World cup 2022 scouting

[LeParisien]

Senegal have a decent young central midfielder in their team.

Only 20 years old and has over 2000 minutes played in Ligue 1. One to look out for.

Though I assume we'd probably ruin his development like we do with a fair few youngsters and keep him in our squad without giving him any game time or loans. So a bit pointless really.

i hate the way we treat our talented youngsters. Sarr and Gil will go the same way as Foyth. They’ll not be given any opportunities, or given the odd game and be expected to be up to speed within 20 minutes, maligned for being too slight for the premier league and then they’ll move somewhere else and be given regular playing time and have successful careers and we’ll tell ourselves that it certainly wasn’t our fault and that they needed a slower less physical league rather than just regular minutes.

We are dumb as fuck as a club.

 

[Kaz Hirai]

All those goals and assists yet Jude was miles ahead as a footballer. Its evident to anyone who watched both.

The only thing I'd say Dele had over Bellingham at the same age was the ability to be in the right place at the right time.

Bellinghams a better athlete, a better footballer, better engine, better passer, stronger and much better technique.

19 year old Dele doesn't start for this England team in central midfield and boss games against all comers. Because it was never his game.

And because of that he doesn't even get in the starting eleven. He's no where near Foden as a footballer and he's not a winger.

not sure to be honest, it's been so very long since Dele was good that we all tend to either just remember his last few seasons were he was awful or a the seasons were he was still good but was just about popping up with a goal, and getting assists.

Think we often forget how truly awesome he was at his age, the way people are talking about JB now is the way Dele was being talked of.
And he was doing it at the highest level also, in the Prem and CL




amazing talent, what an absolute waste

 

[ElTel]

Qatari goalie looks like a talent to keep an eye on

 

[Ealesy]

Harry Kane for England looks decent

 

[LeParisien]

I share the frustration, but a run of games isn't really feasible for the level we aspire to...... When you get your chance, you need to grab it with both hands and in the meantime slog it out to impress in training.

(Yeh, people still look towards BVB as the example, but when you're nailed on for top 4 every season the dynamic is completely different and this in turn means all he hot young prospects wanna play for you too.)

Foyth is no massive loss.... He'd just be one that peeps wanted moved on at this point.



.....Thats just fan rationale; that's not the club being dumb.

We disagree on that. Playing young players is an investment. It’s an investment in their talent (ie their talent will grow with playing time) and it’s an investment in their financial worth.

Are all talented young players worth it? No. But those who are extremely highly rated and have shown an ability to play in a top 5 league as an U21 deserve that investment.

We could do it. Conte (and his predecessors) is making a strategic choice not to.

Could we have started with Sarr, Gil and Spence against Forest? Yes. Would we have lost anything by doing so? No.

Does Spence have a higher upside than Emerson? Yes. Could we play him more often without losing too much? Yes.

Have we been short in the forward positions so far this season? Yes. Could Gil have been given more time to play? Yes.

Sarr is a bit harder (and the need is less great) but I’d argue starting him once every 7/8 games and giving him 15 minute cameos is possible.

We did that in the past with Alli and Modric and it was well worth it despite some teething issues.

The reason we are not doing this is because of a short term view of success which actually inhibits our long term success. It’s also a symptom of a strategic disconnect in the club between the types of players they will buy (for 15-25m each) and the expectations of the manager. That’s a leadership problem.

 

[skywalker68]

Qatari goalie looks like a talent to keep an eye on

Yes for the position of road sweeper

 

[Doom Funk]

Qatari goalie looks like a talent to keep an eye on

Thank goodness we no longer employ Steve Hitchen

He'd be a shoe in for Hugo's replacement if we did

 

[RocketRonny]

Bellingham is being touted as future ballon d'Or regular while Kane is almost 30 and surely going to start declining...

Talk of Kane's decline has been circulating since roughly his time in nursery school

 

[Yid_1984]

He was always an awful centre midfielder other than the odd flash. Literally no left foot and didn’t have that 360 awareness you need in that position. Potentially as a forward running 8 in a 3 man midfield but even then I was never comfortable with him in the middle third. He was an instinctive hard running attacking player IMO

Agreed too..Dele was a false 9 and at his best he was world-class. The decline is tragic

 

[Deuterz]

Modric is a veritable lifetime away now..... We were a very different club back then (I'd be curious if you could recall whom he was played at the expense of.... Myself, I can't recall).

Spence v Emerson isn't a young v old thing (they've less than 6 months apart in age).... It's a case of Conte having a preference for what he sees/seeks in that position.

Gil: Conte obv preferred to go 352 rather than rely on a player who's still failing to eleviate his concerns on the training field (also see Spence).

Without wanting to do a deep case study for each player you mentioned; again, I am just as frustrated as you, but for the best part, the niche we currently occupy doesn't afford us that kind of patience. Classic conflict of theory vs practice; not a mere "disconnect" (as you describe it). You honestly think fans would have just choked down lost points each week and dropped league positions whilst Foyth (eg) clocked up red cards and fatal errors each week in hope that in 6/12 months things would click?

