Everton Youth Teams Thread

[oglop44]

….pointless training/playing in an uncompetitive comfort zone that doesn’t test him if they think he’s lots better than that.

Interesting we’re having this discussion. I know he’s been involved pre-season but is there a view that he is a very special talent?

There hasn't been too much talk about him, not the sort of hype that some players just always seem to have about them however he started with the 18s team as soon as he turned 16 and started with the 21s as soon as he turned 17. He's definitely being fast tracked so must be rated within the academy structure.

He was comfortably the best of last years batch of scholars.

 

[Eggs]

There hasn't been too much talk about him, not the sort of hype that some players just always seem to have about them however he started with the 18s team as soon as he turned 16 and started with the 21s as soon as he turned 17. He's definitely being fast tracked so must be rated within the academy structure.

He was comfortably the best of last years batch of scholars.

….thanks, that’s a useful insight.

Has he been playing at international level?

 

[oglop44]

Has he been playing at international level?

Not that I know of.

 

[maccavennie]

@Nymzee and @Eggs my plan of action is far better

Chuck him in the 1st team, he gets 5 assists and 8 goals over the course of a season and we flog him for 75m

Or

Chuck him in the first team, gets 9 minutes, scores an own goal and costs us the game resulting in the loudest boo Goodison has heard in years and we sell him to Macclssfield for 200k end of the season.

Either way, it's profit from an academy kid!

 

[blueloon]

There hasn't been too much talk about him, not the sort of hype that some players just always seem to have about them however he started with the 18s team as soon as he turned 16 and started with the 21s as soon as he turned 17. He's definitely being fast tracked so must be rated within the academy structure.

He was comfortably the best of last years batch of scholars.

It’s a similar track to Isaac Price / Charlie Whitaker in their day , but as you say Armstrong was the standout in his year . It was his first year of full time training, that’s a big factor , sometimes they stall at the end of it , he seems to have thrived in pre season. It’s been rare in recent years for one of our youth products to get so many pre season minutes. Whatever our views were last season they’ve been eclipsed by his first team minutes, and everybody else has seen that and has a view on him now, so I think he’s flown the Academy nest. He needs a “ Handle me with Care” sign on his back and trust that we get it right .

 

[Eggs]

It’s a similar track to Isaac Price / Charlie Whitaker in their day , but as you say Armstrong was the standout in his year . It was his first year of full time training, that’s a big factor , sometimes they stall at the end of it , he seems to have thrived in pre season. It’s been rare in recent years for one of our youth products to get so many pre season minutes. Whatever our views were last season they’ve been eclipsed by his first team minutes, and everybody else has seen that and has a view on him now, so I think he’s flown the Academy nest. He needs a “ Handle me with Care” sign on his back and trust that we get it right .

….i honestly haven’t seen enough to have a view, clearly a talented lad and I suspect he has the right attitude but any thoughts on whether he has the physicality to cope? We’ve seen light framed youngsters like Foden and Palmer come through but they have exceptional ability.

 

[Cameron Manning]

….pointless training/playing in an uncompetitive comfort zone that doesn’t test him if they think he’s lots better than that.

Interesting we’re having this discussion. I know he’s been involved pre-season but is there a view that he is a very special talent?

I understand the logic of your post Eggs but just once in a while a really special talent emerges, I haven’t seen this lad so I can’t really comment but going by the time he is getting with the first team, even in friendly games, I am looking forward to seeing this kid, hopefully on Saturday v Roma, then a lot of us can form an opinion about him until then I/we can only wish him all the best for his future with us and at the same time don’t put any pressure on the lad!

 

[blueloon]

….i honestly haven’t seen enough to have a view, clearly a talented lad and I suspect he has the right attitude but any thoughts on whether he has the physicality to cope? We’ve seen light framed youngsters like Foden and Palmer come through but they have exceptional ability.

