Crewe v Burnley - U23 Latest

[ClaretTony]

Not much to report in first 15 mins although they have forced one good save from our keeper.

Burnley team is: Aidan Stone, Arlen Birch, Harry Flowers, Oliver Younger, Ali Koiki, Olatunde Bayode, Dean Marney, Fredrick Ulvestad, Nashé Chakwana, Jamie Thomas, Harry Limb. Subs: Connor King, James Clarke, Rahis Nabi, Dwight McNeil, Tommy Wood.

[ClaretTony]

Update:

20 mins: Burnley 0 Crewe 1

[mdd2]

No Wells-does that mean he will be on the bench tonight?
Oops only 10 players there Tony-is Wells the one missing from the 11?

[HendricksHair]

Ali Koiki is the missing player. No Wells.

[ClaretTony]

Sorry, missed Koiki but have added him now.

I’m assuming Wells will be in squad tonight given he’s not here today.

[ClaretTony]

Still 1-0 at half time, not been very good.

[ClaretTony]

Nabi on for Ulvestad at start of second half

[ClaretTony]

64 mins: McNeil on for Limb. Both subs due to injuries.

[Shappie]

Is Ulvestad anywhere near the first team squad now ?

[TVC15]

Is Ulvestad anywhere near the first team squad now ?

Nowhere near - Dean Marney will do well to make the bench when he is fit. Taylor has not made the bench a few times.

Ulvedtad is currently behind following midfielders :

Defour
Cork
Hendrick
Brady
JBG
Arfield
Westwood
Marney

That's 8 players going for either 4 or 5 places depending on whether we start 4-5-1 or 4-4-2

If SD only wants 1 or 2 of the centre mid players on the bench - then that may mean Westwood or Deano missing out on the bench.

Doubt we'll see Ulvestaad in the squad again.

[ClaretTony]

82 mins: Wood on for Marney

[ClaretTony]

Is Ulvestad anywhere near the first team squad now ?

No. Was close to leaving on transfer deadline day and it would be an injury crisis for him to be considered.

[ClaretTony]

86 mins: Crewe 2 Burnley 0

[Buxtonclaret]

Cheers for the updates.

[ClaretTony]

Ended 2-0. Didn’t deserve anything from it.

[ClaretTony]

Next up Colchester on Thursday evening at Curzon Ashton.

[cutsy123]

Am i right in sayin we are BOTTOM of this u23 league?

[ClaretTony]

We were third from bottom but Crewe have now gone above us. If Bolton have won today then we will be bottom.

Ours is a very young team at this level though. We are well short of some of these teams.

[boatshed bill]

We were third from bottom but Crewe have now gone above us. If Bolton have won today then we will be bottom.

Ours is a very young team at this level though. We are well short of some of these teams.

It's strange really, we have so many players under 23 years old out on loan who could probably benefit from experience in a league based around their age group. We used to bemoan the lack of a reserve league: do you think we have the right approach to this?

[TVC15]

It's strange really, we have so many players under 23 years old out on loan who could probably benefit from experience in a league based around their age group. We used to bemoan the lack of a reserve league: do you think we have the right approach to this?

Not sure we have.

Infact it`s quite hard to see the point of what we are doing at this level other than nursing players back from injury.

Unless other teams are also using this as a way of getting players back to fitness then its hardly any wonder we are getting beat if the team is a mixture of kids who are a million miles from the first team (and deemed not good enough to go out on loan) and players who are coming back from injury but playing at 50% because they don`t want to aggravate the injury by over stretching, flying into tackles etc.

Sending out players on loan is good for us financially but also gives players experience at a more competitive level than the u23 league - which has got to be useful for the club and the players.

Is it better than keeping them at the club and being involved in and around our first team squad and coaching methods etc ? Not sure but Dyche and his team will have thought all this through. A club working within our constraints often have to sacrifice certain areas of the club to put most or all of the focus into the first team.

Finishing bottom of the u23 league is not going to get anyone sacked.

[ClaretTony]

It's strange really, we have so many players under 23 years old out on loan who could probably benefit from experience in a league based around their age group. We used to bemoan the lack of a reserve league: do you think we have the right approach to this?

The club has to make decisions on individual players and get those out on loan who they think will benefit from playing first team football. No doubt though that if such as Agyei, O’Neill, Ginnelly, Whitmore and such were available we’d be a lot stronger at this level but it is all about player development and these players will certainly benefit from playing at a higher level.

[maidenover]

The club has to make decisions on individual players and get those out on loan who they think will benefit from playing first team football. No doubt though that if such as Agyei, O’Neill, Ginnelly, Whitmore and such were available we’d be a lot stronger at this level but it is all about player development and these players will certainly benefit from playing at a higher level.

Trouble is they aren't getting a lot of game time at this level.

Agyei on as a sub in the 67th minute,
Long got 75 minutes at Northampton
O'Neill on as a time wasting sub in the 92nd minute,
Ginnelly an unused sub,
Whitmore not in match day squad,(don't know if he's injured)
Anderson did play the full game for Port Vale,
Hendrie an unused sub for Bradford
Massanka played 83 minutes for Wrexham
Dunne not in match day squad at Barrow(don't know if he's injured)
Mitchell unused sub at Chester

[maidenover]

Agyei on as a sub in the 67th minute,
Long got 75 minutes at Northampton
O'Neill on as a time wasting sub in the 92nd minute,
Ginnelly an unused sub,
Whitmore not in match day squad,(don't know if he's injured)
Anderson did play the full game for Port Vale,
Hendrie an unused sub for Bradford
Massanka played 83 minutes for Wrexham
Dunne not in match day squad at Barrow(don't know if he's injured)
Mitchell unused sub at Chester

This was last Saturday....

[ClaretTony]

Trouble is they aren't getting a lot of game time at this level.

Agyei on as a sub in the 67th minute,
Long got 75 minutes at Northampton
O'Neill on as a time wasting sub in the 92nd minute,
Ginnelly an unused sub,
Whitmore not in match day squad,(don't know if he's injured)
Anderson did play the full game for Port Vale,
Hendrie an unused sub for Bradford
Massanka played 83 minutes for Wrexham
Dunne not in match day squad at Barrow(don't know if he's injured)
Mitchell unused sub at Chester

You can't base it over one weekend - but an update, Dunne was suspended and Whitmore injured.