Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Yeh as @boris has mentioned a few times now we've been left behind lately in the recruitment sense. We did have the academy ban for a while which didn't help too. We just can't offer what the City's and the United's/RS's can at times as well.
I don't really think you're taking a step back and assessing the situation here. If he was a right-back it would make more sense but he's a very young LB who doesn't see a pathway to PL football due to Digne and Nkounkou which is completely understandable.
You could argue though as he's only just 17 he's maybe rushing his own career though.
EFC_FRANCIS
Player Valuation: £35m
I'm not arguing for small being the Premier league cover last season. I'm saying that neither he or Nkounkou were the cover and the plan was never for Nkounkou to be such either as everything when he signed was he was going to Unsworths 23s.
The only thing that changes if we never signed Nkounkou is someone else gets on the bench and still doesn't play and maybe Small makes a couple Carabao cup appearances. Or maybe Carlo puts Iwobi there again like he actually did irl.
Again it's good business if the club saw Nkounkous Marseilles II performances and thought he was going to be better than Small and would be good business if we had a manager that actually planned on using him but we didn't.
It kind of is exactly the clubs problem if Carlo decides not to use him though. The pathway is the problem as we are signing young players who the manager has no interest in but then have another older player in the way of younger players in the academy. The same way we could be signing that Jebbison who Sheff U, who can't buy a goal, want to loan out to a lower level. What exactly does signing Jebbison achieve other than putting another player in front of Dobbin and others?
None of it is joined up or set out for a long term plan or vision and it hasn't been since Martinez or maybe even Moyes.
grandjoeblue
Player Valuation: £35m
When people talk about paths to the first team the problem is a lot of these youth players haven't been good enough out on loan to justify first team minutes.
Baningime, Dowell, Connolly, Kenny, Pennington for example, some of them did ok during loans but didn't look first team quality.
I think Simms might get some minutes when hes fit, especially if Kean goes but doesn't his contract end in the summer?
Baningime, Dowell, Connolly, Kenny, Pennington for example, some of them did ok during loans but didn't look first team quality.
I think Simms might get some minutes when hes fit, especially if Kean goes but doesn't his contract end in the summer?
devlinadl
Player Valuation: £500k
No, you cannot use anything that happens after the transfer date in order to calculate the fee at tribunal, so if he does start for Southampton, it will have no impact on the tribunal fee.
Personally, I think the club should have proposed a lower fee than the one Southampton offerred (£1.5m) but insisted on a buy back option.
optatom154
Player Valuation: £950k
That’s fair enough, it was more a question rather than an opinion e.g did he see the lack of anyone in the last 5 years progress through the u23s?
As I say I probably know nothing and chatting wham tbh mate
Jozzy
Player Valuation: £10m
It’s a natural reaction for sport fans to want to point the finger and blame someone whenever something happens, I can completely understand the reaction and comments. I’m really disappointed and disheartened seeing him lift another team’s jumper.
I know there’s the argument and mentality that “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough” but there’s a reason why you don’t see any 16yo’s regularly playing Premier League football. It’s very clear the club has tried very hard to re-sign him, we made him the youngest player in to represent the club in our history. I’m not sure what more the club could’ve done.
I read comments questioning the signing of Nkounkou but the club obviously needs depth at LB, surely no one could’ve expected Brands or the club to leave a spot at the start of last season for a 15yo. I appreciate the fact we want to see these players around the first team and I was very hopeful he was going to this season but at his age there is the need to work yourself into the first team, this usually takes seasons to happen.
Southampton is now the third move of his career (he was at West Brom from 2011-2016, he’s quite obvious Small and his agent/family are very motivated to push themselves and take on challenges. Whilst it pains me to see it and say it, that’s just the way some players are and the way their careers go. I genuinely don’t think there’s much more the club could’ve done.
I know there’s the argument and mentality that “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough” but there’s a reason why you don’t see any 16yo’s regularly playing Premier League football. It’s very clear the club has tried very hard to re-sign him, we made him the youngest player in to represent the club in our history. I’m not sure what more the club could’ve done.
I read comments questioning the signing of Nkounkou but the club obviously needs depth at LB, surely no one could’ve expected Brands or the club to leave a spot at the start of last season for a 15yo. I appreciate the fact we want to see these players around the first team and I was very hopeful he was going to this season but at his age there is the need to work yourself into the first team, this usually takes seasons to happen.
Southampton is now the third move of his career (he was at West Brom from 2011-2016, he’s quite obvious Small and his agent/family are very motivated to push themselves and take on challenges. Whilst it pains me to see it and say it, that’s just the way some players are and the way their careers go. I genuinely don’t think there’s much more the club could’ve done.
Barnfred 55
Player Valuation: £80m
I think it all depends how good he is mate. He'll certainly get more opportunity there than he would at Everton, and it's up to him then to make the most of it. If he does, then he has absolutely made the right move. If he doesn't, then he may well have been better off staying here and going out on loan maybe in January or next season.
Personally, I've not seen anything special in him so far to suggest he can make an impact in the Premier in the immediate future, but you never know until they are thrown in. Look at Sako last year and Luke Shaw at Southampton a few years ago. Came out of nowhere and blew us away, well me anyway. TAA at Liverpool too and then Livramento now.
You know he's going to get an opportunity at Southampton. That's why I think it's a good move for the lad. But yeah, I agree with shrug your shoulders and move on. If he was ever going to make an impact with us it wasn't going to be for at least 2 or 3 years anyway. I'm more interested in us bringing in a right back. We're already well stocked at left back.
Barnfred 55
Player Valuation: £80m
I think it all depends how good he is mate. He'll certainly get more opportunity there than he would at Everton, and it's up to him then to make the most of it. If he does, then he has absolutely made the right move. If he doesn't, then he may well have been better off staying here and going out on loan maybe in January or next season.
Personally, I've not seen anything special in him so far to suggest he can make an impact in the Premier in the immediate future, but you never know until they are thrown in. Look at Sako last year and Luke Shaw at Southampton a few years ago. Came out of nowhere and blew us away, well me anyway. TAA at Liverpool too and then Livramento now.
You know he's going to get an opportunity at Southampton. That's why I think it's a good move for the lad. But yeah, I agree with shrug your shoulders and move on. If he was ever going to make an impact with us it wasn't going to be for at least 2 or 3 years anyway. I'm more interested in us bringing in a right back. We're already well stocked at left back.
…apologies but I find that comment so way off being accurate.
Barnfred 55
Player Valuation: £80m
Well I would take their 18 year old right back tomorrow as our first choice. What does that say about us.?
….they are recruiting the best youngsters from other clubs. Nobody complained when we did similar with DCL, Holgate, Stones, Lookman etc. It’s a strategy that works.
EFC_FRANCIS
Player Valuation: £35m
Don't agree with a lot of that but just for example we had Kenny, an england youth International to the highest levels who we had and instead of trusting him as a back up after a decent loan we signed Cuco Martina instead. I'm simply not having Martina was good enough for first team football but Kenny wasnt
That’s twice this morning I’ve admired your calm response to a poster who’s been chatting wham
