True. Without watching him play, the statistics are the only objective metric of which we can use to describe his progress and development.
To which I would add, we would each need to watch full games in person to get a true picture, watching games on TV being a poor substitute for the real thing.
Indeed. When I bring new folks to a game, I never shut up. But that's nothing new. I'm like watch this player off the ball, watch that player off the ball. Watch the goalkeeper reshape the backline. People are like how do yo watch all of that? It comes with time. Mostly, you have to know the players on your team and the opponents in the league before really appreciating a game in person.
Right. If he is developing the vision for the game that is necessary to create then that is progress.
Started: #U19 vs. @bayer04fussball - ab 13 Uhr rollt der Ball. #schmiede #s04 pic.twitter.com/cFn9wjsfbd— Knappenschmiede (@knappenschmiede) April 30, 2017
Tomorrow's the final game of the regular season. They play on the road at Wuppertaler. The only way they won't make the playoffs is if they lose, Dortmund gets one point (or more) and Leverkusen gets three points.
Almost assist for Haji 🎥 Die Tore bei #WSVU19 [1:1]. #schmiede #s04 pic.twitter.com/TOzsCUmUh6— Knappenschmiede (@knappenschmiede) May 6, 2017
Schalke is firmly entrenched mid-table now, safe from promotion but with Europa League unrealistic, so I'd expect to see Haji play for the first team next week, and maybe McKennie as well. If neither play that would be an example of organizational malpractice, and it's something we will take into consideration when we decide to send more players to the club or not. They are still unproven when it comes to being fair to Americans. Right now they just accepted them into their academy, just as about anybody would have.
They have the U-19 playoffs. Those are important in Germany, although next weekend they don't have a match. Its midweek then the next midweek, but I don't think either McKennie or Wright will play 3 matches in a week, and thats if they aren't on the U-20 WC team, which might take them out of consideration from all of this anyway.
Youth teams are about preparing prospects for the senior squad. They'd have done that already. Winning should be a secondary goal.
I agree, I'm just explaining why that probably won't happen. Both of them got pretty unlucky, really. McKennie missed the winter training camp with an injury. Wright did well at the winter training camp, but right as he might've been about to get a chance, they signed a new striker, and then sent him back down to the U-19's. If they were still in the Europa League (like Man United) and had nothing to play for in the Bundesliga, they might've given debuts to some younger players, but they bungled their match against Ajax in the last round. If they weren't in the U-19 playoffs, there would be a better chance that these players would get a chance with the first team. I think the best chance for either of them to play with Schalke's first team before the end of the season is for them to not be with the U-20's for the U-20 WC (whether not called in or not released), and for Schalke to go out to Bayern in the semi-finals. If that happens, the second leg would be on a Tuesday with the upcoming Saturday being the final Bundesliga match. Its possible that if their U-19 season ends on that Tuesday that they could be given some minutes on that Saturday, if Schalke's first team has nothing to play for.
No. First team, loan or reserves. If they see a first team future for him, probably one of the first two.
If they don't see a future for him, they should have allowed him to play at the U-20 world cup--assuming they didn't.
No, he can't. U-19's are for 99's and 00's next year. Nick can, the other two can't, and thats good. They are ready to move on up. They've both done pretty well this season. Nick hasn't had the best start so far, lets see if he can do better next season.
I wasn't stating thats the case. I think he probably starts next season with the first team, gets little playing time, and then goes out on loan in the winter, similar to what Fabian Reese did this season. And by the way, I wouldn't be so sure he would play at the U-20 WC, if they released him. I think the lack of releases applies for most of the omissions, but I think he would've been omitted, regardless. Ramos didn't rate him, going by his words and actions. I think thats completely crazy, but I think thats the truth.
From what people have reported and from what Tab has said ("We would have liked McKennie and Taitague"), my best guess is that (1) Ramos didn't ask for Wright and (2) Schalke probably wouldn't have released him if he had
On the bright side of these three not playing at the U-20 WC, tomorrow gives us a chance to actually watch them play. 10:55 AM ET is the first leg of the German U-19 Championship Semi-Finals in Munich. It'll be on German TV. Timothy Tillman is on Bayern's team. So that could be four Americans who will play in that game.
That's crazy that McKennie can't play with the U19's again. It seems like he barely got there this year. Or maybe that was Taitague? I honestly have no idea what they are going to do with McKennie. It's a toss up between them putting him with the first team or tossing him with the reserves. We haven't gotten any articles recently saying if the coaching staff rates him that highly yet.