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u23 team of the season

Interesting looking at the fotmob ratings list (which has a minutes cutoff)
23 young aussies (u23s) have above average ratings and 15 below average

This is a reversal of last year and suggests that coaches are erring on the side of conservatism when playing youth. They often have to be above the level to play.

Obviously i know a lot of people are freaking out about how many young players are getting minutes, calling it a boys league, but in the end the academy products seem to be a touch better at a young age than either the players in the prime that didnt benefit from an academy or the foreign players in our price range
 
The A-league has overcorrected when it comes to youth, but not in the way you think

Article 'The A-league has overcorrected when it comes to youth, but not in the way you think'

Most weeks I hear fans and pundits saying that the A-League is out of balance and playing too many youth. Without naming names, I have heard one pundit claim that young players aren't earning their spots. Another has called it a boys league, and multiple others imply the sheer numbers of young...

an article for those who enjoy everything youth focused
 
A few debuts:

2003: 16
2004: 17
2005: 34
2006: 28
2007: 16
2008: 6
2009: 4

Historically players who make the big 5 tend to get regular football as a u19. This season the list of u19s getting regular football are de Abreu, Mehmehti, Herrington Dobson and Eames
 
Updated team of the season excluding players who haven't played much. Short of left backs!

--------------------------------------------------------------Beach (2003, 7.0)-----------------------------------------------------------
----Bertolissio (7.1, 2003)-----Esposito (7.1,2005)------Kikianis (7.1, 2005)----Rawlins (7.1, 2004)----
---------------------------------------------Okon (2005, 7.3) ----Alagich (2003, 7.6)-------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------Badolato (2005, 7.7)------------------------------------------------------
--------Younis (7.3, 2005)-------------------------Jovanovic (2005, 7.2)--------------Taylor (7.2, 2004)-----------

Average: 7.25
Average birth year: 2004.25 (u22). Probably slightly younger if I include herrington instead of esposito

compared to last year

--------------------------------------Beach (2003,7.07)---------------------------------
-Adamson (2003,7.17)-Pantazopolous (2003,7.18)-Jones (2003, 7.12)--Bos (2004,7.27)-
-------------------------------------Teague (2002,7.36)---Priestman (2003,7.21)---------------------------------
----------------------------------------------Pearman (2006,7.28)------------------------------------------------------------
-Drew (2003,7.56)-------------------Botic (2002,7.33)-----------------Adams (2002,7.25)----------------

Average: 7.25
Average age 2003.09

Basically the same as last year but slightly younger. Just like last year had to play a fullback out of position too. Goal keeping and fullbacks look the weakest positions going forward, midfield the strongest
 
Interesting comparing Younis and Segecic who are one year apart, both spent a year in the ereste divise before coming to the a league at the same age and then going off to a second tier league. Their end product has been pretty similar at the same ages, with Younis being better at producing high quality chances for himself and others, whereas Segecic has benefitted from some poor goal keeping - his goals in the a league are well ahead of his xgot. On balance, Younis has shown slightly better end product, this is especially impressive since Younis has played a higher level in Asia than Sega

Goal contributions p90 (A league)xg+xa p90 (A league)Goal contributions p90 (Asia)Goal contributions p90 (Ereste Divisie)
Segecic1.000.510.900.41
Younis0.970.810.900.48

Lets look at their off the ball work. Touches per 90 tells us (roughly) how good they are at opening passing lanes and turnovers per 90 adds tackles and intercepts. Obviously this doesn't tell us much about their positioning, but its good for a big picture look. Both are low touch players who struggle to find time and space while making an ok contribution in defense for their position

Touches p90 (A league)Turnovers p90 (A leagueTouches p90 (Asia)Turnovers p90 (Asia)Touches p90 (Ereste Divisie)Turnovers p90 (Ereste Divisie)
Segecic46.91.8049.42.143.02.02
Younis41.02.0841.4?47.52.14

On our show, Jack Hancock from Pompey said that if you are a low touch player with a lot of end product, that probably shows you can make an impact pretty quickly in a league. It can often take a few years to get good enough off the ball. However, if Poppa values the ability to open passing lanes highly, Younis like Sega might struggle to break into the roos in the near term

Finally lets look at duels and this is one area we see a big gap between the two players, with Youlley much better at dribbling and winning aerial duals. Both players look similar quality technically to me but Younis' superior athleticism lets him win more duals and get more high xg chances. This suggests a slightly higher ceiling than Segecic

