Kids watch: Eccleston does the trick, Hammill continues Saint futility, Anderson settles for assists, & more

Nathan Eccleston is looking more and more the business. The 16-year-old Manchester product netted three more goals today in the U18s 5-0 annihilation of West Brom. The same West Brom that held them scoreless just a month-and-half ago. That brings the young striker's tally to 15 in 16 matches. Did I mention that in three of those matches he played less than a total of 120 minutes? The kid's scoring pace has been impressive to say the least. Just imagine our side five years from now if he, David Amoo, Marvin Pourie, Gary Mackay-Steven, and the whole plethora of young International hopefuls continue to progress and develop into Premiership-quality players. We're going to be world-beaters even if a fraction of them 'make it'.

(Oh, by the way, my friend Ciara wanted me to mention that Michael 'Fekkin' Magic' Collins also scored. Typical Irish.)

The thing about Eccleston is that he didn't come with all the hype that accompanied most of our other Academites. I wouldn't necessarily say he came out of nowhere, but he did work his way from a player who wasn't even on the bench at the beginning of the season to playing every minute of our last 13 matches. That is deserving of recognition and commendation alone. In the article I linked above, Hugh McAuley seems to hint at the 16-year-old possibly already moving up the ladder and playing for the Reserves as early as this spring, an impressive feat nonetheless.

Apparently, England has no talent at the youth level, which is easily rubbished by pointing out Eccleston. He plays on a youth side with players from all over the world, Dean Bouzanis is an Aussie, Shane O'Connor and Michael Collins are Irish, Ayala is Spanish, Astrit Ajdarevic and Alexander Kacaniklic are Swedish, Gary Mackay-Steven is Scottish, and Marvin Pourie is from Germany. Pourie and Collins are both forwards as well, competing for time with the Manchester kid, but despite the German's prolific scoring record, he now sits second fiddle to the Englishman.

Since I'm on the subject of the Academy, I was wondering where all our other 'baby galaticos' are? It appears Argentine ace, Gerardo Bruna, despite being just 16, will train with the first team and get some time with the Reserves. Finnish wonderkid, Lauri Dalla Valle, also 16, arrives in January and it is rumored that he'll do the same and young Spanish star, Dani Pacheco, 17, has seen minimal time with the Reserves already. Who knows about Ayala, he might be injured, but I haven't heard much of him lately.

I'm beginning to wonder if Southampton is the right fit for Adam Hammill. Just when it looked as if he was settling in after a two assist outing, leading the Saints to a 4-0 thrashing of Hull, he was essentially a non-factor in his club's 1-1 draw at Coventry. In fact, he was taken off the pitch in the 68th minute with the score at one apiece. At least it ended in a draw. The Saints next play a home fixture on Saturday with Preston, the team of none-other-than Neil Mellor who scored just his second goal of the campaign this season, helping the Lilywhites defeat Burnley.

Paul Anderson has decided to no longer score goals and now just set them up. The 19-year-old Wirral wonder got two more assists today to help Swansea win 3-0 at the Liberty over Southend. Anderson only played 59 minutes before being replaced by Thomas Butler. With Leyton Orient taking it up the arse, 0-1 at the hands of Carlisle, the Swans now sit all alone atop the League One table, a point and a goal clear of the aforementioned Cumbrians, which they travel to on Saturday. Anderson, like Hammill at Dunfermline last season, appears to be turning me into a Swans supporter. Hell, if Rafa goes, this blog will be changed to Swans Banter?

Since Hartlepool wasn't playing a side that featured another Liverpool player on-loan, they won, 3-0. Godwin Antwi started and played the full ninety. The Monkey Hangers head to Swindon next Saturday. Finally, Ryan Flynn failed to make the bench for Hereford. Shocker.

Kids watch: Academy kids destroy Wycombe, Southampton finally wins with Hammill, Antwi loses to Peltier, & more

The U18s began their double defence of the FA Youth Cup with a resounding 5-0 shellacking of Wycombe. The Wanderers were undefeated in thirteen contests coming in while racking up a ridiculous +27 goal difference. Though they managed to hold our boys for the first half, an explosion of goals in the second, led by a brace from Nathan Eccleston, crushed the young Chairboys' hopes and dreams of the upset. I was utterly shocked to read about this win, especially considering Wycombe's dominance of all previous comers and the fact that it was at their house. Here are some other pics from the contest.