Besides, most of what you listed still doesn't constitute a 'run' in the team.... Just a one-off opp that a player needs to grab (which is exactly what my first post said)......

What niche do we currently occupy? Short term managers on big contracts & no future planning whilst still winning nothing?

Can we please occupy a different one?

 

[SpiderSpurs]

That lad, Bellingham, looks like he could be decent.

 

[Rebrov_Likes]

I hope the times have gone when Spurs buy players based on tournament performances...

No-one buys purely on WC when you have analytics, a scouting network around the world, etc. But it is useful in seeing mentality and players who can cope with pressure and step up to big occasions.

 

[Belgrano]

Kane, will, start to drop deeper as his career goes on, similar to how Rooney did whilst at utd.
Even if, Kane doesn't stay at spurs, that's how I see his playing days panning out.

Yup. Kane in 2030.

 

[Rebrov_Likes]

Not sure. Kane has played so much football and has had so many bad injuries that i think it takes its toll. He's still quality but i dont think he's as good as he was 2014 to 2019. Guesswork but i reckon perhaps 2 more seasons at the absolute top level.

Where does this myth that Kane’s had bad injuries come from? He’s literally had a couple of twisted ankles and done his hamstring once. Compare that to someone like Shearer who had two ACLs, or Owen who had multiple hamstring tears until they resembled string cheese. Kane is meticulous in his diet and preparation these days and I’d be surprised if he’s not playing at a similar level to Benzema or Lewindowski in his mid-30s.

 

[Zomb]

So, how did this superstar Bellingham get on against France?

Least number of touches outside of our forwards.
Least number of passes outside of our forwards.
Highest loss of possession.

Anyone paying 80m+ is paying for potential; not a finished product. Like many young players before him, he could have already hit his ceiling.

Smart money would be on Declan Rice.

Agree. He needs to learn to get go backwards and play slowly in order to get his passing stats up. Stop tying to score goals and take risks, but instead tap the ball to and from Luke Shaw and Declan Rice 20 times a game

 

[Deuterz]

We did that in the past with Alli and Modric and it was well worth it despite some teething issues.

Kane, Bale etc as well. These days we'd have fucked these two off when they didn't tear it up within 5 games.

 

[LeParisien]

Modric is a veritable lifetime away now..... We were a very different club back then (I'd be curious if you could recall whom he was played at the expense of.... Myself, I can't recall).

Spence v Emerson isn't a young v old thing (they've less than 6 months apart in age).... It's a case of Conte having a preference for what he sees/seeks in that position.

Gil: Conte obv preferred to go 352 rather than rely on a player who's still failing to eleviate his concerns on the training field (also see Spence).

Without wanting to do a deep case study for each player you mentioned; again, I am just as frustrated as you, but for the best part, the niche we currently occupy doesn't afford us that kind of patience. Classic conflict of theory vs practice; not a mere "disconnect" (as you describe it). You honestly think fans would have just choked down lost points each week and dropped league positions whilst Foyth (eg) clocked up red cards and fatal errors each week in hope that in 6/12 months things would click?

Besides, most of what you listed still doesn't constitute a 'run' in the team.... Just a one-off opp that a player needs to grab (which is exactly what my first post said)......

You’re pretending not to see the issue and you’re doing all you can to avoid scrutinising the club.

I am saying we need a genuine commitment to giving young, talented players with a high ceiling as much playing time as possible. Some of your points are high on detail and low on “the point”.

I don’t buy the “we’re in a different place now” argument. Let’s ignore Barcelona who happen to have two generational talents playing in CM. And let’s ignore Woolwich who have seen playing time for young players pay off.

Let’s look at a bigger club than us. Liverpool.

Liverpool (league and CL minutes)
Harvey White - 1214
Curtis Jones - 272
Nathaniel Phillips - 66

Tottenham (league and champions league)
Skipp - 161
Bryan - 47
Sarr - 0

Do you see a huge difference in talent between those players? If anything I’d back ours.

The difference is a genuine commitment to giving young players as much playing time as possible.

 

[Zomb]

Unbelievable that the Qatari fans leave at 70 min when losing 0-2 after 12 years of world cup prep. Probably got given tickets for free and a lambo ride to the stadium as well...

It’s really not. Sunday is prostitute and cocaine day

 

[Starks]

Not his biggest fan, but Ally Gold wrote a decent piece on it a few days back, how we basically don't give youngsters a real chance, if any. And so they bugger off elsewhere...or don't join us at all anymore.

It's pretty scary when you see how poor our academy has become...another defeat at the weekend for the younguns, who are bottom of their league. I hope Gretar, Yaya & co can kick into gear again cause that's really looking bleak as of now.

It's a joke tbh.

But when you have a manager that pretty much neglected development of youth in the latter part of his tenure in Pochettino then replace him with Mourinho, Nuno and Conte it's no surprise to see why.

 

[Rebrov_Likes]

Really, really like Kudus.