The Next Generation

[Simon]

Can't provide a list because of the dickhead way they've formatted it, but the Guardian has knocked up a list of the best 40 youngsters in the world aged 17 or under, thought people might be interested.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/ng-interactive/2014/oct/14/next-generation-2014-40-of-the-best-young-talents-in-world-football

[Ringo]

Needs more Boga.

Here's a similar list for Prem clubs:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/ng-interactive/2014/oct/13/next-generation-2014-20-of-the-best-talents-at-premier-league-clubs

[Simon]

If that Newcastle lad eats his greens he could grow up to be class.

EDIT: Also the photo of the QPR lad makes him look like an enormous fat cunt :lol:

[Rip]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjOnPPPyRO8

[Simon]

Love that finish.

[son_of_foley]

Watched the England Under-19s there against Italy.

Brown from Chelsea looks some player but fucking hell Loftus-Cheek is a beast. How he is not playing premiership football already I just don't know

[Rip]

We have some exceptional youngsters coming through, our scouting and academy are really starting to pay dividends, plus the fact we are happy to let the youngsters go out on loan and risk losing them is looking like a gamble that is paying off with Dummett and Abeid looking class in the first team with Armstrong ready to make his own impact.

Add in Aarons, Ameobi and Campbell who have all started to show what they can do, plus the youngsters we have signed from Forest and Perez and the future looks bright.

Oh and we have another half a dozen players in the youth set-up who will be in the same position next year or two, Daniel Barlaser is a young winger of Turkish parents who is already playing international under 21s at 17, Oliver Kemen is another French midfielder who tackles like a truck he's 18, Lubo Satka has been on the bench and with our injury prone defence might get a start this year, Kevin Mbabu and Remy Streete are in the same boat with Streete just getting called back from Port Vale to cover Colo, Tom Heardman is a massive kid (6'4 by the stats but in person he looks bigger) plays striker and could be very special, and Alex Gilliead is a battling midfielder who scores goals from my town, saw him play when he was 14 against Northern League teams and the lad is scary good, he got involved in the pre-season games for the first team and he could get involved in the cups or if we get any dead games towards the end of the season.

[son_of_foley]

I wouldn't get too carried away. Campbell hasn't shown much tbf 2 goals in 20 odd games. Not writing him off but he's got some way to go

[Rip]

Of the strikers Campbell is probably the least likely to get anywhere with us, his biggest problem is he does better as a second forward, he creates opportunities with his play for those around him which isn't how we play I think he'll probably end up dropping down to Division One next year then coming back up, Armstrong and Heardman are more likely to make it at our place.

[RFF Champ]

Watched the England Under-19s there against Italy.

Brown from Chelsea looks some player but fucking hell Loftus-Cheek is a beast. How he is not playing premiership football already I just don't know

It's nuts, isn't it? He's looked physically ready for senior football since 15.

[RFF Champ]

It's funny how we stumbled across Abeid being really good by letting him play in a League Cup game Pardew was trying to lose.

[son_of_foley]

It's nuts, isn't it? He's looked physically ready for senior football since 15.

His distribution and usage of the ball is superb too. You look at Roberts for example who is electric but is very naive (to be expected with age/position) and then Loftus-Cheek just moves the ball so well and so smartly. I think him, Dele Alli and Hughes would be a sensational midfield. That said I do like Ward Prowse a lot too

[RFF Champ]

Ben Pearson of Man Utd is another one who looks the bollocks for England but is nearly 20 and has never featured for anyone's first team.

[son_of_foley]

Ben Pearson of Man Utd is another one who looks the bollocks for England but is nearly 20 and has never featured for anyone's first team.

It's quite sad to see was it 8/9 of the starting 11 playing for City and Chelsea. You do worry that they will be getting held back in their development a bit by them hedging their bets and by overpaying them to stop them realistically moving on to get first team football.

Maybe a few could go on loans abroad or similar.

[Simon]

Watched the England Under-19s there against Italy.

