U18s Academy Champions (Again!)

[alexbishop]

Moussa Dembele hat trick. He is 16 years old that boy...

[elgreenio]

Never in doubt, Reading created very little apart from rattling the bar with a free kick. Each of our goals very well worked and could have had a couple more. Obviously Dembele will get the plaudits but no player was less than a 7/10 on the day

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[Supermitch]

Really enjoyed the game, was very open and with no bad fouls until last 10 mins or so.  I think it is a bit unfair to say Reading didn't threaten.   They hit the woodwork twice in close succession and Rodak made a couple of good saves.  Both second and third goals actually came after a spell of Reading pressure.  Whilst I think 3-0 was a bit flattering certainly deserved the win - it was a very good all round team performance.

Obviously Dembele will get the plaudits but my man of the match was Stephen Arthurworrey - he was immense at the back.

Less people there than I expected, those that didn't go missed a very enjoyable afternoon.    

[Ordar]

Yeah was a really good game. Fair few Reading fans there. Thought we played very well, first half especially. I agree with Supermitch, Arthurworrrey was very very good. Dembele took his goals well, and we were slaughtering them with pace the first half.

Champions!

[MasterHaynes]

Great way to end the season at the cottage, some great performances Sambou, Donnelly and Richards were superb.I thought Tankovic put in a real team performance today after being dissapointed with him in the Semi.

I saw Stuart Pearce in the directors box with his young son, I'm sure there were a number of players names he went away with for future reference. Dembele looks like Balotelli and plays with the same strength pace and skill. Add these players to those that joined the U21's last year and we have a large group of youngsters coming through.
Shame we couldn't have filled the riverside, missed a really good skillful and open game

[Burt]

 :clap_hands: :yay:

Good stuff...

[SouthfieldWhite]

Very good performance by the boys against Reading who are no mugs and have won about 13 out of the last 14 games, our boys are getting better and better and there was no weak links in the team, shame as others have said that more fans didn't come and support our boys

[cmg]

Mousa Dembele's hat-trick saw Fulham retain their title of Premier League u18 Champions. Thoroughly deserved reward for an outstanding group of young players.

Fulham dominated the early stages and, after going 2-0 in front didn't look like losing the initative despite second half pressure from a strong Reading side. They looked bigger (all round) and older than our lads and had a good defensive plan to counter the threat of Pat Roberts and Josh Passley down the right, with the result that neither enjoyed the kind of dominance they had found against Sunderland.

Dembele's hat-trick consisted of a superb cross shot after some fine build up play; a cool finish after going clear on a through pass which left the Reading defence vainly looking for a totally non-existant offside that not even Mr Halsey would have given; a game settler in the last minute after an outrageous solo run from midfield and a finely placed shot which, if it hadn't gone in off the far post would have led to him being throttled by Steve Wigley and the three Fulham players who were better placed to score. Greedy but deserved - these are OK if they go in.

I wouldn't argue too much with the choice of Stephen Arthurworrey, commanding, safe and composed, as man of the match. But my vote would go to his centre-back partner, Liam Donnelly, who looked shaky on Wednesday but was superb today.

An end-of-term report might go something like this:

Marek Rodak (16): Looks like the last kid picked in the Primary school playground. Not big for a keeper. Acrobatic with fine reflexes. Uses the ball impressively. There are loads of spectacular young shot stoppers around - the skills of positioning and commanding an area are much harder learned. Has plenty of time.

Josh Passley (18): Quick and very skillful. Is he a right-back? Time will tell what his position will be - he has the talent to play almost anywhere.

Tom Richards (18): Also good going forward, but more obviously a full-back. Has a major rival in the year older Sean Kavanagh. Either might well save us a big transfer fee.

Stephen Arthurworry (18): Big, reads the game well. Quite skillful. Might be almost ready.

Liam Donnelly (17): Looked very impressive today.

Solomon Sambou (17): Strong CM. Plenty of action in both defence and attack. Has improved this year to be one of the real stars. Reminds me of a young Alan Mullery.

Pat Roberts (16): We all know about this one. One of the most talented 16 year olds in the country. Two footed, can play almost any attacking role (did so when I saw him play for England).Will be offered a long contract when he is 17. We can only hope.

Emerson Hyndman (17): Smaller than Roberts (and from Texas!). Has developed into an eye-catching playmaker this season. He and Sambou provide for the u18s exactly what the seniors' midfield lacks.

Cauley Woodrow (18): Big year next year for him. Has had a good season at u21. Needs a championship loan next year. Excellent all-round centre-forward, needs to develop the killer finishing touch.

Maumer Tankovic (18): Big and skillful. Obviously influenced by Berbatov and highly rated by Jol. Tends to over elaborate.

Mousa Dembele (16): Unfair to be this big and powerful at 16! Great skill on the ball, powerful shot. Very raw, occasionally seems to have no idea what  he is doing. A work in progress - but could be a masterpiece.

Who knows how it will turn out, but stick around, could be interesting. Many congratulations to the players and the staff. The players have been a credit to our club.

With the news from Wales, it's been a pretty good day for FFC.

[MasterHaynes]

Very good and inciteful player analysis by CMG. I was thinking after the match today that how lucky we are to have two very good left backs coming through in Kavanagh and Richards. Lets hope they turn out to be our Cole and Clichy. Seeing Stuart Pearce watching I thought Richards gave a Pearce at his best cameo performance today.