B Teams

[Muddled]

Barrow, Bangor and Basildon.

[baitman]

many many thanks for the patronage, gents

[BigChief]

How will we fit all these B teams into one league? Not sure you've thought this one through baitman.

[BubbaZanetti]

[baitman]

How will we fit all these B teams into one league? Not sure you've thought this one through baitman.

maybe not all clubs would want to field a proper b team and would be happy to continue with a youth team.
if the new b team had to join at the lowest tier of the league [whatever its called] and then make their way through promotion. they would take their place in a higher division on merit, and a relegated team would then make way for them.

some blurb from wiki;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_team

[baitman]

not a bad article on the merits of b teams, from the mirror.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-feeder-clubs-spains-2288091

Spain's 'B-team' example is one the Premier League and Football League should be keen to follow

Football Manager's Miles Jacobson is strongly behind proposals for top clubs to field a second string in the Football League

It’s great to see this article on MirrorFootball this morning with the possibilities of “feeder clubs” or “B-teams” now being discussed in the highest circles of English football as part of Greg Dyke’s continuing common sense reign at the FA.

It’s a subject close to my heart, and a subject we brought up on the Football Manager podcast (may it rest in peace) a couple of years ago, followed by an equal amount of support and vitriol on Twitter.

With the stakes so high in the Premier League - wild riches when you're there, and potential financial trouble if relegated, youngsters just aren’t given a chance any more and that has a trickle-down effect.

In the last decade the average age of a player making their debut in the Premier League has risen from 19 to 22.

Chelsea have more than 25 talented youngsters out on loan, including 6 at Vitesse Arnhem, and one of the hottest prospects in British football, Nathan Chalobah, was farmed out to Nottingham Forest on loan just yesterday to get him some first team football.

It’s well discussed in football circles how reserve team football has become completely non-competitive.

With the Premier League starting the U21 competition, it was hoped that this would see clubs keeping their young talent at the clubs to progress but that hasn’t really worked – the standard of the replacement for reserve football just isn’t as competitive as needed and has instead become a competition that many clubs are avoiding.

Only 45 clubs decided to enter it, and one of those is a conference club (Barnet).

There’s a case of at least one club who could get level 1 academy status, but because that included having to enter the U21 league, decided to go for level 3 instead just to avoid it.

Reserve team football away from the U21 league is pretty much over – only one official reserve league continues, the Central League. And that has already dwindled down to just 14 clubs.

The benefit of B-teams playing in competitive leagues are many, but most importantly, it would give young players at clubs (as hopefully it would be an under-23-with-maybe-a-couple-of-overage-players-allowed system) the chance to play, week in, week out, in a competitive competition and use the first team's tactics.

This is especially important for their development if they are to reach the echelons of the first team, and something that is lost in the league system – you can demand first team football for those that are sent out on loan, and even a position the player should be played in, but you can’t specify the tactics the loaning club must use.

[pic] 9 of this Spain 11 began their career in the B teams of Spanish clubs

It would also benefit the teams in the lower divisions financially – let’s say that the B-teams are all put into a new regionalised League 2 (as it was up until 1958), those teams will then be able to benefit from higher away support for fixtures when Man Utd reserves come to town. The same way as teams fight every pre-season to get a reserve or youth team from a large club to come to visit, for a boost on the gate.

It’s been part of the Spanish league structure for years. Barcelona even have a C team. The rules are simple – the clubs can’t get into the top flight.

A young player called Lionel Messi, who obviously had a bit of skill but it wasn’t sure whether he would make it because of his size had a season at Barcelona C where he played 10 times, and got 5 goals as a 16 year old. He was promoted the next season to Barcelona B, getting 6 goals in 22 appearances, then moved up to the A side. Who knows whether he would have got his chance at Barcelona without playing nearly 2 seasons of competitive football for Barca first.