Brown from Chelsea looks some player but fucking hell Loftus-Cheek is a beast. How he is not playing premiership football already I just don't know

Kind of depressing to know that Chelsea have all these class English kids coming through (the ones you've mentioned plus Solanke, Baker, Swift and probably a few more I've forgotten) and in all likelihood they will all miss out on the opportunity to develop quickly during their younger years. Chances are none of them will go on to play for Chelsea regularly and they'll piss about on loan in the lower leagues for a few years before essentially beginning their proper career in their early 20s. I know I was outspoken about not rating him and so it seems like I'm having it both ways, but McEachran was a highly-rated kid who everyone expected big things of, and I have no idea where he is now...not in the PL as far as I know, so presumably muddling his way through the Championship just as he was three or four years ago.

EDIT: Fair play McEachran has at least tried his hand abroad as he's currently on loan at Vitesse (although are they one of Chelsea's feeder clubs? Maybe not his choice), only three appearances all season though.

[Simon]

One thing I will say about Tottenham is that we are actually playing a lot of our kids for the first time in God knows how long - Kane, Townsend, Mason, Bentaleb, plus the likes of Rose, Lennon and Walker who were brought in as very young kids. Granted it's coincided with us being as shit as we've ever been but still. I'd rather be shit with players who actually care than shit with players who don't.

[RFF Champ]

His distribution and usage of the ball is superb too. You look at Roberts for example who is electric but is very naive (to be expected with age/position) and then Loftus-Cheek just moves the ball so well and so smartly. I think him, Dele Alli and Hughes would be a sensational midfield. That said I do like Ward Prowse a lot too

Alli has taken to senior football really well, probably something to do with the level he's playing at but he looks well placed for his next move. Roberts will be great but it's all coming too early for him. His pace, close control and vision on the ball means he'll be a factor in most games but so often he tries a cross or shot and he hits it so tamely. Possibly needs to develop physically a bit more. He's under a bit of a MON manager now who doesn't make subs until the last 10 mins which will reduce his gametime.

[Simon]

How has Hughes been this season? I had heard the hype last year without seeing him until the Brighton play-offs, but he was sensational. Just clearly a cut above everyone else on the pitch. Always seemed like he had hours on the ball.

[son_of_foley]

He's that same sort of player. I think he maybe needs to add goals to his game to be a real threat at PL level he's still mainly in the business of the assist assist and just being a heartbeat.

He played a much more advanced role against portual for the under-21's and made some really good runs but didnt see as much of the ball. Still think he looked better than Tom Carroll though

[son_of_foley]

England Under-21s are on BT Sport tonight or tomorrow night as well. Possibly against France. Well worth a watch. Think it's a good group of young players

[RFF Champ]

EDIT: Fair play McEachran has at least tried his hand abroad as he's currently on loan at Vitesse (although are they one of Chelsea's feeder clubs? Maybe not his choice), only three appearances all season though.

He was on the bench and in the reserves mostly, he got the full 90 in a cup game and did well apparently and then got injured shortly after. That was a month or so ago and he was back here for a while. I know his family and his best mate died while on holiday together with his family in July, best mate was also sister's boyfriend, I think he struggled a bit being out there at first but is back there now.

[RFF Champ]

England Under-21s are on BT Sport tonight or tomorrow night as well. Possibly against France. Well worth a watch. Think it's a good group of young players

I think you're overrating them personally. I think this is the weakest group for a while. Standouts for me are really only Hughes and Butland. There are others I've got high hopes for but I don't think anyone is dedicating many column inches to others until they show a bit more.

[Simon]

He's that same sort of player. I think he maybe needs to add goals to his game to be a real threat at PL level he's still mainly in the business of the assist assist and just being a heartbeat.

He played a much more advanced role against portual for the under-21's and made some really good runs but didnt see as much of the ball. Still think he looked better than Tom Carroll though
Carroll is a tidy player but doesn't seem to have found his level yet - even at Swansea he's not starting despite it being a (theoretically) lower level than Spurs and seeming like an obvious match for his abilities. I worry he'll prove not to be good enough for the higher level PL sides, and not to be robust enough for the lower level PL sides, and end up struggling to find a regular starting place anywhere in the PL. A shame because he's really talented.

