Grant Hall, Alex Pritchard & Ryan Mason - Swindon Town

[Bus-Conductor]

http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=52746.120 loads of adulation for Prithchard here.

I don't see him making it for us because we've come so far but he'll probably be a good champioship/low end PL player.

I don't mean to sound harsh but it's the most likely truth.

Genuine question, have you seen him play, not just clips ?

 

[EnfieldYiddo]

Genuine question, have you seen him play, not just clips ?

Only in the next gen and half a dozen u21 matches I caught last season.

I do think he's got good attributes and potential, I just don't see him making it for us.

It's not even about his talent, he could theoretically have the potential to perform at a consistently high level for us.

I just feel league 1 isn't going to do him the world of good at 20. Fast forward to next season and then it'll be another loan perhaps championship... He needs a prem loan ASAP to prove his credentials and perfect his game (look at Townsend) if he is to stand a chance of becoming a genuine first teamer for us.

Our policy seems to be buying youth from abroad who can do a job immediately in the first team.

Look at Eriksen, a year older than Pritchard but with 3-4 years of CL experience and playing for a top flight club.

I may have not articulated my originally post well, it was more a dig our club's youth policy (and in general, premier league clubs and their neglect of young, English players)

So yeah, I stand by my point that he won't make it for us... I also fear that it will be because of a lack of opportunity as opposed to talent.

For what it's worth, what I've seen I'm not wholly convinced he has the potential to be a top class talent but, I'd love to be proved wrong.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Only in the next gen and half a dozen u21 matches I caught last season.

I do think he's got good attributes and potential, I just don't see him making it for us.

It's not even about his talent, he could theoretically have the potential to perform at a consistently high level for us.

I just feel league 1 isn't going to do him the world of good at 20. Fast forward to next season and then it'll be another loan perhaps championship... He needs a prem loan ASAP to prove his credentials and perfect his game (look at Townsend) if he is to stand a chance of becoming a genuine first teamer for us.

Our policy seems to be buying youth from abroad who can do a job immediately in the first team.

Look at Eriksen, a year older than Pritchard but with 3-4 years of CL experience and playing for a top flight club.

I may have not articulated my originally post well, it was more a dig our club's youth policy (and in general, premier league clubs and their neglect of young, English players)

So yeah, I stand by my point that he won't make it for us... I also fear that it will be because of a lack of opportunity as opposed to talent.

For what it's worth, what I've seen I'm not wholly convinced he has the potential to be a top class talent but, I'd love to be proved wrong.

Fair enough. I actually think he has an impudence and confidence to make it, if he gets the chance, and as you say, that is not a given. But the chances given to Walker, Caulker, Townsend, Rose recently give me a little hope.

It's really hard to call when they are still in the development stage because some you think a great as kids just don't make it, and it's not always about talent, confidence, character, mentality and luck also play their part.

Pritchard seems to have the attributes to me though. He reminds me of a Nasri type, and does have confidence and a good mentality, and if he was Danish or Dutch he'd probably be further along in his development now, as they don't have the cash to buy ready made, they are forced to progress their own development players quicker.

Time will tell but of all the players I've seen in our development group he's the one that has impressed me most creatively.

 

[EnfieldYiddo]

Fair enough. I actually think he has an impudence and confidence to make it, if he gets the chance, and as you say, that is not a given. But the chances given to Walker, Caulker, Townsend, Rose recently give me a little hope.

It's really hard to call when they are still in the development stage because some you think a great as kids just don't make it, and it's not always about talent, confidence, character, mentality and luck also play their part.

Pritchard seems to have the attributes to me though. He reminds me of a Nasri type, and does have confidence and a good mentality, and if he was Danish or Dutch he'd probably be further along in his development now, as they don't have the cash to buy ready made, they are forced to progress their own development players quicker.

Time will tell but of all the players I've seen in our development group he's the one that has impressed me most creatively.

