Two fine goals from Braiden Graham seal Everton U21s come back win in Solihull

We never lost but not sure if it was 2-1 for or 2-2 more likely to be the win.

He appears to be an outstanding prospect with an eye for goal.

Blackburn Rovers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Derby County, Fulham, Leeds United, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That was last season's selection from the 26 teams in PL2.

This season, 2025-26, we are included:

Blackburn Rovers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

I can't figure out the selection criteria.

Graham is looking promising from what I've seen of him.

And no sign of Adam Aznou in Paul Tait's squad? I thought he'd be a shoo-in as he's clearly not ready for the Premier League proper.

But then I'm sure the agents these days insert a clause saying their prize player will not be selected for the U21s unless recovering from injury, or some such.

He played in la Liga last season

Where is Lewis Warrington now?

This is a kid who played in the Irish league at fifteen years of age including the Irish FA cup final.

Robert not sure but you might have said last season that you expect him to get some game time in the first team in the very near future.

This one kid I wouldn’t send on loan, he went to America on the recent tour and never got a second on the field, I hope he is a regular training with the first team squad, mind with the lack of movement in the Everton team this lad might embarrass a few of them.

Not sure which kids he never played who went on to be stars.
And of those he did play, Shane Duffy is probably the only one who had only a handful of appearances. All the others (Chadwick, Baxter, Gosling, Jutkiewicz, Vellios, Forshaw, McAleny - who is still playing aged 33) were either not good enough or, in the case of one, thought they were better than they were.

Well he offered Jose Baxter a new 2-year contract that was 50% less wages than he was one, great encouragement that. Baxter told him what he could do with that contract and packed football in ‘til Alan Stubbs got him back in the game.

Gosling was a player in the £3M bracket at the time, and his new contract was cocked up by Kenwright. I didn't realise Moyes was manager at the time, so he might have had a hand in the cock-up in that episode. I mean, he was giving out contracts to Everton players while he was on his way to being Man Utd's manager!

This needs changing and fast our neighbours seem to pick up local lads that end up playing for their first team or sold for mega money, we are light years behind them.

A counter to that and one that did go on to be a star. Mustafi, the German centre-back.

We initially brought him into the academy, quickly elevated him to the first team squad and then never used him.

Two FA Cup winners medals with Arsenal and to cap it off, a World Cup Winners medal with Germany.

"David Moyes gave Everton players contracts when he was Everton manager."

Well blow me down with a feather!!!

Here's news: Carlo Ancelotti gave contracts to Everton players on his way to becoming Real Madrid manager.

It only took nine minutes for you to reply to my post, I knew you'd be replying but gave you longer than that!

I'll get back to you later on my way out now.

These seem to be the most highly rated beyond Armstrong. Lucjanciks too but harder for a teenage goalkeeper to debut for a Premier League club.

If any of these can debut this season, it would keep them on the same trajectory as the likes of Rodwell and Anichebe etc.

Aznou played 15 games for Valladolid which I am sure was a good learning experience for him. They were relegated from La Liga after winning 4 games all season and conceding 90 goals.

I am sure Aznou has good potential; however, his readiness for the first team was probably best summed up by the manager subbing him off against Roma after he came on as a substitute.

I could be wrong, but I will be surprised if the manager selects him as a starter for any of the league games while Mykolenko is out injured.

Grealish will need runners around him and that's exactly what Aznou can offer when up to speed on the left flank. He may not be ready for Leeds but hopefully Moyes will use him at some point soon.

Let’s hope we have a good season

Steve, I don’t think Aznou being subbed off was particularly negative - he’d been on since the 11th minute. It seems to be more like normal pre-season ‘minute management’ for a player who hasn’t done all the training.

He was on the bench and probably expected to have 15-20 minutes at the end of the game. He came on after 10 so my take is Moyes took him off because Anzou was tiring.
In addition, anyone see which players went over to him after his blunder led to their goal? I'll list them here " ". The kid trudged back to the half way line hoping a hole would open up and swallow him. I think his head had gone and there was no sign of "right, I'll show them" but "what have I done". Mentally he was possibly not right for the last 15 minutes which is why Seamus came on.
And if the plan was for Seamus to get 15 minutes, who were you taking off? Tarkowski, Branthwaite or O'Brien?

As for Jose— made his debut as one of the youngest players to play for Everton, nearly scored in that game with a cracking effort that hit the angle of the post and crossbar.

I don’t know if Baxter ever went on the other gear but if he did it’s possible being given a contract which was 50% less than what you were on didn’t help his thought process, however when Alan Stubbs got him fixed up with Oldham Ath. he quickly made his mark with them and earned a transfer to Sheffield Unt. for a tidy sum, then he did go ff the rails—no one’s perfect but he got himself back on track after his downward spiral and the last I heard of him he had being working for EITC for quite a few years so I’d give him a pat on the back for getting himself together.

I won’t mention Moyes’s 40 odd games without winning an away game v the top four teams even if it was 12 years ago, mind you if it 50 years ago it’s really and truly unbelievable that a manager couldn’t manage one away win in all time particularly when the next manager won at Old Trafford in his first go there as Everton’s manager!

Such early promise and potential. But other things took over and heretired at 21.

Its,easy to be judgemental, youre never sure what's going on in someone's head.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47394200

A tidy sum? 500k

Fair play for getting his life back on track.

Remind me how how many times we’ve won at United, Chelsea, city, a field, Arsenal since Moyes left?

Maybe we should get Martinez back? You know the guy who finished 11th twice with lukaku, Barkley, baines, Coleman, deulofeu etc.

Of all the managers we’ve had since Moyes left none of them had the chance to win there with the eleven chances Moyes had.

With Dave’s favourite the mighty Carlo in charge! :)

Ryan, I know you don't take kindly to advice as I've seen when other posters have tried in a polite way to offer it.

This forum has always prided itself on debate, discussion and yes, sometimes it get's heated. None of us are always right or wrong. It's an opinion.

Each is entitled to their own view even if we disagree. But there is a way of doing it.

Coming back with a counter opinion, with your own would be more constructive than dismissing someone's as "crap" in a one-liner.

I doubt you've ever met Dave apart from behind a keyboard, but in his 80 years (sorry if I'm putting years on you Dave!!), he's seen everything Everton, so I doubt you or I could tell him much.

Relegation in the 50s. The glorious 60s. The nearly 70s. The 80s and then the steady decline.

You often make very good and valid points. Best you stick to that.

I standby for the "I don't need you to tell me what to say". I'm not. Just add a bit more substance and your point of view.

Baxter wasn’t a coke head he was a pot head.

Steve (34) Hands up, I come unstuck there with Carlo the incredible.

Ryan (35) It wasn’t you mate— even though you obviously knew. And you never said thanks for me bringing you back to ToffeeWeb!

Dave, I can't believe you are 80. When I saw your photo at one of the TW get-togethers I was thinking genuinely you were in your 60's.

That's why I couldn't figure out why you knew so much about the Everton teams in the 1950s!

I could read your post in a few ways😂

Unt. and City are probably the best young teams in the country but didn’t play very well today, Wayne Rooney’s son aged 15 was on the subs bench I don’t think he came on.