[Ringo]

Yeah, McEachran's not playing regularly for Vitesse. As has often been the case with his loans. John Swift is also having a poor time of it at Rotherham where he's barely making the bench. In fact, of our 8 million loanees this season only a few are doing particularly well - and most of them are dead wood like Kakuta and Romeu.

[son_of_foley]

I think you're overrating them personally. I think this is the weakest group for a while. Standouts for me are really only Hughes and Butland. There are others I've got high hopes for but I don't think anyone is dedicating many column inches to others until they show a bit more.

Yeah in terms of this specific squad you might be on somethign but I like

Morrison
Ward-Prowse

Then people like Berahino that went recently.


Then in the squad. The two you've mentioned and

Moore
Redmond
Pritchard

I would honestly elevate Alli and Loftus-Cheek soon. Would have them in the squad for the summer anyway

[RFF Champ]

Berahino and Ward-Prowse are both big standouts. Ward-Prowse I'd have in the senior squad.

Beyond that I like Moore, Redmond, Garbutt, Chalobah and Bamford. Garbutt and Chalobah just aren't playing games, Bamford is now finding his stride at Boro. Woodrow can be interesting, still young, already scored in the Premier League and is a right handful but again lacking games. Ings and Kane both look good goalscorers but is there much beyond?

There's quite a few around squads at the moment that look short on quality and are making up the numbers.

[RFF Champ]

As for Loftus-Cheek, I thought we aren't allowed to call up on reputation ;)

[Simon]

Is Ward-Prowse that good? I haven't seen a huge amount of him but wasn't completely blown over with what I did see. Looked neat and tidy and IIRC seemed like he could cross a ball, but didn't stand out as an unbelievable prospect the way players like Shaw and Hughes did.

Spurs have a couple of highly-rated kids coming through (said that before (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oud-Heverlee_Leuven#Current_squad)...), most notably Josh Onomah and Harry Winks. Onomah in particular is supposed to be class. The Serb lad Veljkovic is on the fringes of the first team too. I'm surprised there isn't more youth football on Sky - can't imagine it would be expensive to buy the rights and you'd have thought there would be a core fanbase of individual teams who would watch regularly. Certainly if Spurs U21s were on TV I'd make an effort to watch. TBH if they were on at the same time as the firsts I'd probably choose them at the moment.

[RFF Champ]

There have been quite a few U21 games on TV lately. Newcastle v Stoke was on last week.

[Simon]

There have been quite a few U21 games on TV lately. Newcastle v Stoke was on last week.

Yeah but they seem to be on almost at random, I caught a little bit of that game and it seemed decent. Maybe it isn't random and I just need to try harder to find out when games are on. Haven't seen a Spurs one yet but I would definitely watch.

[Rip]

Some of the under-21 games are better than the first team, SKY do seem to just bang them into gaps though it would be nice to get a proper schedule and they'd probably get a decent number of viewers compared to some of the awful shite they normally use to fill the sports channels.

[Torn]

Garbutt and Chalobah just aren't playing games

I can't work out why Garbutt keeps getting in the squad when Jake Bidwell has been consistently excellent for years, has carried that on in the Championship and hasn't had a call up.

Pritchard is already there obviously but Moses Odubajo has been more of a standout performer than him for us this season and performed just as well at League One level as Pritchard last year. Is it just because he's a Spurs player? Pritchard went through a pretty poor run of form before picking it up again recently. If Moses continues his current form playing right back in McCormack's absence he might be in consideration with the lack of options in that position.

We have a whole bunch of quality young players all who have played major parts in our current league position:

Odubajo
Pritchard on loan
Jota
Dallas
Harlee Dean
Tarkowski
Bidwell
Gray
Toral on loan
Button and Judge are still only 25 but I doubt they count for this..

[RFF Champ]

Some of the under-21 games are better than the first team, SKY do seem to just bang them into gaps though it would be nice to get a proper schedule and they'd probably get a decent number of viewers compared to some of the awful shite they normally use to fill the sports channels.

Awful shite? The issue is that there is first team competitive football 7 nights a week.

