What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

Thing that struck me most about this game was the huge difference in size between the two teams. If you'd told me it was an U21 team playing an U18 team I'd have believed it. Their smallest player was about the same size as our biggest.

Their centre-backs were the proverbial brick-shithouses, our lads had to travel yards to run round them. We had no chance in the 50-50s, not that stopped us giving it a go, but we just bounced off them, our lads must be black and blue tonight. Given the physical pasting they took they deserve great credit for keeping it to just the one goal. Those lads are real battlers, they won't give up, and they can play a bit. But so can Blackburn, and they're a much bigger and stronger outfit.

We'll do well to win this imo, even from just one down, but you never know, it was Blackburn playing for time by the end, not us.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

The difference in size between the two teams was mentioned in the commentary I listened to on Radio Lancs; thought we did well really and kept on going right to the end of the game

Was interested to hear that one of our second half substitutes was a lad from St.Helens, can't remember what his name was now, anyone know who it was?




.............
"Say no to the car scrappage scheme"
Ex Aintree Naps Champion
Ex Naps Champion
Ex Cheltenham Naps Champion

I assume you mean Jason Gilchrist Cw..? he was the only sub to come on for the clarets

Must be him then FL, how did he go?




.............
"Say no to the car scrappage scheme"
Ex Aintree Naps Champion
Ex Naps Champion
Ex Cheltenham Naps Champion

It was Jason Gilchrist CW, he didn't really have much chance to get into the game. I expect he might start in the 2nd leg as we need to score and he combines well with Shay McCartan up front. Probably sacrificed last night so we could play 5 in midfield with just McCartan up front, on his tod.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

Onto the game itself, a game of contrasting styles. I thought we acquitted ourselves particularly well 2nd half. 1st half, I agree with Pash, I thought we froze a bit, but by the end of the game, we had our passing game going, and were unlucky not to fashion out a couple of chances. Blackburn's style - everything that was wrong with the Academy system that Howard Wilkinson put in place. You want to see why we don't produce skilful English players? It was right there for you to see. Long diagonals, long throws, set pieces, focus on physicality rather than flair. Development football? Not for me. That was as cynical a youth team performance as you'd see. Having said that, when they got the ball into the final 3rd, the wingers looked dangerous and quick, but I thought both full backs were on top by the end of the game (Both having started quietly). I thought Jack Errington stood out as a rock at the back, and was fairly dominant in the air, partnered very capably by Alex Coleman.

All in all, we're all set for a cracker. If the lads get their passing game going early, Blackburn's giants won't be able to match their movement and incisive passing. Hopefully they've learnt from the experience last night, and will have a greater understanding of what it's like in front of a crowd ahead of Wednesday. On that point, it will be a great benefit to all the lads who played last night. That experience of playing in front of a largish noisy crowd will be something that most youth team players don't get to experience before playing a first team game.

You're more confident than I am Dan, we struggled to get our passing game going last night, I don't see why it's going to be any different next Wednesday. You might not like their style but it's effective, and their players are most certainly not without skill as well, far from it, most of them are very talented players indeed.

I just wish we could have got that away goal last night, and Blackburn seemed very aware of it's significance as well, they were happy just not to concede all through the second-half.

They only need to score once at Turf Moor and we'll need to score 3 to go through. We'll do very well to keep a clean sheet against them, especially as we'll have to play a more open attacking game now. The game's theirs to lose imo.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

There's no away goals rule in the FA Youth cup, so maybe there was some other reason for them killing the game 5 minutes into the 2nd half - maybe because we'd got our passing game going, and were causing them problems.

If and when Youth Football becomes about producing effective teams, rather than developing players, then I'll subscribe to them doing a good job. The wingers had good pace and skill (as I said in my original post) but their midfielders didn't show for a pass all night, nor did the full backs look to engage in play higher up the pitch. It was all about long diagonals, and then playing from their. In my opiniuon, everything that was set up in the academy system under that @#$%& Wilkinson was on show last night from them, and doesn't produce footballers, just good athletes.

