Wow how good are our young players?

[Vienna_70]

On the evidence of this pre-season tour, they are very good. At times it was like watching the senior players, especially this morning. Some of the movement, runs and passing were reminiscent of our best XI.

It’s too early to say how most of them will turn out, but some will definitely be good enough to join the first-team squad.

Someone earlier said that Nmecha should stay. I agree, as he has something that Sergio and Gabriel don’t:height and that gives us a different option.

 

[Hart of the Matter]

I think you could tell the kids from the full blown elte footballers. Silva, Roben and Ribbery were several notches above the rest (including Zinchenko). Our kids were better than their kids though. Not getting the hype yet about Garcia yet either. Was out of position on several occassions. Looks good on the ball though. Dont forget, our kids are the same age as Mbappe and when Sterling burst into the Liverpool team. No one at or close to those levels yet and as an elite team thats were they need to be heading (and fast). Phil and Briam have a high ceiling and we saw only flashes over the 3 matches. Last night was much better from both of them.

 

[hihosilva]

Foden had a great game last night. He looks like he's stepped up again from last season.

 

[the_tevez_wiggle]

There is a route now into the 1st team which is good if we can start getting game time for some of these kids this season. There are some superstars/legends coming to an end unfortunately. Kompany - garcia, otamendi-humphreys/tosin, danilo-luke Bolton (wish it was maffeo), fernandinho- luiz/zinchenko/Gomes/Tom deli, silva- foden/Diaz, Sergio- nmecha/matondo. Unfortunately we need a left back and left winger but we may have to buy in. Someone like sessigon could fill both roles. Future is so friggin bright it's scary. Sancho, maffeo, lo pes were sad losses but Tommy Doyle, rabbi matondo, Felix nmecha, bernabe, etc could be the next batch to the above. Can't wait for next pre season!!! Sorry for long post but chuffed as flip about the future.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Maybe we shouldnt go overboaard after these games are pre-season friendlies , but Bayern didnt want to lose that game and that why Robben & Ribery played nearly 90 minutes each , no such thing as friendlies with our German friends. The only issue with our youngsters is if some ofthem are loaned out , i cannot see them playing the type of exhllarating football they produced last night , Pep has as system and tactics and they put into practice perfectly , apart from some poor defending at times ,our youngsters thoroughly deserved that victory over Bayern.
If you compare PEG's attiitude towards the Rags youth players to Pep's , it is like chalk and cheese , we have academy players in our ranks who are going be a big part of the future of the club , whilst PEG is bemoaning not having senior players available , the future is bright and its blue.

That's been the case with previous generations before Pep even arrived.

City teach them to play pass & move football, where you play the ball to team mates who are half marked, maybe receive it back in a similar situation, press when you lose the ball rather than tackle, etc etc, then they sent some of the kids to play in teams full of dumb fuck giants with no first touch who whack it over their heads & expect them to tackle everything, like Stuart Pearce.

When they end up on the bench & dispirited, half this forum says "I told you he wasn't good enough".

We have had plenty of kids who could have played in that team last night & been just as good. Hopefully we will now at least try, to turn one or two into City players, rather than throwing them in various football swamps to sink or swim, when they should be learning to fine tune their skills.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

That's been the case with previous generations before Pep even arrived.

City teach them to play pass & move football, where you play the ball to team mates who are half marked, maybe receive it back in a similar situation, press when you lose the ball rather than tackle, etc etc, then they sent some of the kids to play in teams full of dumb fuck giants with no first touch who whack it over their heads & expect them to tackle everything, like Stuart Pearce.

When they end up on the bench & dispirited, half this forum says "I told you he wasn't good enough".

We have had plenty of kids who could have played in that team last night & been just as good. Hopefully we will now at least try, to turn one or two into City players, rather than throwing them in various football swamps to sink or swim, wjhen they should be learning to fine tune their skills.

Good post , the likes of Foden and Diaz should be given games when we are playing a full strength side in the Premier league , playing cup games with ten changes to the team is not the answer , but after last season who can question Pep ? He has a great record for producing young talent and no doubt he will get the balance right

 

[Neville Kneville]

I think you could tell the kids from the full blown elte footballers. Silva, Roben and Ribbery were several notches above the rest (including Zinchenko). Our kids were better than their kids though. Not getting the hype yet about Garcia yet either. Was out of position on several occassions. Looks good on the ball though. Dont forget, our kids are the same age as Mbappe and when Sterling burst into the Liverpool team. No one at or close to those levels yet and as an elite team thats were they need to be heading (and fast). Phil and Briam have a high ceiling and we saw only flashes over the 3 matches. Last night was much better from both of them.

If Mbappe plus 35 year old Robben & Ribery is the standard all kids are judged by at 17-18 if they are going to make it, most teams are going to be pretty thin on the ground in the future. Be lucky to put 5 a side out.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

That's been the case with previous generations before Pep even arrived.

City teach them to play pass & move football, where you play the ball to team mates who are half marked, maybe receive it back in a similar situation, press when you lose the ball rather than tackle, etc etc, then they sent some of the kids to play in teams full of dumb fuck giants with no first touch who whack it over their heads & expect them to tackle everything, like Stuart Pearce.

When they end up on the bench & dispirited, half this forum says "I told you he wasn't good enough".

We have had plenty of kids who could have played in that team last night & been just as good. Hopefully we will now at least try, to turn one or two into City players, rather than throwing them in various football swamps to sink or swim, when they should be learning to fine tune their skills.

I think the biggest thing I see is the size of the players is small. I said it last preseason, too and we went on to win the league in a stroll, scored 100+ goals and 100 pts, so it clearly isn’t the be all and end all, but it is important to have some size and strength in the team, even if it is only to defend set pieces! ;-)

That said, it will be easier to blood players when we can start putting teams away and providing some relief to the likes of Silva, KDB, Kompany, etc... Last season, even though we ended up strolling it, there were dozens of games that were in the balance until the last 5 minutes. That usually means the kid on the bench doesn’t get a run out.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Good post , the likes of Foden and Diaz should be given games when we are playing a full strength side in the Premier league , playing cup games with ten changes to the team is not the answer , but after last season who can question Pep ? He has a great record for producing young talent and no doubt he will get the balance right

It's very difficult to keep them all around, as they can't all get enough minutes over the season, but what he can do, is involve them initially, before loaning many of them out, rather than loaning them out first, which for many has just been 'goodbye'.

 

[the_tevez_wiggle]

I like the idea of spending the 1st half of the season training with pep and 1st team picking up early easy games and eds matches, then going on loan in January. Until we introduce b teams into the lower leagues we won't see English kids hit their true potentials and quicker.