[son_of_foley]

As for Loftus-Cheek, I thought we aren't allowed to call up on reputation ;)

You almost got me this time :)

[RFF Champ]

On that, they brought Butland in at 18 with no first team football and it's worked out pretty well. Loftus-Cheek has captained youth teams all the way. I'd get him in over the likes of March or Caskey.

[Ringo]

Loftus-Cheek update: Joined Mourinho for the pre-match press conference today and is set to feature in tomorrow's game at some point.

[RFF Champ]

Nothing game, he puts him up for the press conference, makes all these promises about youth development and he's started Mikel over Loftus-Cheek. I'm moving my pompous youth player 'claim' to Dan Crowley.

[Ringo]

Knew he wouldn't start, that's not Mourinho's style. Five first teamers starting in a non-game when we're in the middle of a 9-match month. Only the Derby game in the LC will offer a chance to rest players again. However, given injuries and fitness levels, can just about see an argument for those five to start.

RLC on before 85 would be good.

[RFF Champ]

Ran the show for the last 8 minutes.

[Simon]

Mourinho proving one again that his talk about the youth team is just nonsense. Sixteen years since a youth teamer came through.

[Ringo]

Ran the show for the last 8 minutes.

Yeah, classy little cameo. I want to see more of him against senior pros.

[Simon]

Make sure to stay up for an extra hour after Match Of The Day in about three years and you just might.

[RFF Champ]

Good to see Man Utd have finally let Ben Pearson go and get some games. One to watch at Barnsley.

[RFF Champ]

Good to see Man Utd have finally let Ben Pearson go and get some games. One to watch at Barnsley.

MOTM in his first ever senior game, quickly go and edit him into your team in turdpower's predict the future England teams thread.

[turdpower]

You think he'll start the next World Cup?

[RFF Champ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqiwpvYrzR0#t=17

[Bad Collin]

What a complete cunt

[turdpower]

We spoke about him in another thread, but Martin Odegaard looks nailed on.

[RFF Champ]

Yeah, classy little cameo. I want to see more of him against senior pros.

Finally!

[Simon]

I thought RLC was really good yesterday. Understated as you'd expect in that position but his distribution was excellent (I think I saw that he didn't give the ball away once) and he won the ball a good four or five times against Coutinho and Sterling. I'd maybe like to see him getting a bit more involved - he didn't seem to demand the ball that much - but then he's only a kid in a team of stars so that's understandable. A very mature performance for a teenager.

[The Rosk]

nah he did give the ball away a few times in the first half. I couldn't be arsed to watch the second half. Happy for the kid. I wonder where Bamford will be next season.

[Simon]

You fucking liar.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEqFAoRWgAA9gf-.jpg

[Ringo]

Yeah, thought he did really well. Was miffed when he came off because Mikel seemed like the obvious candidate but I suppose I can follow Mourinho's reasoning. Brown and Ake to feature against West Brom apparently. I'd imagine Bamford will go back to Boro next season if they get promoted.

[The Rosk]

You fucking liar.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEqFAoRWgAA9gf-.jpg

oh God he's like those players on FIFA where he gets the occasional 100% passing completion rate but that doesn't include when he runs it into trouble or Alf of play.

[RFF Champ]

Pearson and Crowley are gonna give Everton the runaround tonight.

[son_of_foley]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFyV9CUhtHo

Watching this guy on BT Sport atm and he looks the biz

[MikeHunt]

fm15 legend.

[son_of_foley]

Feck should have expected as much. Unreal touch

[Simon]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2015/oct/06/next-generation-2015-20-of-the-best-talents-at-premier-league-clubs

Interesting, never heard of any of these players other than Edwards for Spurs.

[BBF]

Oxford played (well) against arsenal on the opening day.

[Simon]

Oh yeah sorry missed him, seems to have disappeared after a decent start but I guess with Noble and Song in there he has competition.

[Reech]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2015/oct/07/next-generation-2015-50-of-the-best-young-talents-in-world-football

I only recognised the Arsenal players and that Real Madrid guy.

