England reach World Cup Final

Fantastic performance by the u20 England team to beat Italy 3-1 this afternoon in South Korea in the semi-final. Ademola Lookman of Everton was brilliant, wonder if we could get him on loan next season  

Henderson on the bench.

Some really useful performances. Liverpool look they've nicked a real talent off Chelsea in Solanke. Only 75 Premier League appearances between the whole squad. Would be good to see a few of them break through next season. Maitland-Niles and Cook bossed the midfield, Lookman stood out and Ojo made a massive difference coming on as sub. For once an England team making an Italian team look very much second best. Great to watch..

I see the final ( Venezuela U20 v England U20 ) is at 11 o'clock Sunday morning our time.

I would've watched it but I don't get British Eurosport.

75 PL appearances between a squad for that age group is pretty high I'd say. Minutes in those games would be a more grounding stat although Lookman has had a few games for Everton

Quoted from LH

75 PL appearances between a squad for that age group is pretty high I'd say. Minutes in those games would be a more grounding stat although Lookman has had a few games for Everton

About half of the appearances were down to one player, a lad at Middlesbrough, I seem to remember from the commentary..

Quoted from Abdul19

Henderson on the bench.

I saw that was he dropped or rested

something never done by an England u20 team before...   well done

I just wish the premier league managers were brave enough to play 2 or 3 of them at once like Harry Redknapp or Sir Alex. Sadly the pressure on them means they won't and these young lads will probably be playing in league one in 3 years time.

What they need is some competitive game time.
We need a cup competition where they could maybe play against
lower league first teams. Anyone got any ideas ?? 😉

Quoted from Civvy at last

What they need is some competitive game time.
We need a cup competition where they could maybe play against
lower league first teams. Anyone got any ideas ?? 😉

Oh dont you dare....Harvey will no doubt already be looking through the team and seeing how many played a part in his legacy comp.

Quoted from Abdul19
Henderson on the bench.


I saw that was he dropped or rested


He's not first choice Pete, been on the bench before and during.

Must be just like the first half of last season for him.

Quoted from Civvy at last

What they need is some competitive game time.
We need a cup competition where they could maybe play against
lower league first teams. Anyone got any ideas ?? 😉

If only we had something like a cup for all clubs affiliated to the FA.  

Quoted from Bigdog

About half of the appearances were down to one player, a lad at Middlesbrough, I seem to remember from the commentary..

15 out of 75, which is only 20%...

On the other hand ...... if these players can reach a final with so few league appearances, maybe we should try the same idea with the senior squad.

Gets rid of the tiredness argument and the mid-season break issue.

Really good achievement one that all being well will progress to them actually winning the thing which would be superb for all involved in the system of bringing on the cream of the crop through the International age groups and make them ready to step up to U23 level.

It's that "U23" level though where years of work by people within the England younger age groups seems to go to waste as the greedy prem clubs have no interest in allowing many of these kids the opportunity to play 1st team football. Only in our game would we fail to recognise and further develop players who had played in a World Cup final. Amazing contradiction in that the top clubs bring kids on who have the ability to get to a World Cup Final and then waste all their own work as well by not seeing them through.  

If they win it maybe it just might wake some of the games "architects" up to the fact that we have the opportunity to do well at senior level we just need to be brave and force the change.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Really good achievement one that all being well will progress to them actually winning the thing which would be superb for all involved in the system of bringing on the cream of the crop through the International age groups and make them ready to step up to U23 level.

It's that "U23" level though where years of work by people within the England younger age groups seems to go to waste as the greedy prem clubs have no interest in allowing many of these kids the opportunity to play 1st team football. Only in our game would we fail to recognise and further develop players who had played in a World Cup final. Amazing contradiction in that the top clubs bring kids on who have the ability to get to a World Cup Final and then waste all their own work as well by not seeing them through.  

If they win it maybe it just might wake some of the games "architects" up to the fact that we have the opportunity to do well at senior level we just need to be brave and force the change.

