The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[ZacNaloen]

Son of club employee signs professional contract. What a happy coincidence

He's decent mate, seen him a few times.

Difficult to judge how he'll come on in years to come but it's on merit.

[YateleyRoyal]

Kuhl - Y8ley's most famous son?

[ZacNaloen]

Quite possibly, have I mentioned I know his mum? Same hair.

[Pepe the Horseman]

His older sister is pretty fit.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Quite possibly, have I mentioned I know his mum? Same hair.

You have the same hair as his mum?

[ZacNaloen]

nah, not me

[maffff]

Son of club employee signs professional contract. What a happy coincidence

Son of professional footballer becomes a professional footballer. What a happy coincidence

[From Despair To Where?]

His dad was part of the legendarily violent Pompey side of the mid to late 80's that included Mick Tait

[Broxroyal]

Son of club employee signs professional contract. What a happy coincidence

He's decent mate, seen him a few times.

Difficult to judge how he'll come on in years to come but it's on merit.

Many years ago there were those who initially wondered whether Neil Webb might be experiencing some favouritism. Once he had played a few first team games they knew different.
For the benefit of younger readers, Webby went on to play for Man Utd (amongst others) and England.

[winchester_royal]

For anyone who isn't likely to find themselves in Yorkshire on Friday night..the Youth Cup game at Leeds is going to be streamed live on their website.

http://www.leedsunited.com/news/article/57ab0xn42sby1rwo287fy4xiw/title/watch-the-under-18s-live?

Looks like you have to subscribe for the modest sum of £5.99

[glass half full]

Son of club employee signs professional contract. What a happy coincidence

He's decent mate, seen him a few times.

Difficult to judge how he'll come on in years to come but it's on merit.

The lad is a pocket dynamo.

[maffff]

Nigel Adkins looks to academy to cement future success of Reading FC


Nigel Adkins says his vision for the future at Reading is to have half of the side made up of the club’s youngsters.

Academy duo Aaron Kuhl and Jack Stacey are the latest players to sign professional contracts with Royals this week.

They join others including Liam Kelly, Dominic Hyam and Jake Cooper who have penned similar deals in recent months.

Manager Adkins explained that his ambition with Reading is to not only take them back to the Premier League, but ensure the club stays there in the long run.

And he has full faith in those who are coming up from the academy.

Royals’ boss said: “We want to have 50 per cent of the youngsters in the first team, that’s my aim.

“I want the players to come through our system to play a way they are all comfortable with.

“But more importantly, to have an affinity with the football club and care about it, the community and Reading as a whole.

“When it happens it’s going to happen. We’ve just got to get ourselves there.

“We might change track a bit but the important thing is that I know where I want us to be.”

Adkins, who takes his side to Huddersfield Town tomorrow in the Championship (3pm kick-off), has made his desire well-known to implement a new style of football at Reading.

The club have been known in the past to play the long ball for the majority of the game, but Adkins wants the side to pass the ball more and retain possession.

He believes that method is key if the club wants to get back in the top flight, and ultimately stay in it.

Adkins said: “We want to get back to the Premier League and give ourselves an opportunity to remain there for several years and keep growing on the great work that’s gone on before.

“If you look at the Premier League now, it’s a possession-based league – you’ve got to be good in possession.

“We’ve got some excellent youngsters who can pass the football and can move and be aware.

“And if we can keep developing that I’d like to think in the future we will give ourselves an opportunity to play a possession-based game which is going to be important if we’re going to be the Premier League. The big thing is that we’ve got to get there, so it’s a two-way thing.”

In fairness having McCarthy - Pearce - Karacan - Robson-Kanu - Obita we could have half a side of first team regulars. Samuel and Taylor have played with the first team too so we could field 7 of 11 players of a first team from graduates that already have league experience with Reading.

Plus loads of youngsters with league experience elsewhere, we 're definitely heading in the right direction.

[winchester_royal]

I like that. Tbh, the way it sounds to me is that he's waiting for the current crop to come through, and while we're waiting for the lads who are 18/19 to reach the point where they are ready for first team football we just have to put up with the players who aren't so comfortable with the basic fundamentals of 'pass and move'.

[Pepe the Horseman]

What a pcunt, wanting players who care about the club, playing for the club. I can understand why everyone h8s him so much.

[ZacNaloen]

Seriously tempted to pay that 5.99 to watch the game on lufc website tonight... don't want to give them money though...

[BR2]

Nigel Adkins looks to academy to cement future success of Reading FC


Nigel Adkins says his vision for the future at Reading is to have half of the side made up of the club’s youngsters.

Academy duo Aaron Kuhl and Jack Stacey are the latest players to sign professional contracts with Royals this week.

They join others including Liam Kelly, Dominic Hyam and Jake Cooper who have penned similar deals in recent months.

Manager Adkins explained that his ambition with Reading is to not only take them back to the Premier League, but ensure the club stays there in the long run.

And he has full faith in those who are coming up from the academy.

Royals’ boss said: “We want to have 50 per cent of the youngsters in the first team, that’s my aim.

“I want the players to come through our system to play a way they are all comfortable with.

“But more importantly, to have an affinity with the football club and care about it, the community and Reading as a whole.

“When it happens it’s going to happen. We’ve just got to get ourselves there.

“We might change track a bit but the important thing is that I know where I want us to be.”

Adkins, who takes his side to Huddersfield Town tomorrow in the Championship (3pm kick-off), has made his desire well-known to implement a new style of football at Reading.

The club have been known in the past to play the long ball for the majority of the game, but Adkins wants the side to pass the ball more and retain possession.

He believes that method is key if the club wants to get back in the top flight, and ultimately stay in it.

Adkins said: “We want to get back to the Premier League and give ourselves an opportunity to remain there for several years and keep growing on the great work that’s gone on before.

“If you look at the Premier League now, it’s a possession-based league – you’ve got to be good in possession.

“We’ve got some excellent youngsters who can pass the football and can move and be aware.

“And if we can keep developing that I’d like to think in the future we will give ourselves an opportunity to play a possession-based game which is going to be important if we’re going to be the Premier League. The big thing is that we’ve got to get there, so it’s a two-way thing.”

In fairness having McCarthy - Pearce - Karacan - Robson-Kanu - Obita we could have half a side of first team regulars. Samuel and Taylor have played with the first team too so we could field 7 of 11 players of a first team from graduates that already have league experience with Reading.

Plus loads of youngsters with league experience elsewhere, we 're definitely heading in the right direction.

Why only half a team-Cortese wants the WHOLE team at Southampton made up of home-growns.
That's probably why Nigel got the sack-unambitious.

[ZacNaloen]

Anyone going to be there tonight to give updates?

[Royal Ginger]

Seriously tempted to pay that 5.99 to watch the game on lufc website tonight... don't want to give them money though...

Same, looking for a feed but i'll probably give in.

[winchester_royal]

Anyone going to be there tonight to give updates?

Already in place. Turn out from Leeds fans no more than you see for a Reading development game at the Mad Stad. Big cLOLub.

All the newly signed pros are here, looks like a strong team. No Mcd or Nige spotteds yet.

[winchester_royal]

Scratch that. Nige, Crosby and Deano just arrived. All looking very pleased with themselves. Perhaps they've just clinched the Gylfi deal for January?