Has the first team environment stunted growth of Everton's Under 21 players?

10/13/2024 06:00 AM

A look at the potential late developers from Tait's squad

Too often in recent years, Everton have had talented youngsters that have never quite made the breakthrough to the first team for one reason or another. It's the reality and you can perhaps point to the first team environment that existed at the time when players did actually make the leap. You can also reasonably say that a lot of the players were simply not good enough.

Generally, the likes of the more successful Wayne Rooney, Ross Barkley and, to a lesser extent, James Baxter, Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan made their debuts in reasonable David Moyes' teams. Even Tom Davies made his start at the tail end of Roberto Martinez's time and continued progress under Marco Silva until the "wheels began to come off". In all those situations, there was a sense of optimism around the club, no matter how ill-founded. It's an easier environment to introduce a young player into that.

Anthony Gordon is perhaps the exception when fleeting appearances in a good Carlo Ancelotti team were followed by a loan to Preston North End. The rapid decline followed in the summer of 2021 though to be fair to Rafa Benitez, it was he, then Frank Lampard who pushed Gordon into sides which were, at best, inconsistent and, at their worst, shockingly bad.

If we fast forward (or should that be 'career downward') to the Sean Dyche era when optimism on the pitch has all but disappeared, it is clear that it is currently difficult to expect too much of Academy products. To be absolutely fair, Dyche has brought teenagers Harrison Armstrong and Roman Dixon into the set up along with 'bought-in' then 20 year old Tim Iroegbunam. I think we know however that Dyche is focused on the "realities" not "dreams" to use his words.

We should also remember that the then 21 year old Jarrad Branthwaite became a mainstay of 2023-24 under Dyche, but only after a disastrous start made with trusted senior players in defence. The clamour at that time for Branthwaite to replace Michael Keane and Mason Holgate had become deafening. The early promise of Iroegbunam has seemingly now been cast aside with the "experience" of Abdoulaye Doucoure preferred and Dixon and Armstrong will no doubt fade into the background when other senior players return.

So, now, it is undoubtedly a difficult time for two recently-turned 21 year old players, forward Charlie Whitaker and midfielder Luke Butterfield. Both talented graduates of the Academy, both see their contracts expire in June 2025. Both have had major injuries that hindered their progress, Whitaker losing 14 months until his return in January this year. Free-scoring winger Stan Mills is in exactly the same position since a serious knee injury in January cut his Oxford United loan short.

If, to paraphrase Sean Dyche, now is the time for "realities" then I, for one, hope that these three talents can see their contracts extended to keep the "dreams" alive. The trio have certainly been standout performers at junior level and, in a more optimistic senior environment, we might just see a few examples of the play as highlighted below?

Butterfield's fine lofted ball and Whitaker's chest trap and smart finish:

Whitaker's first time finish:

A fine finish from Stanley Mills. He scored 13 goals in 21 games as right winger in that season.

Let's hope we can see more of these 3 talents in a more optimistic future?