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General Reserves Talk

  • Thread starter M+D
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HBL

Established Member
That front four just pisses all over u23 sides! Sounds like Amaechi was one of the standout players once again, if we can’t get him game time next season he has to go out on loan. Leverkusen could be a great destination if they sell a couple of their talents. Nketiah scoring again is good to see and Willock is definitley still going under the radar. His pace/power combined with his dribbling and late runs into the box could be a lethal combination when he fully develops.
 

Dennis_Bergkamp_10

Established Member
I don't follow our youngsters much apart from reading this thread, but it seems we do have some real talent on our hands with the likes of Saka and Amaechi for instance.

Do you guys reckon they could make it here or are we watching the next Fran Merida? I had high hopes for him too..
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
That front four just pisses all over u23 sides! Sounds like Amaechi was one of the standout players once again, if we can’t get him game time next season he has to go out on loan. Leverkusen could be a great destination if they sell a couple of their talents. Nketiah scoring again is good to see and Willock is definitley still going under the radar. His pace/power combined with his dribbling and late runs into the box could be a lethal combination when he fully develops.
Willock has tweaked his game and found a really important niche of using his size, considerable dribbling skill and clever passing in an attacking role from deep and with Ljungbergs help has transformed into an excellent goal threat. 11 goals in 16 games for a CM is nothing to sniff at.

The number of ever presents who have improved from the U23 team is impressive. Osei-Tutu, Amaechi, Saka, Nketiah, Willock and Mavropanos all have something to offer the first team as a result - things the first team is missing. I just cannot wait until we actually start playing them - if we ever do. What a waste it would be if we don't.

I don't follow our youngsters much apart from reading this thread, but it seems we do have some real talent on our hands with the likes of Saka and Amaechi for instance.

Do you guys reckon they could make it here or are we watching the next Fran Merida? I had high hopes for him too..
We have to play them and find out!
 

Maybe

You're wrong, no?
This team wiuld have won against then imo
Even if they wouldn't, they wouldn't perform any worse. It's not like they would replace Messi or Hazard so you could feel the difference, they would replace first team clowns and losers and they can only do better than them, it's a zero risk for us but wrong manager in charge.

Still can't believe that midfielder with 11/16 goals can't get any minutes for the first team, we are sending a wrong message to young players.
 

Maybe

You're wrong, no?
Willock has tweaked his game and found a really important niche of using his size, considerable dribbling skill and clever passing in an attacking role from deep and with Ljungbergs help has transformed into an excellent goal threat. 11 goals in 16 games for a CM is nothing to sniff at.
It would be interesting to compare his game with 18y Yaya Toure. What I like about Willock is that he is not over reliant on his agility, if he adds more muscles in a few years he would still play the same style but more effective. You were right about him, he needed time to adapt to his new body.
 

Eduardo_da_Silva

Active Member
I honestly expected Emery to introduce at least 3 players from this wonder u23 we have at the moment. Especially after all the talk of him showing gazidis and co his knowledge about them but after seeing him persist with Elneny, not playing Osei tutu when he had zero right backs in the team and not even rotating Nketiah I have zero hope we will see our golden generation play together for the first team.

Worst part is this is ideal time to say **** it if we dont want to invest, we may as well try to make a great team ala Monaco and Ajax. I think a lot of fans would accept it. I for once would much rather watch us losing with Saka and Amaechi than seeing that crap against Bate even if we had won it.
 

Vinci

The Sultan of Unai

Country: Netherlands

Good goal that.
Clever training ground move, love those. Think a lot of teams in general can gain a lot from those, since it's always action and reaction and the opposition players are usually in predictable positions.

Anyway, nice to see Freddie has got some talent for coaching.
 

Ciscoo

Active Member
It wasn’t that long ago that a goal from Joe was a collectors item. I’ve doubted him at times in the past, but his desire to improve is really second to none. I hope we give him Elneny’s minutes next season.
 

HBL

Established Member
Willock has tweaked his game and found a really important niche of using his size, considerable dribbling skill and clever passing in an attacking role from deep and with Ljungbergs help has transformed into an excellent goal threat. 11 goals in 16 games for a CM is nothing to sniff at.

