Player Watch: Nabil Bentaleb

[Breezer]

More people need to pay attention to the youth thread. It's usually around the first page so no excuses.

http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/ind...-under-18-leagues-and-other-youth-news.88939/

We have one of the best academies in the world. Our under-18's are monstrously good this season, our U-21's were phenomenal last season and we've got tons of great players coming through who will deserve game time in the next few years. A manager who is willing to promote youth players is a necessity for us, or all of this goes to waste.

And we should definitely be thinking about bringing Carroll back in January. But I think i've said that before.

Bentaleb specifically is a great prospect and very mature in his play. That we haven't given him any time in the cups this season is testament to how bloated our squad has become.

Keep an eye on Joshua Onomah. Still needs a few years to break through but from what I've been told this kid is special.

Also if anyone knows if our youth team players are ready for the next level, it's Tiger Tim:

 

[guiltyparty]

It just shows a complete lack of understanding. This isn't fifa, players don't just work as soon as you put them in your team. Things take time.

If you play games like me, they don't even do that in FIFA

 

[Xeeleeyid]

Not about to displace Paulinho from the team, but he looked composed on the ball and showed good understanding of the game, with decent distribution. He contributed to our greater control of the game in the 2nd half, so an excellent cameo, with hopefully more to come.

 

[Kendall]

I never knew we had guys like this hanging around the academy - even though I always hear about how our youth teams usually do well, I always assumed we were miles behind everyone else because we weren't really ever bringing guys through. But now with Rose, Townsend, Bentaleb etc. it looks like our academy may be bearing its fruits sooner rather than later.

Rose wasn't from our academy - he was from Leeds, Leeds, Leeds.

 

[Kendall]

He is definitely deserving of more involvement but we have to be cautious. We all remember when O'Hara looked great at the Emirates.

 

[Wardy]

Very impressed with his cameo yesterday (was that actually his debut for the 1st team) ?

Looked very assured on the ball and some really nice touches. Love it when someone just appears out of the academy onto the scene and really impresses. We've had some great talent come through the ranks in the last few years and fair play to Sherwood for being bold and picking him

 

[$hoguN]

Was just thinking of starting a thread so kudos.

The comments in the match thread when he brought the lad on instead of other were funny, usual SC end of the world stuff. But if we have to trust Sherwood on anything it is his knowledge of our youth players. Not only was it a composed and assured debut but a game changing sub IMO. He was at the heart of most of our attacks in the second half, always looking to play the ball forward. I would certainly like to see more of him although that just adds to the selection headache in midfield I guess. Gonna be hard keeping them all happy if Bentalab starts playing regularly.

I'm sorry but people rightly questioned the sub at the time. Yes, you are correct that we have to trust Sherwood's judgement to a degree but bringing Bentaleb on when he did could have been disastrous for both the kid and us. I am all for giving kids a chance when you can, but in a match against a Southampton side that usually have the majority of possession, the kid could have been dominated leading to us losing the match and shattering his confidence. I'm glad that it all worked out well and he put on the type of assured performance he has for our under 21s for the last couple of years (where he has been fantastic) but lets not act like there was not a huge element of risk in the substitution.

Fair play to Tim to sticking to his guns but the substitution was like having a 17 in Black Jack and choosing to twist, and to make it sound like people were panicking for no reason isn't fair especially when Capoue and Holtby were on the bench. I hope the kid goes on to make us have a think about options in January.

 

[Gbspurs]

I still maintain that Paulinho will soon be our best midfielder. A midfield 3 of Eriksen, Sandro and Paulinho is the best we have to offer IMO.

I still fully expect everyone to believe we have one of the league's best midfielders in Paulinho this time next year.

Fitting everyone in isn't going to be easy but those that aren't up for the challenge can leave in the summer. Best position to be in.

Can't wait until we are "full strength", especially in defence.

 

[XSuicideBunnyX]

Rose wasn't from our academy - he was from Leeds, Leeds, Leeds.

Damn, I shoulda known this - but he's been with us for yonks though. He came in 2007, so that's a good 6/7 years here, and he's 23, so *checks fingers* he's been here since he was 16/17. I'd say we were still largely responsible for his development, no?