In my time watching youth team football, I've never seen a side be so cynical in trying to slow the pace of the game down. If we get up to tempo, they won't live with us, and hopefully we'll have a referee who will stamp out their over physical nature early on.

This size thing, most agree that currently Barca are the best team, with the best player in the world. The backbone of that team?

Xavi, 5'7, Iniesta, 5'7, Pedro 5'7 and a man whom some believe to be possibly the best there has ever been Messi, 5'7

As my mum says, they don't make diamonds as big as bricks .....




(on my bad days she also said poison comes in small bottles, but thats another story altogether)

"A truth’s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. It wasn’t the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasn’t flat. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."

Quote:

dandeclaret
There's no away goals rule in the FA Youth cup, so maybe there was some other reason for them killing the game 5 minutes into the 2nd half - maybe because we'd got our passing game going, and were causing them problems.

I'm amazed then Dan, I just don't understand their time wasting tactics in their home game, if there's no away goal rule then that increases our chances no end imo.

I've seen those lads quite a bit in youth and reserve team games, I've never seen them struggle to get their passing game going like they did last night, that was a very effective (cynical if you like) Blackburn team, away goals or not it'll be very hard work next Wednesday again.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

Quote:

Longsiders1882
This size thing, most agree that currently Barca are the best team, with the best player in the world. The backbone of that team?
Xavi, 5'7, Iniesta, 5'7, Pedro 5'7 and a man whom some believe to be possibly the best there has ever been Messi, 5'7

As my mum says, they don't make diamonds as big as bricks .....

(on my bad days she also said poison comes in small bottles, but thats another story altogether)

They might be small Longsiders but they're fully grown men and can clearly hold their own physically.

I'd be wanting to check some of those Blackburn birth certificates last night, it looked like men against boys. They had two huge centre-halves, I've not seen any bigger lads playing on Turf Moor in the Championship this season. At that age it makes a hell of a difference.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

Like I said BC - first half, I thought we froze - and were lucky to still be in the tie. I thought we shaded the 2nd half though, and that gave me confidence.

Before playing a first team game Dan? Stats will suggest that one, two max, but more than likely none will even make it as a Pro.

I was worried before the game reading Pash on the Official Site.
Remember this is a side of his that has apparently won 18 and drawn 1 of the last 19.
"This is the first time the lads have played two legs, we may ensure we are still in it with 30 mins to go in second leg" - or something similar, my Dad read it to. Met him there and said we won't score here, he's changing a winning formula, it's a different midset and we go with that one poor lad up top on his own (he must have been @#$%&).

Were always going to lose without scoring. But, were still in it as he wanted.

Yes BC, but presumably when they were playing youth football they weren't fully grown men - unless they hit 5'7 at 14 and then just never grew.

So size isn't everything, except in English football. But yes, it may help you win a few more games in youth football against better opposition.

"A truth’s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. It wasn’t the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasn’t flat. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."

Quote:

Longsiders1882
Yes BC, but presumably when they were playing youth football they weren't fully grown men - unless they hit 5'7 at 14 and then just never grew.
So size isn't everything, except in English football. But yes, it may help you win a few more games in youth football against better opposition.

I'm not trying to be a smart-@#$%& Longsiders (honestly ), but you really had to see the difference in size last night to appreciate it. The vast majority of match ups in this game had one of ours up against an opponent who was probably anything between 4 and 6 inches taller and a stone heavier. I can't say enough in praise of our lads that they kept themselves in this game while taking a real hammering physically. It can't have been easy going into tackles and continually finding you couldn't even get close to the ball because your opponent was so much bigger and stronger than you were, and you kept bouncing off hips and elbows whenever you tried to close someone down.

Your last sentence is correct but IF we can get enough of the ball, and find the time and space to play our passing game, we'll beat them. It's a very big 'if' though.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

Did they not give Messi steroid injections or something similar when he was a nipper at Barca?