The Under-18s Thread

[MutableEarth]

Nwaneri looks a cut above, IMO. The speed of movement and thought at that age is not normal. All of Lewis-Skelly, Azeez, Patiño, and Musah had moments where you say ah he looks like a 15 year old there, or he looks like an 16 year old there, Lewis-Skelly for example from the highlights, obviously you can see he's a massive talent but from the speed of movement and thought you can see why he's in the U18s and why Nwaneri is ahead of him (I know injuries are a factor here too). Musah and Patiño there were moments at age 15 or 16 where you said 'wow, great talent but he's clearly a bit raw in X aspect'. Maybe small sample size with Nwaneri but I would go:

Nwaneri
Musah, Patiño, Lewis-Skelly
Azeez

I think this is a reasonable assessment given the small sample size we've seen of Nwaneri - I'd probably only amend Lewis-Skelly's rating here with the caveat that the main reason he's still playing U18s football right now is because he's been dealing with injuries in the last few months and he likely would have been in a similar position to Nwaneri. A lot of people rate him on the same level as Nwaneri and he has had a similar level of interest in him aswell. The things we're doing to keep Nwaneri, we will need to do close to the same things for Lewis-Skelly. Don't be surprised if we see his name popping up a lot more i.e. training at Colney, bench appearances, U21 regular mins ahead of likes of Smith/Ibrahim etc.

---

I will say, I stand by my earlier assessment, I think the margins are too fine to declare any more talented than the others in this group - at least in terms of pure ability. All of these guys can ball to a very high level. Other factors will come into play when it comes to their progression overall and that's what will be the most interesting. Hale End is at a point in it's cycle where the level of talent we're producing is as high as it's ever been - even better than I can remember, and we've had some good batches recently. The level of ability and resilience blows 99/00 (a gen I rated highly)out the water, and we've had some pretty decent players from that group (Nketiah, Nelson, Willock, ESR to name but a few). Talent for me is no longer the barometer - application of talent matters (as well as physical development/injuries.

Look at a player like Miguel Azeez. Bags of ability. Can outpass most players in the academy. Can dribble into space, dribble out of pressure etc. Can shoot from distance. Is physically capable in terms of strength and winning duels. He has EVERYTHING. Why is he playing for Ibiza in La Liga 2? Because talent =/= application. I'm interested to see how Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly develop under the intense scrutiny that's about to follow them. We already know these kids are mega talents. Application at this point will be under the microscope. Patino is perhaps the one who's slightly different than the others because he's had similar levels of hype but he's also been protected a lot by Arteta despite being in and around the 1st team a lot. And we've already seen he is a player who applies himself at whatever level he plays at.

 

[Afro Mugo]

I think this is a reasonable assessment given the small sample size we've seen of Nwaneri - I'd probably only amend Lewis-Skelly's rating here with the caveat that the main reason he's still playing U18s football right now is because he's been dealing with injuries in the last few months and he likely would have been in a similar position to Nwaneri. A lot of people rate him on the same level as Nwaneri and he has had a similar level of interest in him aswell. The things we're doing to keep Nwaneri, we will need to do close to the same things for Lewis-Skelly. Don't be surprised if we see his name popping up a lot more i.e. training at Colney, bench appearances, U21 regular mins ahead of likes of Smith/Ibrahim etc.

---

I will say, I stand by my earlier assessment, I think the margins are too fine to declare any more talented than the others in this group - at least in terms of pure ability. All of these guys can ball to a very high level. Other factors will come into play when it comes to their progression overall and that's what will be the most interesting. Hale End is at a point in it's cycle where the level of talent we're producing is as high as it's ever been - even better than I can remember, and we've had some good batches recently. The level of ability and resilience blows 99/00 (a gen I rated highly)out the water, and we've had some pretty decent players from that group (Nketiah, Nelson, Willock, ESR to name but a few). Talent for me is no longer the barometer - application of talent matters (as well as physical development/injuries.

