The paucity of English opportunity thread

Gary Neville lead the charge today angrily criticising the work ethic (or lack of it) of the likes of Chamberlain. A lot of academy players looking to make their way in the game are similarly guilty. (A lot of people, I suspect, wouldn't have a problem with that - claiming it's all about the "technique").

I noticed Liverpool's Curtis Jones on Friday, sprinting almost the length of the pitch, a number of times, to get back to protect the keeper, when an attack broke down and the opposition had a quick break, Then again Gerrard is the sort who demands they do that. He also seems to condone some overly aggressive, even violent play.

 

Arsenal fc are in a shit way ATM and have been for a while

Awful coaching and tactics

Wouldn't surprise me if ox became great at another club

 

i'd add Tosin Adarabioyo + Maitland-Niles too. Would've liked Mitchell to have gone to play in L1 at left back till January just to continue to get used to the role. Ejaria, Clarke-Salter and Kenny are the ones who seem in a real no mans land to me. No idea what their managers want them for.

Generally i'm pleasantly surprised by the amount of players who are out and set to play games. Apparently Mandela Egbo started a Gladbach friendly this week and is expected to join the first team permanently after the International break.

 

I'd also add KWP, his presence seems pointless with the signing of Aurier.
Also can't see the logic at Everton: they badly needed a left-sided defender, and they sent Connolly out on loan without any substitute for Baines.

 

I think KWP will cover the LB position until Rose is back from injury.

 

He will back in a month, so KWP will twiddling his thumbs after then.

 

A minor point to note with respect to Hirst: we loaned out Sam Winnall yesterday, so our number of forwards has come down by one. That said, Winnall wasn't getting much game time anyway, so I don't know whether it'll bring Hirst into the fray to a meaningful extent.

 

What happened to his loan to Rotherham?

 

Well according to Carvalhal any loan was contingent on Hirst signing a new contract first. He hasn't signed a new contract yet, so no loan.

Can't say I blame him but I do hope that we can convince him to stay. The persistent bids from Leicester must surely be alerting the hierarchy to what they stand to lose, if they didn't fully appreciate it beforehand.

 

Sancho issues a statement - and more:

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...ansfer-news/who-is-jadon-sancho-wiki-13558587

 

Anyone see the Spurs game in full last night? Just before the end of the first half Dele Alli had a particularly pathetic attempt on goal using the wrong foot (his favoured right) - when he had a good chance of scoring. The co-commentator and expert analyst oddly claimed he was trying to be too clever and that people would be more impressed if he just scored. He was then asked if it was a case of it being too easy for such top players (so presumably they like to make it hard for themselves and risk ********ing up). This has to be bollocks doesn't it? Lots of players use the wrong foot all the time, but surely only because they don't like using their "bad foot" and haven't been encouraged to be competent with their "bad foot" from an early age - with coaches seemingly not bothered. Not to deliberately make it harder for them to succeed.

 

I know what u mean and agree

I think it was a lofted ball into the box and he miss hit it

 

The Boadu transfer made me think about all the guys at City who are seemingly in no mans land and just disappear for months at a time. Will Patching, Kigbu, Cam Humphreys, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marcus Wood to name a few. Are they just not going to play any football all year? Having all had a slight drop off in momentum last season.

Some will be injured but others just go zero dark for months on end.

In a similar vein, where are Ben Sheaf + Tafari Moore this season? What's their plan? I think Sheaf is injured.

Also it's a massive shame + red flag for me when people are reaching 30/40+ U23 games. I don't think there's ever any reason for it.

60+ - Harry Wilson, Cameron Brannagan, Jonjoe Kenny, Makasi (West Ham),
50+ - Maitland-Niles,
40+ - Ben Sheaf,
30+ - Joe Pritchard, Shayon Harrison, Tuanzebe, Virtue-Thick, Cam Humphreys, Tosin, Easah Suliman

There's always exceptions, and it's obviously just a general rule, but it'll be a bit of a wasted season for all of these guys unless they get out on loan in January or somehow break into the first team properly (which is unlikely in almost all cases).

 

Hopefully the lads that went abroad do well and those back home start to take notice.

 

Not quite sure where to put this but 6 out of the 25 players nominated for the Golden Boy award are English. Don't think any of them will win, maybe Rashford the best chance but doubt it, that said still good to get 6 players in.

🏆 2017 Golden Boy nominees!

Tuttosport have published their list of the best under-21 players in top European leagues.

Football's future. pic.twitter.com/8Nf3kXzGiF

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) September 19, 2017

Edit: Mbappe will win hands down

 

Is Joe Gomez's middle name really 'Dave'

 

Either that or Trigger is back from the grave ( God bless his soul )

 

@GuillemBalague Please read first then sign rt for all to sign https://t.co/jmGGTmgSX1 Thanks

— SaveGrassRootsFooty (@savegrassroots) September 19, 2017

Some of you might/should be interested to sign this.

 

Very strong selection this year.

 

Some of the Huddersfield academy kids have been offered trials at the likes of Man U:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-kids-targeted-Man-United-City-Liverpool.html

 

It's an english obsession, work ethic is important but I wouldn't like my attacking midfielder to track back in his own area. Don't think the national team has ever suffered from a lack of work ethic, we've always had plenty of that

 

I'm with Neville, Alan Shearer (and others) on this. Chamberlain epitomised what was wrong with Arsenal. For Liverpool's sake I hope he starts to "pull his socks up" and engage his brain when the opposition have the ball. It's called being a team player. And football is a team game.

 

Chamberlain's main problem is actually when he has the ball, as seen again yesterday, not a great passer, powerful but erratic dribbler, suspect first touch. Ozil gets plenty of stick in England because he supposedly doesn't work hard, was never a problem for Germany or Madrid.