Youth Teams Discussion.

[albagubrath]

17 hours ago, Gordopolis said:

Ricky S'Bragia>>Billy Stark>>Scott Gemmill>>Ricky S'Bragia>>Billy Stark>>Scott Gemmill>>... Etc 

Exhausting isn't it.

[Pie Of The Month]

Scotland u21 squad for their double header v Norway in Spain. Thought Hackney might've been in with a shout of being in the first team with McLean injured.

 

[accies1874]

With Liverpool unlikely to take the Europa League seriously - at least in the early stages - hopefully Ramsay and Doak might get some minutes at a pretty competitive level if they don't go out on loan.

[2426255]

This is apparently in yesterdays Daily Mail.

Edited May 28, 2023 by 2426255

[albagubrath]

16 hours ago, 2426255 said:

[image]

This is apparently in yesterdays Daily Mail.

That perhaps explains why the U21 games are in Spain and not Norway (given the senior squad are in Norway at the same time as these fixtures).

I wonder who has been/will be invited to train with the full squad. My guesses would be Doak, Hackney, King and maybe Morrison.

[craigkillie]

Conway as well probably given that we're short on striking options.

[Enigma]

Bowie hopefully.

[Bonksy+HisChristianParade]

I see there’s a guy called ‘Lancelot’ in the u17 squad. Terrific name, would be great to get him in the full squad one day.

[2426255]

Looking ahead to Euro 2024 I see a number of our core squad members will be over 30 by the time that starts. With Steve Clarke adding three under-21 players to the June pre-camp I wondered if that points to future proofing. The mean squad age has been steady at around 26.5 since Euro 2020, but by Euro 2024 the extended group of players who have received a call up within the last 12 months mean age will rise to 28.0.

I decided to put together the last 12 months or so of Steve Clarke's comments to the media around the integration of younger players into the Scotland senior team as a record in order to help build a picture of the what's around the corner.

Quote

There’s some young ones that we have to give time to develop. If you look at the age group of this current squad I’m thinking Qatar 2022, Germany 2024 and the next world cup 2026. This current group of players outside of maybe Craig Gordon, Grant Hanley, Liam Cooper and the rest can be ready for all those tournaments as well so that gives the next group a little bit of time to find their level, play for their clubs regularly. You mentioned some of the younger ones at Rangers (Alex Lowry, Leon King) that are in and around the team just now but they’re not playing all the time. You have to give these boys time to develop and hopefully in 3 or 4 years’ time that’s the next generations of players that’s coming through.

27-May-22       

https://youtu.be/29hHRfN5rrM?t=936

Quote

 I think we have a really good current squad, one which is a good age. Take out my golden oldie goalkeepers and you have Grant Hanley at 30, Liam Cooper at 30, Ryan Jack is 29 plus a couple getting to their late 20s, but by and large I think this group of players have two more tournaments in them, the current group definitely. If you look at the younger ones, we’ve promoted quite well with them. With Nathan Patterson in the squad, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, David Turnbull and one or two others that are a little bit younger than the rest. They can probably go for another two, three, four tournaments.

29-May-22

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/8935530/steve-clarke-hails-scotland-scouting-key-success/

Quote

I’m trying to say to the younger ones that there is a pathway because I want to have younger players in the squad. I don’t want it to be that they all grow old together and then you throw it away and start again. I want to try to build that continuity where the next group and maybe the next head coach has a group of players with experience in and around the national squad.

24-Sep-22

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/steve-clarke-has-eye-on-future-with-call-up-for-ex-hibs-youngster-josh-doig-3854796

Quote

We’re obviously missing Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey. It shows we have strength in depth and we have a pathway from the under-21s into the main squad. He (Calvin Ramsay) was solid. We tweaked the shape and for his first 45 minutes for Scotland he can be quite happy - I’m pleased for him.

16-Nov-22

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steve-clarke-defiant-scotland-stance-28511412#

Quote

He’s (Rory Wilson) only a youngster and is probably a couple of years away, but if he continues to develop, without putting too much pressure on his shoulders, he’s one who is maybe going to come through. Let’s not put too much pressure on them, but if someone is playing regularly somewhere and scoring goals, they can be in Scotland’s first-team squad.

