Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Ted Hughes wrote:Think he deserves a special mention.
I was impressed as much by what he didn't do last night; he rarely overplayed or tried the impossible, like Vlad Weiss would still be doing now if he was at City. Got on with his job, worked hard, tried one or two tricks without overdoing it. He is a player who will improve quickly & immensely by playing at a higher level imo. Not suited to reserve football.
Not even 18 years old & already showing more football nous than many 25 year olds we've had here.
Fast, tricky, great shot on him & puts in a shift.
But the big difference with this lad, & a reason why he could make his way into the first team squad very early indeed; he's a goal sniffer.
We have options in attacking mid/wide positions; good quality grafters like Milner, we have sublime craftsmen like Silva & now Nasri, proper dynamic winger in Navas, but this lad is a different thing. The positions he's taking up are natural goalscorers positions. Just have a look at the vid on the OS; he's on the far post looking for headers, arriving late in the box for loose balls, attacking the 6 yard box, hanging back at the edge of the penalty area to put in a shot; this is Robbie Fowler stuff, not an attacking mid or winger. And he can really finish too.
We can stick him out wide or wherever, but no matter where he is on the pitch, he is a threat; likely to get a shot/header in. He's a real potential talent as a footballer, of that there is no doubt, but what we have here ladies and gentlemen, is a goalscorer.
That really gives him an edge; more than just the football ability.
I'm happy to say that Pozo also carries the same kind of goal threat & is even younger.
Possibly these will be the first two genuine stars to come through.
Interesting summary Ted.I have watched him quite a lot now in the last 2 years or so and because he is a very talented lad and plays in midfield you might expect him to dominate the middle and have everything come through him but he isn't (at least so far) that sort of player. He doesn't just sit there,like maybe Silva does, and look to dictate and pass the ball around looking for an opening but he plays a different role which tends to see him quite high up the pitch.
Many a game at youth level I have seen first halves of games where he hasn't featured that much but when he did it was with key moments and goalscoring situations.Then in the 2nd half of games he comes more and more prominent as if he had worked out how to best influence a game.Undoubtedly he has an eye and a flair for a goal plus he is quite quick and strong for his age.A very promising talent.
I enjoyed his interview after the game as well.Totally humble with the praise coming his way and enjoying every second of it.When the interviewer said it must have been good with his family watching he replied with they are always there and they are.Not just one parent but both and others too at every game he plays.
Great interview. Very grounded, nice lad.
Most of the time, when the ball came to him, he just gave it to somebody in a good position & tried to make himself available or to get into a dangerous position. Sometimes he didn't get the return pass he should have, but he got on with it & worked hard.
At reserve team level, that kind of play means you may just have given the ball to someone who will waste it, & the temptation to try & do it all yourself must be very high, especially if you think/know you are better than them.
I think he needs regular first team involvement or loaning to a top level club. Same with Pozo when he gets fully fit.
It may well be the case that Suarez was ruined by not being instantly promoted.
It may sound ridiculous now, but I think Lee Croft was totally destroyed by playing for years with vastly inferior players. By the time he did get a chance, he was already on the way down. Should have been on the first team bench at about 15.
