Everton U21s bow out of EFL Trophy as Chermiti secures late win

No doubt Dave is struggling — or out drinking with his Red Shite mates!

They all looked very slow on my feed, Tony!

I'm pretty sure it's the top team only that goes through to the knockout Round of 16, so there is no chance in my mind that we can qualify.

No, I never even bothered, too much hassle and farting about with the Everton website on most occasions, whoever runs the show is like that bleedin' name checker on ToffeeWeb… useless.

I read a report in the Echo (another useless place), they said Chermiti was caught offside on numerous occasions, ran a constant battle with the referee, but the ref relented and awarded the penalty for a foul on Chermiti who sent the goalie the wrong way and stroked the ball home.

‘The eight winners and eight runners up of the north and south group stages qualify for the round of 32. All other Clubs are eliminated from the Competition.'

But we're done, we can't finish second now.

I think we've only got beyond the group stage once in the history of this one. It should be a good test but, if you have to play first-teamers to win, kinda defeats the purpose methinks.

Perhaps David Unsworth was right all along...???

The conclusion has to be that our 2nd XI players, the likes of Dobbin, Hunt, John, Okoronkwo and Chermiti, are not good enough to regularly beat "3rd and 4th" division teams – and on here many of us wonder why Dyche does not play them in the Premier League or given them decent game time (last 20).

The whole idea of this competition is surely to give experience to the players in the progression to the 1st XI.

I won't disagree with you about the merits and advantages of this competition but some youngsters might show a bit more in a higher standard when surrounded by better players, certainly better than two keepers on the bench waiting for some extraordinary circumstances to allow them on the pitch.

On Saturday, some noted the lack of midfielders on the 1st X1 bench and while I've not seen them, isn't there at least one in U2's who shows some energy as a defensive midfielder?

Must be close to being ready for the first team? Wonder if he'll be given the nod for Palace.

Seamus is obviously still getting back to match fitness and I think Dobbin was okay with Chermiti showing more endeavour.

Absolutely nailed on penalty, Dave, and well taken by Chermiti.

Or they haven't been coached properly.

And rarely when they do have the talent and arguably have been coached properly (at PSV, for example), they may not be long for this parish.

It's really very depressing if you think about it for any length of time.

Sadly, too late as some are over 21 on 1/1/24 so can't qualify.

But we could have put out a team
Virginia (over age)
Patterson, Branthwaite, U21 player, U21 player
Onana, Garner, Onyango, U21 player
Chermiti, Dobbin,

But as we are also allowed 3 over age players, then that could have been Takowski, Mykolenko and McNeill rather than those playing in the U21. We might have had a chance of winning the trophy and a day out at Wembley.

If it all goes through I expect we will follow suit.

That will inevitably mean a handful of more exotic teenagers from Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, France, Portugal etc in each age group. It will probably also mean taking players from other UK academies and clubs in Scotland etc.

This means multiple small fees for 16- and 17-year-olds rather than more chunky fees for players like Chermiti who are already in the first team reckoning.

We've done a bit of that, already with the likes of Okoronkwo but I expect we'll notice a definite increase.

Should increase the amount of talent in the youth set up (not looking hugely promising right now) albeit as ever the acid test is whether we can get them into the first team over time.

Paul Tait has been coaching at Everton Academy, in one form or another, for 17 years, head of the U18s from 2016 before being elevated to the U21s last season.

He is there to help the progress of the young players on and off the field, 34 players have appeared in the first team during that time; sounds okay… don't know what it amounts to when all the appearance times are broken down.

I know when I have watched the U18s and U21s during his time as coach there, I have mostly been bored stiff. I think it has long been the time for the coaches at Finch Farm Academy to be reviewed.

Talking of PSV, Marcel Brands today claiming he'd sorted a deal to switch Rodriguez for the now RS player whose father has been kidnapped but Rafa put a stop to it. Not sure how the financials would have worked but hey we got Demerai Gray!

Exactly my thought. I think Brands is trying to take pot shots at Rafa but given our FFP investigation had we done the deal presumably it would have made things worse. Plus I'd imagine Diaz is on higher wages than Demerai was.