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Ryan Mason - Lorient

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Spursidol

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Sep 15, 2007
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Yeah, ok. But Mason is already 21 years old. Only 2 year younger than Gylfi and 1 than Holtby.

Where was Gylfi 2 years ago ? He was playing in Hoffenheim in Bundesliga.
Where was Holtby 1 year ago ? He was in the last 8 of Europa League with Schalke.
Where is Mason now ? Playing in French 4th division.

This is not just a transfer policy issue : Mason is probably just not good enough.

Mason has been injured a lot in the last 2 years or so. Last season started at loan at Dioncaster (Championship) - played only a few games but fans rated him when he played. Brought back to Spurs and loaned out to Milllwall - but with Kane at the ssame time. Since you cannot play a 442 with a second striker (Kane) and play a 4231 with an attacking mid (ala VDV) at the same time, it was a clusterfuck loan - result was that Kane played and did well, mason hardly played.

So answer to your question - its poorly chosen loans which is why he's not been seen much.
 

B0NZ0

Active Member
Jun 8, 2003
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Mason has been injured a lot in the last 2 years or so. Last season started at loan at Dioncaster (Championship) - played only a few games but fans rated him when he played. Brought back to Spurs and loaned out to Milllwall - but with Kane at the ssame time. Since you cannot play a 442 with a second striker (Kane) and play a 4231 with an attacking mid (ala VDV) at the same time, it was a clusterfuck loan - result was that Kane played and did well, mason hardly played.

So answer to your question - its poorly chosen loans which is why he's not been seen much.

Whilst I appreciate that most players have a 'preferred position', it seems to be a common excuse used with Ryan. I don't doubt the boy has talent, but surely he must have some adaptability for different positions? Even VDV could play on the wing or CM if called upon. I've read numerous reports of his talent, but for years he's been loaned out and never played. We've dozens of kids on loan that seem to get games that don't reach the hype that RM has achieved. Just seems weird.
 

beats1

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Feb 22, 2010
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Whilst I appreciate that most players have a 'preferred position', it seems to be a common excuse used with Ryan. I don't doubt the boy has talent, but surely he must have some adaptability for different positions? Even VDV could play on the wing or CM if called upon. I've read numerous reports of his talent, but for years he's been loaned out and never played. We've dozens of kids on loan that seem to get games that don't reach the hype that RM has achieved. Just seems weird.
Tbf he has done well in other positions like at Doncaster he has done well on the wing and this season he has played well at CM for the U21's. It hasnt been years as well he was brilliant at Doncaster but his injury ended his season early, last season Doncaster were in a mess and it was clear he wasnt going to fit in to the system and then the Millwall loan was just weird. This season he hasnt had a loan until now and its not worked and it seemed he was picked by the chairmen or DoF and not the manager
 

beats1

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Feb 22, 2010
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These are our weeks of injury. COuld be Masons end of his Spurs career.
Thats fine to be honest he needs to go away and make the right move for himself and play, he can still be a top player and world class if he makes the right choices and builds on his talent, even if sounds insane now but he has still played plenty of footy compared to some players when his age who went on to be world class

Im not suggesting in anyway he is world class
 

whitelightwhiteheat

SC Supporter
Jul 21, 2006
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Unfortunately he appears to be very fragile. Either that or very unlucky. Or maybe both.

Either way, as sad as I am to say it, it's probably time for him to move on and try to get his career on track if he can. Shame really, as potentially he is very talented.
 

newbie

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Jul 16, 2004
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I had massive hopes for mason I think is meant to be the most talented of that crop, would u agree with that spurs idol ? Yet things have not gone his way with bad loans, injuries.
 

Spursidol

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Sep 15, 2007
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I had massive hopes for mason I think is meant to be the most talented of that crop, would u agree with that spurs idol ? Yet things have not gone his way with bad loans, injuries.

Certainly the stand out performer of that crop in the Academy - about 30 goals in each of the 2 years in the academy playing in the hole behinfd Obika.

First 6 months of a loan to Yeovil at age 17 seemed to be goung well with about half a dozen goals - good for a 17 year old on their first loan - but then the injuries kicked in, so Yeovil loan came to an end and in a season and a half at Championship Doncaster he played in only a relative few games (fans generally iompressed when he did play though), followede by an ill tought out loan to Millwall with Kane (so only one likely to play much and it was Kane). This season in u 21's seemed to be getting back to an injury free season with some good games as a CM (mainly), not as standout as before but very good none the less....and then a meaningless non playing 'loan' at Lorient.

Not sure whether he will stay art Spurs next season or indeed what we would do if he stayed. Could he step into the first team squad without much experience at playing at Championship or higher level football ? Its a big jump.

Alternatively loan him - but not sensiible to loan him to Championship, he's too good for that !
 

Kendall

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Feb 8, 2007
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When I saw this thread I thought someone was having a bit of a joke and he was actually at Leyton Orient. I had no idea he was in France.
 

JUSTINSIGNAL

Well-Known Member
Jul 10, 2008
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With his contract ending this summer I won't blame for wanting to move on. We've handled the tail end of his development pretty poorly IMO.
 