[Simon]

The Belgian kid was at Tottenham until recently, he was in our youth team and has already played a couple of times for Wolfsburg's firsts.

[RFF Champ]

Good to see Man Utd have finally let Ben Pearson go and get some games. One to watch at Barnsley.

Man Utd have let him go without ever giving him a game, which has surprised me. I think this will come back to haunt them.

[Simon]

I imagine it won't have been done without thought - say what you want about van Gaal but he hasn't been in the least bit worried about playing the youngsters.

On a related note I think Borthwick-Jackson looks a really good prospect at left back for United.

[RFF Champ]

I imagine it won't have been done without thought - say what you want about van Gaal but he hasn't been in the least bit worried about playing the youngsters.

On a related note I think Borthwick-Jackson looks a really good prospect at left back for United.

It's an indication of LVG looking to have players mould to a system rather than vice versa, Pearson isn't just going to knock it around passively. He's not another Daley Blind and that's always going to be a problem under LVG. The writing was somewhat on the wall when he didn't get taken to the US in pre-season and also that Sean Goss is getting in squads ahead of him.

100k is a steal for Preston. Man Utd are terrible at transfers.

[RFF Champ]

A lot of the youngsters that LVG has played have been a case of right place right time. Tyler Blackett played so many times because LVG wanted a left footed centre back, he's not going to cut it at Man Utd long term. You can't argue LVG has been very coordinated in his use of youth, Wilson would be a good option for Man Utd but won't fit LVG's system because he's too direct and wants to shoot. Like him or not he has to be a better option than Nick Powell was brought on up front in the Champions League in the first game he played in about a year. Januzaj also another good youth player who was strangely let go one game after he made a real impact against Sunderland. The opportunities for academy players seem a mess, they're only being given the chance if they're desperate and if not then Fellaini will just cover any position at all.

[RFF Champ]

Luke Garbutt has been shite for Fulham. Gave away a pen tonight and then hauled off after half an hour. Very disappointing.

[Simon]

On a related note I think Borthwick-Jackson looks a really good prospect at left back for United.

I was ahead of the curve on this, now everyone rates him :cool:

[RFF Champ]

BBF could have played 10 times for Man Utd at 18 and people would rate him.

[Simon]

You saying you don't rate CBJ? He looks really good. Technically good, lightning quick and his crossing is superb. Not sure I buy the idea that he's a centre back in the making as he's paper thin, but at left back he looks a real prospect. One of the few bright sparks at United this season.

[RFF Champ]

I wouldn't like to comment at this stage. Plenty of promise but enough question marks to not get carried away. He looks very weak in the tackle, I believe he's won only one tackle in his 8 appearances. I'm not convinced he's lightning quick either, he runs weirder than Sebastian Coates. I was very impressed with Luke Shaw before he went down injured, he was United's main attacking threat.

[BBF]

I'm a fucking good DM you pricks. I'll break up play and pick out the winger from 45 yards 9 out of 10 times. then come off cos I'm gassed

[RFF Champ]

A lot of the youngsters that LVG has played have been a case of right place right time.

Another good example of this last night. With Rooney, Martial, Fellaini and Januzaj all out a kid gets called up to the lone striker role and LVG gets praised for utilising youth.

[Simon]

The Guardian has put up another article about young players, this time specific to the Premier League.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2016/oct/04/next-generation-2016-20-of-the-best-talents-at-premier-league-clubs

I've heard very good things about Sancho (City) and Gomes (United), they both played as England U17s smashed Croatia 5-0 away the other day. Interestingly one of the highest rated academy players in England, Nya Kirby, doesn't have a club at the moment after leaving Spurs - he's trained with Chelsea and Arsenal but hasn't signed a contract yet.

[RFF Champ]

Group C looks lethal in this competition. Group winners going on to play group winners and only one second place team qualifying make it difficult to predict but that Portugal squad is so legit.

