Although he had some poor decision making on diving which way, you gotta like Ashby-Hammond's confidence by taking a pen and smashed it into the top-left corner. To be fair if he chose the correct side every time he probably wouldn't have made a save because the Dutch pens were nearly perfect. Really, the one time he guessed right was the most saveable pen and I'm not sure if he could've kept that out because it looked like it hit his finger tips.
Yeah, not having a quality striker available was always a concern. As is often the case we just needed a teeny bit more quality in the final quarter. A lot of low crosses were straight to defenders, when there was time for a quick look up, and an obsession with going close to goal too often, where the congestion invariably is. Not that players seem to stand in space often enough. But we did have a number of goal scoring chances but couldn't finish one. It was a big chance to win the tournament but sadly we didn't take it. Still, onward and upward.
Ashby-Hammond impressed me the most probably, simply because I knew nothing about him unlike most other players and he was pretty much faultless all tournament. There are a lot of physically gifted players in that side but Anjorin and Amaechi are my picks because they seem to have a higher technical level than the others. Garner and Laird are class too. Garner is the type of player you don't often see coming through for England. I mean actually being really good at that kind of role.
Not that I'm going to whine about it particularly but O'Neill suggested the Dutch keeper was way off his line for his penalty save against us the other night? Anyone seen a replay? I just find this encroachment rule so inconsistent that it's annoyed me for some time especially with linesman supposedly watching the keeper on the line so these decisions should be so much more consistent but for some reason it's not. It's not as if it's a difficult decision to make either, in most cases the keeper is way off the line before the ball has been touched. http://www.the42.ie/martin-oneill-19-may-2018-4021172-May2018/
I thought he looked good the other night, especially on the ball. He reminded me of someone by the way of his playing style but I can't put my finger on who it is.
I've no idea why you think Anjorin has "good technical qualities" or what you have in mind by that very popular term. I do think, as I pointed out before the tournament started, that he is lumbering. A lumbering plodder. But hope that he might be a late developer and eventually liven up and start looking like he might make a player one day. He's a bit like Jay Emmanuel Thomas but without the skill and trickery.
Add Greenwood and Jones and this group isnt as far off the last group as I feared. Garner and Laird have futures.
Holland are really fearsome when it comes to penalties but we really missed a great opportunity to win this tournament, even without big guns: Jones, Greenwood, Amaechi and Laird.
Man Utd win the ICGT tournament - Mason Greenwood has been named player of the tournament. A brilliant achievement against some players over 3 years older than him.— jb8521 (@jb_8521) May 21, 2018
Greenwood should be promoted to u23 next year and possibly may go on tour with the first team in pre-season.
Crazy that they didn't win a single knockout game, won all 3 on penalties and didn't miss a single penalty (except for the re-taken Ireland one).
The sad thing is that Greenwood and these other talented kids will be left to be rot in the reserves like most england youth players . Until the premier league which is an english league looks after there own players the national will never be able to compete with the best in the world cup. It should be made compulsory by the english league that the managers must play english players for so many games in the season or else sanctions are imposed on their team.
People can't seem to grasp it's up to young players to PROVE they are good enough to be given a run in their club's first team. They are not running some sort of charity. Standards are high. If they can't demonstrate they are ready yet, they might need to get a decent loan somewhere to gain experience of men's football and prove their worth. Some just won't be good enough and would have to try their luck down the leagues or even get a proper job. Getting into an academy after they finish school is just the start. Not a guarantee of anything. It's up to Greenwood himself (and other likely lads) how far they progress. They have a lot of "recourses" put in to nurture them, but they have to have the drive to maximise their potential. I do wonder why so many people can't seem to grasp this.
I actually agree with The Guardian, it had to happen one day. Maybe the Premier League isn't the best set up to develop players, but all these clubs want their youth players to succeed.
The argument is too simplistic though. Granted players have to show individual worth but they also need a development pathway. Plenty of options are just loaned out for a fee to act as cover for contracted players. They have to rely on injuries to even get the chance on loan. Or they do well on a loan and are automatically dragged back to play zero football like say Harvey Barnes last season. Even the success stories we have had are littered with fortune. Harry Kane was heavily reliant on big signings beginning to flop (Soldado, Adebayor), a season in the Europa League where squad players get chances and a manager prepared to give him a run of games regardless. Any of that doesn’t happen and his development pathway gets blocked and he wouldn’t be as good now. Ferguson always said players get to a point where they need games at the right level or they just stagnate. Training with a top squad can only bring you so far. That is before you even go into individual management style. The idea that Lookman can make the team of a CL German club but not even make the bench for a English club with zero width. Who gets more chance to prove themselves in a first team role the £30 million signing from France or the youth product?
Exactly. Rashford also made it thanks to a miracle : without an incredible number of injuries he'd still play in the reserves today. Does this mean he wasn't good enough for the PL ? There are 2 issues 1/ too much money leads to laziness, less risky to spend money on a average player than to play a youth product. 2/ the style of the PL does not suit young technical players. This applies to english and foreign players. Matic Gnabry and many other players who proved to be excellent players could not make it in the PL. The Lookman example is spectacular too, does not get a minute at Everton and then shines in a much better team.