04-Jun-23

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/scotland-boss-clarke-names-talented-30145631

Quote

Yeah, it's great to have them (Leon King, Lewis Fiorini, Tommy Conway). I've always wanted to show that there's a pathway from the 21's to the senior squad. With the numbers that we've got here this week it was nice to give three of them the opportunity to join up and show us what they can do. You never know, one of them might do fantastic and we might need them next week so there's always that chance. It's good for them, it's good for their experience - like you said they're all really happy to be here and be part of the senior squad which is good. If they have to drop back down into Scot's group for the games against Norway they'll be in good shape.

05-Jun-23

https://youtu.be/0obMVl4z_8I?t=105

[Pie Of The Month]

No Hackney but a strong looking squad on paper. 

[HuttonDressedAsLahm]

4 minutes ago, Pie Of The Month said:

No Hackney but a strong looking squad on paper. 

That is a remarkably strong looking squad.  As you say, that's even with a couple of obvious missing names and some of the senior team that could play - Anderson, Hickey and Patterson could play (and perhaps Gilmour, as I'm not sure when the DOB cut off is)

[PSJ.84]

17 minutes ago, Pie Of The Month said:

No Hackney but a strong looking squad on paper. 

The way these are listed annoys me more than it should

[BB_Bino]

1 hour ago, Pie Of The Month said:

No Hackney but a strong looking squad on paper. 

I think what impresses me more than ever, is the academies or teams that players are coming through in. I have said it before, but I think over the last couple of years, we have had players coming through in some very very good academies. That's not to say that they will come through there (although of course, Doak & Doig are) but it gives the players a fantastic education for them to have successful futures in the game.

[Caledonian1]

2 hours ago, Pie Of The Month said:

No Hackney but a strong looking squad on paper. 

Is the boy Mebude any good?  I think it's pretty harsh that the SFA even are describing him as Dire

[craigkillie]

Three players playing in Austria is deeply unusual.

[Fuctifano]

Hackney's form fell off a cliff at the end of last season, scored a good goal weekend before last but it probably is a form based non-selection rather than anything else

[Frankie S]

49 minutes ago, Fuctifano said:

Hackney's form fell off a cliff at the end of last season, scored a good goal weekend before last but it probably is a form based non-selection rather than anything else

Have you ever watched the under 21s under Scott Gemmill? We have some decent individuals, but as a team - the word ‘rabble’ would dignify things unduly. Anyone starting regularly in the English Championship, which Hackney is, walks into that squad. Hackney has started all of Middlesbrough’s games this season. I was slightly surprised at the time that he wasn’t one of the Under 21 players Clarke called up to have a look at and train with the first team at the Spanish training camp in the summer (Conway, Fiorini and King IIRC). Maybe he’s picked up a knock in training, or has asked to be left out to concentrate on his club career (which didn’t hurt Hickey or Anderson’s full international prospects to be fair), but his omission is unlikely to be as a result of lack of form (or talent).

Edited August 29, 2023 by Frankie S

[BB_Bino]

3 minutes ago, Frankie S said:

Have you ever watched the under 21s under Scott Gemmill? We have some decent individuals, but as a team - the word ‘rabble’ would dignify things unduly. 

All joking aside, this is also my experience of watching the u21's under him. I can't understand why he is still in position and it made me laugh out loud when people (and certain sections of the media) were touting him to replace Alex McLeish before Steve Clarke was appointed. I have nothing against the guy, I believe he puts on good CPD Coaching sessions.....or certainly did, and is pretty approachable, however I have never seen evidence that he can structure a team to a system and get the best of the players within it.

[RandomGuy.]

Hackneys probably realised its detriment to his development to spend a week being coached by Gemmill.

[Pie Of The Month]

I wasted 15 minutes of my life watching Scot Gemmill's press conference and Hackney didn't get a mention. Only players who missed out who got a mention were Conway and Fiorini because they are both injured. My favourite parts were him discussing Fiorini's injury 'off the record' in a recorded press conference and setting expectations of actually ever qualifying for anything with the u21s by going on and on about his job being about development.