Hyperion
New member
- Nov 1, 2010
- 5,314
He does look rather cultured for his years. I think we may have found a wee gem but as you say, we can hope!!
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Steven Alzate signed from Leyton Orient
- Thread starter Turkey
- Start date
He does look rather cultured for his years. I think we may have found a wee gem but as you say, we can hope!!
Whitechapel
Famous Last Words
The way I'm looking at it is as a club we have grown msssively over the last 10 years. The youth team is maybe lagging behind slightly. When we were in L1 we were quite good at churning our solid L1 players with the odd player who made a career even higher up than that. Cox, Hammond, Elphick, Cook, El-Abd, Lynch, Virgo, Caskey etc. On top of this, due to our budget restraints we found is necessary to quite often fill the bench with local youth players; the likes of Sullivan, Rents, Robinson, Gatting, Loft, Fraser etc.
Realistically, how many of those at the age of 17-21 would start in this current development team? Would Tommy Fraser play nearly 100 times for our current U-23's? Well he managed nearly 100 games for our first team. Then look at it the other way round. I reckon the likes of Tilley, Molumby, Bjordal & Collar would probably walk in to a 2008 Brighton team.
Farehamseagull
Solly March Fan Club
Have never heard of him before but he looks really exciting in that video. Especially as it is against seasoned pro's and not kids as stated above.
3 things stand out from that vid: his ability to find space between the lines, his awareness of players around him and his bravery - in possession and in the tackle.
Hope he can break through as purely on the basis of that video he looks a talent.
3 things stand out from that vid: his ability to find space between the lines, his awareness of players around him and his bravery - in possession and in the tackle.
Hope he can break through as purely on the basis of that video he looks a talent.
GT49er
Well-known member
I agree the DS is probably better than it was ten, twenty or thirty years ago. It's just our reluctance to promote them, or even put them on the bench for a ten minute run out when we were 3-0 down (or even if we are three nil up!). I get the feeling that if we had Deli Ali, he'd still be playing in the DS, with an occasional run-out in a League Cup match. At the moment the best the DS squad can expect, it seems, especially the attackers, is being loaned out to Oldham or Luton or someone similar and then being sold on, or off on a free transfer.
half time scores
Well-known member
Is he tall enough?
phoenix
Well-known member
- May 18, 2009
- 2,605
I think we sign these players then we improve as a team, so what was ok then simply isn't good enough now. I am a lot more hopeful with the newer players they should be that much better already.
Nixonator
Well-known member
Rumours doing the rounds that there are tell-tale signs his LEGS aren't up to scratch.
Megazone
On his last warning
Looking at the clips, I reckon he'll be sitting on the bench come the 1st game of the season. He looks top quality. I really doubt a player of his touch and balance who has plenty of experience playing professional 1st team football, is going to regress back down to development level football. He looks like he'll be a very handy attacking centre midfielder. This looks like it'll be a very good signing. Anyone writing Alzate off already clearly can't see obvious talent.
HastingsSeagull
Well-known member
When you're a Champ club taking quality 13 year olds, but 5 years later are down in league 1 or 2 it's easy for them to break through.
When you're down in league 1 and taking whatever local 13 year olds aren't taken by bigger clubs, and 5 years later you're in the PL, it's rather unlikely many of them will break through.
Solly March is an Attacker.
When you're down in league 1 and taking whatever local 13 year olds aren't taken by bigger clubs, and 5 years later you're in the PL, it's rather unlikely many of them will break through.
Solly March is an Attacker.
crookie
Well-known member
If you're good enough you're old enough. Really hoping this lad gets a chance
Mo Gosfield
Well-known member
- Aug 11, 2010
- 6,284
I've checked the video again and they seem to be moving in the right direction and with the right co-ordination.
Mo Gosfield
Well-known member
- Aug 11, 2010
- 6,284
I've said the same about Messi for years. Its just a shame he is so short. Think what he could have achieved if he had been over 6' tall. My Dad was the same, always saying what a pity it was about the lack of height of Banks and Springett and Bonetti and Shilton and Clemence. Imagine how good they could have been if they had been 6' 6".
Whilst we have always had youth squads etc I thought the "development squad" was a Gus invention and something aside from the usual age based teams within the club. Or am I imagining this?
- Apr 13, 2015
- 3,469
.... and the problem with that potentially, is that agents and players will get to know this trend at BHA, and steer clear of us in future, no player wants to commit to a few years of no 1st team chances at all.
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Errr...except that Dunk and March have both come through the ranks, which is more than can be said for many clubs in the EPL.
The Albion have only had Category 1 academy status for youth development for a couple of years, so it will take a fair amount of time for the investment to bear further fruit.
A friend of mine works for the FA as an inspector of academies, and he says the level of support young players get at the Albion is second only to that of Manchester City, who have spent £200 million on their academy and arrange places for their kids at St Bedes, a local private school.
- Apr 13, 2015
- 3,469
AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy Threads: @bhafcacademy
The "development squad" era did come in under Poyet's managerial reign but it was a trend that developed throughout football generally. In 2009-10 our reserves were still competing in the Football Combination but as the number of clubs in that league slowly dwindled (largely due to the Premier League instigating their own reserve competition) the side played only 14 league matches (as 4 of the fixtures were never fulfilled). Luke Williams was appointed as coach to the "development squad" in August 2010 (but it was essentially the reserve team under a different name). In 2010-11 the side completed only 11 league fixtures and in 2011-12 it was only 9!!.
For 2012-13 the club was entered into the new Professional Development League which was officially an U-21 competition (and has since morphed into an U-23 competition). Effectively, there is now no such thing as reserve sides for most Premier League and Championship clubs; instead, the U-23 side (which is one-and-the-same thing as the development squad) is the stepping stone between the U-18 side (commonly known as the youth team) and the first team.
Thanks for the explanation.
Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
I tend to agree with that. It's a shame players like Tilley and Hunt didn't get more of a chance. For example, Sam Adekugbe seemed to jump ahead of Hunt in the pecking order at times, and he was a loanee from Canada. Not sure why that kind of thing happens