Adam Hammill may have finally had the match that gives him the belief of shining in the Championship. The flashy left-winger set up at least two goals and possibly three in the Saints 4-0 demolition of Hull City last Saturday. The most important aspect is that his side won, a first when the 19-year-old starts. Hopefully this will give George Burnley confidence in the youngster to make him a regular starter.

Godwin Antwi has continued his futile streak when it comes to on-loan 'derbies'. The twenty-year-old has now been on the third losing side of Hartlepool when they face a club featuring another Liverpool player on-loan. This time it was Lee Peltier and Yeovil Town thrashing the Monkey Hangers, 3-1, at Huish Park. I'm not sure if it's a continued sign of hard luck or an emphasis of his value to the side, but after going up 1-0, Antwi had to go off the pitch to receive treatment and while his side was down to ten men, the Glovers scored a pair to take the lead. Both players played the full ninety.

Swansea is on a roll and though Anderson has cooled off on his goal-scoring pace, when the 19-year-old Wirral product plays, the Swans usually get a result. In fact, they are undefeated in his last 19 appearances. Unbelievable. Their lastest match was a 6-2 drubbing of Horsham in the FA Cup. Though Anderson failed to net, he did have one disallowed for reasons unknown and assisted on at least one other. The Swans still sit atop the League One table with a match-in-hand and a considerable goal difference differential of 13 over table top sharers, Leyton Orient. They play Southend at the Liberty on Saturday.

Finally, Danny Guthrie played the full match in Bolton's 4-1 win over Wigan at the Reebok. The 20-year-old failed to score, but did collect his first career Premiership booking. Ryan Flynn has still yet to feature for Hereford and if you haven't heard, Besian Idrizaj, Craig Lindfield, and essentially Robbie Threlfall, have all concluded their loan spells. Cheerio.

Kids watch recap: Németh nets brace as Reserves crush Everton, Lindfield returns to LFC, Peltier Injured, & more

Krisztián Németh netted a pair for the second straight contest as the Reserves took the mini-derby, three to nil, at Halliwell Jones. It also saw the return of 19-year-old Spanish midfielder Francisco Durán, who came on in the 76th minute after being out for nine months with a knee injury. Leto was apparently quiet throughout, but Nabil El Zhar garnered Man of the Match honors from the official site. The squad currently sits 6th on the Premier Reserve League North table, but with a match-in-hand over everyone else except Middlesborough, they could go atop when they host 'Boro on December 10th.

Plenty of kids-on-loan yesterday found their names on the starting sheet, though no one managed to net. Most surprisingly may be Adam Hammill, who got the call for just the third time this season from George Burnley. The good news is, the Saints didn't lose this time as they have Hammill's previous two starts, the bad news is they not only didn't win, but failed to score as well in the 0-0 result at St. Mary's.

Paul Anderson returned to the starting line-up for Swansea and helped them win 3-0 over Northampton. The 19-year-old winger played the entire match, so it appears his injury worries are behind him. The three points keeps the Swans atop the League One table with now only Carlisle having a chance to overtake them with their match-in-hand. Coincidentally enough, the two sides meet on December 22nd.

Godwin Antwi started for Hartlepool and they actually won, 3-1, over Tranmere. The 'Pool had been winless in the five previous League One matches with Antwi from the outset, posting an 0-1-4 over that span. Unfortunately, the Rovers loan goal was due to a free kick on a questionable foul committed by the 19-year-old.

The only other player to see the pitch for his temporary club was Lee Peltier at Yeovil Town. The 20-year-old defender/midfielder started for the Glovers in their 2-1 win over Bournemouth, but was taken off in the 58th minute after suffering some sort of knock. I've yet to find any details about the injury, but will post accordingly.

In shocking news, Besian Idrizaj was no where to be found for Crystal Palace, though the Eagles did defeat QPR and their Chelsea on-loan contingency at Loftus Road, 2-1. Ryan Flynn failed to make his debut for Hereford United.