Yeah, the Dutch or Danish remark you make is spot on, that's just the nature of the premier league with all the money involved, it's a double-edged sword at times.

Yeah I mean, we're stacked in attacking positions at the moment.

I'm sure you're a fan of this idea BC... Personally I'd shift out Sigurdsson amongst others, to free up positions for Pritchard and co. in the squad.

The flipside with that is then he doesn't get the game time to properly develop, such a conundrum.

We will see and like I said, I'd be ecstatic to be wrong about Pritchard.

 

[jambreck]

Pritchard is a little behind in his development.

But only because of his diminutive size, IMO. He would have been repeatedly flattened by League One or Championship defenders and midfielders if he had gone out on loan aged 18 or 19, as his Spurs youth team mates did. It would have done him no good at all.

An extra year or two in the youth team and development squad has allowed him to fill out and bulk up a little. He is better able to handle the physical side of the game now and, with his innate talent, I expect him to make rapid progress.

 

[SlickMongoose]

82:38 Goal scored
Goal! Goal! Swindon Town 1, Walsall 3. Nile Ranger (Swindon Town) header from the left side of the six yard box to the top left corner. Assisted by Alex Pritchard.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

See Mason also started in his best position (according to sky team sheet). Anyone know how he played ?

 

[SlickMongoose]

Pritchard got booked for diving (again).

 

[idontgetit]

 

[jambreck]

Nice vid.

 

[Spursidol]

Nice vid.

Provided its played on mute - horendously distrating music

 

[Mouse!]

Hope we have a buy back clause for Luongo. Guy gets goals from CM!

 

[wpd659]

Pritchard will have an assessment when he gets back end of the year by the coaches/management staff that have watched him every game. And will make a decison if he will be loaned again or kept for devolpment here ie. League cup games. From the way he is being viewed atm and keeps progressing will be back here next year.

 

[Spursidol]

Pritchard will have an assessment when he gets back end of the year by the coaches/management staff that have watched him every game. And will make a decison if he will be loaned again or kept for devolpment here ie. League cup games. From the way he is being viewed atm and keeps progressing will be back here next year.

Any feedback on Hall or Mason (I know he's not played many games due to injury)

 

[IGSpur]

Pritchard will have an assessment when he gets back end of the year by the coaches/management staff that have watched him every game. And will make a decison if he will be loaned again or kept for devolpment here ie. League cup games. From the way he is being viewed atm and keeps progressing will be back here next year.

Love that news. Would we get enough games for him though in League Cup games. We face West Ham this year right, get past them then not only is it the semis but it will be against big sides. Doubt AVB would risk throwing him in then so close to a trophy esp with our huge squad.

Would be great for him to get game time but even I, as a big fan of our academy, would be reluctant to throw him in so close to a trophy.

Perhaps a loan to Champ team? or even a Crystal Palace. They're struggling could provide some attacking impetus wouldnt make them worse

 

[spurs9]

In 13 league games he has 2 goals and 7 assists which makes him joint top for assists in the league with a player that has played 2 more games (but has 3 more goals).

I thinking he is doing the best of all of the loanees ATM.

 

[eddiebailey]

Swindon back to winning ways and back in the play-off places with a 2-1 win at Colchester. Of the loanees only Hall started, with Pritchard coming on with 20 mins to go (he apparently missed a chance to put the game beyond doubt, by attempting an overambitious lob when it would have been easier to round the keeper). Mason is injured (one of the most over-used phrases on this site.)

Swindon fans still seem unconvinced by Hall, but old boys Kasim and Luongo continue to go great guns.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Pritchard got a goal and an assist today as Swindon won 3-1. Hall started, Mason came off the bench.

 

[IGSpur]

Apparently was the best player on pitch. His goal was another freekick I believe, showing he can do at professional level what he has been doing at youth level

 

[Snarfalicious]

So 3 goals and 8 assists for Pritchard? Not bad, not bad at all.