Official Reserves and Youth Team thread

[Lofthouse Lower]

If the reserve captain can't get a game when kids of a 'lesser' status are being given a shot then he's bound to be disappointed.

Yeah, he got fed up last season as well, was thinking they'd never get a chance when Coyle kept naming 4 subs. But that move did seem to improve their form.
I think if we were winning more comfortably he would have come on instead of O'Halloran.

I agree with the latter.

Trouble is, he seems to have a somewhat 'difficult' personality from what I can gather - quick to react and not always with much forethought.

[Sponge]

Haha, Riley is a crack-up in that interview. Mad nonchalant.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Jack Sampson called up into England U19 squad.

Good for him.

[Armchair Wanderer]

It's hard for a PL team to play an inexperienced CB.

Very glad some kids got to play (and sounds like they played well).

[plymouth wanderer]

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/515789270?-11201" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Beefheart]

OfficialBWFC Official BWFC
Bolton Wanderers Under-18s beat Bristol City Under-18s 2-0 away from home, with goals by Zach Clough and Luke Woodland.

[clapton is god]

The bad news from Fulham is that we lost 7-0 having been 6-0 down at half time.

The good news was that Holden successfully played 78 minutes!

edit to add: Must look in other threads and be quicker next time

[Armchair Wanderer]

They've just had Sir Trevor Brooking on the radio raving about how good-on-the-ball the England U-17 and U-19s are. If we have someone in the England U-19s it sounds like he must be good.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Meh result matters not

[Prufrock]

I'm not sure that counts when you lose 7-0.

[Verbal]

c+p from the holden thread as it covers the reserve team mostly...

Just got back. Definitely worth the 90 min journey there and 90 min journey back...

Before I go into our performance, can I just say [owencoyle] Fulham played excellently first half and have some very promising youth prospects. Their number 9, Trotta, scored five and completely bossed our centre halves, and left Lynch no chance with his finishing. They towered over us physically and in terms of speed. The young Kerim Frei merked us as a second striker and Bjorne Riise looked very good wide right. According to my boss who i went with he is pushing first team (though I'm not too sure myself).[/owencoyle]

Now, to business...

So, so poor first half. Gave the ball away like, er, kids at times, which itself cost us a few goals. Our fullbacks (Battersby and McQuade?) were given a torrid time by their far superior wide men and overlapping fullbacks, with many of their goals coming from balls pulled back from the byline. Only one of their goals was barely debatable, and that was an offside call (some inactive/active bollocks) but we took about five minutes to react after it was obvious it weren't going our way.

The lack of movement, or cohesive movement to choose a better phrase, was alarming. Many times Riley, Vela or Holden would get the ball, look up and see a static front line. Infact, the number of times a player received the ball, looked up, saw no options, then turned around and ran 15 yards before passing it back to Lynch was disappointing.

Really wasn't impressed with the back line either. Slow in the tackle, beaten in the air (though tbf trotta was superb aerially), and so, so many suicide passes that could and maybe should have let Fulham in. I also counted about five times when Fulham broke and had a 5-on-4 or similar situation in our half...I think the worst I counted was a 6 on 3, and we seemed very slow to get back. They also hit the post in the first half, btw.

Second half we were immeasurably better, and were unfortunate not to score about three ourselves. Riley reverted to his customary fullback position, Odelusi and Fazlic (who is this guy btw?) came on and we looked a lot more assured. Movement improved, passing was crisper and faster Though I guess that can happen when the other team is sitting on a 6-0 lead. but still

Holden, after a poor first half (but then again that can be said of everyone) improved a lot, with his simple passing and ball-winning really frustrating Fulham and getting us going. His crossing and corner-taking was disappointing but that'll come with practice I wager. Glad he got through unscathed.

Vela, the most Walkden-looking boy ever, was very impressive second half. First half he seemed to be playing very advanced, meaning he got sod all of the ball and left a gaping hole in the middle. Second 45 he played a bit deeper, and at times like Holden can do was switching play well and linking up fantastically. Looking forward to seeing more of him.

O'Halloran had an unforgiving task in the first half, but managed to create a couple of openings and to be honest should have took them. Nothing else of note, really.

Odelusi and Obadeyi swapped flanks well, but the final product was often missing, especially with the latter.


Snapshots...

Frei for them nearly snapping Holden's leg, taking away any goodwill I had for the little bastard.

O'Halloran doing very well to fashion a chance for himself, forcing their keeper into a smart save at his near post. He also had another opportunity when played through by Holden with a nice through-ball, but dragged it wide when he really should have done better.

John Henry going completely postal on the sideline in the first half.

Joe Riley near the end, sprinting a good 20 yards to keep the ball in play when everyone else had left it before starting an attack for us. Got a hell of a first-time cross that lad, too.

Vela, collecting the ball on half way, waltzing past three Fulham players and leaving them on their arse, before slipping the ball through for Odelusi who saw his shot blocked.

Tope shouting for the ball at different players (Josh! Stu! Joe! Joe! Dino! Dino!) as they passed it around him. Had a header very well saved in the second half, as well.

Fazlic mistiming a header he really should have buried.

Jay Lynch's booming voice.

Overall...they were a good team and they rolled us over first half, partly through their incisive and quick play but much of it our own doing. Second half we dominated and should have had a few.

_________________

[Lofthouse Lower]

Great report.

Fazlic is Dino Fazlic, formerly of Werder Bremen - has been with us since pre-season.

[Verbal]

Ah cool, cheers. His name wasn't on the programme squad, so was quite puzzled when his name appeared on the teamsheet. Couple of nice touches but nothing too spectacular. As said, should have buried a header, and sometimes knocked off the ball a bit easy, but apart from that did ok.

[Verbal]

Ah cool, cheers. His name wasn't on the programme squad, so was quite puzzled when his name appeared on the teamsheet. Couple of nice touches but nothing too spectacular. As said, should have buried a header, and sometimes knocked off the ball a bit easy, but apart from that did ok.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Dino Fazlic has signed on a 2yr pro deal.

[Lord Kangana]

Any links to a bit more info about him?

[Lofthouse Lower]

Not loads, but a couple mainly in German



http://www.football-talents.co.uk/Dino_ ... 233-2.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/dino- ... 87067.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lofthouse Lower]

Stu Holden playing for the reserves tonight vs Rochdale.

Jurgen Klinsmann has been rumoured to be attending in order to see the lad play for himself

[Lofthouse Lower]

Reserves won on penalties but should have had the game wrapped up before then.

Sampson scored.

Star attendee - Jurgen Klinsmann himself.

[Beefheart]

Reserves won on penalties but should have had the game wrapped up before then.

Sampson scored.

Star attendee - Jurgen Klinsmann himself.

How did Holden do?