U21s derby at Old Trafford on Tuesday

[Craig]

It's way too early for a few of these players to write them off, id go as far to say Keen Bryan and Manu Garcia will play for our first team and I like the look of Nemane in the few games I've seen him but for me Barker has a hell of a lot to do.

I hope you're right but I'm just thinking how outstanding the likes of Ned and Richards looked at this level. Sturridge was a lazy sod but would produce moments of sheer class at 16/17.I see some good players but nothing amazing with these lads, although they try to play the right way.

Of course Onouha, Richards and Sturridge stood out, they were all fucking units at that age. Big strong, powerful and quick lads always look fantastic at youth level.

sturridge was never big.

 

[Silva_Spell]

Kalechi looks on Sturridge's level to me.

 

[Blue Haze]

In all likelihood we're rarely if ever going to produce an Aguero, the main point of the youth setup is to supplement the first team squad whilst buying the world class stars from elsewhere.

Of those who were out there today, I see potential in Angelino, Kean Bryan, Garcia, Pozo, Forfana, Bryne, and Barker (tho he was gash tonight), and they're all 17/18. I'm sure 1 or 2 will make it.

TBH in the immediate term we're only going to be seeing Denayer, Rekik, Lopes and Iheanacho getting a chance at making the squad

I think Kelechi is probably the only one who has a realistic chance of making it. Maybe Lopes and that is about it.

The rest will have a hard time making it in the PL, never mind City. Barker, for all his hype, doesn't even seem as good as Adam Johnson. And even less interested in tracking back than AJ!

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

In all likelihood we're rarely if ever going to produce an Aguero, the main point of the youth setup is to supplement the first team squad whilst buying the world class stars from elsewhere.

Of those who were out there today, I see potential in Angelino, Kean Bryan, Garcia, Pozo, Forfana, Bryne, and Barker (tho he was gash tonight), and they're all 17/18. I'm sure 1 or 2 will make it.

TBH in the immediate term we're only going to be seeing Denayer, Rekik, Lopes and Iheanacho getting a chance at making the squad

I think Kelechi is probably the only one who has a realistic chance of making it. Maybe Lopes and that is about it.

The rest will have a hard time making it in the PL, never mind City. Barker, for all his hype, doesn't even seem as good as Adam Johnson. And even less interested in tracking back than AJ!

I'm sorry have you even watched them ? your writing them off even though most of them are 17 or just 18. barker was absolutely tearing teams apart this season. Doesn't seem as good as adam johnson ? the same adam johnson who was actually a pretty good player or the same 18 year old that just got into boros cup team

if you are judging the players based on this season, not just the past few games then we have some of the best young players in the country

 

[Chris in London]

Here are my thoughts.

The scoreline is largely irrelevant to me. It's never nice losing to them, but nothing was on the line and if you had offered me a 1-0 win where we were outplayed and came away with a flukey win, I wouldn't have taken it.

I'd be interested in possession stats because I thought we dominated. Maybe they are taught to defend a 1-0 lead with 10 behind the ball and look to score on the counter, but if that's their filosophee God help them. Arsenal won the league like that 25 years ago but the rest of football has moved on.

We didn't create that many really clear cut chances, but we moved the ball around nicely and the way we played was very easy on the eye. When we did create chances I thought it was because we had moved it round and opened them up - their chances were largely long punts that Wilson or someone else ran on to. Oh, and when their Belgian international went on a run and beat a couple of our 17 year olds.

I'm not sure I agree with the comments that none of our lads will ever make the first team. It is impossible to say 'this kid will be in the first team in 5 years' because the ones who look like they might get there may flatline and the ones that look some way off the pace maybe develop over the next 2-3 years. But they are playing the right way.

Vieira has built a team that plays really good football. They have not. That is the real victory.

Are you Arsene Wenger?

No, but I do want our kids to play football the right way. At that age winning isn't everything. If it was we'd play goofball like the rags.

 

[BigOscar]

I hope you're right but I'm just thinking how outstanding the likes of Ned and Richards looked at this level. Sturridge was a lazy sod but would produce moments of sheer class at 16/17.I see some good players but nothing amazing with these lads, although they try to play the right way.

Of course Onouha, Richards and Sturridge stood out, they were all fucking units at that age. Big strong, powerful and quick lads always look fantastic at youth level.

sturridge was never big.

He's 6 foot 2 and absolutely rapid. No idea what your version of big is if he isn't it. Ishamel Miller looked a cracking player at youth level as well iirc.

