Watched John-Jules yesterday play wide-left for Blackpool. Had a couple of neat moments in open play & maybe 1 dangerous moment in the box. But he is almost certainly a CF and comes alive when getting goalscoring opportunities in the box so tough to pass a fair judgement. Especially as we currently looking for the CF to stick his hand up for this group.
He’s highly rated at arsenal, I haven’t seen much of him does he look more like a last man striker or poacher or does he go wide and try and beat his man?
Definitely not just a poacher, mate. Whilst Bowler on the opposite wing beat our player full-back a couple of times early on his decision-making was poor after that. Whilst TJJ isn't going to go on a driving run I thought he owned his space physically and if beat his marker linked well so had that spatial awareness. If he can do it central and higher up the pitch with support around & seeing his smart movement off the ball and having seen his finishing before he can be a well-rounded number 9. Problem obviously is Blackpool at the moment have Lavery and Yates scoring goals + Madine (old fashioned target-man to mix it up) but Critchley is giving him pitch time & maybe taking it slow with his injury record & building him up is the way to go.
Palmer gets a quick cameo role for City then plays for the EDS the same day and gets a hat trick. Funnily I always had the conception that he was a tier below Delap and Mcatee in potential but he really seems to be asserting himself as a top tier talent now.
I really think City need to make a decision on him in the New Year, either involve him more with the first team which imo should be a option considering Sterling’s continued poor form or send him out on loan in January as he’s just far too good for U23 football and won’t learn much playing at that standard now.
3 - Cole Palmer has become only the third teenager to score in the UEFA Champions League for Manchester City after Phil Foden and Kelechi Iheanacho. Aged 19 years and 166 days, Palmer is the 10th youngest Englishman to score in the competition. Impact. pic.twitter.com/JQiIzOwuqU— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 19, 2021
Tommy Doyle (@Tommy_Doyle8) vs 1. FC Nürnberg (DFB Pokal) 80% Pass accuracy4/4 Long balls2/2 Dribbles8/9 Ground duels6 Tackles1 Interception pic.twitter.com/HZ37bEv21f— 🚧Check Pinned🚧 (@FussballHJ) October 28, 2021
England MU21s v Czech Republic UEFA U21 EURO Qualifier 7pm, Thursday 11 November Turf Moor, Burnley Live on Sky Sports Buy tickets Georgia V England MU21s U21 International Match 6pm, Tuesday 16 November Batumi Stadium Squad named: 10am, Friday 5 November
On current form, I wonder whether Ben Johnson might get into this next Squad at the expense of Aarons?
The Squad Goalkeepers: Joe Bursik (Stoke City), Etienne Green (Saint-Etienne), Josh Griffiths (Lincoln City, loan from West Bromwich Albion) Defenders: Max Aarons (Norwich City), Charlie Cresswell (Leeds United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Anderlecht, loan from Manchester City), James Hill (Fleetwood Town), Valentino Livramento (Southampton), Luke Thomas (Leicester City) Midfielders: Tommy Doyle (Hamburg, loan from Manchester City), Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace, loan from Chelsea), Jimmy Garner (Nottingham Forest, loan from Manchester United), Morgan Gibbs White (Sheffield United, loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers), Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa), Oliver Skipp (Tottenham Hotspur) Forward: Folarin Balogun (Arsenal), Rhian Brewster (Sheffield United), Angel Gomes (Lille), Anthony Gordon (Everton), Cole Palmer (Manchester City), Emile Smith-Rowe (Arsenal)
Kind of what I expected, no really interesting new call ups. How Brewster is still being picked is beyond me!!
Also, must be the first time for a long time that we have had to call up a League one defender for this age group. Have we no other centre backs playing senior football above that level?
No Curtis Jones? CHO not accepting a call up again. A few too many odd progressions from some of our more talented players.
I’m starting to worry about some of our young players desire to play for our Country at the moment. It almost feels like it’s a burden for them especially at U21 level but it’s not helped by this misguided notion that they are told that they are too good for this level!
Alternatives aren't great. Jones missed the last club game, eye injury in training apparently. Read in the Telegraph Southgate called CHO personally basically asking him to represent the u21's for now and he rejected the offer. Luis Binks seems to have featured in five of the last six Serie A game for Bologna although mostly off the bench. Doesn't appear in the Scotland squads either. Wonder what the situation is there.
I imagine its more to do with the fact the under 19s have qualifiers and they would prefer to have Colwill there than sitting on the bench for the under 21's.