Difficult to tell from tv, but he seems an “ appropriate “ size for his age , tall with maybe some filling out still to come. Not a Ross Barkley physique, more a smaller Onana at this stage , if those comparisons make sense . We know that physique is so important at PL level it baffles me a wee bit why it doesn’t seem to be addressed more by us eg Gordon was always talented but stick thin, he got his own personal trainer at one stage , strengthened his body without overdoing it and it helped him kick on .

As you say attitude is also a factor, again Gordon had that too which helped him, although people hate me for saying that , the rat !
He’ll get shoved about occasionally but so far he’s competing against men ok . I quite like the fact that his skills, ability to read the game, pick a pass etc are what’s setting him apart rather than a big physique and a thundering tackle .

 

[catcherintherye]

He’s barely played any football. At least give him a full U23’s year.

I do get your point, and caution is important, but I'm really not sure that U21s football adds much for players after a certain period of time

 

[catcherintherye]

….i honestly haven’t seen enough to have a view, clearly a talented lad and I suspect he has the right attitude but any thoughts on whether he has the physicality to cope? We’ve seen light framed youngsters like Foden and Palmer come through but they have exceptional ability.

I saw him in a youth cup game and thought he was the standout. Similar to Bates, but taller. I worried about lack of speed and a certain wow factor.

But sometimes players move up a notch, and are still able to play their natural game against men. Early indications seem to suggest that.

I always keep it very simple. As a young player, your job is just to stay in the team pre season. I remember as a kid when semi pro team we would help the first team out, and play with them a bit in pre season, and then one by one we would be dropped out.

Your goal was just to be kept in and around that team. If you were doing that, you had a chance.

The fact he's still involved, a bit like Dobbin was last season is a positive.

He takes it on the half turn well, and plays forward.

 

[Nymzee]

I do get your point, and caution is important, but I'm really not sure that U21s football adds much for players after a certain period of time

Well he's barely played for the U21's, so not sure when "after a certain period of time" occured

He either plays U21's, or he sits on the first team bench doing nothing and wasting a whole year. Like others before him, even Dobbin last year, what a complete waste of development that was.

 

[JimmyK]

Well he's barely played for the U21's, so not sure when "after a certain period of time" occured

He either plays U21's, or he sits on the first team bench doing nothing and wasting a whole year. Like others before him, even Dobbin last year, what a complete waste of development that was.

I wouldn’t compare his situation to dobbin though he’d outgrown underage football and wasnt good enough to get into the first team regularly so he ended up making up the numbers because we had no money. He made us some money and I’m not sure he will ever be worth more than we got so it probably wasn’t a waste. It doesn’t have to be the 2 options you’ve mentioned he could play some underage football but also be involved with the first team the stupid thing to do would be to choose one of those paths and stick to it instead of being sensible and adapting to what suits him and the club better.

 

[oglop44]

It seems to me that Armstrong will get the best of both (all 3) worlds. He should get significant time training with the first team, hopefully getting onto the bench and maybe onto the pitch for early round cup games or late on in games if (please lord) we're ever actually winning them.

He should be playing all 3 EFL trophy games with the 21s and a few 21s league games just to keep him ticking over.

He's also still young enough to play in the youth cup and hopefully excel in that against his own age group.

Potential for a very good season with lots of different experiences.

 

[Raino85]

Same thoughts as I had a week ago: let’s let him develop. He’s a decent prospect but let him grow. Doesn’t need the pressure of being in the first team squads yet.

At that age, training with the first team is probably more beneficial than any actual first team minutes.
Its good to see he's been identified early, but far to many times players get thrown in and over used. I think Dyche will be cautious with this one.

 

[blueblue]

At that age, training with the first team is probably more beneficial than any actual first team minutes.
Its good to see he's been identified early, but far to many times players get thrown in and over used. I think Dyche will be cautious with this one.

I think we will see tomorrow if he is in the managers plans for the season.

If he is not involved then it probably was a case of giving a bright young prospect some first team football in pre season.

If he does get on the pitch at some stage it may be the manager seeing if he can cope against better adult competition.