22 Jun 2018 01:23:09
Does anyone follow the u23's properly? I'd love to know how Nelson, Nketiah and Willock are getting on. Any of them ready for more first team football next season? Would be much appreciated if someone could shed some light.

1.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 07:01:41
It will be interesting to see how Emery utilises young players. It is becoming increasingly difficult for young players to break into the first team of the top 6 PL clubs. Pressure on managers for quick success doesn't allow much, if any, leeway to blood promising young players. Ideally the 3 you mentioned would benefit from a season on loan in order to gain valuable playing time.

2.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 07:21:47
United liverpool and Chelsea have a few that are playing premier league football although in Chelsea case not for them.
Too much money to soon doesn't help in my opinion as I think many lose their edge once they get a good contract, a 5 year deal on 20k a week sets them up for life financially and all at the age of 18 to 20 years old.
Arsene did have a tendency to overpay players who had never and did never make the grade.

3.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 08:21:11
The 3 Arsenal players mentioned are all teenagers and last season didn't appear ready for PL football. Liverpool had two teenagers who played PL football last season. One played 1 match, the other played 19 games. Whilst I couldn't find a single Chelsea teenager that played PL football for them. As I stated loan deals are the way to go. Players are so well conditioned these days that teenagers rarely match the physicality now needed.

{Ed002's Note - Two 17 year olds appeared for Chelsea last seasnon, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ethan Ampadu. Two 18 years olds featured in the squads but did not play.}

4.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 08:54:41
Thank you for mentioning the two Chelsea teenagers, that didn't appear on the site I had checked. They made 3 late substitute PL appearances between them, which confirms my thoughts that it is extremely difficult for a teenager to play regular PL football these days. Trent Alexander-Arnold seems to be the sole teenager that played a number of PL matches for a top 6 club last season and he will be 20 soon, not 18 like two of the Arsenal three mentioned. There may be one or two others that I have missed. There appears to be a difficulty these days, as players are technically ready at a young age, but not physically ready.

{Ed002's Note - Ampadu would have played more save for a broken leg and appeared regularly in up games. Chelsea won’t play teenagers unless they are ready - it is or about age it is about readiness.}

5.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 08:56:54
It's hard for the young players and the club because you want to send the players away on loan, but then they want guaranteed first team football upon their return. A lot of the young players you see now are there because they have been relied on to do a big job! United with so many injuries had no choice but to bring in Rashford and he made a massive impact! Bellerin, we had no RB's due to injuries so he stepped up. Maitland-Niles is similar but with a little less game time and he's been played all over the place.
I would encourage sending them on loan but then in their head they want to move permanently because of the game time they get. I think the best option is to include a buy back clause which may offer piece of mind to the player if they decide to leave purely based on playing football.

6.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 09:12:19
Dele Alli Marcus Rashford? If your good enough your old enough and it's all about being good enough.
Clubs won't favour or discriminate against youth only play on ability.

7.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 09:43:25
It's much more financially lucrative to be an Arsenal squad player from the age of 18 to 22 who never plays a premier league game than it is to play 15 years of regular first team football in league 1 or 2 or most championship Scottish Dutch Belgian French clubs.
That's where the problem lays in my opinion, they work hard to get a contract then if the rest doesn't happen quickly they get distracted away from being 100% football focused and enjoy their wealth in other areas.
If players under 25 were capped on wages more would come through in my opinion.

8.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 10:23:51
Alli and Rashford were relied on to do the job because of injuries that's why. If united and spurs had a fully fit squad at the time they wouldn't have played and made the impact that they did. I agree, younger player should be given time but it's when and where. I like Nelson and he's highly rated by other clubs which could see him leave if we don't incorporate him more often. However, when he has played in the FA cup, League Cup and Europa League he hasn't shone like Maitland- Niles, Alli, Rashford all did. Little Eddie Nketiah will be a good player as well! He's got a good eye for goal at youth level.

{Ed001's Note - who was injured to give Alli a place? That is simply an outright lie. He was bought for the first team with the full intention of being a starter, which is why he signed for them.}

9.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 10:45:58
Although there is clearly a problem with young players earning huge sums so young, I am not a fan of wage caps.
There are many young players that, since the increase in academies and emphasis on producing players, have the ability to play at the top level. In fact it has been argued that are too many technically able players emerging from the academies, who then drift out of the professional game through lack of opportunity.
I see the problem these days as a reluctance by the top clubs to give youngsters a chance ahead of reliable, seasoned professionals. The demands on managers to bring quick success means there are few opportunities to play younger players.
Arsenal are a prime example, where we have some young players, such as Macey, Holding, Chambers and Mavropanos, who all have ability, but have players being signed ahead of them. There is talk that we have signed Sokratis and are looking for a second experienced CB. Whilst Macey has Leno, Cech, Ospina and Martinez ahead of him. I suppose only a handful of top notch youngsters will make the grade with the top 6 clubs. I believe some clubs, Brentford and Huddersfield have closed their academies as they are not cost effective and can pick up the cast offs from the big clubs, who are often quality players.

10.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 11:16:11
The cast offs don't need to play after 5 years at Arsenal and many simply don't have the heart to start at the bottom and work thier way back up once released because they don't have the need.
In Brazil in 2014 they were saying young players work really hard to escape poverty but many seem to suddenly stop progressing as footballers once they have achieved financial security.
If your 21 released by Arsenal with 50 quid in your account £300 a week at Orient looks good but if your released with 500,000 + in your account do you really fancy all that training with all its restrictions on your social life for £300 and to play in font of a crowd of a few hundred?
It's human nature and most people let alone youngsters find it hard to go again after their dreams and the bubble has been burst unless they no other choice but to keep trying or get a real job in the real world.
People sometimes forget that players are still real people with all the fight or flight instincts we all have face at points throughout our life's.

11.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 11:18:28
That's a nice way to put it Ed. I wouldn't say a lie but maybe more of a misjudgment. Actually I think you'll find he was brought by Spurs with the intention of him going back on loan to MK Dons which he did, and then made a number of substitute appearances before starting. However, I am right about the others. Misjudgment on Alli.

{Ed001's Note - no, Spurs only agreed to loan him back because it was the only way to get the deal done. They actually wanted to put him in the team there and then. Ok misjudgement we can call it.}

12.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 12:32:57
Exeter were very poorly compensated for ampadu, considering he's already capable of playing in their first team.

13.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 14:26:13
My local boys Eden. Was a shame to see him leave but it was always going to happen! Him and Ollie were fantastic for Exeter :)

14.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 16:41:35
Where abouts are you from Glen? I'm from ottery.

15.) 22 Jun 2018
22 Jun 2018 17:23:49
Newton abbot mate! So I say local but a 20 minute drive 👌🏻.