Professional Development League
Tuesday 1 March 2022
Played at Shirecliffe
SUFC 2021/22 Game #58
First things first, I'm primarily a Beer Blogger. Today's logistics meant that I didn't have a beer "associated" with that Academy game at Shirecliffe. But, shout out to the guy in the Detroit Lions wooly hat. He lives in Manchester. But had a day off work & needed to get to a game. So, Shirecliffe it was. And at half time, he reached into his bag & cracked open a tin of…
SALT, The Hop, Simcoe Edition at 5%
Move over. There's a new kid in town…
That was basically a complete team performance by the Young Blades. Everyone on their game. Knowing their jobs. Doing them. Didn't look to be a weak link out there. Even young Sachdev, normally a right back in a four for the U18s, was comfortable as right centre back in a three. Two up inside five minutes courtesy of Andre Brooks settled everything a lot. Early goals help.
Callum Hiddleston didn't have a lot to do. Sachdev, Big Mig Freckleton & Nicksoen Gomis as a three. A constantly marauding Femi Seriki on the right. (Replaced like for like by Joe Starbuck at half time while the Simcoe Edition was being cracked). Ange Cappello back to left wing back. Peck, Arblaster & Brooks across the mid. And Will Osula & Daniel Jebbison up top.
As I knew there'd be interest in a JebboWatch, I tried to keep tabs. At first, I thought it was Will on the right and Dan on
the left. But, quickly, it all turned very fluid. I've already said it was a consummate display. So, I can clearly say Jebbison played well. He was certainly NOT head & shoulders above the other 21. Which is what you'd pray for. But, he was lively & involved & didn't hold back. On the day, I thought Osula looked a bit better. He seemed more mobile & looks for the ball more. He's got great ball at his feet skills.
On 30 minutes, he used those skills to the full. To the very brims I tells ye. Superb in n out twisty weavy stuff on the left. Picture perfect square ball onto Jebbison's toe. He hit home hard and low to make it 3-0. Daniel's celebration was prim, but proper. Pointing at his mucka Osula and acknowledging Will had done all the hard yards on that one. Assist with a big A and some capital Ss.
Somewhat surprisingly, neither Dan nor Will took a defensive role at Hull corners. Not that there were fucking many of those. It's such an important part of a modern striker's toolkit.
So, Jebbison, under constant encouragement from Collins on the side, was very willing to close down & press. Speedy & trigonometric on the angles an' all. Also willing to come deep and show for the ball with his back to goal. For example, on 11 minutes, he came, brought it under close control, and turned to set up the attack. On 42, he came, flicked it left footed past his marker, and turned to win the run chase down the left. Dan looked strong running at defenders with the ball. A little ungainly maybe, certainly compared to Osula. But he wasn't afraid to put it on his left foot if that gave him an extra yard & a chance to get his shot off.
On 35 minutes, Andre Brooks fed Cappello wide left. He put a high cross to the edge of the six. Jebbison got on it, but there was no power in his looping header which dropped wide. Just before half time, Jebbison climbed very well for another cross from the left. This time, he got a load on it. And headed it down nicely. Nicely but wide!!!
I will say that the performances of both Jebbison & Osula were all the more impressive because Hull #5 (Festus Arthur) was ox strong & was very, very tight if/when the ball was played to his man.
Before all that shit, Brooks had put the game to bed, with the electric blanket on & a big fluffy fuck off duvet. On 4, Sydie Peck put a corner right under the bar. The City Hull keeper could only palm it upwards and not very far. Brooks knocked it in left footed. Within a minute, Seriki powered down the right, played the ball perfectly into Brooks stride & he powered it in along the deck.
In the second half, both Osula & Daniel joined the Shirecliffe Club. Membership awarded to those who shoot over the bar, over the netting, and Hit The Building.
And, on 73 minutes, Joe Starbuck finished it all off after great work by Ange on the left. My notes for the second half are non existent. One of the many joys of close to the action Academy football is you might get a chance to speak to someone who actually fucking knows what they are talking about. Indeed, I even asked the lino whether he could explain when the game can be brought back for a free kick after play on has been waved. (That was the Jebbo hitting the building incident. Because he'd gone on to create a chance and get a shot off, play couldn't be brought back for the obvious attempted trip on him).
I ended up discussing that with my neighbour. Who turned out to be scouting the game. Having had a career as a performance coach & head of talent ID and recruitment at a number of clubs including Nottingham Forest & Birmingham City. He felt Jebbison and United were wasting their time fetching him back from Burton. But, when I explained what had happened to Didzy & Rhian and that we were short on first team strikers, he understood the dilemma.
He felt there was a general problem across recruitment & player development of midfielders. Too many pocket rocket box to box titches & not enough Sander Berge esque huge enforcers. He pointed to Oliver Arblaster as an example. He said that even elite Academies like Arsenal & Spurs just seemed packed with small ball players.
He was a Big Fan of players being loaned to National League clubs for their development. Even more so than L1 or L2. Under close questioning, he checked his notes, Gomis - looking at him out there, how do we know he can defend? If he was in a National League game he'd have to make a header every two minutes & a tackle every 90 seconds, then we'd know whether he can defend…
Fair point fella.
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I have now Blogged from 1,067 games in 2,751 days
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