Youth & Loanee Watch

I think this is partially by design to be fair. If you look back to our FA Youth cup winning side from 2013, those players should all be in their prime now. But I think the Murphy's, Morris, Toffolo and McGeehan are the only ones playing in the top 4 divisions. Whilst that Chelsea side they played contained Loftus-Cheek and Christensen, who are now in the Chelsea first team, Chelsea also had 40 players out on loan that season who had an average age of 21.

It's more important that our youngsters follow a development path which maximises their potential as individuals, rather than worrying about the results of a collective youth team. For the 23 players in our U23 squad this season, that's meant 12 going out on loan (once or more), and 3 moving up to the first team. I believe 14 of that squad are young enough to have still played for the U18s had we wanted them to. Even Idah could have still played U18's this year.

The club choose to deliberately hamper our youth teams in favour of player development in terms of tactics too. We play 4-4-2 in the U23's and U18's not because we think it's the right tactic to win games, but because it means we get two strikers on the pitch for 90 mins each game. Strikers are the most valuable position to develop, so it make sense to prioritise their development.

 

Plus Nathan Ake, if I remember correctly, who is now highly coveted at senior levels.

 

Gassan Ahadme, U23 striker, has been loaned to Real Oviedo for the season. That's a great opportunity for him if he can get game time. A big club with a 30,000 capacity stadium in the Spanish second tier.

 

Surprised we aren't looking at a League 1 loan for him. He looks to be one of our better prospects, and he's already played at that level briefly with Rochdale (I think).

I guess the Dutch leagues worked for Cantwell as an alternative to league 1, and he'll probably get more minutes?

 

https://www.kltown.co.uk/2020/08/05/linnets-set-for-power-surge/ Simon Power is back at Kings Lynn, wonder if he will train with them when they train and the days they have off still train with Norwich

 

I think this is the arrangement we've had in several loan agreements since Neil Adams took over? The loanees come back pretty frequently and train together (and with the other squads). Obviously that's a lot easier if he's in Kings Lynn!

 

Isak Thorvaldsson has had his loan to St Mirren cut short, and he's been loaned to an Icelandic side instead.

I'd guess there's personal reasons behind that, rather than thinking that the Icelandic league will help his footballing development more.

 

If we move on from 2013 to 2016-17 the Academy One status begins to bear fruit with Maddison, Aarons, Lewis, Godfrey and Cantwell maturing early. That's a great pay back for what we've invested and there are more coming along now like Idah, Martin (by way of Arsenal), Famewo and Thomas. We're also gaining a good reputation for helping young players break through and that makes recruitment easier.

 

Godfrey came from York, Aarons and Lewis from Luton, so is Famewo. Thomas was let go by Huddersfield. Cantwell is perhaps the only one to come through the ranks from the younger age groups. We also have several Arsenal "rejects" that look promising. I'm not sure that we can say Cat 1 status has helped in the younger age groups yet. That said, a reputation as an excellent finishing school, and somewhere for those cast aside by bigger clubs to get a second break, is no bad thing.

 

That's a big part of youth development, IMO. Maddison came from Coventry and Aarons was also at Luton, but their decision to sign for us was related to our investment in the academy to bring it up to PL level. Those who invested in the bond scheme can take satisfaction from that. Would the Arsenal 'rejects' have come to us if we hadn't upgraded? Skipp referred to the facilities at Colney as one of the reasons he came to us. Farke's reputation for bringing young players on is another. It's all part of SW's long term development plan. This is why I wasn't devastated by last season. We're building something much bigger than a single season - it just requires a bit of patience.

 

Matthew Dennis is doing well for the u23s another Arsenal reject coming good .

 

Yes, he got the winner against Plymouth. He's only 18 and is a RB who can also play further forward. Certainly one to watch.

Match highlights here:

https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/plymouth-2-norwich-u23s-3-highlights-1-6829791

Watch out for Dennis's back-heeled finish near the end.

 

The pass from Hondermarck here is exceptional.

 

The through ball was excellent. I liked Dennis's swivel and back-heel for the third.

All of the goal highlights here:

https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/plymouth-2-norwich-u23s-3-highlights-1-6829791

 

https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/202...ards-moves-to-kidderminster-harriers-on-loan/

Loan move to National League north, not a great sign of a career with Norwich when he's 22. A bit surprising as I thought he did well at Tampa Bay, is the level of the US second tier that bad??

 

Drmic gets a run out

 

Omobamidele gets a header from a corner , Sinani scored a tap in and Drmic makes it 3-0 chesting it down and smashing it home.

 

Filmed on the surveillance camera