In fact, we've helped a lot of youth guys really develop, like that Welsh dude!
(inb4 Lennon)

 

[Black]

Who's doing the complaition hurry up guys

 

[Kendall]

Damn, I shoulda known this - but he's been with us for yonks though. He came in 2007, so that's a good 6/7 years here, and he's 23, so *checks fingers* he's been here since he was 16/17. I'd say we were still largely responsible for his development, no?

In fact, we've helped a lot of youth guys really develop, like that Welsh dude!
(inb4 Lennon)

Hmmm perhaps, but you could also argue that he went out on loan a lot.

That said, it was Harry that first made him play left back (when he joined us he was a left winger/forward) and I would say Sunderland were the biggest influence on his development in that position.

 

[jambreck]

Rose wasn't from our academy - he was from Leeds, Leeds, Leeds.

He didn't start in our academy.

But he did come through our academy for the final two years of his youth career. So he definitely counts as one of our youth products.

You'll find that a lot of players who have supposedly come through a particular club's academy have actually started their youth careers elsewhere.

 

[Montasura]

I'm sorry but people rightly questioned the sub at the time. Yes, you are correct that we have to trust Sherwood's judgement to a degree but bringing Bentaleb on when he did could have been disastrous for both the kid and us. I am all for giving kids a chance when you can, but in a match against a Southampton side that usually have the majority of possession, the kid could have been dominated leading to us losing the match and shattering his confidence. I'm glad that it all worked out well and he put on the type of assured performance he has for our under 21s for the last couple of years (where he has been fantastic) but lets not act like there was not a huge element of risk in the substitution.

Fair play to Tim to sticking to his guns but the substitution was like having a 17 in Black Jack and choosing to twist, and to make it sound like people were panicking for no reason isn't fair especially when Capoue and Holtby were on the bench. I hope the kid goes on to make us have a think about options in January.

I think you maybe misread or misunderstood my post. Of course it was a risky sub and it was fair to question it as I did myself. My comment was aimed at those instantly started spouting some ridiculous vitriol towards Sherwood, the way over the top comments. Hence me saying the "end of the world" type comments.

 

[SpursManChris]

His wikipedia page was created following the match, strangely, by a SCUM fan!
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nabil_Bentaleb&action=history
See the bottom of the list, first entry by "ArsenalFan700" How odd.

 

[tiger666]

His wikipedia page was created following the match, strangely, by a SCUM fan!
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nabil_Bentaleb&action=history
See the bottom of the list, first entry by "ArsenalFan700" How odd.

Probably Tim Sherwood.

I kid I kid...

 

[faymantaray]

His wikipedia page was created following the match, strangely, by a SCUM fan!
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nabil_Bentaleb&action=history
See the bottom of the list, first entry by "ArsenalFan700" How odd.

Wikipedia is a magical place..

 

[king26]

good display by the lad and well done tim

 

[TheSecretNonFootballer]

He didn't start in our academy.

But he did come through our academy for the final two years of his youth career. So he definitely counts as one of our youth products.

You'll find that a lot of players who have supposedly come through a particular club's academy have actually started their youth careers elsewhere.

Indeed.

We signed Bentaleb last year.

 

[Japhet]

I'm sorry but people rightly questioned the sub at the time. Yes, you are correct that we have to trust Sherwood's judgement to a degree but bringing Bentaleb on when he did could have been disastrous for both the kid and us. I am all for giving kids a chance when you can, but in a match against a Southampton side that usually have the majority of possession, the kid could have been dominated leading to us losing the match and shattering his confidence. I'm glad that it all worked out well and he put on the type of assured performance he has for our under 21s for the last couple of years (where he has been fantastic) but lets not act like there was not a huge element of risk in the substitution.

Fair play to Tim to sticking to his guns but the substitution was like having a 17 in Black Jack and choosing to twist, and to make it sound like people were panicking for no reason isn't fair especially when Capoue and Holtby were on the bench. I hope the kid goes on to make us have a think about options in January.

Sherwood obviously trusted Bentaleb to do a job and also said he didn't know too much about Capoue - so fair play to him for making a good call as opposed to taking a big gamble.

 

[JerryGarcia]

All that's irrelevant. He's done nothing to justify his price tag, he's done nothing to warrant a starting place. He just looks average. Typical AVB signing really - big lad, puts himself about, doesn't do much else.

Were you the guy who said Modric was average and not as good as Steed in his first season under Ramos?