 Welcome to ToffeeTV, my name is of course Cameron and welcome to another episode of Everton in Reserve, the show where we sit down and talk about Everton's Academy and the latest results, performances and we just have a little bit of a discussion on it. The under-18s haven't been in very good form, very similar to the first team actually they have lost their last three games and before we get into this I just want to apologise for the lack of episode last week and the under-23s didn't play last week, the under-18s did but other than that there wasn't an awful lot to talk about so I didn't want to come on and do a two or three minute video so I thought we'll just put it all into this week's episode but the under-18s like I said haven't been in great form, unfortunately they have lost their last three games, we spoke about their heavy defeat to Liverpool a couple of weeks ago which was actually the first defeat of the season and since then they've lost twice, they lost 2-0 to Middlesbrough and 2-0 to Manchester United as well, they couldn't least it sixth in the table, played 7-1-3, lost 3-1 and drawn 1 so quite similar form to Everton's first team there, again a little bit of a bad run for the under-18s which is quite disappointing to see because they were on very very good form at the start of the season, obviously only handed their first defeat in that mini-medicine side, that'll be a couple of weeks ago and you know the forms just you know it's just carried on from there really but hopefully the lads can pick themselves back up and get back on it within the next couple of weeks you know again they did have a very very good start of the season looking brilliant top of the league on beating for a number of weeks and you know it's that one defeat that gets you doesn't it and then you just sort of spiral, we've seen it in the first team you know Everton's first team have lost all three of their last three games as have the under-18s but I've got no you know no worries whatsoever that the 18s will struggle I think they'll get back to you know together they'll get the form back and they'll go again and ultimately we'll see them winning football matches within the next few weeks, the next game is actually against Derby on the 21st of November so hopefully that's a big big game to bounce back in and get back to winning ways but considering they have lost their last three still sitting sixth in the table so not doing too bad at all on the under-23s Everton's under-23s bounced back from that last minute heartbreak defeat to Manchester United a couple of weeks ago we spoke about it on the last episode conceding a penalty in the last minute in which I thought wasn't even a penalty to be honest you can watch the highlights of that game on Manchester United's YouTube channel but Everton's under-23s bounced back in emphatic fashion a couple of days ago against Chelsea a 2-0 victory Ellisims and Tala Onyango getting the goals, Anthony Gordon featured in that game as well as Nelson Kumku it was a game that a lot of Evertonians watched and a game that very very clearly showed that you know Anthony Gordon's level is you know a lot sort of you know is better than the under-23s I think it's fair to say that you know he shouldn't really be playing in the under-23s but you know for some reason or another Carlo Ancelotti doesn't seem to want to you know get him massively involved with the first team I don't know whether that's because he believes he's not ready or it's a confidence thing I don't know but Anthony Gordon did feature in that game against Chelsea a couple of days ago it was a massive massive 2-0 victory Ellisims scoring the first of Everton's goals really really good goal and Ellis Sims finished it well again him continuing his fantastic goal scorn and another player that has been mentioned actually for potential first team football and you know of course obviously the last couple of weeks have sort of seen Cenk Towson re-image into the first team setup and get himself a place on the bench and there's been a lot of fans who've sort of asked the question about why Ellisims isn't there why Ellisims isn't getting those opportunities look I think it's fair to say listen Ellisims is doing fantastically in the under-23s obviously took that big step up from the under-18s a couple of years ago where he was scoring consistently you know week in week out and he stepped into the under-23s he is doing really really well and he's adding that consistency to his game but I don't think he's quite ready yet to make that step up into the first team not saying that he shouldn't be in and around the squad I'm not saying that he shouldn't get an opportunity every now and then off the bench if we're comfortably winning a game but what I'm saying is if you were to say to me you know look Dominic Calvert-Lewan picks up an injury or Dominic Calvert-Lewan has to come off you know with 10 minutes to go in a Premier League game and Evan are looking for a winner would you be confident that Ellisims could go on and score that winner and I wouldn't be confident just because you know he's still young he's still got a lot to learn he's still got a lot to do and you know I do think it's important that Ellisims is allowed to learn and allowed to sort of progress in the under-23s before taking that step up but he did get his goal against Chelsea really really well taking goal and then the second goal was was absolutely fantastic for me it was you know it was one of those goals that Evan's first team have been lacking and those chances that Evan's first team have been lacking and yet the under-23s took it and you know finished it really really well. Chelsea were actually on the attack at first they were looking they were searching for an equaliser they were getting up the other end and completely out of nowhere the ball falls to Anthony Gordon who was a player that was also been loading over the last couple of weeks and he makes an absolute blister and run from the you know his own half all the way in to the Chelsea half gets to the edge of the Chelsea box plays a nice ball in to Talon on yongo and on yongo finishes it to make a 2-0 and to win the game forever and I must say I did think that defending was a little bit poor from a Chelsea point of view not taking anything away from the finish by on yongo he's been in fantastic form and he's just being called up for the England squad and not the England main squad obviously I think it's the under-18s he's being called up for for the next international break and again he finished it really really well massively