The number of ever presents who have improved from the U23 team is impressive. Osei-Tutu, Amaechi, Saka, Nketiah, Willock and Mavropanos all have something to offer the first team as a result - things the first team is missing. I just cannot wait until we actually start playing them - if we ever do. What a waste it would be if we don't.


We have to play them and find out!
Yeah not many players like Willock, if he continues to improve he could be a really unique player. Similar to someone like Yaya Toure/Pogba, not saying he'll ever be at that level but he could have a similar style. Someone of his physique and pace will be hard to stop when making those deep runs at any level, we're seeing it with Pogba now, defenders just don't know what to do.

Nketiah is ready and probably has been for a while, just very difficult to get in the team ahead of Laca/Auba and we can't really let him go out on loan with Welbeck being injured so that's just unfortunate. If we stay in the EL he might get some game time with Laca banned for 3 matches I'm guessing?

Saka and Amaechi just keep producing, they'll surely be knocking on the door by the end of the season. Amaechi would've played by now if he didn't have that long injury in the first half of the season.
 

neimad

Well-Known Member
I honestly expected Emery to introduce at least 3 players from this wonder u23 we have at the moment. Especially after all the talk of him showing gazidis and co his knowledge about them but after seeing him persist with Elneny, not playing Osei tutu when he had zero right backs in the team and not even rotating Nketiah I have zero hope we will see our golden generation play together for the first team.

Worst part is this is ideal time to say **** it if we dont want to invest, we may as well try to make a great team ala Monaco and Ajax. I think a lot of fans would accept it. I for once would much rather watch us losing with Saka and Amaechi than seeing that crap against Bate even if we had won it.

I'd be all in for this. We obviously have some very average players in the first team which isn't Emery's fault. He's working with what Wenger left him with largely.

So it's a project. What would excite fans much more than us getting a Denis Suarez ( he might turn out ok) is seeing our young guns get a chance. Give the Willock, Smith Rowe, Amaechi, Saka, Medley, Nketiahs a chance. Would excite the fan base and help to build up our identity again.

I must say I'm also feeling let down as I was fully sure Emery would have brought a few more in. Fair enough Guendouzi is getting a run but surely as has been mentioned Ameachi or Saka would have done much more during the week than players that were so obviously not really putting a shift in.

Mbappe, Sancho, Rashford, that new Roma kid Zaniolo, Tierney and countless others got their chance when young. I know for everyone that makes it there's the Denilsons and Frimpongs who don't seem to be up to required standard. Yet that's where the manager makes a call after seeing them on the pitch. If we don't blood the youngsters against teams like this and with players to come in during the summer you'd have to wonder if Emery will give them the chance.

Watching some of our ex-youth players tearing up the Bundesliga in the next few years after they've grown tired of lack of opportunity will be a very bitter pill to swallow especially if we are caught in a Groundhog Day like cyclical battle for Europa league places playing boring football. Only time will tell how this plays out I guess!
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
Even if they wouldn't, they wouldn't perform any worse. It's not like they would replace Messi or Hazard so you could feel the difference, they would replace first team clowns and losers and they can only do better than them, it's a zero risk for us but wrong manager in charge.

Still can't believe that midfielder with 11/16 goals can't get any minutes for the first team, we are sending a wrong message to young players.
They would have been hungrier for sure. They have the physicality and intensity that Emery requests, but they can also add more to the system and give us dynamism. I'll stick up for Iwobi because even though he doesn't do that well in the final 3rd, he still was our biggest threat - but could you imagine how different and more dynamic that team is with Saka and Amaechi either side of Lacazette? Better still if Özil was in the #10 spot behind them!

It would be interesting to compare his game with 18y Yaya Toure. What I like about Willock is that he is not over reliant on his agility, if he adds more muscles in a few years he would still play the same style but more effective. You were right about him, he needed time to adapt to his new body.
Willock is fairly unique for sure. I was convinced by his attitude on the pitch - doesn't shy away after mistakes and very often his mistakes come from youth. He's also got a competitive edge to his game, similar to Guendouzi in that respect. I think his technical quality will start to come to the fore a lot more - very adept at using his passing range and can dribble past people with relative ease. If he continues his upward trajectory, he's going to need competitive football ASAP. He's ridiculously dominant at U23 level now. In the Checkertrade Trophy, he was dominating football league teams on the pitch.

