Manu Garcia

[sam-caddick]

To think this lad was playing with the U16's the season before last is quite astonishing.

I think he will be in the EDS as a starter next season but I will be surprised if he lasts the season. I think he will be on loan in a few months if he carries on impressing.

 

[br88]

Lots of great points being made about Garcia on here and it's tough to know what's best for him next season.

His quality is so high that very few players are on his level. I just loved seeing him play with Silva and he obviously learns so much by playing with the best. I understand that the physical side is also important but they always say.....if you're good enough you're old enough....we shall see.

 

[TonyM]

I wouldn't loan him yet. Keep him with the EDS but steal him for the odd away trip, cup match etc - so he's in and around the match day experience.

The only thing he needs to improve I think is knowing when to make the easy pass. Not every pass needs to be the killer one.

 

[halpo123]

i think he's that good he'll play first team this season,you can see the respect Yaya and David give him
he was completely equal to the pair of them if not better
i think David was in shock at how good he is

 

[Neville Kneville]

i think he's that good he'll play first team this season,you can see the respect Yaya and David give him
he was completely equal to the pair of them if not better
i think David was in shock at how good he is

He's in their class most of the time when knocking the ball around simply but nowhere near it yet when it comes to end product. That's the difference. He has the talent to solve that, & quite quickly, but he has to actually do it in order to be even considered as a genuine first team player. Good as he was pre season, Jack Byrne could do exactly the same & would most likely have scored several goals given the same chances.

 

[br88]

He's in their class most of the time when knocking the ball around simply but nowhere near it yet when it comes to end product. That's the difference. He has the talent to solve that, & quite quickly, but he has to actually do it in order to be even considered as a genuine first team player. Good as he was pre season, Jack Byrne could do exactly the same & would most likely have scored several goals given the same chances.

Jack Byrne is a very good prospect but Garcia is a level or two above.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Jack Byrne is a very good prospect but Garcia is a level or two above.

Possibly but it doesn't change the fact that he is capable of doing pretty much anything Garcia did in those games & would likely have scored several times with the same chances, so Garcia has to actually start performing at that higher level before we decide he is a good as David Silva or Yaya, that's what I'm saying.

Right now, Jack Byrne would play in front of Garcia in the EDS as he is the proven better performer at that level. Garcia has to first become better than him, before he starts on Silva.

 

[Kompany is King]

Sounds like Garcia and Jack Byrne have the potential to be top class players. Don't know much about either but I have watched and enjoyed watching Garcia when able.

The future looks very exciting.

 

[abellwillring]

Not entirely sure if this will embed the tweet or how to do that (it worked!), but Manu got a shoutout from Manuel in the press conference for West Brom. Seems to have understandably made quite the impression. Wonder if we'll see him at least on the bench for a cup game or two.

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

Possibly but it doesn't change the fact that he is capable of doing pretty much anything Garcia did in those games & would likely have scored several times with the same chances, so Garcia has to actually start performing at that higher level before we decide he is a good as David Silva or Yaya, that's what I'm saying.

Right now, Jack Byrne would play in front of Garcia in the EDS as he is the proven better performer at that level. Garcia has to first become better than him, before he starts on Silva.

No doubt at all to me that Byrne would have scored from one or more of Garcia's chances. His goalscoring ability is one of Jack's key qualities from the position he plays. But I would say Garcia has more potential from what I have seen as a midfield creative player. Every bit of his game can and will improve I am sure. The physical side and being able to retain a ball under pressure, seeing the killer pass and being able to deliver it, making the right angles and always being available in midfield ,the first touch control, getting into good goalscoring positions and converting chances.

You can see the talent in all of these aspects of the game and he is getting better and better all the time and will continue to do so training with the first team.

 

[Neville Kneville]

No doubt at all to me that Byrne would have scored from one or more of Garcia's chances. His goalscoring ability is one of Jack's key qualities from the position he plays. But I would say Garcia has more potential from what I have seen as a midfield creative player. Every bit of his game can and will improve I am sure. The physical side and being able to retain a ball under pressure, seeing the killer pass and being able to deliver it, making the right angles and always being available in midfield ,the first touch control, getting into good goalscoring positions and converting chances.

You can see the talent in all of these aspects of the game and he is getting better and better all the time and will continue to do so training with the first team.

I fully agree, that Garcia has absolute genius potential. But what I mean is that right now, what he is doing, is knocking ten yard passes around & looking great doing it, then leathering decent chances into the stand. In order to be the player we hope he will become, he soon has to start actually creatng & scoring a decent number of goals & actually delivering the killer passes. He has shown glimpses of that, like his goal v the rags a while back etc, but the next phase of his development needs him to start producing the end product.

When he starts to do that regularly, then we can genuinely start thinking about him as the next Silva etc. I expect him to do all that, but he hasn't actually done it so often yet, even at EDS level. The next trick imo is to move from looking brilliant on the ball, to actually doing stuff that matters in the game.

 

[WNRH]

Watching his performance against Southampton yesterday on YouTube he is nowhere near ready to the first team, he was awful.

 

[Otamendi's Beard]

Watching his performance against Southampton yesterday on YouTube he is nowhere near ready to the first team, he was awful.

I think that most people who watch him regularly would agree that he's not ready. Only a few fantasists thought he could be after a couple of half decent games in pre-season.

