Kieran Dowell

[blueblue]

As a percentage of players that go through the academy the number that ever get to play in a premiership match is very small , never mind making an actual career as a premiership player.

We sometimes see a young player making that push from reserve/academy football to where he is worth a first team run. This is where a young player pushes himself above the level that he currently plays and above the level of the players he normally plays with. This is where a young player just looks to good for the level they are at.

This does not mean they are ready to play premiership , and it certainly doesn't guarantee them a career. But, it should mean they are given a snippet at that level to see how they cope.

Dowell is now at that level. I know that Connolly and Davies got games recently but that was as much to do with injuries as anything else.
Dowell has shown enough to earn a run at this level, his academy performances over a sustained period have earned that.

I don't belive he is ready to play regular first team football, but is ready to be part of the group, building experience over the next thwo or three seasons.

 

[Macca99]

The hat trick last night was past Ben Hamer, who was a very decent championship keeper. However, whilst Dowell looks exceptional in current competition, he quite clearly needs to bulk up for the premier league. Even at lower levels he'd likely be bullied. His brain and awareness will only carry him so far, he must adapt in some ways

 

[Tubey]

Well how do you report under 21 games then? People seem to be conflating all sorts of different things to build a strawman.

It is generally accepted that you need to give some information about the under 21's. Inevitably the output for this will be positive and talk about the positives. If a young players keeps scoring amazing goals, expect them to report this favourably.

If supporters who have nothing to do with the club then start making outlandish statements do so, there is not an awful lot the club can do about this. I am a little bit lost as to what people want the club to do? Not report on under 21 matches? Or on what is a fairly slow news day (ie no press conference, no first team match) make 3 facebook posts about an 18 year old who's scored a hatrick in their reserves?

He is not the second coming. He will not revitalise our season (which is already over). However he is doing quite well for an 18 year old and deserves a bit of praise for some good performance sin our reserves.

Before the internet mate, die hard fans knew about up and coming prospects - everyone else didn't until they actually played for the team. There was no need to know, because they were developing talent. There should never be a moment where a fan has any opinion on a player in the youth set up - it'd be akin to smart arse United fans calling for Scholes to play at 17/18, instead of getting the nod when he was nearly 20 and deemed ready. You say the club can't do anything about "outlandish" statements, but when they themselves are using terms like "brilliant", "wonderful" etc. to describe him, of course they're to blame if fans get carried away and heap a bunch of expectation and pressure on a young pro who has done the square sum of nothing in the game yet.

He doesn't need praise or criticism from anyone other than those in direct control of his development right now.

 

[Neiler]

He's just a kid... yes, he may break in, but expecting him to be our number 10 immediately is silly.

Even Rooney and Barkley eased their way in to the set up. In the modern era, look at how Harry Kane earned his shot, or how Rashford was brought into the first team setup in November but only got a game in late February.

His progression after that display should be the odd place on the bench and training amongst the first team squad for the run in, and then look to include him in pre-season amongst the senior set-up, with the aim to include him in the match day squad and involve him if good enough from August/September.

I have a lot of sticks to beat Martinez with, and one isn't going to be a reluctance to rush in a kid from the youth set up.

Dowells already played for the first team mate.

 

[Tubey]

Dowells already played for the first team mate.

Yeah in what was an elaborate friendly two years ago. Hardly relevant.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Yeah in what was an elaborate friendly two years ago. Hardly relevant.

This as well;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30333966

But your point remains...

 

[Neiler]

Just pointing out the fact that most people seem to have missed he has already made his first team debut in fact he was quite bright when he came on.

I think its hugely relevant when people are arguing about the fact hes not ready, when he actually made his debut over a year ago, i bet most people forgot.

 

[Tubey]

This as well;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30333966

But your point remains...

That's actually the game I meant

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

Need to see him and other youngsters play for the first team as much as feasibly possible.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Just pointing out the fact that most people seem to have missed he has already made his first team debut in fact he was quite bright when he came on.

I think its hugely relevant when people are arguing about the fact hes not ready, when he actually made his debut over a year ago, i bet most people forgot.

Nobody knows mate.

We can speculate and assume he isn't based on him not being involved in the first team this season and comments from Martinez, who spoke of the need to get him ready for the first team. That snippet from a long interview on The Everton Show/Bay TV Liverpool interview in February was incidentally the bit of the show the club decided to promote exclusively on social media!...

I agree with this Blue;

 

[mightymoyes]

The hat trick last night was past Ben Hamer, who was a very decent championship keeper. However, whilst Dowell looks exceptional in current competition, he quite clearly needs to bulk up for the premier league. Even at lower levels he'd likely be bullied. His brain and awareness will only carry him so far, he must adapt in some ways

hes bigger than ojo from liverpool and and onomah from spurs who havent had a problem in the few occasions theyve played.

 

[Neiler]

Nobody knows mate.

We can speculate and assume he isn't based on him not being involved in the first team this season and comments from Martinez, who spoke of the need to get him ready for the first team. That snippet from a long interview on The Everton Show/Bay TV Liverpool interview in February was incidentally the bit of the show the club decided to promote exclusively on social media!...

I agree with this Blue;

I broadly agree mate and i think fans expectations and a bug bear of mine; our actual treatment of first team players deemed in the "out group" need to be taken into account.

I think its about management though, take Connolly and Davies as an example, those two lads will be buzzing after their debuts and opportunity of game time, i dont think that will stiffle their development.

Clearly with Dowell it all depends on his footballing progression and coaching opinion whether its felt hes ready, but if he is, i wouldnt have a prob with him getting 20 mins here or there. My concern would be the hostile environment between the manager - players - fans. So id have no problem with caution. Id defer to Catcherintherye's opinion of it as he clearly has finger on the pulse of our youth teams.

Its a no win situation with expectation for me, the lad has to do well to get his opportunity - he has and that creates expectation, i dont think that will go away whether he gets mins this season or not. Its not right, but i think its almost impossible to mitigate, my prefrence would be him not starting, but 15 mins here and there.

 

[jceverton]

Do you track all Premier League club digital activity?

I do, part of my day job.

As an example - 3 Facebook updates to Dowell alone in the past 24 hours. You will not find another Premier League Football Club who posted 3 Facebook Updates on a single player in the U21s in under 24 hours.

Excessive.



Conspiracy? Behave.

Ineptitude, with I suspect, an effort to peddle content that doesn't invite negative sentiment. There's a reason why there's no Martinez post match comments on Facebook... Last 10 Facebook updates;

Dowell
Hillsborough
Dowell
Dowell
Wembley
George Shaw
Alan Ball
U21s
EITC
Labone

I'll leave it at this;

There's no benefit to lauding and overhyping an 18 year old - it inevitably increases expectation.

I think we've got this the wrong way around to be honest. We need to be downplaying these lads but actually giving them some first team game time. We seem to be bigging them up but not playing them!
I went along last night and it was a good team performance, Dowell was very impressive and I'd be giving him some game time now but I do think that media wise it would be better to be downplaying them. I don't think Martinez going OTT in the media on Stones and Barkley has really helped them.

 

[Roberto Hongo]

The White Pele.

 

[ijjysmith]

Still the best thing about him is when I typed his name on my phone it auto corrected to 'do well'.

A good omen.