Will be gutted if Phil Foden hasn't signed.
So will City. I'm hopeful. He's a little genius.
Will be gutted if Phil Foden hasn't signed.
All fair points twosips, yeah we have a problem as do most clubs when players get to 19-20 and aren't quite at first team level, just what happens then if they can't get a good loan move. I agree re foden would be a real shame if he moved on after so long at city. I'd be equally gutted if Matty smith went, his name doesn't really get mentioned as much as others, but he's up there with the best of them for me, a real quality player.
The truth is who can blame some of these parents?
There are two ways of looking at it.
1) Sign because your son will get the best footballing education around.
If he doesn't make it at City he will have had an unbelievable grounding that will give him a better chance of going on and making it in the professional ranks.
2) Leave because there is little way he will be given the opportunities to shine, because the club will move for the best players year on year.
I know a massive red who chose option one for his son (a few years back now). Knew his son wouldn't make it with us but said City was the best place for his development.
However I don't think we help ourselves. Roberts at Celtic and other younger players not appearing to be trusted.
I said on Sunday if we'd bought Dele Alli he would be either in our EDS team or out on loan in the championship.
Is there reason for concern as to why Glendon has not been on loan yet? A couple of years ago he seemed to have similar credentials to George Evans, but now Evans has (unsurprisingly) moved several notches ahead of Glendon after his loan moves.I think Matty Smith will stay. He was offered a deal I think, thankfully, as he's class. 19-20 has to be the age when we're moving some regulars on, agree. I think a couple mooching about in the EDS could've had season long loans but it didn't happen for whatever reason unfortunately.
It's all about perception and I'm not sure the perception is that youngsters will get their chance. Some, if not the majority, are not good enough particularly in the EDS, but could we have played Maffeo, Evans (in the league cup for more than 5 minutes) at Sunderland alongside seasoned pros? Not convinced by Mason and I think ultimately he will leave Spurs.If we had dele Alli he'd be having a season like Iheanacho at the very least.
I don't think people really understand just how superior he was in league 1 last year.
But it's interesting you criticise the club for loaning out Roberts, yet presumably you think Spurs handled Alli brilliantly, even though they did exactly the same thing, signed him and immediately loaned him until he was ready.
Similarly Harry Kane, Tom Carrol, Ryan Mason - all of Spurs youth players who have broken into the side in the last 18 months have all been through 3 years worth of loans, yet I'm pretty sure if we sent kids away for 3 years on loans then people would be criticising the club.