The Spurs Youth Thread – 2016/2017

[longtimespur]

Don't forget the second leg is on ITV 4 tonight from 5pm UK time

 

[Blake Griffin]

Don't forget the second leg is on ITV 4 tomorrow from 5pm UK time

*tonight.

 

[longtimespur]

*tonight.

I'll change mine thanks

 

[Blake Griffin]

austin; eyoma, dinzeyi, tanganga, tsaroulla; marsh; duncan, oakley-boothe, roles, griffiths; sterling

subs: whiteman, brown, skipp, shashoua, bennetts

 

[Blake Griffin]

Skipp and Shashoua would still start for me.

looks like we're doing our best to match up physically, i agree though that i'd just rather the best talents play.

 

[yankspurs]

There is no such thing as international standard especially when england with big name players are getting out performed by Costa Rica, USA and etc.

England will make the WC though while the USA wont

 

[IGSpur]

Dinzeyi poor positioning there.

looks like we're doing our best to match up physically, i agree though that i'd just rather the best talents play.

Our squad is big and talented enough for there not to be much of a drop off in quality if at all, when rotating

 

[richard_gleeson]

Our defence is poor. Their left wing back is quality

 

[Romulus]

wow.

we're all over the place. nowhere near Chelseas quality

 

[IGSpur]

I think people are still surprised by just how good/strong the Chelsea academy is. They are far and away with Man City the 2 best academies, and probably better than City's. There's a reason they have won 4 straight FAYC's and I think 2 Youth Champions Leagues. They hadn't conceded for 700 minutes, that is outrageous at academy level. Think about how good that is. Better than any European academy. You could ask why aren't we as good, reasons can be money so first pick of top players, but the biggest and most frustrating question is why Chelsea still struggle to bring any of these players through. Imagine how many good players England are missing out on because Chelsea would rather buy cheaply from abroad. The pool England could be choosing from could be bigger and better if Chelsea weren't so obsessed with stalling careers post 18.

Their academy is World class, their player development isn't., same with City tbh. Leaves us, the best of the rest, to be the club to try and bring quality players through

 

[Blake Griffin]

genuinely don't think tob has touched the ball all half unless we're counting a couple of tackles.

 

[jari17]

I knew we weren't as good as Chelsea but wasn't expecting us to be this bad, we've been well and truly exposed. Some very bad first touches and simple passes misplaced, lets just hope its just an off day because its a new experience to the lads but some performances have been very worrying.

 

[jari17]

I think people are still surprised by just how good/strong the Chelsea academy is. They are far and away with Man City the 2 best academies, and probably better than City's. There's a reason they have won 4 straight FAYC's and I think 2 Youth Champions Leagues. They hadn't conceded for 700 minutes, that is outrageous at academy level. Think about how good that is. Better than any European academy. You could ask why aren't we as good, reasons can be money so first pick of top players, but the biggest and most frustrating question is why Chelsea still struggle to bring any of these players through. Imagine how many good players England are missing out on because Chelsea would rather buy cheaply from abroad. The pool England could be choosing from could be bigger and better if Chelsea weren't so obsessed with stalling careers post 18.

Their academy is World class, their player development isn't., same with City tbh. Leaves us, the best of the rest, to be the club to try and bring quality players through

I see what you're saying but its no excuse to be loosing on aggregate 5-1, I think you're putting them on a pedestal too much they're not a team full of Mbappes or Dembeles per say.

 

[E8spur]

That has been a bit of a painful watch for 45 minutes.... We are being outclassed all over the pitch - what a shame their players will now spend the next five years sitting in a warehouse.

I have a feeling our boys aren't as bad as this is making us look, but we have never had a bit of a grip on the game so no chance to click together.

At any rate, it is an exercise in character for our players. It is very, very hard getting battered like this. I hope we can shut the doors a bit better second half just for pride.

 

[IGSpur]

Saying all that though, it is a shame that Edwards is missing, and we lost Kirby who is one of the best CMs in England. Facing Chelsea without Mount and Sterling for example, would be an easier task, though they still perform better as a unit than we do.

