2020/21 Thierry Small

[granter79]

If he had have come back for pre season and got his head down he would have had a chance to impress the manager with Neils at the Olympics. If he was good enough at 16 he would have played more and got an opportunity. Good luck to the lad. Hopefully hes better advised in the future as failing to show for training is not a good look

 

[Verbal Kint]

If as looks likely he leaves for elsewhere it won't be great. However if we learn from this and make sure it doesn't happen again it won't be a total disaster. Small might not even make it but it has shown that obviously there is something wrong with the way we run things.

We have Lucas Digne at left back and Niels Nkounko blocking his development, I think that may be the main reason. Maybe the young lad is getting pressure from agents or family or maybe he doesn't like his teammates or manager. We just don't know

 

[mightymoyes]

We have Lucas Digne at left back and Niels Nkounko blocking his development, I think that may be the main reason. Maybe the young lad is getting pressure from agents or family or maybe he doesn't like his teammates or manager. We just don't know

every club will have 2 left backs ahead of him at a minimum, including arsenal where hes rumoured to be off to

 

[ToffeeTim]

He would have been playing in pre-season if he hadn't made the decision not to come to training. A pretty foolish decision from my point of view.

 

[SiEdmo]

Seriously though, what does Marcel Brands actually do at the club?

he certainly isnt supposed to manage the individual relationship with one 16 year old youth team player

 

[Tubey]

he certainly isnt supposed to manage the individual relationship with one 16 year old youth team player

No, but he's supposed to direct the systems that should be in place to make youth recruitment effective.

 

[SiEdmo]

No, but he's supposed to direct the systems that should be in place to make youth recruitment effective.

i know, was half in jest tbh haha

 

[Raino85]

Surely his path to the first team is currently blocked by the current French national left back? If he went to another club, does he think players of a similar calibre won't also be "blocking his path"?

Path to first team or 'mens football' is not always at the club you are currently at.

Look at Chelsea and Mason Mount & Reece James.
A careful structured plan, using the contacts and clout in football to ensure these lads progressed for 2-3 years before coming back and being first team ready.

People are going on like the lad is saying 'i want to play for arsenal at left back next week'

Hes not, he just dosent see the best opportunity of progression for his career

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Path to first team or 'mens football' is not always at the club you are currently at.

Look at Chelsea and Mason Mount & Reece James.
A careful structured plan, using the contacts and clout in football to ensure these lads progressed for 2-3 years before coming back and being first team ready.

People are going on like the lad is saying 'i want to play for arsenal at left back next week'

Hes not, he just dosent see the best opportunity of progression for his career

I'm sure the progression of Mount and James had nothing to do with a transfer embargo that meant Lampard blooded a large number of young players.

 

[MikeH72]

Surely his path to the first team is currently blocked by the current French national left back? If he went to another club, does he think players of a similar calibre won't also be "blocking his path"?

Well in 3 years Digne will be 31 and Small will be only 19, so no I don’t think it’s unreasonable for Small to expect a pathway to first team football to have emerged by that point.

He’s leaving because we’re a graveyard for academy players. He doesn’t want to be playing under 23s football under Unnnnnnsy in 7 years time and I don’t blame him, good luck to him.

 

[Nymzee]

Well in 3 years Digne will be 31 and Small will be only 19, so no I don’t think it’s unreasonable for Small to expect a pathway to first team football to have emerged by that point.

And Nkounkou would be 23. Digne isn't retiring at 31 so it is unreasonable when he's presently 16-years old.

 

[MikeH72]

And Nkounkou would be 23. Digne isn't retiring at 31 so it is unreasonable when he's presently 16-years old.

Who knows if Nkounkou will even still be at the club then, he could be at Amiens or someone. If Small is so highly regarded I’m pretty sure he could compete with him and a past his prime Digne for a first team spot in 3-5 years. But he won’t develop here, because none of our youngsters do, so he’ll be off.

 

[Billy Dean]

Always felt at Everton, it's a jobs for the boys club and I know a fair few clubs have players coaching at their clubs, but surely not to the level of Everton. When Brands came here as director of football, I thought one of his duties would be to overhaul the youth system, I'm seeing nothing and nothing coming through, why is that are Brands hands tied behind his back ? Is there still too much influence from above.

In all fairness, Brands arrived in 2018, so any changes he's made to the academy, if any, would need a few more years to bear fruit most likely.

 

[MikeH72]

Spot on here!

Also when he signs elsewere, instead of vilifying a 16 year old kid as being a greedy footballer (we will be offering him the same amount as everyone else), i hope there is an investigation by the people higher up at the club why one of our most talented young players in almost a decade had to down tools and felt like he couldnt stay here to progress his career! Why does he feel elsewere is the right move for him?
These questions need to be asked.
Does he not feel hes getting good enough coaching?
Does he feel there is no path to the first team?
Does he look at the likes of Lewis Gibson & feel like we should be doing better with someone who at 17 was one of the best centre halves for his age in the country? And has now come off the back of to many pointless under 23 seasons and a disasterous loan at Reading

A great post, and you’re absolutely spot on. We need a root and branch upheaval of our entire youth system.

 

[Nymzee]

Who knows if Nkounkou will even still be at the club then, he could be at Amiens or someone. If Small is so highly regarded I’m pretty sure he could compete with him and a past his prime Digne for a first team spot in 3-5 years. But he won’t develop here, because none of our youngsters do, so he’ll be off.

Yeh but he seemingly thinks in 3 years, when he's 19, he will be starting for Arsenal or Bayern Munich or whoever else he's moving to but not here.