[son_of_foley]

I'm raging Im in work when the match is on. Quite looking forward to the tournament as a whole (saying that I'm in Boston next week)

[son_of_foley]

Random aside. It's weird to me that qualifying for the next one has already started :D

Assume the winners don't automatically qualify

[Simon]

Thought it was weird that France didn't qualify, but then I suppose most of their good U21s have already gone up to the senior squad...Dembele, Mbappe, Coman, Mendy, Kimpembe, Lemar, Zouma, Rabiot, Tolisso, Bakayoko and Martial would all be eligible for this tournament :eek:

[Simon]

Congratulations to James Ward-Prowse on winning his 8000th U21 cap.

[Beefy]

Don't think I'd seen any of those players play before. Only caught the last 20 minutes but it was bad. Decent save by the keeper.

[son_of_foley]

Where are city's youth players BTW aren't they normally running away with things? Thought a lot were English. Norwich at least have the Murphy brothers still coming through

[son_of_foley]

Boothroyd has changed how this team plays imo odd that southgate talks about consistency between sides. Don't see it

[RFF Champ]

Southgate just failed to introduce a flavour of the month formation so it's difficult to see any consistency.

[Simon]

Where are city's youth players BTW aren't they normally running away with things? Thought a lot were English. Norwich at least have the Murphy brothers still coming through

Younger age groups. Foden, Poveda, Nmecha and Sancho are all U17 or U18, Barker and Roberts are U20 (not sure why neither was in the squad that won the World Cup). The only other one I can think of off the top of my head that is rated is the centre back Adarabioyo (something like that), no idea how good he is but Wikipedia says he plays U19. So basically the answer is that City have a load of talented youngsters but most of the older ones around the U21 age group aren't English.

People who know what they're talking about are really excited about the younger age groups for England, moreso than the U20s which from what I've read were a bit of a surprise. Chelsea have a ton of players that are really highly rated - Mount and Ugbo (U18) and then Chalobah, Dasilva and Sterling (U19) are constantly talked about. A few others you might not have heard of to keep an eye on below the U21 age group...Edwards, Oakley-Booth and Sterling (Tottenham), Nketiah and Willock (Arsenal), Gomes (United), Brewster (Liverpool). That's not to mention all the players that are already playing regularly like Sessegnon, Davies, Alexander-Arnold, Ejia, Brereton etc. The people who really follow England at the younger age groups reckon there is a ridiculous amount of talent coming through, the only issue is working out how to make sure they get games to continue their development.

[Darkoke]

Roberts opted to stay with Celtic and see out the season with them. He's an absolutely fantastic player, most exciting player with the ball I've seen at Celtic for some time.

[wardy]

He would've been player of the season if he hadn't been warming the bench for Forrest for most of it.

[son_of_foley]

He's good but he's no pat mccourt

[Simon]

McCourt is a cult hero at Brighton, a lot of my mates said they constantly saw him out on the tear when he was at the club. Helps that he looks like a full-time alcoholic too.

http://www.northstandchat.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=58871&d=1411423849

[wardy]

He was an absolutely unbelievable talent. Check out his youtube videos if you haven't already.

[Simon]

Yeah he is the classic flawed genius. All the ability and none of the heart.

[RFF Champ]

Hughes really does seem a bargain at that price.

[RuneEdge]

Jadon Sancho has gone on strike. He doesn't feel he's going to get a chance at City and is trying to force a move away. Those who watch him play say that he might be England's best player in the U18 teams.
Spurs, Arsenal and United are after him now. Apparently he's good mates with Angel Gomes so hopefully he'll come our way. ;)

[Simon]

Apparently we're quite confident of signing him as he sees us as a team that is willing to give youth a chance. The Spurs guys that watch youth team football regularly reckon he would be a ridiculously good signing - one guy in particular was joking about how fans would see him as an underwhelming youth team signing when we should be spending £40m+ on a player for the first team squad, saying that within a year he will be that player, if he isn't already.

[RuneEdge]

I think he's from near the north London area, so it seems Spurs and Arsenal have the edge. From Sancho's POV, Spurs would probably look like the best move to make, especially since they haven't recruited players like the other top 6 EPL clubs have.
Providing he doesn't fuck it all up like Ravel Morrison did, Sancho could potentially be the most exciting English player since back when Rooney first broke onto the scene, according to those who've seen him regularly.