What's new

The Spurs Youth Thread - 2017/2018

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758
While I agree with both of your overriding points, since when was Chadli not at least a qualified success? He came in at a low price and, despite in large not being a first choice, managed to both score and assist goals with some regularity, provide a fair bit of flair and play more than his part as support act to the emergence of Kane as a top class player. Ginola or Bale he might not have been, but he deserves far better than being tarnished with the same brust as the likes of Paulinho and N'Jie who were unmitigated failures with us.

That wasn't what I meant to do. What I actually meant to do was use Chadli in a positive light and show that even Chadli who was actually a really good player for us, we eventually outgrew and sold. I would compare Chadli's input on a similar level to Townsend and Mason.

He was just the only player I can remember in recent times who we signed who wasn't outstanding but also was not a failure. He contributed to successes but ulitmately was not what we needed and moved on. Tat was the point we were making with the youth players, that they don't have to be a top 6 guaranteed start to be a success.

I'd hazard a guess that a lot of the top players we brought through would be more Chadli's than Paulinho which is my point. That we didn't even need to sign the Chadli's in some instances, though I acknowledge not every signing is an exact science.

Mentioning the others was just to show that we've wasted so much money on players that could have been filled with youth. I liked Nacer myself.

Its easy to point to the failures and state that the kids would do as good a job. But there is no Chairman in the world who could buy Eriksen but not Chadli, Dier but not Paulinho, Dele but not N'Jie etc. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

Again I agree with this. I don't dislike signing players, but if they aren't going to be for the first team, then why sign a squad player when we have our best academy player coming through in their position. I especially don't agree with stacking players in one position

Only signing I was initially skeptical of was Alli, but he doesn't even play in the same position as our best youngsters.

Paulinho not many could have predicted he could have been a flop but we also brought in Capoue, Stambouli and had an under performing Dembele at the time. Why couldn't have their minutes been given to Onomah when he was 17/18 from the bench. Why do we need 4 of them.

Similarly as BC regularly mentions why but N'Jie n N'Koudou when we have Oduwa in a similar mold. Why buy both Dempsey and Sig when we could have given Pritchard sub minutes. None of these players are top quality and again performed at a similar level or worse than Masons, Townsends, Bentalebs and Carrolls before being moved on anyway.

That's my only issue. I don't blame us for buying Soldado or Paulinho who were clearly attempts to improve the first team, it's the other squad signings I hav e a problem with, and again that's only in positions where we don't have an academy player. I don't have a problem in us signing a backup/squad player if I don't think there is anyone in the academy realistically able to step up
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
Sorry if I missed it ,but any details on the West Ham game yesterday .Apparantly we lost 3-2 .Presume it was mainly our U18.I know sakho and Reid played for them .So more U23 team for them.
 

Krafty

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2004
4,768
2,099
Not to worried about the comments on KWP - he can play some games, but if Trippier is out for a number of weeks it would be too much to expect KWP to play all those games. Porch didn't trust Walker to play every game, never mind someone yet to make their senior debut!

Still think with Dier able to cover RB, and Sissoko able to cover (ish) RWB, we don't need a new right back but if KWP played six games on the trot I can see him suffering fatigue, either mental or physical. Needs to be two steps forward, then a rest, then more exposure, and so forth.

Onomah - good on him on wanting to show he can play CM. I don't think he would have got enough games as a CM to prove himself, and would have continued to struggle as an AM, so hopefully this works out really well and he comes back next year ready to compete for the first XI
 

Blake Griffin

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2011
14,133
38,225
Miller 10. Good write up https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnati...am-hotspur-prospect-rankings-2017-will-miller

Anyone who has read my posts knows I rated him really highly at u18s, he's been very unfortunate, should play at at least Champsionship in the future

https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnati...hotspur-prospect-rankings-number-9-jack-roles

Reading this, I get the impression that they saw the clip of him running from CB and scoring and translating it to he used to be a CB. Though IIRC I did see him play more than one game at the back at u16s, he wasn't a CB.

