Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £80m
Fair enough, if you don’t fancy your chances against Tosun Niasse and DCL then it’s probably not a big loss to us that he wants to move on.
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £80m
What’s the progress of that Antony Gordon kid been like? Wasn’t he the one linked with Barca or someone at one point?
Gordon stalled a bit in his progress last season , he was injured a bit early on but he played some of his best football towards the end of the season . Signed a four year contract earlier this year, which is a big sign that he’s highly thought of , or it would be 1or 2 year contract. He struggled a bit to get into the U23s at one timesavers Unsworth stuck with two strikers , Sambou and Hornby , and Bowler and Broadhead out wide. A big season coming up for him.
I believe it was German clubs rumoured to be sniffing around him.
mightymoyes
Player Valuation: £70m
Bayern, though think it was just agent talk with new contract coming up
Josh Bowler would have been better on our bench, and getting rid of Walcott........
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £80m
Who do you view as realistically having the best chance of making the first team squad in the future? It seems that only Davies might stick around out of what was seen as that golden generation of Dowell Walsh Williams Kenny Connelly Baningime.
We seem to have a few that have been hyped but not had the same pathway that Rooney Rodwell Barkley had. The likes of Hornby Foulds Feeney Gibson all looked at one point like they might be close to stepping up, yet now it seems Simms, Dobson, and Gordon might be higher rated?
Speaking of kids - how old will them kids be in the paper that we took from that Manchester academy Rashford came from?
Going by today's newspaper reports, looks like it is Simms (who is not being sent out on loan and is going to Africa with the first team squad such as it will be)...
The Penny Blue
Player Valuation: £8m
So I know when Brands came that he had a vision of how the club will play from the top down regardless of who the manager is and that we would be hiring managers capable of playing in the style that Brands wants to. He said that this would also aid in the progression of our youth team prospects through the ranks of u18 to u23 to the senior squad.
I’m just wondering, has that really happened for us? I haven’t seen much of he u23s but from what people say on here it seems like they play a lot more defensively than our senior squad.
This is sort of the reason why I hope Simms is given his shot at the first team and not sent to the u23s. Give the boy as much time playing like Silva would like him to play and don’t set him up to play one way then ask him to play another as soon as he steps into the highest level like DCL.
I’m just wondering, has that really happened for us? I haven’t seen much of he u23s but from what people say on here it seems like they play a lot more defensively than our senior squad.
This is sort of the reason why I hope Simms is given his shot at the first team and not sent to the u23s. Give the boy as much time playing like Silva would like him to play and don’t set him up to play one way then ask him to play another as soon as he steps into the highest level like DCL.
catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
Had a couple of injuries last season and int ruth he hasn't been helped by the under 23's keeping around some older lads (like Bowler and Broadhead) whoever decision that is. I understand that Gordon is still only an under 18 though, so still a bit of time for him. I'd like to see him go with the first team squad for pre-season. A cliche but next season is an important season for him, really needs to put himself in the shop window for a loan move.
I think the u23's play in a style that mirrors the players available. Not much up top ( striker wise) but plenty on offer at the back.
I think it will take a few years to be able to mirror how the first team play and in order to produce top end togger players fkr the first team we will need to start finding some gems for up top and midfield.
Barnfred 55
Player Valuation: £80m
Do you not think they play in a way that mirrors the manager? Or am I being too hard on Unsworth.
Yes mate I think you are right to a certain extent. That's what Usworth was good at ( defending) so it makes sense. I just feel that also he has to work with what's available and of course he's allowed to sign players (DCL, Sambou, Markelo, Bowler, and so on) but we still haven't purchased or brought through a proper gem and I think these are known ( like Rooney or Barkley) very early on.
Gibson for me is the closest from the ones on your list. Although a left sided centre back I think he’s our third choice left back next season and we should let Galloway and Garbutt go, even the talented Antonee Robinson , leaving Gibson to cover. I think Gibson will get first team game time this season unless he goes out on loan.
I long ago nailed my colours to the Ryan Astley mast as being the best young defender to come through our Academy in recent years. He was easily the best of our Scholar intake last year, establishing himself at right back for the U23s . I don’t think he’s as under the radar anymore, he oozes class but made a few costly errors too , all part of the learning process. Feeney or Gibson need to go on loan allowing Astley to continue his development at centre back. Not next season maybe but I can see him pushing for a squad place the season after if his physical and footballing development continue.
Times have changed though. I don’t believe any youngster was called up to the first team for his debut last season, a sobering dose of realism as to how hard it is to break into even our squad.
