Top Spot for Everton Under-23s

Good to see Liam Walsh and Tom Davies back in the side after Liam's injury and Tom's International duties.

In over 50 years watching / playing football, I witnessed one of the strangest things ever... the Man City fans in the crowd applauded when an Everton player got booked. Couldn't get my head round that one!!!

Koeman has said that he will spend in January. Hope that's not to the detriment of these kids.

Dowell for me could easily be useful, especially as his competition is only the likes of Lennon, Mirallas, and Deulofeu, none of whom have done jack shit all season.

Also, the young forwards have to be worthy of the 8 minutes Koreman feels Valencia is worthy of.

I really can't understand that loan deal tbh, he's not getting a look in, yet he's taking up a place on the bench over Niasse and Kone whilst keeping the younger lads even further away from a look in. Very frustrating.

Otherwise, it's demoralising for the whole academy and allows a complacency to set in for the first team. If the U23s are doing everything asked of them and winning their league whilst the first team are struggling and have won only 1 in the last 8 then surely there has to be some consequence. Some reward for those and achieving and time out for those who are failing. Otherwise, what is the point?!

I'm not saying chuck the whole U23 team in but at least find some minutes or preferably a start for one of Davies, Walsh or Kenny. Something is clearly not working in the first team right now and Koeman could do a lot worse than utilise some of the confidence, energy and talent in the second team.

Really that should have been done at home against Swansea and we now have a pretty tricky run coming up. Over to you, Ronald

What has young Davies done wrong when he has had minutes, and then doesn't make the next matchday squad?

And there's the dilemma. These guys need to be given a chance or a decent loan and time to develop but equally there are others like Broadhead, Brewster and Holland kicking their heels not getting U23s game time.

The changes to the loan system haven't helped, but I'd expect to see some further loans in January.

It was a crazy idea to appoint him to be our new manager. For years, we have been setting the club up to produce good young players, either from the academy at a very young age or by buying young talent and bringing them into the academy. Therefore, appointing a manager who doesn't play young players was pathetic.

Holgate played brilliantly at the start of the season, winning MotM awards and looking incredibly accomplished. He was only in the starting line up because of injuries. As soon as those injuries cleared up, he was gone and hasn't been seen since. I'd have him playing ahead of Jags and Funes Mori.

How do our midfielders and wide players play so badly week-in and week-out and keep their places whilst players like Davies and Dowell never get a chance.

Koeman will kill off our young players hopes and set the club back. Give some of the young players a chance before January because we might have talent here already without having to buy it in.

My big fear is that there will be a spending spree in January and our young talent will be pushed further down the pecking order. We HAD to bring in a manager in the ilk of Pochettino, somebody who develops and has faith in young talent. Instead, we bought in a manager who does neither and would rather follow the Martinez philosophy of picking the same players no matter how often they let us all down.

Koeman brought through a fair few youth talents in Holland and I hope he may yet do so here. There's undoubtedly some raw talent to pick though we all know the step up to Premier League consistency is one that most of them will fail to make if History is any judge.

Holgate was dropped early but then Coleman is one of our better seniors. I hope we will see some youthful exuberance soon though as the first team definitely needs a kick up the ass!

I did realise that he was away on international duty, and I know they lost to Wales, in which young Nathan broadhead scored twice.

Like yourself, I take a keen interest in the academy players, and appreciate reports on how well or not they are doing.

What surprised me was, he played against Man. City yet couldn't make our bench. Like you must know yourself the lad as done nothing wrong when he has got minutes. I just hope Koeman doesn't overlook our promising youngsters. You know as well as anybody who they are.

Thanks for your reports on the youngsters, by the way.

I want him to be in the first team squad, at least. Maybe they thought being away and playing those games for England would have been enough for one week?

But I have to agree – one day later, he played for the U23s so it doesn't seem right unless he made the difference to Everton winning the game which put them top of their league.

I can't see them getting a chance away to Southampton, then the next 3 matches will be very tough. I hope Koeman gives our youth a chance because there's a lot of talent there.

His only real problem is that he is probably too quick thinking for most our main squad and they won't be able to keep up with his enthusiasm or speed. Oh and no, I'm not related to him.

Certainly seems that way. I believe his time will come, along with a few others, but it's just so frustrating when surely he can integrated into the side a bit more often Instead of just flitting in and out of the squad.

Let Cleverley be the over-aged player for the Under-23s.

Lots and lots of supporters calling for the lad Tom Davies to play. Hope you are going to be very busy in January.

Also worth checking out is the video from the 4-4 game with Man City. The U18s have given a lot of goals away this season, but they can certainly score. The right winger Bramall has electric pace and good crossing. A bit like Deulofeu except he's actually effective.

Link

No-one's daft enough to think all our U23s should play for the first team, but they should be given a chance to prove their worth.

Look at Van Gaal at Man Utd, and Klopp at the Red Shite, both of them tried their youngsters. Klopp pulled all his loanee kids back from their loan deals so as to give them their opportunity at Liverpool. Van Gaal wasn't happy with his players, even some of the ones he signed, so he gave the youngsters ago.

Poccichino at both Southampton and Spurs wanted a high energy side so gave the kids there chance and produced good sides by doing so.

Top of the Premier League with a wealth of young local lads, should have Koeman's attention; it's about time he gives them a go.

One small issue I'd have with giving our kids a chance is the worry that too much pressure could be heaped on them. Let's look at the Ross Barkley situation, he's the first to receive flack when the whole team is under performing. Hopefully that won't be passed over to future young local players who are given a chance!

If the club is willing to take the long view (something Inter Milan were not apparently!) then go for de Boer as he will nurture your younger players and bring them through, a couple or more every season.

But then she added; however, if Everton really wants a Dutch manager, the best of the lot is Cocu who is at a club that can afford to buy but which values its own youth system.

ps: Harry (#26) save your anger. Especially given the timing of this transfer it is possible that Niasse was not bought actually to play, and nor did 㾹.5M stay in a Moscow bank account.

Putting a bunch of 㿨k plus a week players in the Under-23s and replacing them with ones on comparative low wages. 'Not Niasse' would look bad for Kenwright wouldn't it? After all isn't he the one who bought them?

I can just see the Echo, 'Everton's multi millionaire Under-23s team relegated.'