Finally, Craig Lindfield has ended his one month on-loan spell at Meadow Lane. Notts County no longer required the services of the 19-year-old after their roster was boosted by the return of a couple of injured strikers. It's probably not the best of times for Lindfield to return to the Reserves with the emergence of Németh and Jordy Brouwer playing well, but I guess he'd have to fight for a spot anyhow.

The only kid in action over the next two days is Danny Guthrie, as Bolton take on Red Star Belgrade at the Marakana in an UEFA Cup tie tomorrow. A win gives the Wanderers a decent chance to get through to the knockout stages, but a draw or loss puts too much emphasis on the results of group rival, Sporting Braga, who have a match more to play and sit just a point behind Bolton. Cheers.

Kids watch: Anderson returns, Leto back for mini-derby, Threlfall returns to Anfield, & more

Paul Anderson is expected to be back on the pitch for Swansea today when the Swans take on Northampton in a League One fixture. The 19-year-old winger suffered a slight knock on the knee against Hartlepool last Tuesday and missed his club's FA Cup draw at Horsham last Friday. The Swans still sit atop the League One table though by game-in-hand, Nottingham Forest could overtake them with just a draw and Carlisle United both could surpass them with a win. The Cobblers currently sit in 17th place, 12 points off the pace.

Every other fit, on-loan kid currently playing in the Football League could see action today as well. Godwin Antwi and Hartlepool host Tranmere, Lee Peltier and Yeovil welcome Bournemouth, Adam Hamill and George Burnley's side take on Sheffield Wednesday at St. Mary's, Besian Idrizaj probably won't get on the pitch for Crystal Palace as the Eagles travel to Loftus Road to take on QPR, Craig Lindfield and Notts County will look to put their FA Cup woes behind them when Peterborough United come to town, and finally, Ryan Flynn may or may not get his debut with Hereford, as the Bulls play Wycombe at Adams Park. Speaking of Hereford, Robbie Threlfall has returned to Anfield to undergo treatment for his ankle injury and is expected to be out until the new year.

Finally, the Reserves take on Everton at Halliwell Jones tonight. Sebastian Leto, who I guess was out with a knock, will return. The starting line-up is expected to be:
Dean Bouzanis
Emiliano Insua
Mikel San Jose
Ronald Huth
Martin Kelly
Sebastian Leto
Damien Plessis
Jay Spearing
Nabil El Zhar
Jordy Brouwer
Krisztian Nemeth

Subs:
Peter Gulacsi
Stephen Darby
Daniel Pachecho
Ray Putterill
Francisco Duran

Interesting to see Martin Kelly starting over Stephen Darby. I haven't seen Kelly play much, but Darby is a more than adequate Reserve right back. Hungarian wonderkid Krisztian Nemeth gets another start, that's good, but any speculation that he'll break into the first team any time soon is simply laughable. Physically, he's got to get stronger and not lose pace in the process, and also when a player is that young (he's 18), if they're either good enough for the first team right away (like a Michael Owen), then they rarely play for the reserves except for a running out. Cheers.

Kids watch: Not a good weekend to be on-loan from LFC

Robbie Threlfall got injured, Ryan Flynn absent, Godwin Antwi played, but his side lost, Craig Lindfield forgotten as Notts County suffered an FA Cup embarassment, and Adam Hammill barely got on the pitch as his side won.

In a face-off of two clubs with Liverpool kids on-loan, Hereford United beat Hartlepool United, 2-0, in second round FA Cup proper. Unfortunately though, none of our youngsters walked away from the pitch smiling. For the Bulls, Robbie Threlfall started, but had to be taken off due to injury just 26 minutes into the match, and Ryan Flynn, who had just joined the club in the past week was overlooked for the squad. On the other side of the pitch, Godwin Antwi played the full ninety, but obviously, his side lost. No news on the extent of Threlfall's injury as of yet, but I'll be sure to keep blog readers informed.

Craig Lindfield may have lucked out by not being used at all in League Two side Notts County's 0-1 humbling loss to Conference South club Havant & Waterlooville. I've been unable to find any explanation as to why the 19-year-old Wirral product was omitted from the squad entirely, he was on the bench in their last match and there's been no evidence of injury. The loss is a financial disaster for the club as they miss out on the next round of FA Cup action, which could have meant a Premiership opponent and extra cash to spend in the January transfer window.

