Amidst the brilliantly accomplished debut

Slight cause for concern from the match is Cal was feeling his Achilles (Lofty as well), after-effects from that nasty looking challenge directly down the back of THAT Achilles.
Hence subbed off early in the second half, instead of finishing the match.
Hope there wont any further aggravations on that for either player.


League one Plymouth at home in the next round SHOULD be youth next opportunity to display their qualities, just before team heads off to UAE for club world cup.

Got to balance it like the weekend otherwise it's an opportunity for the under dog ala Arsenal at Forest and almost Morecambe at Spurs. It's an opportunity to use the whole squad and TT got it right this week.

Christensen gone so long not scoring for us now he’s hanging them in this season

comment by Bov (U6696)
Got to balance it like the weekend otherwise it's an opportunity for the under dog ala Arsenal at Forest and almost Morecambe at Spurs. It's an opportunity to use the whole squad and TT got it right this week.
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On your point about Tuchel getting the selection balance right...I'm convinced we would have scored just as many (or more) goals and performed better against Chesterfield with the likes of Vale, Simons, Webster in place of Pulisic, Werner, Ziyech, Barkley who are/were largely stinking up the place (I'll give Werner the benefit of doubt coming back from covid but there is sufficient evidence to prove that was a standard Werner performance, 17 year old Hall was showing much better technical quality and intelligence).


I'd actually forgotten that there is a winter break before the FA Cup match. So in that case it will be most of the established first-teamers starting against Plymouth to get them up to match-sharpness.

However...I would have no qualms about the academy players that are training with the first-team regularly, starting/featuring in that match with the established.
This current generation of youth are excellent and have proven they can be relied on, especially when when opportunities are few and far between for them to impress Tuchel.

I don’t think it’s as simple as that though. Individual performances is one thing, going up to a first team, that actually has a first team feel about it as a youngster is an important factor.

comment by The Droog (U17596)
I don’t think it’s as simple as that though. Individual performances is one thing, going up to a first team, that actually has a first team feel about it as a youngster is an important factor.
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They are well-prepped and developed from youth level to step up to first-team football, hence you see so many of our current and former academy (playing elsewhere) excel and look seamless in the transition to senior football.

Exactly, in first teams alongside seasoned pros, men.

Nope, they've been promoted to train and play senior football through their own sheer willpower, talent and mentality from youth level (The environment, structure and coaches that have honed them from childhood at academy level should always get credit for this).

First-team seasoned pros have little to no involvement in their seamless transition and excellence into adult football.