KielEire

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I am a little confused about the best way to handle my youth teams. It is my understanding that the best way to develop players is to loan them when they turn 18 so they can get first-team game time. If this is the case, why have players U-23 team (I am playing in the EPL). Do people use it solely for maintaining match conditioning with the kids who have no hope of making the first team stuck there?

How do you all handle your youth team setups, how many players at the club, and when do you promote players to the next level?
 
If you loan your players out, you should have an option in the loan deal to allow the players to 'play for parents clubs reserves' I send my players out on loan as soon as they're 17, assumign the level is good enough and the playing time is enough.
 
Loaning them out isnt always the best option. Yes they may getting regular first team football, but if you are loaning them out to a club with poor training facilities and coaches, they may not grow as quickly as if you kept them in the reserves with better facilities and coaches
 
A reserve/youth team can be better than a loan not just in terms of training facilities if you have all teams at a club playing the same way then it would also mean the young players are also use to whatever formation the first team uses making the move up that much easier, there is a lot to be said for consistency. Don't forget the reserves/U23 are able to use overage players as well so dropping a player to the youth team for a game or two can often be the kick some underpreformers need to get back on track. Whilst players returning from long term injuries can regain fitness with less pressure to perform.
 
The above advice is good
I think I can add a bit

If you have good training and have it so your youth/reserve teams always win against their opponents, then it will be much better than any loan due to good training + good happiness

Youth teams will actually train better than your first team, because your first team will have to dedicate more time to games, so less to training.. plus they'll more often lose so be less happy overall (in first team)

The only times I recommend loaning out is if the player is too old or complaining about lack of first team games, or is a bad influence on the squad but you cant release him easily, or if you overloaded with players but don't want to release players, or if the player is upset at loan bid rejected
 
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