Taylor Harwood-Bellis - move to Southampton completed.

Feed the Elk said:
We were playing Cheltenham Town
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Great reply... and?

mendy, Jesus, Mahrez, Torres. I didn’t think any of these players played well. Some of them cost 50 million.

just because we are playing lower league teams it doesn’t gaurantee we will win or play well. It would be arrogant to think that.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
I thought Taylor played well at Preston as well and I think he is a better prospect than Garcia. But tonight he seemed to lack confidence and so did Tommy Doyle. To make the grade you have to stand out, even as a teenager. Both Nedum and Micah looked much better at the same age and it was easier to get a game in the first team in those days. You have to grab your chance when it comes.
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fair enough mate. I would personally expect them to lack some confidence, they’ve barely played in the first team and like Phil did they need a run of games.

nedum and Micah played loads of games, conpared to Doyle who’s played maybe twice all season?
 
My only current gripe is that he seems weak in 50/50s, particularly aerially. At least at senior level, so far.

But as far as I'm aware, this isn't an issue at youth level at all. So we might need to be patient before he looks the part.
 
Cheadle_hulmeBlue said:
Great reply... and?

mendy, Jesus, Mahrez, Torres. I didn’t think any of these players played well. Some of them cost 50 million.

just because we are playing lower league teams it doesn’t gaurantee we will win or play well. It would be arrogant to think that.
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Yes it’s harsh to judge a player on one game and yes he was played out of position but any player hoping to show what he’s got must be able to at least show something against opposition 3 leagues below. He doesn’t and won’t get many opportunities in the first team and my point is that given the rarity of chances, when you do get a chance you need to turn up and show some ‘balls’. He didn’t, he couldn’t have played it any safer.
Shame coz he’s City through and through. Maybe he needs to cut his teeth elsewhere or maybe he just needs to be kept out of the firing line until he matures but from what I’ve seen, he’s miles away from breaking into the first team at City
 
mccity said:
My only current gripe is that he seems weak in 50/50s, particularly aerially. At least at senior level, so far.

But as far as I'm aware, this isn't an issue at youth level at all. So we might need to be patient before he looks the part.
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Similar to Doyle, I hope their next 2-3 years they can build some strength because they look weak.

Foden was also weak a couple years back but had way too much talent for that to hold him back. Now when I see Foden and compare him to 2/3 years ago he looks way stronger. Made Doyle look small in comparison today.
 
Doyle and THB are just coming from a none contact EDS league into a physically strong Premier League or cup competition which is more competitive. If you add to that there were 10 changes which I think effected the team flow it`s understandable that they didn`t play to their absolute best.

but they weren`t on their own.
 
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Thought Doyle’s ball work, esp dead balls was first class. I don’t expect an 18 yr old to easily slot into the side, esp a side with 10 changes, on a bobbly pitch, and League Two opposition.

THB is being groomed into an all around defender, and if he can learn the RB/RCB position, bulk up a bit, but keep his cool head and good footwork, he has a very good chance of being in the first team squad rotation for years to come...or might find himself doing the business elsewhere in the Prem, as we have seen for Blues at Burnley and Fulham.

Like Foden before them, I think both Doyle & THB will be given every opportunity to make it at City, and unless they’re in a rush, ....and there is no rush.

The Foden template is working out brilliantly for Phil, so there’s no reason the believe they can’t do the same thing with their respective skills.
 
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I was watching the lad closely and a tad disappointed with him last night as his first seven touches were all balls played backwards when having plenty of time on the ball.
Good have been nerves or perhaps the trait is by watching Walker too much. ;)
 
I thought he was quite poor but a tough game for him. They're a decent and physical side and he was out of position and playing with a lot of rusty players which never helps.

It is always better to hold judgement until a player gets the chance to slot into a side where the spine is at least the usual one.

Doyle similarly. He was trying to find little pockets to operate, but so was Foden the other side and because of that our only real passes tended to be across from THB to Garcia to Laporte and then the odd one to Ferny/Mahrez/Mendy before going long.

