Aston Villa’s U23 slide slipped to a 3-0 to Wolves in their last fixture, meaning they have won just twice in 2022. The U18 side has won just once in the same period – against Norwich. Does this matter?
Age group football is designed to be developmental and must balance a dual threat; first team opportunities for its players and loans of those players to other clubs – meaning that sides can shift, and players need to be integrated on a regular basis. Take our most recent U23 game against Wolves and the return of Indiana Vassilev, a prime example of a player who can quickly fade from your consciousness, despite being on the fringes of the first team when Villa initially returned to the topflight, Equally, it’s worth some consideration as Villa have always – and do at the present – take great pride and place significant stock in that youth development.
Maybe best to start with the current success story of Villa’s academy – Jacob Ramsey. The 20-year-old is pretty much a nailed-on starter for Gerrard’s Villa and has scored 6 goals in 27 appearances this term. We love those driving runs from midfield and the fact he is ‘one of our own’ only adds to that. The question is – and many current Villa academy starlets will be asking this too – is Ramsey the exception to the norm or the norm, in terms of pathway to the first team? With 48 league appearances over this season and last Villa will certainly hold him up as an example of that pathway working.
Of course, maybe he is just very good.
If Ramsey is the first example of the perception that Villa are enjoying something of a youth renaissance the other recent examples offer further room for discussion and thought. Winning the FA Youth Cup in May 2021 and putting up a wonderful show of resilience against Liverpool in the FA Cup five months earlier thrust a young group of players into the limelight – enhancing reputations but also raising expectations. I’d argue both these events led fans like me to somehow expect more than is perhaps reasonable from this group, particularly given the reality of that exception versus norm Jacob Ramsey pathway.
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Several players started in both the FA Cup game and the Youth Cup Final, so they are a good place to start in terms of looking at their trajectory in the intervening 12 months. Their stories are a stark reminder of the ups and downs of a football career, even at their inherently young age. Kaine Kesler Hayden, Lemar Bogarde, Arjan Raikhy, Louie Barry and Ben Chisrene all started both these games. Three of those are currently on loan in the lower leagues whilst two remain at Villa – none of the five have yet to make a first team appearance for Villa.
The loan system is important and both Kesler and Raikhy have experienced some success. Barry is currently enjoying a better return at Swindon (three goals in six appearances) than he had at Ipswich. Of course, there is no doubt regular football, and the thrust of the lower leagues will stand them in good stead but at what point would they be deemed ready for Villa? Of course, Kesler and Raikhy are just 19 – but Jacob Ramsey is 20. Kesler particularly is deemed as the heir apparent to Matty Cash, so it must be an interesting dilemma for the club as to whether to keep him around or send him out on loan. Mind you Lucas Digne’s injury hasn’t accelerated Chrisrene’s pathway to the first team, Gerrard preferring to draft in Ashley Young. Don’t get me wrong – I get this and would be a touch nervous if Chisrene was down to face the likes of Saka, but it’s got to happen sometime, right? Barry is younger – 18 – but how do we and the club really see him fitting into an already crowded stable of forwards, particularly bearing in mind Cameron Archer.
Archer is an interesting case. Again, only 20 he had a rather underwhelming spell at Solihull Moors in 2020-21 but burst onto the scene this year, especially through the Carabao Cup and now on loan to Preston. The loan move is clearly the right one, but I’d certainly hope he is in the conversation next year, albeit with a recognition of his own progress and what he wants from his career.
Young players in the modern game have a lot very early on. There must be a balance from themselves, their families, and their clubs about how quickly they can or are able to develop. Our own Carney Chukwuemeka is a case in point of where the grass is appearing greener for him – whether that remains the case will absolutely remain to be seen. It’s amazing that he has played more minutes this season than any other player his age (or younger). We shall see. And you know what, maybe you can see his point – Emi Buendia is sat on the bench for the moment.
This piece probably raises more questions than answers, but what can history tell us?
In 2002, Villa also won the Youth Cup and looking back at that team and where they have ended up is interesting when reflecting on current youth teams and potential. Around 50% had decent top level careers although arguably not at Villa – Luke Moore excepted. Liam Ridgewell and Steven Davis are probably the other most familiar names. The right back that day in 2002 was Andrew Wells – who now works as a project manager for a plumbing company.
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