Would still rather have seen Eyoma for Dinzeyi at CB, but I assume we were worried that would leave us exposed physically as Ugbo is so much taller than both of em. I'd arguably have started Brown here as well as he is a better defender than Tsaroulla which is what we need if we're struggling to get our foot on the ball. Brown again is also physically bigger.

Shame TOB is struggling to show up. I'll make comparison with Onomah as they're both really talented and similar players, but I think what we've seen in the season so far, and particularly these two games, is when it comes to dominating and leadership Onomah is on a different level, as he was literally a one man show in the first leg last time round and was trying his hardest in the 2nd leg. TOB has not really shown up but he is the type of player it seems so far, looks outstanding and is outstanding when all around him is going well but maybe struggles under pressure. I should stress he is a quality player, but it is an aspect of his game he needs to work on. Could be mental, and its why I think he won't be ready for the first team for another couple of years.

While they are both big talents, I feel the loss of Kirby could be bigger as looking back and things I'm seeing now suggest he has that stronger mentality. Forcing a leave (thought we don't like ti) could suggest he has a 'by whatever means necessary' mentality to succeed, despite abuse he may receive or what it looks like, he wants things now. Talentwise they're on a similar footing, though Kirby has a rarer set of skills but I wonder if Kirby may have a stronger personality. He is 16 and new and is already taking pens for Palace u23s. To rock up and demand to take pens is ballsy.

Hopefully next year TOB will come to the fore, and take more responsibility. Not to bang on about him, but those 2 would have been a midfield partnership for the last 7 years and Kirby always used to be the one to force plays and make things happen while TOB was the languid one behind who kept things ticking. He may now need time to adapt his game to be that responsible player.

I may have also gone in too deep, but just a little assessment over what I've seen this season. Again TOB is a quality player just feel he needs to adapt and be the main man now.

 

[IGSpur]

I see what you're saying but its no excuse to be loosing on aggregate 5-1, I think you're putting them on a pedestal too much they're not a team full of Mbappes or Dembeles per say.

Putting who on a pedestal. I'm calling it as it is. This club have dominated youth football in every format for the last 5 years. No European club comes close. You have no idea how any of these players would have developed or looked had they had a chance in Chelea's first team, or come through in France. You also have no idea how good these Dembeles or Mbappes would have looked if they came through the Chelsea academy and were compared to the other Chelsea players. It is all speculation.

Before Mbappe and Dembele came through, they weren't outstanding or being raved about at international youth level. I'd heard of Passlack, Pulisic and Lee Seung Woo for example, so there is no accurate measure of rating players. Pulisic is now being talked about, but it's just about getting a chance and taking it, without a chance noone can guess how any player would do. Rashford wasn't regarded as one of the best strikers in his age group and was given a chance because of an injury now he is considered as one of the top youngsters in the world. He would not have even got into Chelea's FAYC team, ahead of Musonda, Solanke and Abraham.

As I say these Chelsea players while having individually ability arguably more important function brilliantly as a team, noone knows how well they would do with a first team chance, but we now how well they do compared to their contemporaries at youth level. Its not a stretch to think that just ONE of the last 4 FAYC winning and 2 CL winning teams could have shined in the PL, when you consider how well Winks, Davies, TAA have all made teh step up recentle

 

[Romulus]

this is painful to watch tbh

 

[bceej]

this is painful to watch tbh

Chelsea are dominant but we are doing ourselves no favours.

 

[IGSpur]

Never seen them play so bad.

Noone has put the much pressure on us. In terms of pressing and quality play.

They've managed to bring on Hudson-Odoi and now Guehi, that's so much quality in depth

 

[IGSpur]

Only real bad thing about this, is that fans who would not have seen much if any of this group will remember this. And if anyone suggests bringing them through or they are given a chance in the future, people will just assume they are rubbish, or recall this game and the faults they showed here