It does seem strange Herts. But, while PL clubs have money to burn they also have to get instant results. A lad going into the first team might be a genius but once the adrenalin rush wears off he needs proper development over time and top PL managers don't feel they have that time. Barkley is a good example of a lad who looked the business 2 years ago but is on the slide just now. In a way it is good business for MU to sell Keane and buy him back as the finished article when you look at the trouble they have had in getting players like Smalling up to scratch.

The other side of the coin is that players think they have made it if they reach a first team squad, their wage demands go sky high in relation to experience, their agents smell a big payday but clubs won't pay for the privilege of signing a half ready player.

Did anyone see the GTFC flag in the crowd? We get everywhere!! UTM

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Being the cynic I am I can't wait to the read the 'where are they now?' article in about 15 years.

Quoted from LH

Being the cynic I am I can't wait to the read the 'where are they now?' article in about 15 years.

....after apearing in the World Cup final he later went on to appear in the CheckatradeTrophy final for Bournemouth U23 Reserve B team losing to Chelsea Womens Senior C team before having unsuccesful loan periods at Eastleigh, Crawley, Dover, Eastbourne before moving into a career in car sales at his families business.....

FAO Les - we could raise some money for the trust with a sweep on which squad member gets caught up in a tabloid scandal first?

Well done u20's. Great experience for our Deano

Just seen a mini Mighty Mariner on display following the final, just above the GTFC flag, we are everywhere!!!!

As great an achievement that it is, do we really expect Venezuela to be a major force in global football over the next decade?

Our young teams consistently do better than the senior team at tournaments but how many Premier League games will those players play next season? Not enough and that is the problem.

Liverpool should definitely play Solanke based on the evidence of the whole tournament.

Quoted from Mariner_09

Liverpool should definitely play Solanke based on the evidence of the whole tournament.

The evidence of playing other under 20's you mean?

We have some good potential in the squad it's a shame that 90% of them will never see the first team at their current club.

Well done to the under 20's, what an achievement, brilliant.

The difference for between the attitude of the under 20's compared to the senior squad was how they took the game forward. Taking players on, looking for through balls as players made runs and taking pot shots when they felt it could go somewhere. It looked like the shackles were off and the young lads were expressing themselves, very entertaining.

Quoted from Marinerz93

The difference for between the attitude of the under 20's compared to the senior squad was how they took the game forward. Taking players on, looking for through balls as players made runs and taking pot shots when they felt it could go somewhere. It looked like the shackles were off and the young lads were expressing themselves, very entertaining.

We'll soon knock that nonsense from them. Gareth will be keen to remind them that the most important thing is to not concede goals and pass the ball sideways as much as humanly possible.

Was good to see them go for the spectacular finish late on when we twice tried to lob the keeper from near the halfway line.

That'll soon be knocked out of them when you're 1 nil up in stoppage time!

Liverpool were preparing a £100m bid for a teenager according to this morning's paper. Only problem is he's French.

There is just no way these lads will get proper game time and development in the PL.

Most of the team are likely to get limited first-team opportunities.  The increased funding offered to clubs means that any risk playing young players could cost the clubs financially.

Maybe they should gain experience and develop their skills abroad.  They should be in demand.  

It is too harsh to say that the majority of these players will fall by the wayside.  They won the Cup.  Dominic Solanke of England named player of the tournament. On the past 4 Under-20 World Cups we did not win a single game.

Past under 20 players who became well-known professionals include:
Maradona ,Messi, Aguero, Pogba, Oscar, Willian, Coutinho, Zabaleta, Fabregas, Suarez, Pique, Alexis Sanchez, David Luiz, Casemiro and Danilo (both Real Madrid), Kurt Zouma, Umtiti, Digne (both Barcelons).  Great name "Umtiiti".  Michael Owen, Danny Murphy, Jamie Carragher, Harry Kane,  Eric Dier, John Stones, Ross Barkley. (The last 4 England players could not get out of their group in 2013).

Who is to say that some of the England Under20 players, or the under 21s or under 17s, will not be top class?  We are developing young players more successfully now across all age groups.  

Rashford was also linked with going to the u20 tournament.