Player Watch: Marcus Edwards

[talkshowhost86]

Agree overall as long as we are offering him reasonable money-plenty of clubs out there unfortunately who will probably offer more than us but hopefully he can appreciate what is happening with the young players with us compared to elsewhere.

Yeah obviously we shouldn't be taking the piss, but he shouldn't be being offered much more (if any more) than we'd offer anyone else at that age. He hasn't done anything yet, and fair enough if he broke into the team then he'd expect a fairly significant increase in wages fairly quickly, but before that point he needs to earn it.

Would be pretty devastated though, this boy is a serious talent, possibly a once in a generation type to have in your academy.

Only possibly though. Very very hard to tell at that age who is going to make it at the top level, therefore if he's making silly demands at this stage I'd rather bin him off and focus on the team as a whole. He may be talented but he's proved nothing yet and bowing to any daft demands at this stage sets a very bad precedent for other youth players coming through.


Incidentally I don't know what demands he may or may not have made, but I'm prepared to guess he's asking for a fair bit for it to have come to a stalemate at his age.

 

[UpTownSpur]

Honestly, if him, his parents and his representives are behaving like this when he's 17, then there's no future for him here.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Honestly, if him, his parents and his representives are behaving like this when he's 17, then there's no future for him here.

To be fair we don't know what it is that is causing the stalemate.

Obviously it's more likely than not that he (his agent) are playing silly buggers, but let's not vilify him completely until there are some actual facts.

But if he's after money over everything else at 17 then I agree....tata for now Marcus.

 

[danielneeds]

I wonder if it's money or he feels he should be playing in a higher age group - ie U21s and bring fast tracked into the first team...

 

[Stamford]

Honestly, if him, his parents and his representives are behaving like this when he's 17, then there's no future for him here.

Exactly. We've built a great team around all pulling in the same direction

 

[Hazelton]

If he doesn't want to stay with the best club and the best manager for giving young players a chance, then he needs his head checked. Regardless of what his agent is saying, it's obvious that he should stay here. I hope the club don't budge.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Only possibly though. Very very hard to tell at that age who is going to make it at the top level, therefore if he's making silly demands at this stage I'd rather bin him off and focus on the team as a whole. He may be talented but he's proved nothing yet and bowing to any daft demands at this stage sets a very bad precedent for other youth players coming through.


Incidentally I don't know what demands he may or may not have made, but I'm prepared to guess he's asking for a fair bit for it to have come to a stalemate at his age.

Thing is, he's proved everything that has been asked of him, there isn't much more he could prove that he's had the chance to. Even on the international stage for his age group he's been outstanding.

Of course you never can tell what can happen, but being the most talented kid of your generation, and he is certainly one those if not the, is always a good start on the road to making it.

It's a very difficult situation, on the one hand we are a good club for him to learn and progress, but other major clubs will/could be offering him and his parents massive finical incentives that could mean security for life already and making football promises they may or may not keep but that are hard to ignore.

We are not the only top club (in England or Europe) willing to play young players. ManU, Liverpool, Barca, Bayern are just an example of big clubs who will do it as well as we do, as well as offering financial inducement.

 

[kr1978]

IF it is money then he should take a step back and look at how we reward the young players that perform, Alli has already had a pay rise and a new contract and Kane seems to be getting a new contract about every 3 or 4 months since he broke through.

 

[spuradik]

Thing is, he's proved everything that has been asked of him, there isn't much more he could prove that he's had the chance to. Even on the international stage for his age group he's been outstanding.

Of course you never can tell what can happen, but being the most talented kid of your generation, and he is certainly one those if not the, is always a good start on the road to making it.

It's a very difficult situation, on the one hand we are a good club for him to learn and progress, but other major clubs will/could be offering him and his parents massive finical incentives that could mean security for life already and making football promises they may or may not keep but that are hard to ignore.

We are not the only top club (in England or Europe) willing to play young players. ManU, Liverpool, Barca, Bayern are just an example of big clubs who will do it as well as we do, as well as offering financial inducement.

Spot on @Bus-Conductor, I see a lot of people on here saying that he has a lot to prove, but having seen him play for the youth sides, there is very little doubt that he is anything but exceptional. He is one the most talented kids of his generation.

This maybe a hunch, but I remember Barca sniffing around a while back, I wouldn't be surprised if he fancied them.

 

[leffe186]

IF it is money then he should take a step back and look at how we reward the young players that perform, Alli has already had a pay rise and a new contract and Kane seems to be getting a new contract about every 3 or 4 months since he broke through.

That's all very well and good, but if a team with a cheat code is offering him more than that right now - and I'm sure they have - then he's going to be interested. It's a difficult course for us to steer. You want to give him a clear route to the first team, but we've already had difficulties with players like Azzaoui and Veljkovic.

It's not the first time that the Guardian has played a part in undermining us, although presumably this is a legit story on some level.