Duels won p90 (A league)Duels won % (A league)Duels won p90 (Asia)Duels won % (Asia)Duels won p90 (Ereste Divisie)Duels won % (Ereste Divisie)
Segecic5.6041.4%4.2047.5%4.0439.7%
Younis6.3845.5%7.8046.4%6.5445%
 
grazorblade said:
Interesting comparing Younis and Segecic who are one year apart, both spent a year in the ereste divise before coming to the a league at the same age and then going off to a second tier league. Their end product has been pretty similar at the same ages, with Younis being better at producing high quality chances for himself and others, whereas Segecic has benefitted from some poor goal keeping - his goals in the a league are well ahead of his xgot. On balance, Younis has shown slightly better end product, this is especially impressive since Younis has played a higher level in Asia than Sega

Goal contributions p90 (A league)xg+xa p90 (A league)Goal contributions p90 (Asia)Goal contributions p90 (Ereste Divisie)
Segecic1.000.510.900.41
Younis0.970.810.900.48

Lets look at their off the ball work. Touches per 90 tells us (roughly) how good they are at opening passing lanes and turnovers per 90 adds tackles and intercepts. Obviously this doesn't tell us much about their positioning, but its good for a big picture look. Both are low touch players who struggle to find time and space while making an ok contribution in defense for their position

Touches p90 (A league)Turnovers p90 (A leagueTouches p90 (Asia)Turnovers p90 (Asia)Touches p90 (Ereste Divisie)Turnovers p90 (Ereste Divisie)
Segecic46.91.8049.42.143.02.02
Younis41.02.0841.4?47.52.14

On our show, Jack Hancock from Pompey said that if you are a low touch player with a lot of end product, that probably shows you can make an impact pretty quickly in a league. It can often take a few years to get good enough off the ball. However, if Poppa values the ability to open passing lanes highly, Younis like Sega might struggle to break into the roos in the near term

Finally lets look at duels and this is one area we see a big gap between the two players, with Youlley much better at dribbling and winning aerial duals. Both players look similar quality technically to me but Younis' superior athleticism lets him win more duals and get more high xg chances. This suggests a slightly higher ceiling than Segecic

Duels won p90 (A league)Duels won % (A league)Duels won p90 (Asia)Duels won % (Asia)Duels won p90 (Ereste Divisie)Duels won % (Ereste Divisie)
Segecic5.6041.4%4.2047.5%4.0439.7%
Younis6.3845.5%7.8046.4%6.5445%
Click to expand...
First saw Younis playing in the Australia Cup in 2024 against Brisbane Lions. He scored and was impressive. Still impressed every time I see him play. Definitely a future Socceroo, but this WC probably too soon.
 
Thought I'd look at debutants and how many got to that crucial 500 minute mark that @scout_aussie flagged in his manifesto. If someone is good enough to play you need to develop them and commit to giving them minutes. I'll just look at players young enough that a debut season could flag elite potential. It makes grim reading, no u18 players made the 500 minute cutoff and only two u19 players did. We do indeed seem to debut players and then ignore them for a long period of time

2009:
Emmet Shaw 89
Henrique Olivera 59
Kutleshi 358
Akon 278

2008
Baker 85
Didulica 78

2007
Vinko Stansic 161
Jai Rose 333
Alex Nunes 55
Richard Nkomo 45
Jesse Mantell 237
Joseph Lacey 6
Dragicevic 64
Giovanni De Abreu 1178
Max Cooper 679
Peter Antoniou 192
 
Team of the season is in! If two players were equal I took the youngest player. This means Warshawsky pips patrick beach whose form dived for some reason after roos selection. I also take a minimum 10 game cutoff otherwise Nieuwenhuizen would be the keeper of the season

----------------------------------------------Warshawsky (2004 6.9)--------------------------------------------------------------------
-Rawlins (2004, 7.1)---Esposito (2005, 7.1)---Herrington (2007, 7.1)---Pantazopoulos (2003, 7.0)-
--------------------------------------Alagich (2003, 7.5)--Okon (2005,7.3)--------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------Badolato (2005,7.7)------------------------------------------------------------------
------Younis (2005,7.5)-------------------Jovanovic (2005,7.2)---------------------Taylor (2004,7.2)----------------

The 2005 young socceroos dominate the list, with kikianis, white and Yull also doing well, while freney who never featured for our roos did well too
 
Final numbers from each year with number of dominant players (rating over 7) in brackets)

2003: 16 (5)
2004: 17 (7)
2005: 34 (8)
2006: 28 (0)
2007: 18 (1)
2008: 6 (0
2009: 4 (0)
 
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