Look at a player like Miguel Azeez. Bags of ability. Can outpass most players in the academy. Can dribble into space, dribble out of pressure etc. Can shoot from distance. Is physically capable in terms of strength and winning duels. He has EVERYTHING. Why is he playing for Ibiza in La Liga 2? Because talent =/= application. I'm interested to see how Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly develop under the intense scrutiny that's about to follow them. We already know these kids are mega talents. Application at this point will be under the microscope. Patino is perhaps the one who's slightly different than the others because he's had similar levels of hype but he's also been protected a lot by Arteta despite being in and around the 1st team a lot. And we've already seen he is a player who applies himself at whatever level he plays at.

You've actually spoken my mind.. Talent wise/pure technical ability it's hard to separate them . However a lot of factors come/will come into play. I find it interesting that Shaun O'Connor (the scout who scouted Wishere ) rated Patino as the best of Hale End while Steve Leonard , who scouted the likes of Saka , Nketiah and Reiss rates Myles and Ethan as the best he's seen. Patino isn't as physically gifted as the rest but he is very intelligent and I feel Wenger would have really liked him the way he liked Iwobi whereas Myles and Ethan and Musah are physical beasts. I see Lewis Skelly play I immediately think of Camavinga, or dare I say, Patrick Vieira.. Ethan is more of a left footed Rooney while Musah and Azeez reminded me of Pogba..Patino - Modric . So depending on what you like in a player they are all outstanding talents in equal measure, and all will depend on how they apply their talent.

 

[Geofranco]

You've actually spoken my mind.. Talent wise/pure technical ability it's hard to separate them . However a lot of factors come/will come into play. I find it interesting that Shaun O'Connor (the scout who scouted Wishere ) rated Patino as the best of Hale End while Steve Leonard , who scouted the likes of Saka , Nketiah and Reiss rates Myles and Ethan as the best he's seen. Patino isn't as physically gifted as the rest but he is very intelligent and I feel Wenger would have really liked him the way he liked Iwobi whereas Myles and Ethan and Musah are physical beasts. I see Lewis Skelly play I immediately think of Camavinga, or dare I say, Patrick Vieira.. Ethan is more of a left footed Rooney while Musah and Azeez reminded me of Pogba..Patino - Modric . So depending on what you like in a player they are all outstanding talents in equal measure, and all will depend on how they apply their talent.

I have heard the comparison to Wilshere, Foden and the like for Nwaneri, but your Rooney comparison actually seems more apt. He doesn't look as explosive as young Rooney though. That guy was a monster even at 16. I honestly think Rooney peaked quit early physically. Combination of injuries and his lifestyle took away a lot of his athleticism by his early 20s. Nwaneri being able to play everywhere in the attack is another thing that makes him similar to Rooney. Both have/had very good shooting techniques too. Nwaneri looks more slick on the ball, Rooney more explosive and powerful. Although looking at Nwaneri's physique, he looks like he'll only get more explosive within the next year or two.

 

[Afro Mugo]

I have heard the comparison to Wilshere, Foden and the like for Nwaneri, but your Rooney comparison actually seems more apt. He doesn't look as explosive as young Rooney though. That guy was a monster even at 16. I honestly think Rooney peaked quit early physically. Combination of injuries and his lifestyle took away a lot of his athleticism by his early 20s. Nwaneri being able to play everywhere in the attack is another thing that makes him similar to Rooney. Both have/had very good shooting techniques too. Nwaneri looks more slick on the ball, Rooney more explosive and powerful. Although looking at Nwaneri's physique, he looks like he'll only get more explosive within the next year or two.

It's easier comparing him to Wilshere and Foden because he is left footed but the two are attacking midfielders 8/10.. However from the little I've seen of Ethan , he is more of a second striker 9/10 who can play on the wings. I actually wanted to say RVP but I found him a bit more explosive than RVP. Rooney is the easiest comparison off my head.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Jack channeling his inner arteta

I haven't heard a lot of interviews with Wilshere. He is quite well-spoken I must say. Great to see him and Mertesacker be a part of the club. The ex-pros need to become part of the club, similar to e.g. how Bayern and Barca operate. Think this is really the way to go to build a strong club that can compete despite maybe not being the biggest spenders.

