Olivier Ntcham

[goalmole]

http://www.theguardian.com/football...hester-city-olivier-ntcham-loan-genoa-serie-a
Is he really this good or is the Guardian going overboard?

 

[squirtyflower]

http://www.theguardian.com/football...hester-city-olivier-ntcham-loan-genoa-serie-a
Is he really this good or is the Guardian going overboard?

Have a look at the date and then ask yourself if he's been written about in such glowing terms in the last five months
That will probably answer your question

 

[goalmole]

Have a look at the date and then ask yourself if he's been written about in such glowing terms in the last five months
That will probably answer your question

Ha. Never noticed that.
As you were.

 

[MadchesterCity]

Iheanacho and Ntcham among Gazzetta’s top 50 U20s

http://www.mcfcwatch.com/2016/01/28/iheanacho-and-ntcham-among-gazzettas-top-50-u20s-full-list/

The reputable Gazzetta dello Sport has released its list of the top 50 players under the age of 20, and two City starlets have made the cut this year. City’s youth system is on the rise with stacks of outstanding potential in every age group.

Kelechi Iheanacho’s breakthrough to the first team has been something of a watershed moment in this new era of City. Some youngsters have had their moments in the first team squad, but none so permanently as Kelechi who has emerged as an outstanding talent. He makes the list at number 36.

Also on the list, at number 41, is Olivier Ntcham, who is on a long-term loan to Genoa in Serie A. His presence in Italy, where Gazzetta is of course based, may have helped him get on the list but he has had some impressive performances for I Rossoblu.

Reported City target Leroy Sané is high on the list at number two, behind only Kingsley Coman. Could he wear the sky blue of City next year?

Youri Tielemans, who is ranked as the third best U20 player in Europe by Gazzetta, has also been watched closely by City for a number of years. As have probably many of these players (number 14 Ante Coric was also recently linked).

Expect plenty more City youngsters on this list in future. Here is the entire top 50 for those interested in some of Europe’s best emerging talent:

1. Kingsley Coman (France/Bayern Munich, on loan from Juventus)
2. Leroy Sané (Germany/Schalke 04)
3. Youri Tielemans (Belgium/Anderlecht)
4. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy/AC Milan)
5. Breel Embolo (Switzerland/Basel)
6. Alen Halilovic (Croatia/Sporting Gijón, on loan from Barcelona)
7. Ruben Neves (Portugal/Porto)
8. Dele Alli (England/Tottenham)
9. Gerson (Brazil/Roma)
10. Kenedy (Brazil/Chelsea)
11. Mahmoud Dahoud (Germany/Borussia Mönchengladbach)
12. Gabriel (Brazil/Santos)
13. Danilo (Brazil/Valencia, on loan from Braga)
14. Ante Coric (Croatia/Dínamo Zagreb)
15. Almamy Touré (Mali/Monaco)
16. Reece Oxford (England/West Ham)
17. Andrija Zivkovic (Serbia/Partizan)
18. Gabriel Jesus (Brazil/Palmeiras)
19. Martin Odegaard (Norway/Real Madrid)
20. Marko Grujic (Serbia/Red Star Belgrade, on loan from Liverpool)
21. Riechedly Bazoer (Netherlands/Ajax)
22. Dominic Solanke (England/Vitesse, on loan from Chelsea)
23. Julian Brandt (Germany/Bayer Leverkusen)
24. Sebastian Driussi (Argentina/River Plate)
25. Richairo Zivkovic (Netherlands/Willem II, on loan from Ajax)
26. Adalberto Peñaranda (Venezuela/Granada, on loan from Udinese)
27. Gonçalo Guedes (Portugal/Benfica)
28. Abdou Diallo (France/Zulte, on loan from Monaco)
29. Borja Mayoral (Spain/Real Madrid)
30. Gedion Zelalem (USA/Rangers, on loan from Arsenal)
31. Antonio Sanabria (Paraguay/Sporting Gijón, on loan from AS Roma)
32. Milot Rashica (Kosovo/Vitesse)
33. Marco Asensio (Spain/Espanyol, on loan from Real Madrid)
34. Alban Lafont (France/Toulouse)
35. Viktor Kovalenko (Ukraine/Shakhtar Donetsk)
36. Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria/Manchester City)
37. Andreas Christensen (Denmark/Borussia Mönchengladbach, on loan from Chelsea)
38. Giovani Lo Celso (Argentina/Rosario Central)
39. Ousmane Dembèlé (France/Rennes)
40. Brendan Galloway (England/Everton)
41. Olivier Ntcham (France/Genoa, on loan from Manchester City)
42. Amadou Diawara (Guinea/Bologna)
43. Jeisson Vargas (Chile/Universidad Católica)
44. Renato Sanchez (Portugal/Benfica)
45. Rodrigo Bentancur (Uruguay/Boca Juniors)
46. Leon Bailey (Jamaica/Genk)
47. Seung-Woo Lee (South Korea/Barcelona)
48. Dani Ceballos (Spain/Real Betis)
49. László Bénes (Slovakia/Zilina)
50. Jean-Kévin Augustin (France/PSG)

