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Massimo Luongo - Ipswich

StartingPrice

Chief Sardonicus Hyperlip
Feb 13, 2004
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Think they are good at buying players ($), don't think they are that good at developing players. Interesting that AVB didn't play mceachran that much as i though he was supposed to be quite good?

Which kinda begs the question - why did they bother stealing Arnesen, dontcha think?
 

Misfit

President of The Niles Crane Fanclub
May 7, 2006
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McEachran didn't even see much playing at Swansea. Still not 20 yet (I think) but eh...been built up as the next big thing. Not yet, that's for sure.
 

StartingPrice

Chief Sardonicus Hyperlip
Feb 13, 2004
32,568
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McEachran didn't even see much playing at Swansea. Still not 20 yet (I think) but eh...been built up as the next big thing. Not yet, that's for sure.

Oh, I know it's early days, M, but the way they are throwing money around on exceptional talents in their early twenties* there can't be much hope for their youth product breaking through, even if they are pretty damned good individual players. I would love to know how AVB rated them in comparison to our younglings, both individually talent for talent, and as team players.

* As I have said previously, I think Chelsea have gotten themselves into the syndrome we had (that hopefully we are past now), of a new manager spending a lot of money on his nominees, being sacked quickly, and then the next new guy doing the same while not fancying the ones he inherited, leading a lot of frustrated talent (and some not :eek:) sloshing about, difficult to get rid of due to high wages and forming little cliques souring the atmosphere. I seriously believe there is a danger (hooray) of RDM struggling more in the league, not less, with all of these exciting young talents unaccustomed to the league and with fragile egos. They have lost their primary goalscorer - the ONE they could rely on, the problems they had with the old guard are still in place, thanks to Mr Abrahmovich, and they have a numpty twat Russian Mafioso owner who will be demanding results. With that set-up, I think there is as much chance of it being miss as hit.
 

liam17oi

Well-Known Member
Oct 9, 2003
2,698
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Would love to know how he rates Carroll whom I rate as very, very good. I think he could be massive for us if he's given the time.
 

Mouse!

Fookin' Legend in Gin Alley
Aug 29, 2011
6,303
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Massimo was MOTM tonight in his first professional game for Ipswich as they beat Bristol Rovers 3-1. What's interesting is that the Ipswich fans all really rate the quality of his passing and ball retention. Good news for Mass and good news for Spurs. How good would it be to see Luongo, Kane, Townsend, Carroll, Pritchard, Coulibaly, Smith et al. all break into the first team? This may be a bit optimistic but it seems we really do have some high quality youth players coming through.
 

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Chief Sardonicus Hyperlip
Feb 13, 2004
32,568
10,280
Massimo was MOTM tonight in his first professional game for Ipswich as they beat Bristol Rovers 3-1. What's interesting is that the Ipswich fans all really rate the quality of his passing and ball retention. Good news for Mass and good news for Spurs. How good would it be to see Luongo, Kane, Townsend, Carroll, Pritchard, Coulibaly, Smith et al. all break into the first team? This may be a bit optimistic but it seems we really do have some high quality youth players coming through.

I don't think it is optimistic at all :)

Dan Levy has invested a huge amount of time, effort and, most importantly, money, in reinventing our youth set-up so that it regularly produces good quality players. There's a good thread on it right now, perhaps you should drop in - SI is the authority in here, though there a few others who know their stuff, Windy on t'Internet is a must read (y)
 

elDiablo

SC Supporter
Feb 2, 2005
4,579
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Massimo was MOTM tonight in his first professional game for Ipswich as they beat Bristol Rovers 3-1. What's interesting is that the Ipswich fans all really rate the quality of his passing and ball retention. Good news for Mass and good news for Spurs. How good would it be to see Luongo, Kane, Townsend, Carroll, Pritchard, Coulibaly, Smith et al. all break into the first team? This may be a bit optimistic but it seems we really do have some high quality youth players coming through.

That is a large amount of players, and for me, even if there isnt space at our club, it would be great to see our products playing the prem and doing well.
 

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Chief Sardonicus Hyperlip
Feb 13, 2004
32,568
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That is a large amount of players, and for me, even if there isnt space at our club, it would be great to see our products playing the prem and doing well.

To hell with that, have you just dropped in from the plane Zog...I wanna see profits, lad...PROFITS :barefoot:
 

Mouse!

Fookin' Legend in Gin Alley
Aug 29, 2011
6,303
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That is a large amount of players, and for me, even if there isnt space at our club, it would be great to see our products playing the prem and doing well.

Large amount of players but United brought through a huge number in the 90's, with the talent we have and the new training facilities, I see no reason why we can't do the same. It's rare, but possible.
 

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Chief Sardonicus Hyperlip
Feb 13, 2004
32,568
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Large amount of players but United brought through a huge number in the 90's, with the talent we have and the new training facilities, I see no reason why we can't do the same. It's rare, but possible.

For which read an important part of Levy's transfer policy...that he seemingly doesn't have (y)
 

delpiero

Well-Known Member
Aug 5, 2011
639
659
Guy at work is a huge Ipswich fan, just said to me, and I quote:

"Watched him the other day, he's class! Basically he's cemented himself as one of the first 3 names on the teamsheet, fantastic playmaker. Just hope our fans don't get on his back when he eventually makes a mistake. Got a quality player there."

