For me they don't need opportunities in the first team, they need senior first team football at a level that's appropriate for them, which for the most part is what is already happening. If there's one criticism I have of our youth system however it's that we're not sending them out on loan soon enough, the success of the youth teams in recent years has been an unbelievable achievement, but for me I'd prefer if these boys were out on loan getting experience at senior level week in week out - the performance of the youth team is irrelevant;

Dele Alli - 70+ appearances for MK Dons (debut at 17) - signs for Spurs and within 6 months makes his debut for England

Harry Kane - 40+ appearances in the Championship/League 1 - makes his debut for England within 12 months (?) of his Spurs debut

Good point ..........I agree we need to send em out on loan when they are 16 to 18 old....to an English team rather than an average team in. Holland.

I am really hopeful that in 6 months time.....Joe Edwards will be convincing the suits at Chelsea to sort this out and start producing the Chelsea version of Harry Kane and Ali etc

I think it should be taken into account that some of these boys are still only 17-20, there's still plenty of time for them to go out on loan and get experience before challenging for a first team place.

Edited May 6, 201610 yr by the special one

There are more than 2 that might make the first team.
I would be surprised if a few of these weren't good enough in the next few years;
Ake, Musonda, Christensen, Solanke, MvG, Pasalic and Baker all have the potential to be good enough, (only time will tell) but I would be very surprised if they don't become CL quality players heck 2 of them all ready have CL experience.
I also wouldn't be surprised if Boga, Bamford and Hector (yes that randomer) get to the top level of the game.

If we give these players a chance they might just make it here but its whether they are given a chance that is the main question.

Musonda may get in the side, but i'd be happy to bet his output would be on par with any of Aston Villa's forwards this season. Real Betis have scored the fewest number of goals in La Liga this season, Musonda 14 appearances still 1 goal 1 assist. In terms of potential it will be interesting to see how he develops, but he's nowhere near ready. He needs another year at Betis playing week in week out before Conte even contemplates him for the first team imo.

If you watch those games though the movement of the Betis players is reactionary at best. Musonda's dribbling ability, movement and vision is not something they are used too and I would imagine any half decent striker or attacking minded player would love playing with him week in week out. His end product might well need a little improving but he certainly makes things happen. 

Edited May 6, 201610 yr by PedroMendez

So fans on twitter are not a credible source? Solanke is Vitesse second highest scorer in the league this season.

theyre also the ones who watch him when he plays at a better standard than U21.  They gave him 4/10 rating for season, and that was because he had scored some goals.  He has no future at Chelsea, id stick my mortgage on it.  And for 50k a week he can sling his hook

 

The lowest scoring player in the entire Eredivisie has 5 goals i think, a midfielder, Solanke has 7.   He has not cut the mustard there, and that is coming from their own fans.  Theyre worth taking note of

Edited May 8, 201610 yr by RickUK

theyre also the ones who watch him when he plays at a better standard than U21.  They gave him 4/10 rating for season, and that was because he had scored some goals.  He has no future at Chelsea, id stick my mortgage on it.  And for 50k a week he can sling his hook

 

The lowest scoring player in the entire Eredivisie has 5 goals i think, a midfielder, Solanke has 7.   He has not cut the mustard there, and that is coming from their own fans.  Theyre worth taking note of

 

I doubt many Championship clubs would be happy to take him to be honest. For 50k I couldn't care less if he leaves. Tammy Abraham and Izzy Brown are better prospects imo.

Edited May 8, 201610 yr by the special one

I doubt many Championship clubs would be happy to take him to be honest. For 50k I couldn't care less if he leaves. Tammy Abraham and Izzy Brown are better prospects imo.

I hope Drogba gets his hands on Abraham

theyre also the ones who watch him when he plays at a better standard than U21.  They gave him 4/10 rating for season, and that was because he had scored some goals.  He has no future at Chelsea, id stick my mortgage on it.  And for 50k a week he can sling his hook

 

The lowest scoring player in the entire Eredivisie has 5 goals i think, a midfielder, Solanke has 7.   He has not cut the mustard there, and that is coming from their own fans.  Theyre worth taking note of

Solanke is 18 and whilst not brilliant is scoring 1 in every 3 games whilst getting pretty terrible service (in the games I watched this season). yes he hasn't set the world alight this season but to right him off because of his first season of non-youth football is kind of ridiculous especially as in that team he did look good on occasion. 

 

Solanke's season along with most of Vitesse's squad went to sh*t when their manager left for pastures new I would imagine most players in that squad got low rating and deservedly so.

Where do we begin. Literally, 50 loanees and most are useless.

Well, my list of loanees to be sold is:

1. Marin

2. Moses

3. Cuadrado

4. Salah

5. Atsu

6. Omerou

7. Kalas

8. Piazon

9. Papy Djigjfgfjhgfjhgli

10. Chalobah

11. Wallace

12. Bamford

13. Islam Feruz

14. Ulises Davila

15. Stipe Perica

We can easily get 50million pounds from selling these while releasing another 30million pounds (atleast, considering at an average each player is earning 50k per week). Thats saving 80million pounds and the CL money that we wont make.