I see this was mentioned earlier in the thread but here is an article from mcfcwatch

 

[Centurions]

Ha. Never noticed that.
As you were.

My bad, I should have mentioned that it was a relatively old piece. I think that was his problem in the City youth teams, consistency. With the long term loan and the option to bring him back it looks like a good all round deal. He might just have the light bulb spark on at some point.

 

[Blue Expat]

Hopefully Pep can make use him and Seko Fofana.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

The above is a good illustration of the vagaries of form at youth level. Players can have a patch of incredible blistering form where they look like worldy’s in the making only to dip and finish the season as another promising player who isn’t setting the world alight and isn’t getting significant game time.

If I had more time on my hands I would dig out one of these lists from 5 or 10 years ago and see who made the grade over the long term.

 

[Neville Kneville]

The above is a good illustration of the vagaries of form at youth level. Players can have a patch of incredible blistering form where they look like worldy’s in the making only to dip and finish the season as another promising player who isn’t setting the world alight and isn’t getting significant game time.

If I had more time on my hands I would dig out one of these lists from 5 or 10 years ago and see who made the grade over the long term.

The key imo, is to be using them whilst they are in blistering form. If they then lose form, as most kids do, rest them. If they never reach that level again, move them on. If they get it back, play them again. Either way, what you have, is a kid in top form, full of energy, doing a job for the team then possibly a sellable asset because of that. If the kid doesn't make it long term, that's unfortunate, but he he did his bit, in that brief period & helped the team, possibly even won a game or two.

 

[kenny1312]

The key imo, is to be using them whilst they are in blistering form. If they then lose form, as most kids do, rest them. If they never reach that level again, move them on. If they get it back, play them again. Either way, what you have, is a kid in top form, full of energy, doing a job for the team then possibly a sellable asset because of that. If the kid doesn't make it long term, that's unfortunate, but he he did his bit, in that brief period & helped the team, possibly even won a game or two.

Pains me say it but that's what purple nose did at the swamp. And you're right, he kept the ones of use to him and got decent money for the ones who weren't good enough. We're now in a position where if a kid plays a few games , but we don't think he's good enough for us,he's worth descent money in the transfer market. It's a win win, the kids get match experience, we get to judge them in the first team and they're either good enough for us or get a descent move and we get a bit of cash.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

The key imo, is to be using them whilst they are in blistering form. If they then lose form, as most kids do, rest them. If they never reach that level again, move them on. If they get it back, play them again. Either way, what you have, is a kid in top form, full of energy, doing a job for the team then possibly a sellable asset because of that. If the kid doesn't make it long term, that's unfortunate, but he he did his bit, in that brief period & helped the team, possibly even won a game or two.

There has to be a balance though, bringing kids through will always be one of a number of goals and winning things will always sit above it in terms of priority. What we need is EDS lads in form and matching that to where we need extra bodies in the first team. Celina at the moment is a good example of stepping in where KDB has been injured and ruled out. If KDB was fit he would have been involved against Leicester and if that meant that Celina missed out and maybe we could have achieved a different result you can’t blame Pellers for that (although I suspect you will). Nacho has prospered in view of Bony’s fitness issues and that is the way it should be, Kids ready and able to step up when the first team requires.