 

[kaz Hirai]

Be an epic shame if he left, the one youth product I've been looking forward to seeing progress the most.

But there are bigger clubs with more money than ours who can promise just as much first team progress I guess

 

[Hercules]

I do not know what all the excitement is about. The club academy tweeted December 15th 2015 he signed a pro-contract. Rest up people!

 

[Gbspurs]

Signed pro contract today according to Tottenham academy on Twitter.

Quick everyone take back the 40 likes and 7 winner ratings.

 

[raggy]

I wonder if it's money or he feels he should be playing in a higher age group - ie U21s and bring fast tracked into the first team...

On the contrary him not signing a contract would explain why he hasn't been moved up to the U21's yet. Tracey has already been put into U21 squads while Edwards has been kept at U18 level is a clear indicator there's some truth in this story imo.

Plus it's so rare to have mainstream media reporting on somebody from this age group this has come from a first hand source. Can't be the club so it can only have come directly from Edward's camp/representatives.

He's either trying to get better terms, a better guarantee of a route into the first team or he's trying to drum up interest looking for a destination to head to in the summer. The only way we will find out is with time.

 

[L-man]

I do not know what all the excitement is about. The club academy tweeted December 15th 2015 he signed a pro-contract. Rest up people!

That's not official

 

[talkshowhost86]

Thing is, he's proved everything that has been asked of him, there isn't much more he could prove that he's had the chance to. Even on the international stage for his age group he's been outstanding.

Of course you never can tell what can happen, but being the most talented kid of your generation, and he is certainly one those if not the, is always a good start on the road to making it.

It's a very difficult situation, on the one hand we are a good club for him to learn and progress, but other major clubs will/could be offering him and his parents massive finical incentives that could mean security for life already and making football promises they may or may not keep but that are hard to ignore.

We are not the only top club (in England or Europe) willing to play young players. ManU, Liverpool, Barca, Bayern are just an example of big clubs who will do it as well as we do, as well as offering financial inducement.

And if financial inducement is what he wants then he needs to go elsewhere.

It's not how the club works and never will be, particularly at that age.

He may be the best at his level, but he's still only at his level. Take the steps, prove you're ready to move up a level, and when you do you'll get the rewards.

Alli did the same thing. Clearly came in on what was a contract designed for a young player, but when he broke through into the first team he was rewarded with a new contract, even though he was only 8 months into his existing one.

If Edwards is good enough to step up to the first team then Poch and the team will know it and he'll then get remunerated accordingly. Doing that before that step up is just a disincentive to keep on working.

 

[Hercules]

That's not official

Well what are you to believe when it comes through the official club academy line?

 

[Bus-Conductor]

And if financial inducement is what he wants then he needs to go elsewhere.

It's not how the club works and never will be, particularly at that age.

He may be the best at his level, but he's still only at his level. Take the steps, prove you're ready to move up a level, and when you do you'll get the rewards.

Alli did the same thing. Clearly came in on what was a contract designed for a young player, but when he broke through into the first team he was rewarded with a new contract, even though he was only 8 months into his existing one.

If Edwards is good enough to step up to the first team then Poch and the team will know it and he'll then get remunerated accordingly. Doing that before that step up is just a disincentive to keep on working.

What I'm saying is, I don't think this is necessarily just about money. Alli is a great example because he was playing first team football aged 16/17 at MK. Edwards hasn't even been given u21 football at Spurs.

this could well be as much about him feeling like we aren't progressing him quick enough as it is about money.

And I think to a degree he has a point. I think the only reason he hasn't been advanced to the U21's is purely his size, and I can understand that to a degree, maybe the club are trying to protect him, but I think those days are over where size should stand in the way of exceptional technique and ability. We were also slow to progress Pritchatd for the same reason IMO.

Of course, being offered stupid money won't hurt either.

 

[talkshowhost86]

What I'm saying is, I don't think this is necessarily just about money. Alli is a great example because he was playing first team football aged 16/17 at MK. Edwards hasn't even been given u21 football at Spurs.

this could well be as much about him feeling like we aren't progressing him quick enough as it is about money.

And I think to a degree he has a point. I think the only reason he hasn't been advanced to the U21's is purely his size, and I can understand that to a degree, maybe the club are trying to protect him, but I think those days are over where size should stand in the way of exceptional technique and ability. We were also slow to progress Pritchatd for the same reason IMO.

Of course, being offered stupid money won't hurt either.

Yep this is why I'm caveating any response with it depending on what the actual issue is.

Sounds like he has the quality to step up to the U21s, but if we haven't done that I'm assuming there's a fairly good reason.

As others have said, maybe we want him to sign a contract before doing that. Plus if he's making any demands about playing in that team, it again removes the incentive for himself to prove himself worthy of that step up.

 

[nightgoat]

There isn't a better club in the country for him to develop as a footballer at the moment. If football at a higher level than u18 is what he wants then perhaps a loan would be a good move for him.