeffcott, Norton-Cuffy etc...it would be nice to start producing some defenders!
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
The U18 season began today and Arsenal beat Southampton 4-2. The match report from Jeorge Bird is below.

Link: https://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/...arsenal-u18s-beat-southampton-on-opening-day/

Arsenal’s exciting U18 side commenced their season with a 4-2 victory at home to Southampton today.

Coach Ken Gillard was able to select from a host of players and he elected for Hubert Graczyk in goal, with the back four comprised of Levi Laing, Zach Awe, Alex Kirk and Mazeed Ogungbo. Charlie Patino partnered Mauro Bandeira at the base of midfield, while ahead of them Marcelo Flores, Omari Hutchinson and Kido Taylor-Hart supported striker Luke Plange.

Khayon Edwards, Taylor Foran, Billy Vigar and Jack Henry-Francis, who all trained with the first-team this week, were on the bench along with goalkeeper Ovie Ejeheri.

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Jason Sraha weren’t involved, presumably due to injury, while the likes of Luigi Gaspar, James Sweet, Charles Sagoe Junior, Henry Jeffcott, Zane Monlouis, Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Remy Mitchell also weren’t in the squad, emphasing just how many players Arsenal have at this level.

Arsenal took the lead in the 19th minute, with Plange finding the net after he was teed up by Bandeira.

It was 3-0 before the break, with Ryan Finnigan scoring an own goal and Flores then scoring, with the highly-rated Hutchinson assisting him.

Southampton threatened to stage a dramatic comeback late on as Goran Babic scored a penalty in the 81st minute before Jayden Smith netted in the second minute of stoppage time.

Arsenal would score again, however, with Edwards getting what is likely to be the first of many goals at this level, when he scored in the closing stages.

Arsenal: Graczyk; Laing, Awe, Kirk, Ogungbo; Patino, Bandeira; Flores, Hutchinson, Taylor-Hart; Plange. Subs: Edwards (for Taylor-Hart, 71), Foran (for Awe, 72), Vigar (for Plange, 78). Not used: Ejeheri, Henry-Francis.

That's such a strong lineup IMO.

Graczyk
Laing Awe Kirk Ogungbo
Patino, Bandeira
Flores Hutchinson Taylor-Hart
Plange
Looking at some of the names missing (Monlouis for example) will tell you how strong this squad is this year. Omari Hutchinson off the mark with 2 assists, Patino and Bandeira at the base and Flores also scoring. I can't wait to see more of this team. This really could be our best intake in a while - let's hope we can keep up the good work from here.
 

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