The good thing about him, and where he needs to improve most, is that he looks as though he's got a fair bit of maturing to do physically. He looks young and nowhere near fully grown, so getting stronger should come naturally over the next couple of years.

Definitely a potential star, but he's got a long way to go.

 

[KCblue]

He's still so young too. I think he needs at least this full season in the EDS before a loan move, let alone the first team. He's one for the future, but let's not rush him into this.

 

[twosips]

He's clearly an excellent footballer, with magnificent potential, but its one thing knocking it around nicely with Yaya and Silva, to actually stamping your own authority on a game. He has to learn to do that still. He's not actually shone for the EDS yet, and only did once in a sub appearance that springs to mind, but i do think it'll come. A year from now he'll be stronger, wiser and hopefully a little more productive. Then we'll have a player.

 

[Clercqs]

Delighted to see him score yesterday. How has he been for the EDS this season? I've only watched highlights and it's hard to tell by them if he's been good or not.

 

[Ricster]

Got to see Manu play against Melbourne City during pre season and that day he looked head and shoulders above most players on the pitch that day. Great to see him get that goal last night and the composure he showed to finish last night was awesome, again liked he has already shown against our sister club.

Well done Manu, get in that 18 regularly by the end of the season. From what I've seen you're good enough

 

[bluezippy]

I originally posted the below in the Charley Musonda Jr thread on the Transfer Forum, but thought it would be better placed in this thread for discussion, as, if we were to sign him it would almost certainly be as a replacement for Garcia.

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Manu Garcia isn't even in the top five potential players at this club.

Who are the attacking midfielders with more potential? Kelechi not included

I'd go further, and say Manu isn't even in the Top 10 potential players. How he gets anywhere near the 1st team is the biggest mystery at the club. I can only assume he is one of those players who, in training, looks a lot better with better players around him (or cynically I could say it's that we spent a lot of money on him, at a very young age, and need to put him in the shop window for European teams- where his game may be more suited, and his reputation from his younger days will ensure we recoup some of the what we have spent on him... as we did with Lopes & Pozo!)

In the 20+ times I've watched him at EDS / U18 level he has never once been even close to being the stand out player on the pitch. in my opinion the following players have all shown more in U18's and EDS than Garcia ever has... Celina, Nemane, Barker, Brahim, Nmecha, & Bytyqi (before his injury)... plus Roberts despite never playing at EDS level... and Kelechi obviously. That's 8 attacking options, and I could name several other defensive-minded midfielders and defenders who I would also put in this list if I wasn't sticking just to attack-minded players!

Some of these aren't 'ready' yet... but in my opinion neither is Manu... and I have seen nothing in him to make me think he ever will be!

Back on topic... Musonda (along with Abraham & Swift) have been the 3 stand out players each time we have played a very good Chelsea team over the past couple of seasons. If Musonda is available on the cheap through a tribunal fee, and if he isn't a billy-big-bollocks, then I see no real harm in snapping him up. Although for me, making this signing, and bringing in another young midfielder (even if a more attack-minded one) before giving Evans a proper chance would be disappointing, as I still feel that with a bit of luck and a boost to his confidence, then Evans has the ability and mentality to make it at the highest level.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I originally posted the below in the Charley Musonda Jr thread on the Transfer Forum, but thought it would be better placed in this thread for discussion, as, if we were to sign him it would almost certainly be as a replacement for Garcia.

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I'd go further, and say Manu isn't even in the Top 10 potential players. How he gets anywhere near the 1st team is the biggest mystery at the club. I can only assume he is one of those players who, in training, looks a lot better with better players around him (or cynically I could say it's that we spent a lot of money on him, at a very young age, and need to put him in the shop window for European teams- where his game may be more suited, and his reputation from his younger days will ensure we recoup some of the what we have spent on him... as we did with Lopes & Pozo!)

In the 20+ times I've watched him at EDS / U18 level he has never once been even close to being the stand out player on the pitch. in my opinion the following players have all shown more in U18's and EDS than Garcia ever has... Celina, Nemane, Barker, Brahim, Nmecha, & Bytyqi (before his injury)... plus Roberts despite never playing at EDS level... and Kelechi obviously. That's 8 attacking options, and I could name several other defensive-minded midfielders and defenders who I would also put in this list if I wasn't sticking just to attack-minded players!

Some of these aren't 'ready' yet... but in my opinion neither is Manu... and I have seen nothing in him to make me think he ever will be!

Back on topic... Musonda (along with Abraham & Swift) have been the 3 stand out players each time we have played a very good Chelsea team over the past couple of seasons. If Musonda is available on the cheap through a tribunal fee, and if he isn't a billy-big-bollocks, then I see no real harm in snapping him up. Although for me, making this signing, and bringing in another young midfielder (even if a more attack-minded one) before giving Evans a proper chance would be disappointing, as I still feel that with a bit of luck and a boost to his confidence, then Evans has the ability and mentality to make it at the highest level.

I'd have to disagree with you re 'potential' in Garcia if you mean potential to 'make it'. But I agree totally re his current status, that there is a full team of kids more deserving of promotion at this time, based on performances, and also Musonda is absolutely streets ahead of him at this stage.

I'm hoping for great things from Garcia in the future though. He has shown it previously in flashes but so far hasn't put it together. He would probably find it easier in a way with the first team, as he can knock the ball around and let others do the key stuff. When it's his job to be the key player, he can't do it on the whole, but imo he probably will.

 

[twosips]

Worth stating that Garcia is still just 17......