2025/26 Harrison Armstrong

[hetion]

Is it only me who is not yet sold on Armstrong ? I think he he might be a good way off first team action

Think this is fair just because of how youth development goes. There's no real way to say for sure until a player is regularly in the first team - and even then, for example Davies looking like he'd be a world beater vs City and then never quite kicking on beyond that.

I'm very optimistic about Armstrong but the jump to prem level for a centre mid under the age of 20 is BIG. If he gets ~1500 minutes next season and looks 'okay' then things are going excellently.

 

[Neiler]

Feel like I did with Rooney and Barkley with Harrison, just to be clear I’m not likening them all as players, more on that feeling of when and not if. Sometimes you can see that extra bit of quality that makes someone special and he has it.

Never got that with Davies really and he never really kicked on and developed with experience. The way someone like Garner has.

 

[Eggs]

Feel like I did with Rooney and Barkley with Harrison, just to be clear I’m not likening them all as players, more on that feeling of when and not if. Sometimes you can see that extra bit of quality that makes someone special and he has it.

Never got that with Davies really and he never really kicked on and developed with experience. The way someone like Garner has.

….it looks like he’s made of the right stuff as far as attitude and application is concerned. It’s not that he runs around like a madman, he’s almost like an old pro in terms of his game management. Not surprised he captains his country and is spoken of in glowing terms at PNE.

Folk will look for quality, it wouldn’t be as obvious as with Rooney and Barkley because he’s not that type but it’s a massive bonus if you have that level of application at such a young age. He’s got a right chance.

 

[Marcus Kendall]

I

England temporary Manager did well could have gone on with that position likes the young Enland players a young old player Manager in the past only oast players have fetched us trophies from the mid 1950s for EFC - the fact he likes youth & if he could get the balance correct-
SAF defied odds & won a hell of a lot with kids ..... & star players
Harrison Armstrong- Lee Carsley would know straight away .... if he could be the real deal or no ....
Also know the talent around to sign up first hand - just a theory...

I don't doubt Carsley's coaching credentials and that was my point that he enjoys the coaching aspect rather than the management side. Plus with his family situation he needs the time for his family which management takes too much time out of. If he wanted to be a manager he would of been one by now as he is highly rated by many in the game so its telling that at the age of 51 all his career has been involved with coaching youth teams which not only demand less of his time it also means there's no real scrutiny on results etc which I sense is what Carsley prefers as he doesn't court the limelight at all

 

[COYB75]

Feel like I did with Rooney and Barkley with Harrison, just to be clear I’m not likening them all as players, more on that feeling of when and not if. Sometimes you can see that extra bit of quality that makes someone special and he has it.

Never got that with Davies really and he never really kicked on and developed with experience. The way someone like Garner has.

I was shocked when Davies made it in to the first team. I thought it would be Dowell that would be the one to make it. I thought he had way more natural talent while Davies seemed to just run around a lot. Neither were sadly good enough. Armstrong is physically ahead of where they were and is having a real impact with his loan teams. If he stays injury free for the next year or two I think he has the potential to make it as a top flight player. He’ll have a great career even if that remains at Championship level.

 

[Marcus Kendall]

I was shocked when Davies made it in to the first team. I thought it would be Dowell that would be the one to make it. I thought he had way more natural talent while Davies seemed to just run around a lot. Neither were sadly good enough. Armstrong is physically ahead of where they were and is having a real impact with his loan teams. If he stays injury free for the next year or two I think he has the potential to make it as a top flight player. He’ll have a great career even if that remains at Championship level.

I really thought Dowell was going to be special, I remember the pre season where he scored a couple of worldies and I thought he's the next off the production line. Koeman never gave him a chance at that time and I always wonder if he did how Dowell would of progressed. Probably fanciful thinking though as his career has never hit the heights anyway

 

[jazzy]

Some interesting and thoughtful posts on how good Harrison is and can become and how he compares to other youth prospects that we've seen.

You can't compare him to Rooney , he not only played a completely different position but was a one off generational talent. On talent alone probably the best English player I've seen since Gascoigne. However talent alone is not enough , you need application and dedication as well . Talented as Messi and Ronaldo are they have only got to the top and stayed there by dint of hard work allied to that talent.

Dowell and Barkley were both very talented , Ross more so but one lacked the work rate and one the intelligence to fulfil their talent.

Tom Davies...meh.

So, that leaves Armstrong. For me the lad has everything to become a top, top player. He appears intelligent and looks to put in the hard yards. He is a great size and moves well. His range of passing is impressive, he is learning game management and he likes a tackle.

In my opinion the only things lacking are experience and adding goals and assists to his game.

In that regard I don't see him as a 10 . He could become a sitter, dictating tempo and spraying the ball like a quarter back or he may be a box to box midfielder.

It's easy to get carried away with talented young players . Whether they become great depends on them and the opportunities that they are given.

Hope I'm not wrong but I see Armstrong as the centre piece of our midfield for years to come.

 

[COYB75]

Some interesting and thoughtful posts on how good Harrison is and can become and how he compares to other youth prospects that we've seen.