 

[squirtyflower]

Here are my thoughts.

The scoreline is largely irrelevant to me. It's never nice losing to them, but nothing was on the line and if you had offered me a 1-0 win where we were outplayed and came away with a flukey win, I wouldn't have taken it.

I'd be interested in possession stats because I thought we dominated. Maybe they are taught to defend a 1-0 lead with 10 behind the ball and look to score on the counter, but if that's their filosophee God help them. Arsenal won the league like that 25 years ago but the rest of football has moved on.

We didn't create that many really clear cut chances, but we moved the ball around nicely and the way we played was very easy on the eye. When we did create chances I thought it was because we had moved it round and opened them up - their chances were largely long punts that Wilson or someone else ran on to. Oh, and when their Belgian international went on a run and beat a couple of our 17 year olds.

I'm not sure I agree with the comments that none of our lads will ever make the first team. It is impossible to say 'this kid will be in the first team in 5 years' because the ones who look like they might get there may flatline and the ones that look some way off the pace maybe develop over the next 2-3 years. But they are playing the right way.

Vieira has built a team that plays really good football. They have not. That is the real victory.

Are you Arsene Wenger?

No, but I do want our kids to play football the right way. At that age winning isn't everything. If it was we'd play goofball like the rags.

I'm with you Chris

there are some right slapped arses on this thread

 

[.A.]

Re: U21's Derby

Better not watch these youngster derbies for me. Last time I did that Wilson guy scored 4 goals on his own versus City...

Some of the best City U 21 players need a good two years out on loan playing and improving a lot. Very premature to say they should in first team.

Angelino, Barker Byrne et etc. Go to Championship like Kane did 3-4 times...
Come back stronger...

Wilson looks so far in front of our lads and he's nowhere near good enough for the Prem. Just goes to show these guys are miles off the first team.

He's quick and strong, that shows up more at this level, esp when you're playing against players 1-2 years younger

Naive to dismiss him as just an athlete, his biggest asset is his finishing, as his 5 goals against us this season have proved; Van Gaal has used him in a manner in which Pellegrini should have with BB when he was flying earlier in the season.

I'm starting to think our strategy in player development needs a rethink; are we producing players capable of making an impact in the Premier League? Or just an Arsenal-esque aesthetic style that doesn't win? The rags have twatted us twice and Chelsea did a comfortable job on us in the Youth Cup final with dynamic but technically sound players. Sturridge was light years ahead of any of these kids at that age and I'd be shocked if any of them have half the impact he has on the Premier League.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Here are my thoughts.

The scoreline is largely irrelevant to me. It's never nice losing to them, but nothing was on the line and if you had offered me a 1-0 win where we were outplayed and came away with a flukey win, I wouldn't have taken it.

I'd be interested in possession stats because I thought we dominated. Maybe they are taught to defend a 1-0 lead with 10 behind the ball and look to score on the counter, but if that's their filosophee God help them. Arsenal won the league like that 25 years ago but the rest of football has moved on.

We didn't create that many really clear cut chances, but we moved the ball around nicely and the way we played was very easy on the eye. When we did create chances I thought it was because we had moved it round and opened them up - their chances were largely long punts that Wilson or someone else ran on to. Oh, and when their Belgian international went on a run and beat a couple of our 17 year olds.

I'm not sure I agree with the comments that none of our lads will ever make the first team. It is impossible to say 'this kid will be in the first team in 5 years' because the ones who look like they might get there may flatline and the ones that look some way off the pace maybe develop over the next 2-3 years. But they are playing the right way.

Vieira has built a team that plays really good football. They have not. That is the real victory.

Are you Arsene Wenger?

No, but I do want our kids to play football the right way. At that age winning isn't everything. If it was we'd play goofball like the rags.

We could put a side out which would nullify that Utd team, & perhaps nick a 1-0, if that's all we were interested in doing.

 

[Neville Kneville]

In all likelihood we're rarely if ever going to produce an Aguero, the main point of the youth setup is to supplement the first team squad whilst buying the world class stars from elsewhere.

Of those who were out there today, I see potential in Angelino, Kean Bryan, Garcia, Pozo, Forfana, Bryne, and Barker (tho he was gash tonight), and they're all 17/18. I'm sure 1 or 2 will make it.

TBH in the immediate term we're only going to be seeing Denayer, Rekik, Lopes and Iheanacho getting a chance at making the squad

And even less interested in tracking back than AJ!

BOLLOCKS.