 

Along with this we should sell:

1. Mikel - Pasalic/Mvg

2. Oscar - Radja

3. Cahill - Bonucci/Benatia

4. Ivanovic - Todd Kane

5. Pedro - Baker

6. Remy - Solanke

7. Falcao - Musonda

8. Pato

Thats another 60 million atleast along with 40/50million pounds saved on "squad players". 

4. Ivanovic - Todd Kane

5. Pedro - Baker

6. Remy - Solanke

7. Falcao - Musonda

8. Pato

Thats another 60 million atleast along with 40/50million pounds saved on "squad players".

We can't just replace first team players with youth players who have no experience or much football under their belts.

That's simply not realistic.

There are more than 2 that might make the first team.

I would be surprised if a few of these weren't good enough in the next few years;

Ake, Musonda, Christensen, Solanke, MvG, Pasalic and Baker all have the potential to be good enough, (only time will tell) but I would be very surprised if they don't become CL quality players heck 2 of them all ready have CL experience.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Boga, Bamford and Hector (yes that randomer) get to the top level of the game.

If we give these players a chance they might just make it here but its whether they are given a chance that is the main question.

Injury has ruined MVG, he looked average at best in a good Stoke team. Pasalic really isn't that good, all he offers is a goal threat. He's poor in pretty much every other area. Baker won't get anywhere near the team, will end up being a mid table player if he's lucky. 

We can't just replace first team players with youth players who have no experience or much football under their belts.

That's simply not realistic.

WHY?

Ivanovic is no longer first team material. And we already have a replacement in Azpi for him. I can bet almost everything I have that Kane would actually be a better RB than him.

Remy has already been replaced by Traore as the 2nd striker. What we need is a 3rd striker. I would rather have solanke, 18 year old bright prospect than a "has been" like falcao and pato.

Pedro is not going to be a first teamer if we play 4-3-3. He is no where near to the level of Hazard and willian. And musonda is special. He is a very special talent. If we cant use someone like musonda, we might as well shut the academy.

Each of the players that i have named are "squad players". In a season where we dont have those extra 10 games through CL (which adds a lot of pressure as well as injuries), it is the perfect season to get youth in. We would be playing 38 + maybe 10 games all season long. We dont need "squad depth". We dont need useless players like oscar and pedro in the squad. Sell them and get players like Baker and Musonda to replace them and give them their oppurtunities in a few PL games as well as domestic cups.

Also, like i said, these are "first team" players. Quality-wise, oscar, remy, pedro, iva wont even make the west hame or stoke team on quality at the moment.

If such things did not happen realistically, then you would not have players like kane, bellerin, coquelin, alli etc or haddidi replacing pedro. Unfortunately, "realistically" it happens at every club except for chelsea.

 

I would love a squad like this:

Gks: Thibaut, Begovic (HG), Jamal (HG)

RB: Azpi, Kane (HG)

CB: Bonucci/Benatia, Zouma, Andreas (HG), JT (HG)

LB: Ake (HG), Baba

CM: Radja, Matic, Cesc, RLC (HG), Baker (HG), MVg/Pasalic

RW: Willian, Musonda (HG)

LW: Hazard, Kenedy (HG)

ST: Costa, Traore (HG), Solanke (HG)

Edited May 9, 201610 yr by didierforever

WHY?

Unfortunately, "realistically" it happens at every club except for chelsea.

Yes when integrating 1 or 2 youth players at a time. Tottenham didn’t throw in Ali and Kane in at the same time it was over a couple of seasons.

You have at least 4 or 5 replacing first team players with simply isn’t going to happen no matter how you try to dress it up. You can’t just chuck in half a dozen youth straight away and expect the team to perform well enough, it’s got to be structured.

Yes when integrating 1 or 2 youth players at a time. Tottenham didn’t throw in Ali and Kane in at the same time it was over a couple of seasons.

You have at least 4 or 5 replacing first team players with simply isn’t going to happen no matter how you try to dress it up. You can’t just chuck in half a dozen youth straight away and expect the team to perform well enough, it’s got to be structured.

Mate, they are NOT "first team players" - thats the point. They are "squad players". Our first team (in the squad I wrote above) would be: Tibo;Azpi,Bonucci,Zouma,Ake;Cesc,Matic,Radja;Willian,Costa,Hazard. With mainly only the PL to look forward to and to play for, we dont need a massive squad. 

Our "youth" players are players like andreas, Musonda, RLC, a 6million Kenedy, traore. Some of the most talented players in the world. If this is not the season to give these kids an oppurtunity, then we never ever will.

 

Spurs did not finish 9 after splashing 500million pounds in the last 5 years. Spurs already had players like Rose and walker and then added Kane, Dier and Alli. We had an oppurtunity to at the least make RLC a main feature of the team since we had nothing to play for. Instead Gus thinks mikel is our future and needs to play every minute. We have to make up for lost time and oppurtunity. 

Also, I have to ask, what exactly at our club looks "structured". The transfers? the youth system? the board? Buying the likes of Pedro, Cuadrado, salah for a combined fee of 60+million and yet not having a half decent RW? We need change. Massive changes. And this is the right time.