You can't compare him to Rooney , he not only played a completely different position but was a one off generational talent. On talent alone probably the best English player I've seen since Gascoigne. However talent alone is not enough , you need application and dedication as well . Talented as Messi and Ronaldo are they have only got to the top and stayed there by dint of hard work allied to that talent.

Dowell and Barkley were both very talented , Ross more so but one lacked the work rate and one the intelligence to fulfil their talent.

Tom Davies...meh.

So, that leaves Armstrong. For me the lad has everything to become a top, top player. He appears intelligent and looks to put in the hard yards. He is a great size and moves well. His range of passing is impressive, he is learning game management and he likes a tackle.

In my opinion the only things lacking are experience and adding goals and assists to his game.

In that regard I don't see him as a 10 . He could become a sitter, dictating tempo and spraying the ball like a quarter back or he may be a box to box midfielder.

It's easy to get carried away with talented young players . Whether they become great depends on them and the opportunities that they are given.

Hope I'm not wrong but I see Armstrong as the centre piece of our midfield for years to come.

Great summary. Fingers crossed on this one.

 

[Neiler]

….it looks like he’s made of the right stuff as far as attitude and application is concerned. It’s not that he runs around like a madman, he’s almost like an old pro in terms of his game management. Not surprised he captains his country and is spoken of in glowing terms at PNE.

Folk will look for quality, it wouldn’t be as obvious as with Rooney and Barkley because he’s not that type but it’s a massive bonus if you have that level of application at such a young age. He’s got a right chance.

Every milestone put in front of him he keeps knocking them down impressively mate.

I'm a sucker for a good central midfielder and physically he has that big slender athletes frame that makes him mobile but also gives him presence, skill set wise he's also very composed - he can simply link it up, turn and transition it, hold it and play it quick, he can spot a pass as well and split a defense. Importantly though as we saw with the likes of Barkley struggling with it- cerebrally he can make decisions to link all of the above.

He still a teenager and he will boom and bust and of course has developmental needs probably to develop consistency at a high level, but id be very surprised if hes not a very good PL for years to come - hopefully for us.

 

[Neiler]

I was shocked when Davies made it in to the first team. I thought it would be Dowell that would be the one to make it. I thought he had way more natural talent while Davies seemed to just run around a lot. Neither were sadly good enough. Armstrong is physically ahead of where they were and is having a real impact with his loan teams. If he stays injury free for the next year or two I think he has the potential to make it as a top flight player. He’ll have a great career even if that remains at Championship level.

Tom i think came in mate and brought energy and i think gave everyone a lift and there is always a feel good factor to a local academy lad coming through, then he had that finish at City and his profile maybe got a bit above his talent.

I remember he missed out on the England underage win because he was considered a first team player with us - or maybe we blagged an injury - felt sorry for him at the time.

It after we sold Idrissa and Gomes and Gbamin got broke up, when he and Gylfi had to play center midfield that it was clear the PL was beyond him - keen as mustard but just not there.

If my memory is right we actually didnt release him, we offered him a new contract and he turned us down.

 

[Swartzy]

Tom i think came in mate and brought energy and i think gave everyone a lift and there is always a feel good factor to a local academy lad coming through, then he had that finish at City and his profile maybe got a bit above his talent.

I remember he missed out on the England underage win because he was considered a first team player with us - or maybe we blagged an injury - felt sorry for him at the time.

It after we sold Idrissa and Gomes and Gbamin got broke up, when he and Gylfi had to play center midfield that it was clear the PL was beyond him - keen as mustard but just not there.

If my memory is right we actually didnt release him, we offered him a new contract and he turned us down.

Davies never looked like their was another bar to reach..

Armstrong looks like the next bar is their waiting for him to grab.

 

[COYBL25]

Tom i think came in mate and brought energy and i think gave everyone a lift and there is always a feel good factor to a local academy lad coming through, then he had that finish at City and his profile maybe got a bit above his talent.

I remember he missed out on the England underage win because he was considered a first team player with us - or maybe we blagged an injury - felt sorry for him at the time.

It after we sold Idrissa and Gomes and Gbamin got broke up, when he and Gylfi had to play center midfield that it was clear the PL was beyond him - keen as mustard but just not there.

If my memory is right we actually didnt release him, we offered him a new contract and he turned us down.

Which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for us, as he’s still constantly injured at Sheff Utd and has hardly played since he went there.

 

[Neiler]

Which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for us, as he’s still constantly injured at Sheff Utd and has hardly played since he went there.

Id say he probably regrets it now mate, he could have taken on "he gets us" mascot status for the best part of a decade, we like )or maybe used to) having a couple of them on the books.

 

[COYBL25]

Id say he probably regrets it now mate, he could have taken on "he gets us" mascot status for the best part of a decade, we like )or maybe used to) having a couple of them on the books.

He seems to have settled into living in the Sheffield area very well and seems very happy there.

From the stuff I read about him on their forums and in the local media, he seems very well liked and I their online fans don`t seem are as bi-polar as ours, so it`s probably a lot less stress for him being there too.

He`s not far from his family here and he`s a stones throw away from his best mate Dom, at Leeds too.

 

[everton1953]

Davies was never able to reach the required standard. Greatly over rated and good riddance.