Football Forum | Ticket Forum | Off-Topic Forum | All

AVOR 7:40 Sun Jan 7
Are our youngsters good enough?

Or do we need to spend big on replacements?

Rice seems like he has now settled in, can Oxford, Burke and Cullen save us going out and buying Mawson, Shelvey or Allen?

Personally I would rather spend some of the funds on pacy players who can make us more effective on the break.

....And the young Forest striker looked a player today.

Lertie Button 4:26 Sat Jan 13
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Given that Cullen and Burke have barley established themselves with Bolton, Oxford has taken all season to get a game on loan and Quina hasn't exactly torn up too many trees for us, it's safe to say the answer is No.

longford 12:39 Sat Jan 13
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

just founbd out tbat Josh cullen is born and bred in westcliff on sea!!

i like him even more now.

really hope he proves himself good enough, he certanly showed he's got the attitude sfter carrying on after literally getting his teeth kicked out

Eggbert Nobacon 10:33 Tue Jan 9
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

i assume not being able to getting the Blackburn and Peterborough sides last season have counted against him

Also the emergence of Holland as a better prospect in that position

But there's no reason not to give him a run out in the Cup

terry-h 10:26 Tue Jan 9
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Samuelsen looks a class player and scored a terrific goal. About time he was given a first team chance.

White Pony 10:17 Tue Jan 9
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Cullen deserves a few more chances to prove what he can do, seeing as Obiang and Kouyate are so fucking abysmal in the middle for us.

ironsofcanada 10:09 Tue Jan 9
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

U-23 back to winning ways after bad November and December

http://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2018/january/08-january/highlights-manchester-united-0-3-west-ham-united-u23

terry-h 8:31 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Cullen is a neat enthusiastic midfielder but I doubt he has the physique necessary these days for the Premier League.
Burke did well yesterday but he hasn't played much in his preferred position of CB at any of the clubs he has been loaned out to in recent years. He is well behind Declan Rice at this moment so my doubts about him remain.
I look forward to seeing how Reece Oxford performs in the next few months. I doubt he is another Rio, but you never know,I'm hoping to be proved wrong,even though Jaap Stam apparently didn't rate him in the five months he was at Reading.

ironsofcanada 8:00 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Lertie Button 7:52 Mon Jan 8

Whatever else he does wrong and if he leaves tomorrow, I will appreciate Joe Hart for what he did in that moment.

Lertie Button 7:52 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Worth pointing out that Bilic unceremoniously dropped Rice after that one mistake.
While according to the press Pearce took him aside after he was appointed and told young Rice bow much he was looking forward to working with him.
Playing like someone with real confidence now

Swiss. 6:38 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Btw what's happened to Byram?

ironsofcanada 2:21 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Alex V's youth is the new version of Schrödinger's cat.

Alex V 2:08 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

El Scorchio 2:00 Mon Jan 8

Burke started that game as right wing-back so I'd say you're not going to learn much about whether he can be a centre-back from that. I think he did ok, no worse than Cresswell was in that role the other week. Cullen is not an attacking midfielder or a right-wing either, for that matter! Neither were played in their usual roles basically.

>>> Would I worry about bringing Rice on with 45 minutes to go in a top flight game? Nope. Would I worry about the other two? Massively.

Agreed. But the main reason for us thinking that is that Rice has now played 10+ times this season - I think he's been one of our best players honestly, and I don't understand why he was ever dropped. But Burke also did fine when he played 5 times in 2015 - that's the tragedy, that the experience he was given wasn't capitalised upon for the next 2.5 years!!!

I think what everyone does is apply hindsight to whatever occurs. So Rice clearly was ready because he's played. Burke and Cullen aren't ready because they haven't played. Whether those assumptions would be born out by evidence we have zero idea. If Burke and Cullen had played 10 times in the prem this season how would we feel about them? We just have no idea.

Rossal 2:00 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Whos got a better football brain Kouyate or Cullen

Cullen no question, anyone who thinks otherwise watch the video of Kouyate yesterday doing the rounds on Twitter

El Scorchio 2:00 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

There are better questions- but you chose to answer (or not as it turns out!) this one.

I don't entirely disagree with you and I think our ideas on how to introduce players are similar, although I happen to think you also think the answer in plain terms is 'no' but you don't want to say so, as it goes against how you believe our club should be run.

We don't know if they'll ever be good enough until they prove themselves. Games like yesterday were a good opportunity. If they are going to be able to perform in the premier league, they ought to look good against league 1 opposition with excperienced players around them. Granted the experienced players didn't really do anyone any favours but on yesterday's evidence I would have to say Rice- yes. Burke- no. Cullen- jury still out.

Would I worry about bringing Rice on with 45 minutes to go in a top flight game? Nope. Would I worry about the other two? Massively.

Geoffrey Pike 1:57 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Any young player who takes a boot in the face, spitting out hi Hampsteads and gets back on with it gets my vote. Proper West Ham.
Imagine if that was Chicharito? Stretcher, oxygen, might even have needed CPR!

Willtell 1:53 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Most aren't, one or two are. HTH...

Takashi Miike 1:49 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

you'd make a good politician :.)

Alex V 1:48 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

El Scorchio 1:36 Mon Jan 8

Does Burke (or Rice or Oxford) have the experience, know-how, football brain of Reid? Of course not. So would he ever be properly 'ready'? Probably not.

Do young players have the constant injury problems of Reid? Are they much cheaper to maintain? Are they on the rise as players rather than the decline? Do they have the better possibility of being a key asset for the club over the next decade rather than the next few months?

These are better questions imo.

El Scorchio 1:36 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

It's not a loaded question, nor do I think it's a pointless one. I do think it's one you don't want to answer though.

I know you don't want to, but you can answer 'no' without condemning them to never being good enough. I'm just talking about at this moment in time. Your response leans to 'no' without wanting to actually say it.

If Reid or Ogbonna are fit there's no way I pick Burke over them, for example. He's simply not as good at this point in time. He does need to be getting on the bench though, with a view to the odd few minutes here and there. It'll probably take injuries for them to get their first proper appearances. That's how 90% of young players make their debuts aside from those especially talented ones.

Alex V 1:28 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

>>> Do you think Cullen and Burke are ready to play regularly in the first team?

It's a pointless question for all the reasons I just explained. The real answer I guess is that nobody really knows. The only way to truly find out would be to do it. But our season is going to be defined by the next few fixtures. It's a good question to ask in the Summer, not in the middle of a relegation season.

Would I probably pick Reid over Burke in the first team? Right now, yes. But I acknowledge that choice would be made in fear or dread of what might happen if Burke struggles. Whereas what might be best for the club's long-term health is to pick Burke.

And if the answer is a straight 'no' right now, that doesn't mean the player doesn't have the potential. This idea that some young players are 'ready' is probably rubbish anyway - no player is truly ready, they play and learn to cope as they go.

El Scorchio 1:21 Mon Jan 8
Re: Are our youngsters good enough?

Alex V 1:17

What you've said makes sense and I get what you think about responsibility and method for blooding young players, but you still haven't answered the question.

Do you think Cullen and Burke are ready to play regularly in the first team?

Page 1 - Next