Asier Illarramendi, signed by Real Madrid in the Summer for more than £25m is another who benefitted from B team football at Real Sociedad – for 3 years from 18-21 he played for Sociedad B making 93 appearances before moving to the A team.

Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas – in fact, of those who have represented Spain this year, the only players who didn’t spend a season in a B or C team were Cesc Fabregas who was signed by Arsenal as a youth player, and Gerard Pique, who only made 12 appearances for Manchester United in 4 years, and a season at Zaragoza on loan, before joining Barcelona and becoming a world superstar. And some guy called Torres, mainly because when he had his first full season at Atletico, they were in the second division anyway.

Of course, B-teams aren’t the only answer to the problems young British footballers face in getting first team football, nor will it single handedly fix the national team.

Many young players at top clubs aren’t English, for a start.

But for the half that do get to play, it can only benefit their progress, and therefore the national teams – it’s embarrassing how few of the England U21’s are regular starters at their clubs compared to most other countries. And especially those nations whose systems allow B-teams.

[Mike]

Been a big fan of the whole B team set up for years - it does wonders for youngsters in Spain and helps bridge the gap between reserve team football and the first team.

Young players would be getting good, competitive matches on a regular basis against a wider range of teams/players. Could also mean not as many loan moves which wouldn't be a bad thing - you wouldn't always have to send a player to another club to get experience before making the jump.

[-V-]

Not a fan myself. All it does is help the big teams develop their players for their own benefit. Whose to say the big teams won't just fill the B teams with foreign youngsters......

I prefer the loan system as it means the smaller clubs atleast get some benefit out of it by taking players from premier league teams

[Mike]

With the B team setup at least the players are always on the books of their club, and not with someone else. You look at Spain with this setup and you can't say it doesn't work in terms of producing talented players.

As for foreign youngsters, would it really be that different to other clubs in the lower leagues? More and more foreign players are playing in English football nowadays. A quota could be introduced for B teams easily anyway, imo.

[CJ]

Bury

[spanky]

Also you could have a setup where not only are your U21's playing in this B side but you'd have a separate coaching staff which could potentially be a future first team management team. Say if a retired player like Stevie or Alonso were in charge of the B side, being groomed for the step up to the first team? Woulnt be under the constant stress for results but could develope their style of play etc?

[CJ]

Barry town

[EwarWoo]

Barry town

Aye, its sound lad.

[Roboklopp]

Also you could have a setup where not only are your U21's playing in this B side but you'd have a separate coaching staff which could potentially be a future first team management team. Say if a retired player like Stevie or Alonso were in charge of the B side, being groomed for the step up to the first team? Woulnt be under the constant stress for results but could develope their style of play etc?

Gary Glitter likes this.



This thread really is very poor. Have a word with yourself Baitman.

[baitman]

Our under 21 team is entered into the EFL trophy.

Liverpool and Manchester United will enter Under-21 sides in the EFL Trophy in the 2019-20 season.

The pair are among 16 teams invited from category one academies, who will join the 48 League One and League Two clubs in the competition.

League One side Portsmouth won the EFL Trophy last season after beating Sunderland on penalties following a 2-2 draw at Wembley in March.

The draw for the group stage will take place in July.

The first round of fixtures is scheduled to be played in the week commencing Monday, 2 September.

Liverpool and United join Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal in the competition, with the Premier League's top six from the previous campaign represented for the first time.

Nicky Butt, head of Manchester United's academy, said the EFL Trophy "will act as the ideal platform for the development of our homegrown talent".

Fifteen of the 16 Under-21 sides who will participate are affiliated to top-flight clubs, with Championship outfit Fulham also involved.

Sides from category one academies were first introduced to the competition in 2016-17, with Chelsea's under-21 side reaching the semi-finals in 2017-18.

"The recent feedback from clubs and coaches has been very positive, with the current format continuing to offer greater revenue for our clubs and competitive first-team football for young talent," English Football League executive chair Debbie Jevans said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48638603