I honestly expected Emery to introduce at least 3 players from this wonder u23 we have at the moment. Especially after all the talk of him showing gazidis and co his knowledge about them but after seeing him persist with Elneny, not playing Osei tutu when he had zero right backs in the team and not even rotating Nketiah I have zero hope we will see our golden generation play together for the first team.

Worst part is this is ideal time to say **** it if we dont want to invest, we may as well try to make a great team ala Monaco and Ajax. I think a lot of fans would accept it. I for once would much rather watch us losing with Saka and Amaechi than seeing that crap against Bate even if we had won it.
Me too. I'm disappointed that we haven't seen more of them - especially when we're lacking in pace, new ideas and ball carrying. Osei-Tutu is the ideal Bellerin back-up on current form. He must surely be considered rather than shoehorning AMN into a position he is not even that good in.

Clever training ground move, love those. Think a lot of teams in general can gain a lot from those, since it's always action and reaction and the opposition players are usually in predictable positions.

Anyway, nice to see Freddie has got some talent for coaching.
Seems to be a staple of the U23/U18 teams. They always have pretty clever routines. Ljungberg definitely a pupil in that regard. Ljungberg has done fantastic work individually with the players. Nketiah, Willock, Saka, Amaechi, John-Jules, Olayinka, Gilmour and Medley have all improved a lot in the short time he's been back as U23 manager. Willock definitely Ljungberg's biggest achievement so far - looks dangerous and dominant.

Yeah not many players like Willock, if he continues to improve he could be a really unique player. Similar to someone like Yaya Toure/Pogba, not saying he'll ever be at that level but he could have a similar style. Someone of his physique and pace will be hard to stop when making those deep runs at any level, we're seeing it with Pogba now, defenders just don't know what to do.

Nketiah is ready and probably has been for a while, just very difficult to get in the team ahead of Laca/Auba and we can't really let him go out on loan with Welbeck being injured so that's just unfortunate. If we stay in the EL he might get some game time with Laca banned for 3 matches I'm guessing?

Saka and Amaechi just keep producing, they'll surely be knocking on the door by the end of the season. Amaechi would've played by now if he didn't have that long injury in the first half of the season.
Agree on Willock and Nketiah. Saka+Amaechi could definitely get some time in the first team right now. They have what we're missing out-wide, and would give us an extra dimension.

I'd be all in for this. We obviously have some very average players in the first team which isn't Emery's fault. He's working with what Wenger left him with largely.

So it's a project. What would excite fans much more than us getting a Denis Suarez ( he might turn out ok) is seeing our young guns get a chance. Give the Willock, Smith Rowe, Amaechi, Saka, Medley, Nketiahs a chance. Would excite the fan base and help to build up our identity again.

I must say I'm also feeling let down as I was fully sure Emery would have brought a few more in. Fair enough Guendouzi is getting a run but surely as has been mentioned Ameachi or Saka would have done much more during the week than players that were so obviously not really putting a shift in.

Mbappe, Sancho, Rashford, that new Roma kid Zaniolo, Tierney and countless others got their chance when young. I know for everyone that makes it there's the Denilsons and Frimpongs who don't seem to be up to required standard. Yet that's where the manager makes a call after seeing them on the pitch. If we don't blood the youngsters against teams like this and with players to come in during the summer you'd have to wonder if Emery will give them the chance.

Watching some of our ex-youth players tearing up the Bundesliga in the next few years after they've grown tired of lack of opportunity will be a very bitter pill to swallow especially if we are caught in a Groundhog Day like cyclical battle for Europa league places playing boring football. Only time will tell how this plays out I guess!
This is a really attacking lineup I'd love to see a few times in the future

Nketiah
Saka Nelson Amaechi
ESR Willock
Would we ever see it under Emery? Unlikely. I don't think Emery trusts them, as much as he may have given assurances that they'd have a way into the team. Ornstein already said as much, and some people pointed to his giving debuts to the likes of Saka and others - but where have they been since? They won't play any meaningful part in the season while we have underperformers playing every week. It's disappointing.
 

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