Paging DS Regarding Chris Eagles

[haven]

Any chance you, or someone else, would talk a little bit about the guy?

It seems like 2-3 years ago, he was trumpted as a possible attacking midfielder of the future. People said he had fantastic technique, creativity, and range of passing, with the only real question mark his slight frame.

Yet, the few times I've seen him in the past in games (whether cameos or league cup affairs), he's been mostly unimpressive. Not terrible, but far too lightweight and unable to compensate in other ways.

Lovely goal - and we could use another creative midfielder in the center of the field.

[MtP07]

DS's post in the reserve thread:

Chris Eagles
Age: 21
Nationality: English
Height est 5’9 position played: AM, SS, LW & RW

If Lee hasn’t sorted out his crossing and Watford don’t get promoted, Eagles may find himself back here. He’s far beyond a player like Kieran Richardson. Eagles has class to his game. It was always the end product that was erratic.


UPDATE


Ah Eagles, the enigma. An enigma that looks half way to being solved at last with a change of position and a new lease of consistency therein.

Eagles was a write off a year ago. He just had no self-belief or consistency to his game and would disappear for games at a time when his chance came to make an impression. Added to that was his penchant for shying away from the ball and really putting in performances he shouldn’t be capable of. Eagles has always had talent, he has always had a beautiful way of using the ball and a finesse that marked him out as quite unique in a reserves set-up where many players are unrefined and just trying to find their feet and a style of play they could carry into professional football.

He was loaned out to NEC and got very mixed reviews. I don’t think anything was expected of him and he didn’t disappoint. His style of play was just not dynamic enough for the wing. And with his new found roles of attacking mid and/or support striker he seems to have found a natural platform to perform on. His delicate touch, sudden passes and shots mark him out as really smooth player with the kind of technique that makes it obvious why we were interested in him in the first place.

This newfound Eagles is starting out a bit late. He’s already 21 and like D.Jones before him is getting very close to being too old for that level of footy. I guess where the likes of Gibson and Rossi are really special through the spine of the attack, Eagles is moderate in that particular role, as in, what you see him do there Rossi can do with his eyes closed and Gibson can pass in a superior manner. From that point of view it’s not likely that Eagles has a future here. What I could see happening is him ending up at a mid-table Colaship team for a few years and either rising from there up to the PL, or stagnating at that level and soon becoming a forgotten man. He doesn’t have the self-confidence and swagger of an AM or SS for a club likes ours and he’s not the type you’re going to rely on in big game situations or pressurised conditions – he’s your cameo man who one moment would look like a world beater and at other times like a small fish in an ocean.

If you were to liken his style to anyone active I think David Bentley without the confidence mixed with a bit of David Dunn would be apt. Like both players he is indeed capable of some great plays, goals or FK’s, where he differs from Bentley in particular is in the fact that he’s not going to take a game and turn it on its head with the necessary frequency for top flight football and more importantly, for a club who demands 3pts every week.

[littleman]

Lovely goal - and we could use another creative midfielder in the center of the field.

His build is terrible; the run for his goal was staggered and he almost fell over. But the finish was class. In fact, I've heard of Chris Eagles' free kicks and swerves 3-4 years ago when he was hailed as a successor to Beckham. I don't think it ever really materialized, and the boy MUST grow in frame to be of any use. He's also not a real winger but something like a wide right midfielder - a contrast to Park Ji Sung who has better physique but less technique especially for crossing.

He will never play in the center for Manchester United.

[haven]

DS's post in the reserve thread:

Eeek! And sometimes I criticize people for not checking other threads before starting their own!

[samabachan]

Reminds me a little bit of Luis Garcia - can play on the wing but being just behind a front man brings out the best in him. Also drifts in and out of games but is occasionally capable of those breathtaking moments.

[Dark Savante]

When Eagles was through on goal I had no doubts about the finish as long as he could keep his nerve. What you saw in the little time he was on is a microcosm of the player. Nervous, unsure, doubtful whilst having fantastic technique and shockingly good shot.

Eagles' penchant for the spectacular finish does belie his Bambi-esque approach play, but it is never an accident with how he finishes...unless he bottles it absolutely.

He's a wierd kid. He has a lot more talent than I think he believes he does. He gets overwhelmed a lot, like a psychlogical culmination of the pressure to deliver come crunch time. At Watford last term he was doing fine till the end of the season.. and then he bottled it...and barely featured in the play-offs.

