2025/26 Harrison Armstrong

[Lanolin]

I think a year abroad would do him good, much like Branthwaite.

2 assists last night kind of makes it look a better performance than it was from him.
I thought for extended spells that the game passed him by. Really should have rolled Barry in for a tap-in in the first half but also could have gone low to the keeper’s left as there was a sizeable gap between him and the post.

I thought he was excellent personally. For an 18 year old making his 2nd or 3rd first team start I thought he was quite startlingly impressive, but it's all opinions.

 

[Lanolin]

I feel very comfortable saying he’s behind Ndiaye, Grealish, Dibling, Alcaraz, KDH, Gana, Garner, Tim and McNeil. That’s a lot of guys.

Yeah, I agree that we're unlikely to play him as a winger, well done.

 

[MikeH72]

I feel very comfortable saying he’s behind Ndiaye, Grealish, Dibling, Alcaraz, KDH, Gana, Garner, Tim and McNeil. That’s a lot of guys.

Well any combination of 5 of them are going to start at any one time aren’t they, so really he’s behind 3 or 4 at most, without injuries or AFCON.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Well any combination of 5 of them are going to start at any one time aren’t they, so really he’s behind 3 or 4 at most, without injuries or AFCON.

So again he’s barely going to play between now and December

 

[brittcop1]

That's not the world's worst shout

You can see from Moyes's comments last night that we aren't entirely sure what the best course of action is for him. Clearly a talent, but he's unlikely to get regular minutes here this season and you have to weigh up whether regular football either (presumably) at Championship level or abroad would be best for him or whether he'd get more from training with the first team this season and trying to push for a spot.

I look at Branthwaite (and admittedly every player is different), but that loan to PSV was perfect for him - he was absolutely at exactly the right stage of development after that to come and take a 1st team spot.

Needs to be managed really carefully, and I think my preference would be for him to play more minutes somewhere else, but there's no saying I'm right.

If he has to go out on loan, I like the idea of a PSV, Germany type move, not just the hustle and bustle of the Championship. Like everything else, football has changed. Adam Wharton seems like he is an EPL vet, the Bergval kid at Spurs and a 15 year old played for Arsenal this weekend. ( not mentioning the RS kid.

 

[catcherintherye]

I don't think we know how far down the pecking order he is at this point do we? He's 'got on the field' twice in three games so far so it would seem a little premature to make out like he's a million miles away from the manager's thoughts. My point wasn't that a loan would automatically be a bad idea though, i'm just saying if he's good enough to go and be a guaranteed starter for Wolfsburg or Genoa or whoever then he's good enough to be playing regularly enough here, in a way that doesn't really apply to him going to the Championship.

The other thing is like Moyes is quite an old school manager in that if you do the job, you keep the shirt so to speak.

Like I don't think he massively fancies Iroubougnam, but after his good performance at the weekend I think he will keep him in.

He obvious comparison night be Gordon the season he broke through. People wanted to pan him out, but when he got his chance, he basically didn't leave the team, and quite honestly was quite an important player for us that season.

 

[MikeH72]

So again he’s barely going to play between now and December

How on earth could you possible know that like?

 

[Goat]

Few nice touches last night but I didnt really see him do much defensive work.

Really think at his age he should be playing weekly at a highish level and learning the game.

But given the massive gaps we have in midfield it might be prudent to keep him around, unless we can add a body or 2 in the next few days.

 

[Cels]

I like Harrison Armstrong and thought he had a decent game yesterday. Happy for him that he got a couple of assists.

 

[Blue Willy]

Hopefully he can develop into a anquor type 6, but I feel hes on track for yet another mobile 8-even10. I dont think hes ready yet, so Id send him out to get some proper gametime (with a clause to bring him back if we get injuries to our mids).

Palhina would have been nice, but a back on track Bissouma could be an option now Spuds are blessed in that area.

 

[scd-94]

So why loan him then until January as the Afcon is December.

Oh, is it? Then don't. Loan him at the end of Jan if he still needs it.

 

[Paul Rideout]

A year in a top league in France, Portugal or Holland playing for a team also in a European competition would bring him along … hopefully to the same level as Branthwaite when he came back from Holland

Get Marcel on the line, see if he wants to turn another one of our kids into a world beater

 

[Goat]

I might be wrong, but I dont think you can do 6month loans in The Summer anymore.

As I say, happy to be proven wrong.

 

[coleman’s mustard]

Think an important point in Branthwaite's development was he was learning from Van Nistlerooy on what to do against top class strikers

We could do with finding a manager who was a top class midfielder to do the same with Armstrong.

Carrick at Boro?

 

[Osamabindiesel]

He has Dowell syndrome in the sense that he needs to find more ways to be active in league games. Unlike Dowell he is more of an athlete so I don't think that is the issue but maybe a bit of experience in the league will do him some good. Look at where we are in the winter. There will be Afcon and injuries so I suspect he will see a large amount of cup time and some decent subby minutes. Maybe even give him a shot or 2 in the no. 10 position to see if he can show the magic in league games.