The Spurs Youth Thread - 2017/2018
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SpursD22
Well-Known Member
- Aug 3, 2017
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Honestly I feel like us fans hasn’t helped the situation, first when he was younger we hyped him up, Sherwood hyped him up when he was 15, Poch compared him to Messi. Then we criticise him for his work rate and attitude, some idiots even privately message him to give him stick, we buy average players instead of giving him the chance and even now we’re like “oh yeah sure the reason is personal reasons we all know it’s because of his shit attitude, he will never make it, next Ravel Morrison”. We need to give him space, let him enjoy his football and then we’ll see what happens next season. I’m still hoping he has a future with us I mean why would we give him a new contract and make him U23 captain if we still believe in him. I still believe in him
No idea why there's such a fuss about a young lad who has barely played for us. There are no secrets in football; players, coaches, scouts etc all talk, it seems that young Edwards needs to grow up and respect the people around him rather than behave like a big time Charlie.
Hakkz
Svensk hetsporre
- Jul 6, 2012
- 8,196
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Wouldn't blame the fans really. We've been no different than any other supporters when people at the club talk a youngster up more than necessary.
spursfan77
Well-Known Member
- Aug 13, 2005
- 46,684
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Its difficult with social media but if I was a young player I just wouldn't have ones in my name. Sure have an alias for your mates but having a public one is asking for trouble.
Breezer
Position??? Magician!!!!
- Aug 27, 2004
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Bullshit!
WindyCOYS
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- Feb 24, 2016
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My best mate is a Wycombe STH and absolutely loved Eze when he was on loan there earlier in the season - he said he was far, far too good for League Two.
WindyCOYS
Well-Known Member
- Feb 24, 2016
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I think the fuss from my perspective is that rumours get perpetuated without anyone really knowing the 'truth'.
It also feels to me - and I could be wide of the mark - that Edwards gets a bit of the Sterling treatment.
WiganSpur
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- Aug 31, 2012
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He's 19 years old.
I'm not sure how people are expecting him to be so emotionally mature just yet. The realisation will come in time but with some players it can take longer than others. I think calling him a 'big time Charlie' etc etc will only put more pressure on him. There's only so much you can tell someone, at the end of the day it's usually when someone realises something for themselves when they really learn.
There's no reason why we can't be patient with him for the next two or three years because once he grows into a man he will be some player because he is ridiculously talented.
It might not be the worst idea for someone like Alli, Dier or Kane to mentor him and take him under their wing. I reckon he would learn more from a fellow professional of a closer age.
Disconosebleed
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- Dec 22, 2005
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While it's obviously mad to write him off, especially at such a young age, maybe people will stop pushing this line of thinking that Pochettino is unfairly, and wrongly, holding back the youngsters now. For whatever reason, he clearly hasn't cut the mustard a league below.
WindyCOYS
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- Feb 24, 2016
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I mean... without wanting to open this bigger can of worms again, that's not true, because he's not been tried. And in the few minutes he had, a lot of their fans were saying he showed good touches and should get more chances.
Blake Griffin
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- Oct 3, 2011
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at the u18s, not been great by us but a quality finish into the far corner by griffiths got us back into the game before putting us ahead with a fortunate pen. Statham gave both goals away with poor passes out from the back.
Luka Van der Bale
Well-Known Member
- Jan 29, 2011
- 6,041
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What way have we lined up? Couldn’t quite make sense of positions when I saw the team.
Disconosebleed
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- Dec 22, 2005
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Windy I know that youth teams are your thing and I look forward to your posts more than just about anyone else on here and on Twitter, but let's call a spade a spade here - he has been unable to force his way into a side that are mid-table in the league below. Now I completely accept that that doesn't mean he won't be good enough to play for us in the future, and there's even an outside chance he might be good enough now if given the chance - there are myriad reasons why someone might fail at a lower level but do well at a higher level, particularly youngsters - but it's hardly evidence in his favour, is it? Clearly he isn't doing enough in training to earn a place at either Spurs or Norwich, and if he's not impressing in training why would either manager throw him into competitive action?