Although it appeared Adam Hammill was finally breaking into regular first team ball at Southampton after starting his club's last match, such thoughts now seem a bit premature. When the Saints took on Leicester at Walkers Stadium on Saturday, Hammill found himself on the bench and only got on for a run-out in the 85th minute. What probably makes things worse is that Southampton won and as long as they continue to do so, barring injury of course, Hammill can't expect to be more than just a sub.

Finally, Swansea take on Northampton at the Liberty tomorrow in League One action. As of now, it looks like there's a good chance Paul Anderson will play, how much though is still uncertain. I'll be back tomorrow with another kids watch update. Cheers.

Kids watch: Anderson unfit, Antwi vs Threlfall & Flynn, U18s take on Man U, & more

Paul Anderson didn't travel with the Swans this evening as the club headed to Atspeed Stadium to take on Horsham in second round FA Cup action. His injury is now being described as 'dead leg', which for some reason conjures images of Peter Jackson's Braindead. I'll let you work that one out. Anyhow, Swansea's next match is a League One tie Tuesday at home against Northampton, hopefully Anderson will make his return then and there'll be no zombie babies in the crowd. Had to, sorry.

In another FA Cup match, Godwin Antwi's Hartlepool travel to Edgar Street on Saturday to take on Hereford where Robbie Threlfall and Ryan Flynn are currently breaking in their boots. Both Antwi and Threlfall are expected to start for their respective clubs, while there's a good possibility Ryan Flynn could make his debut for the Bulls.

In the Daily Echo today, there's an article about our own Adam Hammill amd his recent trials and tribulations at Southampton. While the author of the piece seems to think that Hammill played a great match at Ipswich last Tuesday, the comments appear to tell a different story. I guess slagging off a 19-year-old who has hardly had a chance to play is the status quo when it comes to the class of the average Southampton supporter. The Saints travel to Leicester on Saturday where Hammill is expected to start.

Other on-loan kids who could see action includes Craig Lindfield, who's Notts County have a second round FA Cup tie at home against Conference South side, Havant & Waterlooville. In all likely-hood, Lindfield will get the starting nod, but as for Besian Idrizaj at Crystal Palace, who knows? The Eagles are home against West Bromwich, but whether or not our on-loan Austrian will even make Neil Warnock's bench is yet to be seen. In Spain, Xerez is at Deportivo Alaves on Sunday, but these days, Besian appears to have a better chance of playing than Miki Roque.

Finally, the Academy kids take on Man U in a rematch of last year's FA Youth Cup final, though only our Swedish behemoth, Astrit Ajdarevic, Steven Irwin, and Sean Highdale remain from the winning side. The Saturday morning match is apparently being held at Old Trafford. The kids are hoping to make manager Hughie McAuley forget their last outing, a 0-3 loss to Man City. Cheers.

Kids recap: Paul Anderson injured as Swans go top & Németh nets brace in Reserves victory

The news out of Swansea is that Paul Anderson had to leave the match with Hartlepool United today in the 53rd minute due to a knee injury. No word on the extent of the knock as of yet, but he was able to 'limp off' the pitch. Despite losing the speedy, young winger, the Swans were able to win 1-0 on an 82nd minute strike from Spanish defender Angel Rangel. It was Rangel's first goal for the club and put his side atop the League One table with 31 points and a +11 goal difference. As soon as I hear anything about the fitness of Anderson, I'll be sure to mention his status in a post.

Also in that match, Godwin Antwi started and played the full ninety for the Monkey Hangers, so I guess he's back in the good graces of manager Danny Wilson. As for our other on-loan boys, Adam Hammill got a rare start for Southampton and played the full match, but failed to be a factor in the Saints 0-2 loss at Ipswich. Besian Idrizaj wasn't even on the Crystal Palace squad who beat Preston North End 2-1 at home. Neil Warnock and Liverpool aren't exactly on the best of terms dating back to the Gérard Houllier days and leading up to last year when Warnock blamed Liverpool for playing weak sides that essentially assisted in Sheffield United's relegation. I hope Idrizaj isn't suffering the brunt of Warnock's Liverpool disdain since the young striker signed with club on a one-year loan back before Warnock became their manager. Hopefully Rafa is keeping an eye on the situation.

