Loans.

[Ted Hughes]

Great finish that.

I love to see strikers get in at the near post. Imo there are several possible goals per game in every single game played, everywhere, which are not scored because strikers didn't gamble on running to the near post.

[Slim]

Cole's goal for Barnsley...

http://youtu.be/0QgG7hFYSEw

Third one.

From the Barnsley forum:

This lad is insanely good.

I remember a FA Youth Cup Quarter Final at Oakwell a few years ago when Luke and Stefan Moore stood out like men in a boys' team for Aston Villa. Cole looks like that, or a young Cristiano Ronaldo. He's certainly got his Dad's genes. He's so quick but doesn't appear to be busting a gut to get to the ball. Pure class. Not just a Prem player, but a top two Prem player. I'm just amazed we've got him for three moinths - It's like letting your poorer relations borrow your Ferrari for the afternoon!

Edit: Also....

Watch on youtube.com

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Maybe he can make that 4th choice striker spot his own next season.

[Slim]

Maybe he can make that 4th choice striker spot his own next season.

I'd say I'm with you on this if it weren't for Iheanacho.

[twosips]

http://bbs.barnsleyfc.org.uk/showthread.php?215265-Cole

They're just as impressed with his work rate and strength as they are with his ability and pace which is a very good sign. You never know - with a bit of luck this guy might make it.

Makes a change from our lads going on loan and doing fuck all doesn't it? Now they all star instead cos they know how to play football, which is exactly what they should be doing. Credit to our youth coaches.

[Ted Hughes]

Maybe he can make that 4th choice striker spot his own next season.

I'd say I'm with you on this if it weren't for Iheanacho.

Cole has played a lot in a sort of wide striker position though, so in the next few years we could find ourselves in a Sterling/Sturridge situation where both could play together.

It's such an advantage when you have a bit of pace & a decent physique though. I think either or both of those factors are going to be the decider with a lot of our academy kids. Most of them are inifinitely more talented and intelligent footballers than we had even a few years ago, but some will just prove to be too slow or not strong enough.

Cole getting booted around a bit by League 1 defenders may be exactly what he needs to get upto strength for the Prem.

We all know there are no guarantees with any of these kids though. But we have reason for great optimism. Cole & Emyr Huws are not two I would have put as amongst our best prospects but they are both pushing to make the grade. There's a big queue coming up behind. Great to see.

[Ted Hughes]

Just watched Rekik for PSV at Ajax (won 3-1) & if you took the worst game Savic ever had for City, he would still be better than all 8 defenders in any position.

What an absolute fucking circus. Defensively, at both ends it was like watching West Ham from 1975 on a hot day, at the end of the season, with nothing to play for, after a night on the piss.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, the other side would do something to top it.

Rekik was an iron dustbin full of shit & should have been sent off twice, (imagine Steve Redmond's worst game ) but he was probably better than Ajax's cbs.

Holland have got problems at the back.

[nottsblue]

^^^^
Ron Vlaar is their first choice. Nuff said

[Slim]

Maybe he can make that 4th choice striker spot his own next season.

I'd say I'm with you on this if it weren't for Iheanacho.

Cole has played a lot in a sort of wide striker position though, so in the next few years we could find ourselves in a Sterling/Sturridge situation where both could play together.

It's such an advantage when you have a bit of pace & a decent physique though. I think either or both of those factors are going to be the decider with a lot of our academy kids. Most of them are inifinitely more talented and intelligent footballers than we had even a few years ago, but some will just prove to be too slow or not strong enough.

Cole getting booted around a bit by League 1 defenders may be exactly what he needs to get upto strength for the Prem.

We all know there are no guarantees with any of these kids though. But we have reason for great optimism. Cole & Emyr Huws are not two I would have put as amongst our best prospects but they are both pushing to make the grade. There's a big queue coming up behind. Great to see.

I am always hesitant to assume too much from loans, take a look at John Guidetti who had a great season in Holland and came back and was no better than the player we sent. Although playing Cole in our advanced midfielders role might work if you look at our depth in that area it's Navas and then square pegs, he does look comfortable running at players with the ball at his feet and makes defenders look like they're running in treacle, albeit League One.

[Blue Since 76]

Maybe he can make that 4th choice striker spot his own next season.

I'd say I'm with you on this if it weren't for Iheanacho.

Cole has played a lot in a sort of wide striker position though, so in the next few years we could find ourselves in a Sterling/Sturridge situation where both could play together.

It's such an advantage when you have a bit of pace & a decent physique though. I think either or both of those factors are going to be the decider with a lot of our academy kids. Most of them are inifinitely more talented and intelligent footballers than we had even a few years ago, but some will just prove to be too slow or not strong enough.

Cole getting booted around a bit by League 1 defenders may be exactly what he needs to get upto strength for the Prem.

We all know there are no guarantees with any of these kids though. But we have reason for great optimism. Cole & Emyr Huws are not two I would have put as amongst our best prospects but they are both pushing to make the grade. There's a big queue coming up behind. Great to see.

I am always hesitant to assume too much from loans, take a look at John Guidetti who had a great season in Holland and came back and was no better than the player we sent. Although playing Cole in our advanced midfielders role might work if you look at our depth in that area it's Navas and then square pegs, he does look comfortable running at players with the ball at his feet and makes defenders look like they're running in treacle, albeit League One.

