Country: Wales
Needs to keep scoring and assisting. He's already a smart dribbler, just needs more end product. Yesterday was a good start.
Will he be as good as a Sterling, Ibe or Ox?
Needs to keep scoring and assisting. He's already a smart dribbler, just needs more end product. Yesterday was a good start.
Will he be as good as a Sterling, Ibe or Ox?
It is easy to get excited over your youngsters these days, maybe because all the disappointments with the senior team.
@MutableEarth How would you compare our academy level with previous generations? And how many would you expect to make it with us from players who are on loan+u21 at the moment?
No idea personally. Similar stylistically to Sterling at a push, but Sterling was a prolific forward at youth level.
I think he has a very good base to be a top class player though. He's easily the best dribbler we have had in the academy since Wilshere (although Nelson may run him close if he develops like I think he will) and when switched on, he's a very clever and tactically aware player. That may stand him in very good stead, but ideally - if he's playing as an attacking player - he puts up good numbers as soon as he gets an opportunity.
That means knowing when to shoot, making the right passes and - most importantly - having the right movement. That said, he was very promising in his CM position yesterday and that might give Jonker and Wenger ideas.
Definitely easy to get excited particularly about talent - but it means nothing if they not only never get a chance but fail to force themselves into the picture.
I wouldn't say this academy is ahead of previous ones. We didn't really have much bonafide Hale End talent until 08 when we won the Youth Cup. That side had very decent talents - Wilshere, Lansbury, Emmanuel-Thomas, Watt etc. Coquelin also happened to be in that team. Lansbury was a talent, but it never happened for him. Emmanuel-Thomas was insanely talented but he never made the most of it either. So we've had good talents before over the last 7 years. Afobe also comes to mind, although his injuries messed things up.
This current generation though, while lacking the right coaching at times, have a lot of talent, particularly in attacking areas. Few will make it IMO, but that is because they may not be given the chance to play rather than not being talented enough. The likes of Akpom, Iwobi, Maitland-Niles, Crowley and Zelalem all have fantastic chances of making it, but out of them, I reckon 3 at most will become squad players - at a stretch. I'd be pleasantly surprised if they all made it.
I think the crop just behind them also have a good chance - Nketiah, Gilmour, Nelson and Willock all look like massive talents from what I've seen. But they also, like all the youngsters, have a lot to prove. Not to mention the imports like Malen, Fortune and of course, Jeff.
In order to make it, they need to be given opportunities and they must make the most of them.
Zelalem is a slow burner really - his struggle really has to do more with physicality and using his ability to control matches rather than letting it pass him by. He seems to be working on that, and if he does, he'll make it.I have serious doubts about Zelalem, he's never impressed me when I've seen him at youth level. Akpom and Crowley are special talents, I'd like to think both will be key first team players for years to come. The one for me though is Maitland-Niles, so underrated. He locked down Wesley Sneijder as a 17 year old, pretty special.