 

[MutableEarth]

I haven't heard a lot of interviews with Wilshere. He is quite well-spoken I must say. Great to see him and Mertesacker be a part of the club. The ex-pros need to become part of the club, similar to e.g. how Bayern and Barca operate. Think this is really the way to go to build a strong club that can compete despite maybe not being the biggest spenders.

The team are also playing good football which is crucial. Seen quite a few clips now and there's a clear plan to play similar to the 1st team. Lots of high pressing and passing out the back. Think Wilshere will be good for quite a few of the scholars coming up in the next few years. Probably won't have Lewis-Skelly for long but interested to see what he will do in the U18s for the next few months also.

 

[avenellroad]

You've actually spoken my mind.. Talent wise/pure technical ability it's hard to separate them . However a lot of factors come/will come into play. I find it interesting that Shaun O'Connor (the scout who scouted Wishere ) rated Patino as the best of Hale End while Steve Leonard , who scouted the likes of Saka , Nketiah and Reiss rates Myles and Ethan as the best he's seen. Patino isn't as physically gifted as the rest but he is very intelligent and I feel Wenger would have really liked him the way he liked Iwobi whereas Myles and Ethan and Musah are physical beasts. I see Lewis Skelly play I immediately think of Camavinga, or dare I say, Patrick Vieira.. Ethan is more of a left footed Rooney while Musah and Azeez reminded me of Pogba..Patino - Modric . So depending on what you like in a player they are all outstanding talents in equal measure, and all will depend on how they apply their talent.

Interesting observation regarding Lewis-Skelly. He actually reminds me a lot of Moussa Dembele (ex Sp**s) in his dribbling style and ability to ride challenges. Will be interesting to see how he develops over the next 2 years.

 

[boonthegoon]

Ah well

 

[boonthegoon]

 

[Ibadan]

Ah well

what did this say

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

I haven't heard a lot of interviews with Wilshere. He is quite well-spoken I must say. Great to see him and Mertesacker be a part of the club. The ex-pros need to become part of the club, similar to e.g. how Bayern and Barca operate. Think this is really the way to go to build a strong club that can compete despite maybe not being the biggest spenders.

His interviews as a coach are quite different from those he gave when he was a player. I was very surprised and pleased yo hear him focusing on the team performance over the result. He seems much more intelligent than I imagined

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

The team are also playing good football which is crucial. Seen quite a few clips now and there's a clear plan to play similar to the 1st team. Lots of high pressing and passing out the back. Think Wilshere will be good for quite a few of the scholars coming up in the next few years. Probably won't have Lewis-Skelly for long but interested to see what he will do in the U18s for the next few months also.

I think that was always what Wenger wanted and what Hoddle asked for when he was England boss. It allows a like for like replacement/ successor and for a worldly talent, it let's the club go in a different direction too eg Cesc

 

[AbouCuéllar]

Thoughts on Ismail M’Hand?

Think I remember reading that he was the more interesting prospect of the brothers and might’ve been part of the reason we signed Salah in the first place.

 

[MutableEarth]

Wilsheres 1st FA Youth cup game as U18s manager - the tournament he won in 2009.


From reading the highlights, the usual suspects - Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly and Cozier-Duberry - were prominent as was Jimi Gower, a CM.

Scorers were:

Gower
Nwaneri
Rosiak
Cozier-Duberry
Benjamin x2

 

[MutableEarth]

Wilsheres 1st FA Youth cup game as U18s manager - the tournament he won in 2009.


From reading the highlights, the usual suspects - Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly and Cozier-Duberry - were prominent as was Jimi Gower, a CM.

Scorers were:

Gower
Nwaneri
Rosiak
Cozier-Duberry
Benjamin x2

Here's the Highlights!! Nice and prompt.

All - Latest

Watch highlights of Arsenal Men, Women and Academy matches, plus exclusive interviews and features

www.arsenal.com

Not much footage here apart from the goals sadly. Cozier-Duberry again comes out of this looking very strong. Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri give this team an edge and I have to say Omari Benjamin's movement is very dangerous.

In the next round we'll have Newcastle U18s which will be much harder than this game. If we can keep our strong players available, should be a good chance of winning.

 

[Geofranco]

Here's the Highlights!! Nice and prompt.

