2025/26 Harrison Armstrong

[Saint Domingo]

Our youth system isn't, but the club for the best part of 2 decades hasn't had a clue how to develop a player once they reach first team age outside of farming them out on loan which I think mightve been closer to his point.

But what evidence is there for this really? The vast majority of the players that come through for Everton won’t be good enough to play for the first team. There’s been a few that have hung around far too long which I would agree with e.g Pennington Onyango Garbutt etc. but most of them just get a move to a lower league team and have decent careers there. How can you tell the club hasn’t developed them vs they’ve just not been good enough? The proven talent always makes it through and has gone on to be a much higher level than lots of other clubs. I’d argue it’s probably better compromise quality over quantity.

We’re not going to be in a position like the sky six where we can sell all these academy players for 20 mill until we get to that level and they can command that price tag. I’d argue we’ve made the mistake of playing too many of them with players like Kenny Davies Pennington Onyango receiving far more first team minutes than their talent ever deserved.

 

[Eggs]

Everton reeling as West Brom starlet breaks long-standing record on international duty -​

The Black Country outfit recruited the Northern Ireland international from Belgian Pro League side Standard Liege for a reported fee of £2.5m – a figure that is such a snip given what he has showcased in the blue, and white stripes so far...

I can see Harrison Armstrong going in the same old way in the future ....

…again, can’t see the point you’re making. Isaac Price decided to leave Everton, we have secured Armstrong on a contract until 2028 with an option for a further year so he can’t ’go the same way’.

 

[Blast_of_Cannock]

Everton reeling as West Brom starlet breaks long-standing record on international duty -​

The Black Country outfit recruited the Northern Ireland international from Belgian Pro League side Standard Liege for a reported fee of £2.5m – a figure that is such a snip given what he has showcased in the blue, and white stripes so far...

I can see Harrison Armstrong going in the same old way in the future ....

Everton reeling because a player who turned down a contract offer and left to get regular football turns out to be decent. Should have kept him with a good old headlock.

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

But what evidence is there for this really? The vast majority of the players that come through for Everton won’t be good enough to play for the first team. There’s been a few that have hung around far too long which I would agree with e.g Pennington Onyango Garbutt etc. but most of them just get a move to a lower league team and have decent careers there. How can you tell the club hasn’t developed them vs they’ve just not been good enough? The proven talent always makes it through and has gone on to be a much higher level than lots of other clubs. I’d argue it’s probably better compromise quality over quantity.

We’re not going to be in a position like the sky six where we can sell all these academy players for 20 mill until we get to that level and they can command that price tag. I’d argue we’ve made the mistake of playing too many of them with players like Kenny Davies Pennington Onyango receiving far more first team minutes than their talent ever deserved.

Well the evidence for it is quite literally almost every kid for the past 20 years. When it comes to Everton Youth prospects, whether theyre good, average or bad, they almost all end up on loan at some point between 17-21.

Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you but that's our strategy to develop them. To get back on topic I think it's probably for the best Armstrong is on loan this season as Moyes wouldn't have used him and he's too good for U21 football. In his instance it's a really good job he can go on loan and kick on rather than go backwards like Davies

 

[davids]

Well the evidence for it is quite literally almost every kid for the past 20 years. When it comes to Everton Youth prospects, whether theyre good, average or bad, they almost all end up on loan at some point between 17-21.

Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you but that's our strategy to develop them. To get back on topic I think it's probably for the best Armstrong is on loan this season as Moyes wouldn't have used him and he's too good for U21 football. In his instance it's a really good job he can go on loan and kick on rather than go backwards like Davies

If we had regularly finished in the top six we could bed in youngsters in the "easier games" given our real position no manager is going to risk losing important points by playing kids.

 

[jazzy]

…again, can’t see the point you’re making. Isaac Price decided to leave Everton, we have secured Armstrong on a contract until 2028 with an option for a further year so he can’t ’go the same way’.

I suspect that Joey is suggesting that there isn't a pathway for young players at Everton.

It is a sad fact that in the past 10 years those across the park have developed talent better than we have.

I guess that raises the question of whether we had talent and squandered it ( Price?) or didn't really have any to bring through.

From what I've seen Armstrong could be an absolutely fantastic player so I really hope we have a plan to integrate him into the first team.

 

[jazzy]

….they let their wingers go out as a matter of course, Harry Wilson had a number of loan spells before signing for Fulham, right through to Doak at Middlesborough last season.

Even more difficult to break into their team.

Bradley, Jones and Elliot ( appreciate no longer there ) got pretty good game time.

 

[CJR]

Price is 22 and just starting to make an impact in the Championship, hardly a massive loss, Armstrong played more prem games at 17 than Price has now, no comparison for me

 

[Solitarius lupus]

Last winter I went to watch a friend's son play a couple of junior Academy games at FF. Believe me Everton have an outstanding Centre half prospect. Off course as with all young players time will tell.

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

If we had regularly finished in the top six we could bed in youngsters in the "easier games" given our real position no manager is going to risk losing important points by playing kids.

I actually agree, but even when in europe we still found ourselves loaning out youngsters. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just the club M.O

 

[Joey66]

Price is 22 and just starting to make an impact in the Championship, hardly a massive loss, Armstrong played more prem games at 17 than Price has now, no comparison for me

We let him go like others with no return - we only think of loans or a cheap sale- this has to change & no doubt it will - it all seems very unprofessional- as I stated get Harrison Armstrong around Grealish & Co is a missed opportunity with the Afcon this season ...
Grealish may move on after 12 months
Plus injuries may occur- plus Garner may have to cover the full back position to let a talent like Harrison Armstrong out is IMO ridiculous!

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

We let him go like others with no return - we only think of loans or a cheap sale- this has to change & no doubt it will - it all seems very unprofessional- as I stated get Harrison Armstrong around Grealish & Co is a missed opportunity with the Afcon this season ...
Grealish may move on after 12 months
Plus injuries may occur- plus Garner may have to cover the full back position to let a talent like Harrison Armstrong out is IMO ridiculous!

We absolutely didn't let Isaac Price go though. We offered him a contract that he refused to sign and he went to Belgium to avoid compo

 

[Nymzee]

Anyone mentioned Antonee Robinson yet

 

[Joey66]

Anyone mentioned Antonee Robinson yet

Who would walk into our leftback birth- sold for a million no but a great example of our youth policy..

 

[Joey66]

We absolutely didn't let Isaac Price go though. We offered him a contract that he refused to sign and he went to Belgium to avoid compo

The contract was probably crap , but hey let's have 3 keeper's 2 on the bench in the past !