Don't expect Eagles to play like he did for us if he got on again. It could go either way, he's incredibly erratic to the point of confusion. Ultimately I doubt he'll make it here because I don't expect him to mature until well into his 20's. Without that self-belief, arrogance and swagger our lot tend to have, he'll just be consumed by a stage as vast as OT. But...it's not a talent problem...being hugely inconsistent will never get you a proper role here.

Who knows where he'll land up or how he'll turn out 5yrs from now. Chris Eagles the world beater is just as feasbile as Chris Eagles the conference player.

[MtP07]

When Eagles was through on goal I had no doubts about the finish as long as he could keep his nerve. What you saw in the little time he was on is a microcosm of the player. Nervous, unsure, doubtful whilst having fantastic technique and shockingly good shot.

Eagles' penchant for the spectacular finish does belie his Bambi-esque approach play, but it is never an accident with how he finishes...unless he bottles it absolutely.

He's a wierd kid. He has a lot more talent than I think he believes he does. He gets overwhelmed a lot, like a psychlogical culmination of the pressure to deliver come crunch time. At Watford last term he was doing fine till the end of the season.. and then he bottled it...and barely featured in the play-offs.

Don't expect Eagles to play like he did for us if he got on again. It could go either way, he's incredibly erratic to the point of confusion. Ultimately I doubt he'll make it here because I don't expect him to mature until well into his 20's. Without that self-belief, arrogance and swagger our lot tend to have, he'll just be consumed by a stage as vast as OT. But...it's not a talent problem...being hugely inconsistent will never get you a proper role here.

Who knows where he'll land up or how he'll turn out 5yrs from now. Chris Eagles the world beater is just as feasbile as Chris Eagles the conference player.

So...if we could combine two players: Eagles' talent + K.Rich's arrogance = ???

[Vermont Red]

So...if we could combine two players: Eagles' talent + K.Rich's arrogance = ???

Exactly what I was thinking. I'd like if someone could Photoshop Richardson's hair onto Chris Eagles.

[Dark Savante]

So...if we could combine two players: Eagles' talent + K.Rich's arrogance = ???

I think I wrote quite a lengthy post once about the types that make it here having a self-belief that is forged from within - they think they are amazing...even if they're shite, and from there it's up to them where they take themselves to. Richardson, O'Shea, Fletcher, Brown etc, all have that swagger you associate with us. And that's why they have never been ran out of the club even when they had OT on their back and were getting panned from every corner. Richardson drives people mad because he just looks like he doesn't give a shit, he does, but he'll not let the crowd know that.

If Eagles got similar stick I think he'd burst into tears... he needs more mental strength. But no, not Richardson's arrogance..then he'd be an unbearable cnut. lol.

[The Guv'nor]

Had high hopes for Eagles a few seasons ago, looked so talented I was sure he could make it. Didn't really consider the mental aspects of it though.

[pgr17]

Clarets covet Eagles capture
Burnley manager Owen Coyle claims his side are in negotiations with Chris Eagles over a potential transfer to Turf Moor.

The 22-year-old winger has found senior opportunities limited since making his debut in October 2003, and hasn't made a first team appearance since last December.

Tabloid rumours have suggested that a host of Championship clubs are monitoring his situation, and Clarets boss Coyle admits his side face competition if they are to seal a deal for Eagles.

"It’s a bit complicated, in that there is another club interested in him, but he has real quality," Coyle told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

"We had a terrific meeting with him and his representative, obviously with permission from his club, because there would be a big fee involved in that."

[JediMindTricks]

i wonder who the other club is.

[Vermont Red]

Liverpool. They need to improve their wide positions.

[Achtung]

Liverpool. They need to improve their wide positions.

The race for fourth place gets more and more heart-stopping every year.

[pgr17]

i really can't believe that a lower Prem team wouldn't want him...

[Vermont Red]

i really can't believe that a lower Prem team wouldn't want him...

Liverpool.

[benni...]

i really can't believe that a lower Prem team wouldn't want him...

Why is that hard to believe? The kid cant hold his own physically. He has technique, but lacks mental and physical strength. Doesnt look like he has what it takes. He should try the USL....

[pgr17]

well just for the fact that United has kept him around this long... there has to be something there that they like. and then coming from a system like ours has to be good for any club.

[benni...]

well just for the fact that United has kept him around this long... there has to be something there that they like. and then coming from a system like ours has to be good for any club.

Could they have kept him around so long because no one else wanted him? He did go on loan a couple of times. Maybe they thought they could "harden" him.

[pgr17]

we'll probably never know.

hard for me to believe he is still only 23.