Soulboy said:
I can only judge him on how I see him play for City. Roman came with an even better reputation and he's already departed.
Not at all, Roman hasn't even won caps at youth level for Spain past under-16 level. Suarez has been the star player of Spain's under-19 team lately and keeps being pushed up age groups meaning he is progressing constantly while Roman perhaps wasn't - at least not enough to keep up with his Spanish compadres.
Suarez might prove me wrong, but too many of the Youth Team Mafia have blue-tinted specs when it comes to the kids they follow so devotedly.
He doesn't even play for our academy side (played against the rags and that's about it for the U18s) because he's too good for the level designed for his age group. Like Rekik, he was fast tracked to reserve level because he's a superior player to others in his age group. And like Angus Gunn was too good for U16 level and was pushed up to U18 and NextGen level at the age of 15.
I remember being told that Lee Croft was the next Figo!
Huge difference, we're operating at a different level now where the club have the means and ability to identify a truly high quality youth. Suarez's fee could rise to £2.75million, we wouldn't have invested this sort of money unless he was a serious talent. That's probably the most we've ever spent on a youth player.
Why promote from within if they're not good enough?
Hasn't recent history shown that if a prodigious youth is given a chance around top level players (in moderation - sub appearances, secondary games to start), he has a greater chance of improving to the level required than by playing at a level like EDS which he already seems far too good for. Wilshere would not be as good as he is if Arsenal had not given him chances at the same age Suarez is now, and I don't believe Suarez is an inferior talent to what 18-year-old Wilshere was in any way. In the EDS games, Suarez's brain operates on another level to those around him. He makes passes and dross like Scapuzzi don't run on to them because they don't have the ability or awareness that Suarez does.
You might still think getting coaches from Chesterfield and Leeds is good enough, but it isn't. Be honest, it's not is it?
Well, I agree with this now, our youth setup needs an overhaul of personnel. Starting with Andy Welsh.