Injury has ruined MVG, he looked average at best in a good Stoke team. Pasalic really isn't that good, all he offers is a goal threat. He's poor in pretty much every other area. Baker won't get anywhere near the team, will end up being a mid table player if he's lucky. 

 

I take it you haven't seen MVG at PSV in the second half of the season? Head and shoulders above everyone else. 8 goals in 12 games. One of the few midfielders we have on our books that might be able to replicate the goals Lampard scored from the middle of the park. Something we have been massively missing. 

I take it you haven't seen MVG at PSV in the second half of the season? Head and shoulders above everyone else. 8 goals in 12 games. One of the few midfielders we have on our books that might be able to replicate the goals Lampard scored from the middle of the park. Something we have been massively missing.

The Dutch league is so poor in terms of quality, it's nearly on a par with the Scottish league these days.

MVG is a decent player but he's not good enough to make it here, would probably do a job in a middle to bottom EPL side but for what we want to achieve he isn't the answer.

I take it you haven't seen MVG at PSV in the second half of the season? Head and shoulders above everyone else. 8 goals in 12 games. One of the few midfielders we have on our books that might be able to replicate the goals Lampard scored from the middle of the park. Something we have been massively missing. 

 

This is the same League were Christain Atsu became player of the season for Vitesse and Luuk de Jong is a 20+ goals a season striker. The quality of this League is terrible

This is the same League were Christain Atsu became player of the season for Vitesse and Luuk de Jong is a 20+ goals a season striker. The quality of this League is terrible

 

Also the same league that Suarez, Daley Blind, Wijnaldum, Eriksen and Vertonghen have come from in recent years and shone in the prem. Also, it wouldn't be hard for a player to shine at Vitesse as they're sh*te tbh. But for MVG to be one of the best players at the biggest club in the league says a lot. 

We can't just replace first team players with youth players who have no experience or much football under their belts.

That's simply not realistic.

Spot on, youth has to be developed and integrated into the first team carefully.

I also don't get why so many are saying to sell Pedro. Guys played well recently and it's his first season in this country.

Spot on, youth has to be developed and integrated into the first team carefully.

I also don't get why so many are saying to sell Pedro. Guys played well recently and it's his first season in this country.

 

I said at the beginning of the year that if Pedro's goal/assist return was on par with Duff's he'd be a good signing, he's achieved exactly that. One to stay for me, if anyone needs to leave it's Kenedy (not a criticism, I just think he'd benefit from playing week in week out on loan in Italy for a year, and his departure would open a space for Ivan Perisic).... (clearly i've put way too much thought into this haha)

Edited May 9, 201610 yr by the special one

I take it you haven't seen MVG at PSV in the second half of the season? Head and shoulders above everyone else. 8 goals in 12 games. One of the few midfielders we have on our books that might be able to replicate the goals Lampard scored from the middle of the park. Something we have been massively missing. 

Look I'm a massive MVG fan, search for the transfer thread when we were first linked with him and I was extremely happy that we were signing him. I will be happy for us to give him a chance but I am under no illusions as to his current ability, he's not the same player he was before injury.

 

It's great he's done well for PSV but this is the same team and league that another of our old boys in Bruma looks fantastic in so i think I can be forgiven for being a bit skeptical. 

 

This is the same League were Christain Atsu became player of the season for Vitesse and Luuk de Jong is a 20+ goals a season striker. The quality of this League is terrible

Our loans to Vitesse lost all credibility when Atsu became player of the season. 

I said at the beginning of the year that if Pedro's goal/assist return was on par with Duff's he'd be a good signing, he's achieved exactly that. One to stay for me, if anyone needs to leave it's Kenedy (not a criticism, I just think he'd benefit from playing week in week out on loan in Italy for a year, and his departure would open a space for Ivan Perisic).... (clearly i've put way too much thought into this haha)

You would have 2 28 year olds as back up to hazard and willian (with clearly next to no future at the club) in a season where they might mainly be only used for FA and League cup?

Look I'm a massive MVG fan, search for the transfer thread when we were first linked with him and I was extremely happy that we were signing him. I will be happy for us to give him a chance but I am under no illusions as to his current ability, he's not the same player he was before injury.

 

It's great he's done well for PSV but this is the same team and league that another of our old boys in Bruma looks fantastic in so i think I can be forgiven for being a bit skeptical. 

 

Our loans to Vitesse lost all credibility when Atsu became player of the season. 

 

I think we should sell MvG to PSV personally, not because I don't think he could make it here but because there's still a risk that he'll come back and get stuck in the same rut. He's clearly happy at PSV and needs stability. Sell him for a reduced fee but with a buy back option.

You would have 2 28 year olds as back up to hazard and willian (with clearly next to no future at the club) in a season where they might mainly be only used for FA and League cup?

 

Without a second thought, it's a long season and Perisic in particular would give us a direct attacking threat that Hazard can't give us (he can do for us what Ayew does for Swansea, drifts in from the flank and 'doubles up' as a second striker). Either Perisic or Arnautovic, anyway. I'd rather we have 2 28 year olds as 'backup' then gamble on youth players with no proven pedigree.

Edited May 9, 201610 yr by the special one