Finally, our Reserves side notched a 3-2 win at Man City to go third on the Barclays Premier Reserve League North table. A brace from Hungarian debutant Krisztián Németh along with a strike from Jordy Brouwer with three minutes in regulation supplied the goals. It's got to be encouraging that a side missing three of it's more important players can go on the road and beat a quality side like City. The Reserves next match is scheduled a week from today when Everton visits Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Kids watch: It's Anderson vs Antwi, Hungarians to make Reserves debuts, Third-straight FA Youth Cup peril, & more

In League One action today, Hartlepool travel to the Liberty to take on Paul Anderson and the Swans. Godwin Antwi is on-loan to the Monkey Hangers and though he played the full ninety on Saturday, his inclusion in the starting XI is nothing definite. The 2-1 loss at Gillingham was the first time in over a month that the Ghanaian-Spanish centre back/defensive midfielder has played in a League One match for Hartlepool. Once again Swansea has a shot to top the League One table with a win.

Hungarian striker Krisztián Németh and keeper Péter Gulácsi are set to make their Reserves side debut tonight at Man City. Oddly enough, Sebastián Leto and Jack Hobbs were excluded from the side. Does that mean they'll play a part against Porto tomorrow? I can definitely see Leto playing in some sort of capacity and Hobbs on the bench as a precautionary measure, especially with Agger still apparently unavailable. I guess Lucas is now rightfully considered a member of the first team. I'll be particularly curious to see how Németh does for us tonight. If I have the time, expect a review, but with our match tomorrow, don't hold your breathe.

The chance of our youth side winning a third straight FA Cup took a huge blow when we drew perennial teenage powerhouse Wycombe. The young Wanderers have strung together an alarming run of results to start their season, which has them undefeated in 12 matches (8-4-0) with a stunning goal difference of +26. That includes a pair of 8-0 thrashings of Hereford United and a 5-0 win over Dagenham and Redbridge. All the aforementioned results were played at Adams Park, where this upcoming FA Cup battle will be played out as well on December 12th.

Other on-loan players who could see action today are Besian Idrizaj at Crystal Palace, as the Eagles host former player Neil Mellor and Preston North End, and Adam Hammill at Southampton, as the Saints travel to Ipswich.

Southampton's loss may be Adam Hammill's gain

Word out of Southampton is that the Saints might have to sell some top players in January due to financial difficulties. Southampton Leisure Holdings PLC, the parent company that owns the club in principal, released a statement that hinted at such moves. Apparently the board has decided to reject the proposal from Sisu Capital to purchase the club at 20% of the stock value.

Though that may be detrimental to the club's goal of reaching the Premiership, for Adam Hammill, the 19-year-old on-loan winger from LFC, it may mean more pitch time. Hammill joined the Saints on a year-long loan in July, but injuries have limited him to just five appearances and only one start. Unfortunately Southampton failed to win any of those matches as well, losing four and drawing one.

It goes without saying that it's been a disappointing season so far for the Liverpool-born lad. Not getting a lot of playing time on top of being on a squad that sits mid-table in the Championship is probably doing little for his confidence.

Hammill began attending the Academy at the age of eight and was an integral part of the 2006 FA Youth Cup-winning side. Last year he was sent on-loan to Scottish side Dunfermline, where he helped lead what was an eventually-relegated Scottish Premiership side to the final of the Scottish Cup. He also scored a cracker of a goal against Celtic FC and became such a fan favorite, that a song praising his play was posted on YouTube.

Though it may be selfish to want your own player to play more at the expense of the club, who knows? Maybe Southampton's loss will eventually be their own gain. In the past, Adam Hammill has shown he is able to raise his level of play and be a driving force on the pitch. I fully expect him to be a first-team regular at Liverpool in a couple of years.

Some more Adam Hammill videos for you to watch:
The goal versus Celtic
Match against Kilmarnock
Match versus Hearts
The 6 million dollar Adam Hammill