exciting player Talon on yongo somebody that I think Evan's first team will be looking at within the next couple of years to bring in and implement into the first team squad obviously made that jump from the 18s to the 23s and is performing fantastically well not only goal scoring wise and but also in the middle of that park he's an engine in the middle of the park which you know is exactly what the under-23s need but again like I said it was poor defending in my opinion but Anthony Gordon's play you know you can't take it away from the lad the clip of the goal and you know was all over Twitter after it and I think a lot of people were sort of thinking this is exactly what we need in the first team so why isn't Anthony Gordon being put in the first team he picks the ball up from you know the edge of our box when the opposition are attacking and only real thing on his mind is to get up to the other end and create an opportunity I think the one thing that Evan have struggled with Evan's first team this being over the last three games and obviously with Rashalison missing is not having that direct replacement that like-for-like replacements if you like now don't get me wrong listen it's very difficult to bring in a like-like like-for-like replacement for somebody like Rashalison he's an absolutely fantastic footballer but for me we could have done with bringing in somebody that was more direct as Rashalison is and I just think Anthony Gordon out of that crop of players you know whether it be Gordon Bernard Sigarton a woby I think Gordon's the most direct out of them now again I'm not questioning Carlo Ancelotti's decision-making I'm not going to sit here and have a go at it because Carlos obviously got his reasons as to why he didn't include Anthony Gordon only didn't start Anthony Gordon in any of the last three games and but you know that goal in the in the under 23 is really showed what he can do he picks the ball up from the edge of our own box he drives it into the opposition half and there's only one thing on his mind and that's to create an opportunity and that directness is exactly what we've been missing in the first team but let's not get too over the top let's not get ahead of ourselves you know the step up from under 23s football to Premier League football is absolutely massive and just because Anthony Gordon can turn open and you know run the show in a game for the under 23s doesn't mean that he'd be able to do it in the Premier League and maybe that's Carlo Ancelotti's reasoning behind not throwing him in there against Newcastle or Manchester United again I understand the frustration because it's not like you know a Wobby or Bernard or Sigarton even though that you know Bernard are the good half against Manchester United a Wobby's done okay when he's come off the bench even though those players are doing okay they're not really lighting it up to the point where you think right okay it's you know you can see why Anthony Gordon isn't getting in because you know Bernard's having his own fantastic form or a Wobby's own fantastic form and so I understand that but you know like I said it's very very clear that Anthony Gordon is far too good to be playing under 23s level football for me but it also seems clear that Carlo Ancelotti doesn't really think that you know he's ready yet or at least ready to start consistent games in the Premier League and have that impact in the Premier League so he's sort of in that weird middle ground I don't know whether a loan mover be good for Anthony Gordon listen you know if the three options are either goes out on loan to a top level championship team and plays every week he stays and plays under 23s football or he's sitting and around our first team and doesn't really get any game time I'd rather them go out on loan and go and get some game time and go and play in a competitive league consistently week in week out because I think it's clear that okay playing under 23s football will keep his fitness up and the stamina open it'll keep his you know it's match fitness up but it's not really gonna do much for his development is it because you know ultimately Anthony Gordon's a player that has proven over the last couple of you know games and certainly the last game against Chelsea that's too good to be playing that level of football and obviously Carlo Angelotti showing that he's just he might not necessarily fancy him in the first team yet so there you go evidence under 23s bouncing back with a massive massive 2-0 win against Chelsea under 23s a couple of days ago getting back on form of course after that defeat to Manchester United they are currently sitting seventh in the league three wins one draw and three losses they play Arsenal next on the 20th of November Anthony Gordon also at the post in that game as well by the way early on in the first half at the bar I think it was so he absolutely struck the ball onto the bar so he could have had a goal himself unfortunately that wasn't come off though but the under 23s back to winning form and what a performance and what a result that was as well all the other bit of news to really talk about is that John Eberle has been promoted to head of Academy coaching he will continue his role as under 23s assistant manager and will oversee the coaching program in support of David Unsworth this news come out last week of course after the news a couple of weeks ago that David Unsworth was going to take up the role as director of Academy he is now doing two roles of course director of Academy and manager of the under 23s and now John Eberle has been promoted to the Academy head of Academy coaching and will also still be the assistant manager for the under 23 so dual roles for both John Eberle and David Unsworth so it'll be really interesting to see how they do in those anyway that's going to do it for today's episode of Everton in reserve if you have enjoyed it please please do hit that like button it does only take a second if you're new to the channel don't forget to subscribe of course you can check me out a little bit more of me on the mighty blues everton fan channel if you say to the YouTube it will come up big big thanks to Baz and ped for allowing me the opportunity to come on and provide this report as always like I said don't forget to subscribe if you are new leave the video like let me know your thoughts in the comments and get over and join us on patreon as well literally costs less than a pint and you can't even buy a pint anymore so get over join us on patreon leave the video like subscribe if you're new and we'll see you soon