All - Latest

Watch highlights of Arsenal Men, Women and Academy matches, plus exclusive interviews and features

www.arsenal.com

Not much footage here apart from the goals sadly. Cozier-Duberry again comes out of this looking very strong. Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri give this team an edge and I have to say Omari Benjamin's movement is very dangerous.

In the next round we'll have Newcastle U18s which will be much harder than this game. If we can keep our strong players available, should be a good chance of winning.

We literally could not have put out a much stronger team . Hope we can win it this time around. Remember that group with Saka, Amaechi, Smith, Balogun, Okonkwo, Jules etc Def thought we were gonna win it, especially with the way Saka was playing in that stretch.

 

[MutableEarth]

We literally could not have put out a much stronger team . Hope we can win it this time around. Remember that group with Saka, Amaechi, Smith, Balogun, Okonkwo, Jules etc Def thought we were gonna win it, especially with the way Saka was playing in that stretch.

Yeah, just a shame we came up against Chelsea at their best. I think if we keep this group together it could be one of our strongest since. The one from a couple seasons ago was also pretty strong (Hutchinson, Azeez, Taylor-Hart etc) but we lost Hutchinson to injury before the quarter finals and got pretty handily beaten by Liverpool.

Perhaps due to our focus on attacking as a group we often seem to be easily gotten at, even while having decent individual defenders at that level. I can see defence being an issue again for us, as it has been under Wilshere so far but the attacking football itself looks really good so Wilshere is definitely doing something right. Likes of Seb Ferdinand and Omari Benjamin have clearly benefitted. So with a strong group at his disposal I can see this team doing well. Gotta beat Newcastle first, won't be an easy game as they beat us earlier this year already, but with a few stronger players in the mix could be a different story.

The names available to us here: Walters, Sousa, Kacurri, Cozier-Duberry, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Ibrahim - that's a pretty solid group, particularly Cozier-Duberry and Ibrahim who are pretty experienced now for this level. If we can keep this group together for the whole competition, we have a shot, even against likes of City, Palace etc.

 

[Geofranco]

Yeah, just a shame we came up against Chelsea at their best. I think if we keep this group together it could be one of our strongest since. The one from a couple seasons ago was also pretty strong (Hutchinson, Azeez, Taylor-Hart etc) but we lost Hutchinson to injury before the quarter finals and got pretty handily beaten by Liverpool.

Perhaps due to our focus on attacking as a group we often seem to be easily gotten at, even while having decent individual defenders at that level. I can see defence being an issue again for us, as it has been under Wilshere so far but the attacking football itself looks really good so Wilshere is definitely doing something right. Likes of Seb Ferdinand and Omari Benjamin have clearly benefitted. So with a strong group at his disposal I can see this team doing well. Gotta beat Newcastle first, won't be an easy game as they beat us earlier this year already, but with a few stronger players in the mix could be a different story.

The names available to us here: Walters, Sousa, Kacurri, Cozier-Duberry, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Ibrahim - that's a pretty solid group, particularly Cozier-Duberry and Ibrahim who are pretty experienced now for this level. If we can keep this group together for the whole competition, we have a shot, even against likes of City, Palace etc.

I was talking more about the 18/19 season, but yes the 17/18 team that made the final against Chelsea were also pretty good. Think Saka was still a schoolboy then and ESR was the main man on the team

 

[MutableEarth]

Youth Cup tonight against tough opponents. They beat us in the U18 PL Cup but we have a stronger team this time around with Lewis-Skelly and Cozier-Duberry among others dropping down a level to play this game. Nwaneri the only name ominously missing, presumably either 1st team training or he's injured.

 

[Afro Mugo]

Youth Cup tonight against tough opponents. They beat us in the U18 PL Cup but we have a stronger team this time around with Lewis-Skelly and Cozier-Duberry among others dropping down a level to play this game. Nwaneri the only name ominously missing, presumably either 1st team training or he's injured.

Newcastle will be a difficult opponent , but there was quite a well balanced team. A lot of second years have step down to help out the young team. Looking at this team, and with ACD stepping down , I think Nwaneri will be the u21s tomorrow