Kieran Dowell

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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.

Agree completely mate.
 

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.

I agree with a lot of that, but isn't this an argument about society generally, lack of privacy which has translated down to youth teams? I remember arguing (on here as well if you want to go back and vault) that I'm quite sceptical about the idea of streaming every game showing our under 18's upwards for reasons you've outlined.

However if you are going to report the game, it would be hard to describe Dowells performance as anything other than brilliant. I think the issue is that people expect updates on young players not the description.

My concern with this rhetoric though, is it is used to clamp down on people who might legitimately be calling for younger players to be given an opportunity over senior players who may not be as good.
 
I really dont think the club posting superb goal etc is gonna have much bearing on his career haha !

can see what one of his mates saying "eh kieran, see them fellas over there ? they think you're boss ! and a future Everton star ! "

kieran " oh no i'm doomed i'll never make it now ! "
 
I really dont think the club posting superb goal etc is gonna have much bearing on his career haha !

can see what one of his mates saying "eh kieran, see them fellas over there ? they think you're boss ! and a future Everton star ! "

kieran " oh no i'm doomed i'll never make it now ! "

we're constantly complaining on the youth teams thread about the lack of decent coverage most of the time of the u21s and u18s as well!
 

Again with the 'to be fair'

To be fair Kiwi - so what?

Do you want me to go and dig you out some Jose Baxter, or John Paul Kissock clips? How about George Green?

This lad could be great, but all this media strategy does is put needless expectation on him.

A valid question is whether the attention kills young players or simply exposes their weaknesses. You don't want to scar them, but sometimes you spend great effort protecting a fragile egg only to realize all you've got is a fragile egg.
 
I agree with GOT.

We shouldn't be hyping up the scouse Ronaldo.

That said, if the lad is good enough to forge himself a career with Everton then he will have to get used to the limelight.
Ball skills are one thing, being strong mentally and being able to handle pressure is what separate Premier League players from the rest.
Perhaps the club are preparing him in all aspects of the game which in the modern game includes 24 hour sports channels, social media and the internet.

If he gets the right development, he has every chance of getting a game in the first team.
From there, it's up to him to show he's worth playing again and again and again until he gets 50 games under his belt when he can be classed as a first team player.
He's got a long way to go before that happens though.

Good luck to the lad. I hope it all works out for him and he lives the dream.
 

Put him on the bench and give him 5 mins. Get him the feel of being in the first team on a matchday. If the game is tight then don't even bring him on. Just being round the older lads will help am sure.

Rather him warm the bench than the like of Pienaar.

5mins is a waste of everybody'd time... 20 at least, say to Lukaku 60 mins for you sunshine if I don't see some action the lad here will be on for you.
I really wish you could mix them up like metals and bung in 30% of pure Straq for a bit of effort and attitude.
 
shame hes goin to make his premier league debut in such a toxic atmosphere
Well you would hope that any youngster appearing would get a degree of leeway, but these days people make instant opinions and these can be so polarised we'll either have the new Messi-ah or he'll be labelled complete cack. I recall the post in the Youth thread after they'd lost in the Cup to Aston Villa :" well they can't be any good then", a complete team dismissed which ironically featured Callum Connolly and Kieran Dowell.

A lot of people have missed the point that Dowell has been discussed, debated , criticised , praised regularly in the past 9 months in the Youth thread, from his sound appearances in pre season games, his injury, goal on his return for the u18s and quietly building up in the past three months as he regained fitness and showed his potential. Lob the goalkeeper from 35 yds? Yep he did that against Southampton. Curling in goals from outside of the box ? Yep at least four of those in previous games. The fact that he did three such goals in the same match means he's suddenly been "discovered" and overhyped , whereas even without that hat trick he's previously been the one most touted as deserving of a spot in the first team squad.

People have been balanced enough to recognise he's got a lot of competition in his position ahead of him and wouldn't get straight into the first team . The frustration has been , well for me anyway, the number of players sitting on the bench ahead of him who are no longer capable of contributing to our club . Martinez said three youngsters were in the running for the Southampton game, Connolly and Davies made it , it's highly likely that Dowell was the third who didn't make it. That was disappointing but understandable given his playing position , where our injuries were and having two u18s in already.

The recent overhype shouldn't cause people to react in the opposite way . This is a pretty talented youngster who while needing to be nurtured and developed further, deserves a chance to show his potential on a bigger stage. From what you see of his demeanour on the pitch he looks to be a level headed youngster , not a "look at me , look at me" type. His arms raised reaction to his hat trick goal is the most animated celebration I've seen from him, usually he just quietly walks away from his wonder goals before being mobbed - most guys of his age would be running to the touch line, sliding on their knees etc. So I have no qualms about how he would handle his debut when it comes, and really it will be just another chance to measure his character and potential. If , as many of us believe, he has the potential to go a lot further then having the right mental attitude to cope with adversity comes with the territory. Pitch him in if the opportunity arises, being on the wrong end of a hiding shouldn't scar a young player with potential, coming back from a potentially career ending injury like Ross and hopefully Luke Shaw is what requires real character.
 
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