Doyle's delivery was superb and if he was in there amongst regular starters I would expect better. I thought Garcia looked pretty poor as well. Slow to react to balls forwards etc. Still unsure why we were so fussed about keeping him.
 
THB should have played CH and if Garcia had to be shoehorned into the team he should have played RB to make up numbers considering it’s unlikely he is a long term option
 
Stelea said:
THB should have played CH and if Garcia had to be shoehorned into the team he should have played RB to make up numbers considering it’s unlikely he is a long term option
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We played a 3 at the back. Mendy was essentially a wingback in possession. For that you want someone who's good on the ball to play in the middle of a back 3. Essentially they're a CB playing like a pivot in the back line. You have to be comfortable playing it left or right, back to the keeper or to your midfielders. You don't want someone who might get caught on the ball from that dangerous position.
THB had to play on the right IMO.
 
No point in judging the lad based on the game yesterday. There were worse performances from more experienced players. I wonder though if THB and Doyle would be better playing regularly at a loan club though. Its a tricky one to know which route is the best for them as we have seen Toisin and Denayer leave in the past without really getting a chance after multiple loans.
 
He`s 18 and was played out of position, he`s never gonna be a RB for us or anyone else. Would make much more sense to play Garcia RB. I`ve seen a couple of people criticizing him, which I think is unfair, but remember that Dias made his Benfica debut after he had turned 20 in a much inferior league and team
 
Delphinho said:
He`s 18 and was played out of position, he`s never gonna be a RB for us or anyone else. Would make much more sense to play Garcia RB. I`ve seen a couple of people criticizing him, which I think is unfair, but remember that Dias made his Benfica debut after he had turned 20 in a much inferior league and team
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And Van Dijk didn’t even make his debut in Dutch football until a month before his 20th birthday.
 
oakiecokie said:
I was watching the lad closely and a tad disappointed with him last night as his first seven touches were all balls played backwards when having plenty of time on the ball.
Good have been nerves or perhaps the trait is by watching Walker too much. ;)
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I think the problem with our kids coming through to play in the 1st team is that if they make too many mistakes, they probably think that their chance is over. Rightly or wrongly, it may be and leads them to take the easy option so they make fewer of these mistakes.
 
r.soleofsalford said:
I think the problem with our kids coming through to play in the 1st team is that if they make too many mistakes, they probably think that their chance is over. Rightly or wrongly, it may be and leads them to take the easy option so they make fewer of these mistakes.
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I mean what he did was hardly majorly conservative compared to our usual, all the lads are well versed in just keep things simple, keep the ball moving, rotate the ball around the areas of the pitch and so on.

THB seems a bit more in his shell than the likes of Foden but thats fine, he is going at his own speed. Tosin looked very similar, a couple of loan moves in the championship and now hes flying at Fulham and putting in some prem level performances.

I am not sure if this lad will ever get his chance here, hard enough for the likes of Laporte or Ake to get in but I have no doubts he will have a good career.
 
Feed the Elk said:
Yes it’s harsh to judge a player on one game and yes he was played out of position but any player hoping to show what he’s got must be able to at least show something against opposition 3 leagues below. He doesn’t and won’t get many opportunities in the first team and my point is that given the rarity of chances, when you do get a chance you need to turn up and show some ‘balls’. He didn’t, he couldn’t have played it any safer.
Shame coz he’s City through and through. Maybe he needs to cut his teeth elsewhere or maybe he just needs to be kept out of the firing line until he matures but from what I’ve seen, he’s miles away from breaking into the first team at City
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well you clearly haven’t watched any of the other games he’s played in for us. Preston in paticular he was very good.

as I said players like mahrez barely showed anything Against a lower league side either.

I said it before, but I find it ridiculous that you are already writing off an 18 year old who’s barely played for us. I assume you did with foden as well? As the first few games he played in he wasn’t great.

John stones, Laporte and Dias weren’t playing at the highest level at 18 either. Stones was at Barnsley if I’m right and Dias didn’t start in the first team until he was 20. Barely any young centre backs do. But your saying an 18 year old should pretty much be first team ready

young players need patience. Based on your incredibly harsh judgement no youth player would ever make it at city.
 
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