So far in his short career, he has not done enough in training at Spurs to force his way into the Spurs side, even for low-importance cup games or friendlies, when other, less-heralded youngsters have managed to. He has then gone out on loan to a lower-level side and failed to make any impact whatsoever. Logic would suggest that whatever he's doing to earn the hype at youth level, he has been unable to reproduce in the men's game. There are at least two men (Pochettino and Farke) whose job includes spotting, nurturing and fulfilling the potential of youth talents, and he has categorically failed to convince either of them thus far.
I'm not trying to be negative or dismissive here, just realistic. It is absolutely possible that being tiny but technically excellent is enough for him to stand out against inexperienced, less talented players at youth level, but not enough when he's playing against the best players who are less vulnerable to his qualities and more capable of using his lack of size against him. It's just a hunch, but I suspect his issues might be less a problem of attitude or application, and more a case of him simply not quite being good enough.
So far in his short career, he has not done enough in training at Spurs to force his way into the Spurs side, even for low-importance cup games or friendlies, when other, less-heralded youngsters have managed to. He has then gone out on loan to a lower-level side and failed to make any impact whatsoever. Logic would suggest that whatever he's doing to earn the hype at youth level, he has been unable to reproduce in the men's game. There are at least two men (Pochettino and Farke) whose job includes spotting, nurturing and fulfilling the potential of youth talents, and he has categorically failed to convince either of them thus far.
I'm not trying to be negative or dismissive here, just realistic. It is absolutely possible that being tiny but technically excellent is enough for him to stand out against inexperienced, less talented players at youth level, but not enough when he's playing against the best players who are less vulnerable to his qualities and more capable of using his lack of size against him. It's just a hunch, but I suspect his issues might be less a problem of attitude or application, and more a case of him simply not quite being good enough.
WindyCOYS
Well-Known Member
- Feb 24, 2016
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I think you make a lot of fair points, but there are also a lot of assumptions. Also, I think management of players' attitudes is almost as much the responsibility of the coaching staff than of the players themselves, yet the blame all goes back to the player (not suggesting you're doing that necessarily).
I think had he not been injured for such a long period of his loan he may have got more minutes and that would have led to Farke caring less about what he claims are defensive inadequacies, but we'll never know now. Hopefully he'll get his head down and impress for the U23s enough that he can get into the Toulon tournament squad.
Edwards could be an absolute little toe-rag who is impossible to manage, never tracks back for the team and goes out drinking most nights, or he could just be a largely untested 19-year old who is frusteated about lack of opportunities (for various reasons) who just needs a chance to show what he can do. The true is probably somewhere in-between, but we don't know which end of the scale it's closest to.
Disconosebleed
Well-Known Member
- Dec 22, 2005
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I think we're more or less on the same page here with regard to letting his situation play out and not paying too much attention to all the nonsense - if there was a serious attitude problem I'm sure someone, somewhere would at least be able to point to some examples, even if they were unproven.
That said, I think that objective approach needs to work both ways. I'm as desperate to see him come through as anyone, because it's always exciting to see any young kid come through let alone a supposed creative genius, but in the absence of any hard evidence that he can cut it in elite men's football, I don't think anyone - even dedicated followers of youth football like yourself - is well placed to second guess those who see him every day.
That said, I think that objective approach needs to work both ways. I'm as desperate to see him come through as anyone, because it's always exciting to see any young kid come through let alone a supposed creative genius, but in the absence of any hard evidence that he can cut it in elite men's football, I don't think anyone - even dedicated followers of youth football like yourself - is well placed to second guess those who see him every day.
Blake Griffin
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- Oct 3, 2011
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freeman; tainio, statham, bowden, reynolds; white, mukendi; pochettino, richards, clarke; griffiths
pretty much an entire 2nd string so not really a surprising result. griffiths was excellent and scored an absolute banger to get his hat-trick, not really much else to say about the rest. freeman let a couple of soft ones in and statham was at fault for the other three. reynolds went off with a bad looking injury, saw lyons-foster there too but he was still hobbling around so obviously not close to returning just yet.