Spursidol

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2007
12,636
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When I saw this thread I thought someone was having a bit of a joke and he was actually at Leyton Orient. I had no idea he was in France.

Someone at Spurs probably made a mistake and read L.Orient as Lorient too :D

No wonder Mason was having problems understanding what position the coach was asking him to play :eek:
 

B0NZ0

Active Member
Jun 8, 2003
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With his contract ending this summer I won't blame for wanting to move on. We've handled the tail end of his development pretty poorly IMO.

Harsh, I’m not going to blame the club, nor the player, I’m just going to accept the fact that you can’t guarantee anything and sometimes things just don’t work out.
 

newbie

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Jul 16, 2004
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I think we need to keep him he is a talent and maybe first team pre season might shine with better players around him.
 

vonn

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Jan 11, 2011
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http://windycoys.com/2013/06/ryan-mason-spurs-prospect-and-his-non-start-in-lorient/

"Ryan Mason: Spurs’ prospect, and his non-start in Lorient

Ryan Mason caught the eye of many a watcher as an apprentice – prolific as he was in an impressive youth career. Playing mostly as a number 10 (second striker), he formed a lethal partnership with Jon Obika at U18 level for Spurs, and scored 29 goals in 31 appearances in the 2008/9 season. This led to him signing a pro cotract in June 2008.

The hype was there: Darren Bent was asked in a mainstream press interview who the best prospect he’d seen at Spurs was – he answered ‘Mason’. Sally Williams, a Telegraph journalist, wrote in her 2009 article that Spurs were keen for her to meet Mason, with John McDermott speaking highly about his ‘mono vision’, and saying ‘He’s incredibly dedicated, verging on obsessed.’ And, of course, he made his professional debut as an 18 year old in the UEFA Cup – coming off the bench against NEC Nijmegen. Involvement in the England U19 and U20 set-up showed that he wasn’t just rated within the club.

A move to League One Yeovil seemed the ideal way to toughen him up, and it was interesting that he often played in the central midfield battleground. His impressive first season on loan led to involvement in Spurs’ pre-season the following summer, and I for one was hopeful of him being around the first team squad. Instead, he was sent back out on loan. His progression continued, however, as he moved to Championship cub Doncaster Rovers, where he made five starts and ten substitute appearances in an injury-hit spell. Doncaster took him back for the following season, but injury struck again and restricted him to just five appearances. He regained fitness and joined Millwall for the end of the season, making four starts and two substitute appearances.

When Andres Villa-Boas took over at Spurs, much was made on a new focus on youth; I felt hopeful that Mason would be one of those close to the squad. I thought I had my wish in September, when Mason first came off the bench against Lazio in the Europa League, and then played nearly 70 minutes against Carlisle in the League Cup. Thereafter, however, we only saw glimpses – an unused sub in one game, and an 85th minute cameo against NK Maribor.

However, slightly under the radar, Ryan had established himself as one of the integral players for Spurs’ Under-21s, playing consistently well in a central midfield berth in the Under-21 Premier League.Then came the transfer window. Lorient. Ligue Une. Well-connected journalists emphasised that the club wanted Mason to go to a “technical” league (rather than, say, the Championship) which should have, in theory, suited his style perfectly.

Mason essentially confirmed as much, giving some insight into the move in an interview with the Standard’s Tom Collomosse in February: “Ligue 1 seems similar to the Premier League in its pace and physical style, and you have a whole week to prepare for games. I doubt I’ll be able to go home before the end of the season so I’m out of my comfort zone but, hopefully, I will be able to progress.”

He went on, “I don’t think I’ve made as many appearances for Spurs as I should, or maybe I’ve deserved,” he admitted. “By the age of 21, I definitely expected to have made more than four. The club thought it would be more beneficial for me to move abroad because we thought it might suit my style of play better. When the offer from Lorient came in, I said I wanted the move to happen. Within an hour of landing, I was training.”

He finally went on to say, “Andre Villas-Boas wished me luck and told me to get good experience. It’s hard to break into the Spurs team because there are so many talented young players around. But next year is the year I want to break through.”

Months later, and after being named on the bench just once and playing four minutes for Lorient II, Mason’s frustration were clear from his Twitter timeline alone. A rumour did the rounds that it was in fact Lorient’s chairman that had arranged the transfer – potentially without the manager’s agreement. The use (or lack of use) of Ryan implied that the rumour may have had some substance to it. In April, he returned to White Hart Lane.

A talented and committed player with excellent technical attributes, Ryan is someone who should have seen a lot more playing time than he has at the ripe old age of 22. I look at someone like James McCarthy at Wigan and wonder whether Ryan would be playing at a similar level had he had the same opportunities.

Sometimes just being in the right place at the right time is crucial; perhaps next year will be the year that Ryan Mason finally makes the breakthrough, be it for Spurs or otherwise."
 

tonyc

Well-Known Member
Sep 10, 2004
502
250
I recall reading that RM was the outstanding player in our U21 match vs Utd in the 1st half of last season - and which game had several players on both teams that had played first team previously. I for one really do hope we give the lad a proper chance - and that he takes it.
 
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