Checkatrade

[dickos1]

Leicesters side tonight has 89 international caps and the starting 11 cost 45 million. It's a farce

[since-1969]

We’re not playing them so what’s the bother?

[drfchound]

Yep, this competition really is about bringing on young English players isn’t it.

[dickos1]

It's a joke, ulloa is in his 30's.
Supposed to be their under 23 academy side

[Campsall rover]

It's a joke, ulloa is in his 30's.
Supposed to be their under 23 academy side

Supposed to be U 21's
What happens if one of these teams gets to the final. It will be a joke. Will have no fans at Wembley.
Total farce.

[steve@dcfd]

It's a joke, ulloa is in his 30's.
Supposed to be their under 23 academy side

The rules state that six out of the starting must be U21 by June 30th of that season. Therefore they can have 5 over aged players if they choose.

The side is
#lcfc side to face Scunthorpe: Hamer, Amartey, Dragović, Benalouane, Wood, Choudhury (c), Ndukwu, Hughes, Thomas, Iheanacho, Ulloa.

[dickos1]

What's the point?
They should all be under 21

[IDM]

Why should they?

All sorts if U-21 competitions allow a few overage players, always have..

[dickos1]

Because the whole point of letting these sides into this competition was supposed to give competitive games against men to youngsters at premier league clubs.
Playing experienced players in their 30s is a nonsense.

[hoolahoop]

The competition is a fecking nonsense and Rovers should withdraw from it on principle.....we really don't need this shite , it's ludicrous .

[anne honemous]

Why should they?

All sorts if U-21 competitions allow a few overage players, always have..

For me, it's simple.

If it's Under 21s football, the players should be Under 21 (at least at the start of the season anyway).

A 30-something goalkeeper, 26-y/o centre back, 30-y/o striker with 25+ international caps for some obscure country and the 24 y/o big summer flop signing from Marseille or wherever, shouldn't even be considered.

If they aren't 21 or under, then it isn't an Under 21s team.

Until the powers that be get to grips with this aspect of things, the tournament is going to lack credibility amongst fans.

[hoolahoop]

Why should they?

All sorts if U-21 competitions allow a few overage players, always have..

For me, it's simple.

If it's Under 21s football, the players should be Under 21 (at least at the start of the season anyway).

A 30-something goalkeeper, 26-y/o centre back, 30-y/o striker with 25+ international caps for some obscure country and the 24 y/o big summer flop signing from Marseille or wherever, shouldn't even be considered.

If they aren't 21 or under, then it isn't an Under 21s team.

Until the powers that be get to grips with this aspect of things, the tournament is going to lack credibility amongst fans.

Agree 100%

[Campsall rover]

Why should they?

All sorts if U-21 competitions allow a few overage players, always have..

For me, it's simple.

If it's Under 21s football, the players should be Under 21 (at least at the start of the season anyway).

A 30-something goalkeeper, 26-y/o centre back, 30-y/o striker with 25+ international caps for some obscure country and the 24 y/o big summer flop signing from Marseille or wherever, shouldn't even be considered.

If they aren't 21 or under, then it isn't an Under 21s team.

Until the powers that be get to grips with this aspect of things, the tournament is going to lack credibility amongst fans.

Could not have said it better.
The only thing I would add is, let's go back to the original format of a tournament for League 1 and League 2 clubs, as before. Only then the tournament will have credibility.

[IDM]

I too agree that the age bracket shpuld apply 100% in this competition, but it doesn't.  It's not Leicester's fault that they can play Ulloa, regardless of whether we think it is right.

My view is this should just be for 3rd/4th division teams.

[selby]

  The thing that is wrong is that it is the premiership teams that are  taking the mickey and treating the rest of the teams in the competition poorly.
   The only way they would get anything out of it would be to play only U21 players. If  they do not change the rules to that, it should be for lower division sides only.
  Does it mean that their U21s are crap?

[The Red Baron]

Development football is now under 23 so it is a nonsense to call the teams under 21. However, as this competition is about developing young players they should be under 23 sides with no over age players.

The EFL were lucky last year. The B teams all got knocked out fairly early and they ended up with two well supported teams in the final. If Leicester are playing this for keeps, they may not be as lucky this time.

[anne honemous]

Development football is now under 23 so it is a nonsense to call the teams under 21. However, as this competition is about developing young players they should be under 23 sides with no over age players.

The EFL were lucky last year. The B teams all got knocked out fairly early and they ended up with two well supported teams in the final. If Leicester are playing this for keeps, they may not be as lucky this time.

I'm all for development of players though the mind boggles at the benefits of a big PL club potentially having a player 'in development' up to and including the season during which he celebrates his 23rd birthday.

That's seven seasons from leaving school to reaching that age.

In that time, a player at a lower league club could theoretically have 7 seasons in the first team and make 350 appearances, whilst his mate in the 'development' at Man United, plays football against people his own age (and Leicester) and maybe gets a loan spell here and there.

God help the way football will be in 10-15 years when the developed clones from PL academies have zero social skills whatsoever, because they've been mouthfed from being a nipper to being released at 23.

[rtid88]

Leicesters side tonight has 89 international caps and the starting 11 cost 45 million. It's a farce

£45 million and only just managed to scrape past Scunny. If that isn't a clear indication of how bonkers the amount of money that is being spent on bang average foreign players in the Premier League rather than bringing through talented young English players than I don't know what is.

[selby]

  Agreed