Lets hope he does the biz for the rest of the season and we'll see if he can push for a prem team next year.
 

brendanb50

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2005
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He certainly seems intent on marking a mark.

A genuine question I would like to ask AVB, and it does involve Cheslea, would be how he rates our younglings in comparison to theirs - given that they stole Frank Arnesen because they can't have their own good ideas and they are still having to spend huge amounts of money and don't seem to have any young players that they feel they can trust.

Certainly looks that way. IMO a bit early to tell but if ML's attitude is good, there's no reason why he can't push on.

On your points RE chelski, i'd guess AVB has given his assessments. I'd say a real stand out for them has been Bertrand over the past 12months. Can't say many others spring to mind though as having come through the ranks? I'm not sure frankie was all he was cracked up to be in this regard.


Anyways great to see such a positive start for ML. Let's hope he keeps it up!
 

ShelfSide18

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2006
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Saw this kid in the Next Gen against Liverpool last year, like the look of him a lot - he's a real busy git in the CM, loved getting on the ball with pass and move, pass and move. Potential there certainly.
 

StartingPrice

Chief Sardonicus Hyperlip
Feb 13, 2004
32,568
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Certainly looks that way. IMO a bit early to tell but if ML's attitude is good, there's no reason why he can't push on.

On your points RE chelski, i'd guess AVB has given his assessments. I'd say a real stand out for them has been Bertrand over the past 12months. Can't say many others spring to mind though as having come through the ranks? I'm not sure frankie was all he was cracked up to be in this regard.


Anyways great to see such a positive start for ML. Let's hope he keeps it up!

McEachran is also supposedly well thought of.
Yeah, they seem to have a lot of faith in Bertrand...if he can pull himself away from philosophising for five minutes...sheeeeesh.

I don't know about Arnesen. Our imrpovement clearly started when he was hired, and Chelsea clearly thought highly enough of him to pay a considerable anount of money for his surfaces. I think the problem in assessing him is that, with us, a lot of his wrok is only know comng to fruition but he had first team responsibilities as well, with the Chavs he only had responsibility for setting up the youth side of things, so it may be a few years before anyone can really make a judgement.
 

brendanb50

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2005
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McEachran is also supposedly well thought of.
Yeah, they seem to have a lot of faith in Bertrand...if he can pull himself away from philosophising for five minutes...sheeeeesh.

I don't know about Arnesen. Our imrpovement clearly started when he was hired, and Chelsea clearly thought highly enough of him to pay a considerable anount of money for his surfaces. I think the problem in assessing him is that, with us, a lot of his wrok is only know comng to fruition but he had first team responsibilities as well, with the Chavs he only had responsibility for setting up the youth side of things, so it may be a few years before anyone can really make a judgement.

Very true, it's always hard to assess the work done at that level. I'm a bit on the fence regarding his contribution for us, however i would say the shift in focus to youth level, which was clearly part of Arnesen's MO, was an important step for us as a club.

Seeing how the Chelsea set up continues could be a less biased benchmark to judge Frankie on. Perhaps the sad part will be that he won't get much credit even if things do come off. Similar to the Wilkinson to O'Leary transition at Leeds which the latter took a lot of credit for.
 

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Chief Sardonicus Hyperlip
Feb 13, 2004
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1) Very true, it's always hard to assess the work done at that level. 2) I'm a bit on the fence regarding his contribution for us, however i would say the shift in focus to youth level, which was clearly part of Arnesen's MO, was an important step for us as a club.

3) Seeing how the Chelsea set up continues could be a less biased benchmark to judge Frankie on. 4) Perhaps the sad part will be that he won't get much credit even if things do come off. Similar to the Wilkinson to O'Leary transition at Leeds which the latter took a lot of credit for.

1) That's the point, isn't it. In discussing the innovations at youth level, I always say that when Levy took a moratorium after sacking GHodd, and then appointed Arnesen, the young players it will have truly benefitted would have been the lower age range, say 14 YOs (I just don't think it is feasible to imagine someone coming in to instill a totally different ethos of player development to effect a massive change to 18 YOs, when the whole point is that we are trying to change habits and attitudes that set-in in the formative period (probably 12 to 15). By that reckoning, I think 14 YOs seven years ago should be the first age group where we should really be looking to see marked improvements, and even then, not the full flowering. And what I see is a lot of highly regarded 19 - 21 YOs coming through (although, admittedly, not all of them were in our academy but came in from other clubs after 16).

2) I agree - I believe we will be reaping the benefits of the changes Levy set in motion, after the GHodd sacking, for years to come. There was a reason Levy took a time out, and had a good long think about things - and he is bluddy good at what he does, and I mean that, primarily, in a business environment, and not just an assessment of his job as chairman of THFC.

3) I agree...but, paradoxically, there is more of a danger, there, with a cavalier owner throwing stupid money around, that youth might not get its chance, no matter how talented.

4) Is it hell, feck him, the slippery, treacherous feck :) It's funny, because Comolli also did a large amount of continuity work in our youth set-up, hiring and policies, and may never get credit for it.
 
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