Guidetti never really came back though - he suffered the initial injury in Holland and clearly isn't the player he was, so we'll never know if he was the next Kluivert or just an Alves

[Blue Since 76]

As it's only a 3 month loan, hopefully he can impress enough to get a loan to a Championship or even a Premier League side in January. There could be a good crop of young players making a case for being part of the first team next season, which would be great to see

[Ted Hughes]

Maybe he can make that 4th choice striker spot his own next season.

I'd say I'm with you on this if it weren't for Iheanacho.

Cole has played a lot in a sort of wide striker position though, so in the next few years we could find ourselves in a Sterling/Sturridge situation where both could play together.

It's such an advantage when you have a bit of pace & a decent physique though. I think either or both of those factors are going to be the decider with a lot of our academy kids. Most of them are inifinitely more talented and intelligent footballers than we had even a few years ago, but some will just prove to be too slow or not strong enough.

Cole getting booted around a bit by League 1 defenders may be exactly what he needs to get upto strength for the Prem.

We all know there are no guarantees with any of these kids though. But we have reason for great optimism. Cole & Emyr Huws are not two I would have put as amongst our best prospects but they are both pushing to make the grade. There's a big queue coming up behind. Great to see.

I am always hesitant to assume too much from loans, take a look at John Guidetti who had a great season in Holland and came back and was no better than the player we sent. Although playing Cole in our advanced midfielders role might work if you look at our depth in that area it's Navas and then square pegs, he does look comfortable running at players with the ball at his feet and makes defenders look like they're running in treacle, albeit League One.

Guidetti never really came back though - he suffered the initial injury in Holland and clearly isn't the player he was, so we'll never know if he was the next Kluivert or just an Alves

Having watched 180 mins of Dutch fooball this week, honestly don't know how scouts judge a striker from that league. The defending is so bad you would have to take a leap of faith that the same player could do it v proper defences. Which some do, spectacularly, but most fail to do, miserably.

Guidetti tbf, is/was a miles better player than what we are seeing now. I feel very sorry for him; he has worked very hard at his game. The injuries have really shit on him. Hope he finds a way though it all.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

If Cole impresses enough is his 3 months at Barnsely then I'm sure they'll be a host of Championship clubs wanting him for the second half of the season which will no doubt speed up his development.

[nottsblue]

Am I alone in thinking that if Cole does well for Barnsley and scores a good few goals we should fast track him to our first team squad? Owen, Fowler, Shearer, Giggs and plenty others had already made the step up by 18/19.

Let the boy have his chance. Sometimes playing with the big boys wil make or break him. We are in a position as a club where only the best will do so if he makes it, fantastic, and if he doesn't, sell him on for a profit abd wish him all the best.

He has the pace, he has an eye for goal. The only attribute missing is confidence. I know this could take a hit if it doesn't work out, but if he is goibg to be a player for us he has to step up at some point. If he does play and pkay well his confidence will soar and we have a tremendous player on our hands.

Early days at Barnsley but the signs look good

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Am I alone in thinking that if Cole does well for Barnsley and scores a good few goals we should fast track him to our first team squad? Owen, Fowler, Shearer, Giggs and plenty others had already made the step up by 18/19.

Let the boy have his chance. Sometimes playing with the big boys wil make or break him. We are in a position as a club where only the best will do so if he makes it, fantastic, and if he doesn't, sell him on for a profit abd wish him all the best.

He has the pace, he has an eye for goal. The only attribute missing is confidence. I know this could take a hit if it doesn't work out, but if he is goibg to be a player for us he has to step up at some point. If he does play and pkay well his confidence will soar and we have a tremendous player on our hands.

Early days at Barnsley but the signs look good

I agree. Sterling is only 19 and has already a season of Premier League football behind him. Flanagan is only 19/20 too and he did fine. I reckon Cole could be equally as good. Sometimes you have to just throw them in there and see if they sink or swim. Perhaps over the past few years we've been guilty of waiting too long to introduce promising youngsters.
Still, next season we should be looking to introduce him into the squad as one of the 4 strikers.

[Ted Hughes]

I don't think we've had the players ready to introduce into the first team.

We had Razak & Suarez plus Guidetti who would have been at the front of the queue. They didn't impress enough to deserve a bigger shot at it.

Cole is the next generation below them but it's only now that he is starting to look like a possible squad player, along with Emyr Huws. They were just 'kids' previously, rather than first team possibles. It's early days though. We don't actually need either of them right now really, so just getting them experience may be more important than having them around the club not playing, unless of course they start to look as good, or better, than some of the first team players.

[Dameerto]

I don't think we've had the players ready to introduce into the first team.

We had Razak & Suarez plus Guidetti who would have been at the front of the queue. They didn't impress enough to deserve a bigger shot at it.

Cole is the next generation below them but it's only now that he is starting to look like a possible squad player, along with Emyr Huws. They were just 'kids' previously, rather than first team possibles. It's early days though. We don't actually need either of them right now really, so just getting them experience may be more important than having them around the club not playing, unless of course they start to look as good, or better, than some of the first team players.

Although Huws presumably fits the association trained role that Lampard currently occupies - and they are both on six month loans, so it's possible Huws could spend half a season with the squad.

[Ted Hughes]

Both Celtic &Lille on Sky tonight.

[lovecity8utd]

Both Celtic &Lille on Sky tonight.

Watched some of the Lille game but don't think lopes is playing. Have tuned to itv4 for a bit of Celtic instead.

[twosips]

Neither Denayer or Lopes started. Both on the bench.