And he did play for Cyprus there were highlights posted

#8 - sam shashoua

#7 - shayon harrison

#6 - cameron carter-vickers

not sure about harrison being described as a "big, strong player" and shashoua's mainly played from the right rather than the left over the past year+ but other than that decent write-ups.
 

LexingtonSpurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2013
13,456
39,042
My predictions:

5. Tashan Oakley-Boothe
4. Kazaiah Sterling
3. Josh Onomah
2. Marcus Edwards
1. Kyle Walker-Peters
 

Blake Griffin

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2011
14,133
38,225
My predictions:

5. Tashan Oakley-Boothe
4. Kazaiah Sterling
3. Josh Onomah
2. Marcus Edwards
1. Kyle Walker-Peters

maybe, i'm surprised they have sterling this high though(assuming they haven't left him out completely). for what it's worth my top five would be -

5. cameron carter-vickers
4. tashan oakley-boothe
3. kyle walker-peters
2. josh onomah
1. marcus edwards

i'd have whiteman and tanganga in my top 10 too, though they were only part of the "honourable mentions" list. others not even mentioned whatsoever like eyoma, tsaroulla and skipp would be up there as well.
 
Last edited:

Blake Griffin

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2011
14,133
38,225
Because Edwards is too small and isn't physically ready yet

too small in terms of what, height? if that's the case then he'll never be involved as he's not going to grow anymore now. that's not the reason he wasn't there though, he was still on the last few days of his break.
 

Hercules

Well-Known Member
Jul 23, 2014
5,694
156,565
too small in terms of what, height? if that's the case then he'll never be involved as he's not going to grow anymore now. that's not the reason he wasn't there though, he was still on the last few days of his break.
He will grow another spurt of 2 inches
 

WindyCOYS

Well-Known Member
Feb 24, 2016
479
1,588
maybe, i'm surprised they have sterling this high though(assuming they haven't left him out completely). for what it's worth my top five would be -

5. cameron carter-vickers
4. tashan oakley-boothe
3. kyle walker-peters
2. josh onomah
1. marcus edwards

i'd have whiteman and tanganga in my top 10 too, though they were only part of the "honourable mentions" list. others not even mentioned whatsoever like eyoma, tsaroulla and skipp would be up there as well.

For me, Harrison and Miller wouldn't be in the top 10, I'd probably have Tanganga and Eyoma in there instead. And probably others too.
 

Saoirse

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2013
6,143
15,550
Need to figure out the "training" regimen that Messi used to overcome his size...

Growth hormones with special dispensation from FIFA, I believe - he had a diagnosed medical condition causing his extremely small size as an adolescent.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
Growth hormones with special dispensation from FIFA, I believe - he had a diagnosed medical condition causing his extremely small size as an adolescent.

Wonder if that condition would have been "diagnosed" if barca weren't involved.
 

Saoirse

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2013
6,143
15,550
Wonder if that condition would have been "diagnosed" if barca weren't involved.
According to at least one source he was diagnosed two years before joining Barca and wasn't expected to even grow to 5 foot tall without treatment. Barca are more than capable of playing dodgy but I think this case is probably genuine and not really comparable to Edwards who's just small.
 

Cornpattbuck

Well-Known Member
Jul 23, 2013
6,873
15,942
According to at least one source he was diagnosed two years before joining Barca and wasn't expected to even grow to 5 foot tall without treatment. Barca are more than capable of playing dodgy but I think this case is probably genuine and not really comparable to Edwards who's just small.

Bit annoying that Edwards wasn't that little bit smaller in that case. We were so close to a Super Player!!!
 

BringBack_leGin

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2004
27,719
54,929
According to at least one source he was diagnosed two years before joining Barca and wasn't expected to even grow to 5 foot tall without treatment. Barca are more than capable of playing dodgy but I think this case is probably genuine and not really comparable to Edwards who's just small.
Also, Messi was always going to reach his current height even without the treatment, it would have just not happened in time for him to make it as a footballer.
 
Top