Cavan Sullivan

[ThreesKompany]

I don't think it's an attitude problem, to be honest. Moreso an "American" or environment thing. If you look at AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball, youth American football, etc. It is all about swagger, personality and showboating/shit-talking. He's just a product of that.

I think he'll be fine. He comes from a sporting family. He'll know how to be professional.

Yeah, but he's 14. I don't think he's allowed at City til he's 18 - plenty of time to grow up. If he does and he's good enough, he'll be with us and he'll have to continue proving himself. If he doesn't, that's that.

Just being wary also of reading too much into one incident. Admit it raises concerns, but that's all at this stage.

Nothing is determinative at 14 - whether it is the inability to grow out of an immature attitude or the guarantee of future success. Long way to go for him. Should be interesting ride.

However, people I know say scouts have been aware of his attitude for a long time which tells me he needs get out of the US when he can at 16 and be humbled on loan in Europe. And agree that none of this flies at City.

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

I agree the attitude is a concern and could be angin if he doesn't curb it, you need at least a small amount of arrogance to succeed though.

It defo seems very immature but what needs to be remembered is that Cavan Sullivan is still only 14... I guarantee most of us have done much stupider shit at that age, I've known kids that age whose attitude has completely flipped.
Ones that have gone from being completely arrogant to as humble as anyone I know while still succeeding, I've also known the most humble kids who became the most arrogant smarmy fuckers going for no reason.

Lots of things will happen in the next few years to shape the young man Cavan will become, we'll see how he gets on in the next couple years but I'd be surprised with his family despite his early promise, if he doesn't get told to curb it a bit which should keep his feet firmly on the ground.

Even if there's problems when it gets to him being old enough to train with our 1st team here and he's not good enough or a piss poor attitude, then we'll probably still make a good profit with him being seen as the great yank hype, that alone is of massive value so other teams will queue up to take him off us and take a chance on him.

No matter how he pans out he'll still turn out to be a profitable signing for us transfer wise or commercially, just as long as he doesn't turn into the new Mason Greenwood or owt we've probably not got owt to worry about.

If he's good enough he'll corb his attitude by the time he's here or shortly after and prosper, if not we make a tidy profit on the lad he's a win win signing no matter what.

That's how we roll.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Maybe I'm in the minority here but the lads going to need a touch of arrogant prick in him to be successful I feel. Getting lots of media attention and pressure at a young age. I'd rather give him credit for taking responsibility and delivering a good free kick that ended up in a goal. For all we know the manager put him on set pieces and his teammate was trying to assert seniority.

 

[MCFCFanTX]

Nothing is determinative at 14 - whether it is the inability to grow out of an immature attitude or the guarantee of future success. Long way to go for him. Should be interesting ride.

However, people I know say scouts have been aware of his attitude for a long time which tells me he needs get out of the US when he can at 16 and be humbled on loan in Europe. And agree that none of this flies at City.

I agree. He will need to be challenged/humbled when he's 16-18 age range. The plan is to move him to Europe once he's 16.

 

[skillman]

If City were binning off 14 year olds every time they fought over a free kick, we'd never have any players in the u16's and up.

Exactly. Can't believe some of the comments here that a 14 year old kid shows a bit of arrogance. Not only that, he backed himself up by providing a good ball too.

Players need an ego. Even the most modest looking of footballers will have an ego because that's typically what sets them apart from a younger age - the belief they're better than what they're playing with/against.

Besides. He's 14! Christ.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Exactly. Can't believe some of the comments here that a 14 year old kid shows a bit of arrogance. Not only that, he backed himself up by providing a good ball too.

Players need an ego. Even the most modest looking of footballers will have an ego because that's typically what sets them apart from a younger age - the belief they're better than what they're playing with/against.

Besides. He's 14! Christ.

Exactly, it's far from the worst personality trait. Look at Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, Djokovic. They all have extreme self confidence and assurance to the point it comes across as borderline sociopathic sometimes but they have an unshakeable confidence in their own ability that enables them to perform at the highest level under immense pressure. That personality type just doesn't feel nervous or doubt themselves when the odds are stacked against them.

Now is it the best personality type for working in an office? No, everyone would just think they were a ****. But in an elite sports environment, one of these guys with the talent to back it up raises the level of everyone else around them.

 

[twosips]

If City were binning off 14 year olds every time they fought over a free kick, we'd never have any players in the u16's and up.

Yeah maybe i overreacted. As a trait it is stamped out though as soon as possible

 

[dachoosen1]

Lol what are you lot on about attitude and immaturity is an issue from a 15 sec clip of a 14 year old no one here know the context, he could be on free kicks and the other boy decided to chance his arm we don't know. Who here hasn't had to shove away a striker when you are on pens. The gaffer picked me it's my responsibility and more importantly my responsibility to take it.

 

[Otamendi's Beard]

He proved he was right to take it. That's what competitive sport is about.

These kids are all in competition with each other to make it to the top. It's dog eat dog and he's shown that he's got the mentality, confidence and, crucially, the ability to go far.

 

[Damocles]

Yeah maybe i overreacted. As a trait it is stamped out though as soon as possible

Me and you know enough about youth football to know that 14 year olds are essentially 12ish months away from the big leagues and giving it out to your teammate because you happened to provide an assist is much more indicative than others realise. The lad he was giving it out to also looked like this wasn't his first rodeo in this department either.

You were right the first time. If he was the exact same age, playing in our U16s and behaved like this then he'd be dropped immediately. The reason we produce many top young players is because we put a premium on attitude and giving it out to a teammate because you pushed them off a free kick is exactly the type that we usually avoid.

I also find it a bit distasteful how he put in a cross and the "striker" actually scored a goal but somehow he thought it was all him and instead of celebrating with his teammates, decided to have a pop at one of them. He has no idea btw whether the other lad could have done that or better.

This isn't the first time I've seen him and things like this don't sit right with me and never have. These "OH WELL HE'S 14" comments are nonsense. Either he's mature enough to play first team which means he gets judged by the same standards as everybody else or he's not and he shouldn't be playing first team.

If I had to compile a list of under 18s who have had mercurial talent but completely fucked up their careers by thinking they're the bollocks then I'd be here all day. It's a thousand percent more likely he ends up as a MLS could-have-been than a superstar and that's nothing to do with his attitude but just the law of averages for players his age. Add in this billy big bollocks stuff and it doesn't look promising.