Premier League quality Rams?

[Jram]

I'm hopeful we'll produce some talent in the coming years

If arsenal's and Chelseas youngsters can waltz into their team then ours, playing at a similar standard in youth football, can surely manage it

The likes of Willock, Saka etc were playing against our youngsters last season and this year the likes of sibley and Knight look like two of the best players in PL2

[RamNut]

21 hours ago, Will Hughes Hair said:

Goalkeepers

Carson (34); Roos (27); Hamer (32); Mitchell (25); Ravas (22)

Defenders

Wisdom (26); Forsyth (30); Bogle (19); Lowe (22); Davies (34); Keogh (33); Clarke (23); Malone (28); Evans (25); Buchanan (18)

Midfielders

Shinnie (28); Bielik (21); Huddlestone (32); Dowell (22); Sibley (18); Bird (19); Knight (18); Paterson (27); Josefzoon (28); Holmes (25); Anya (31); Thorne (26)

Attackers

Waghorn (29); Lawrence (25); Marriott (25); Martin (31); Bennett (23); Rooney (34); Mitchell-Lawson (20); Whitaker (18)

If the academy chickens are good enough, then we need to start playing them sooner rather than later. Will Hughes had played 165 games by the time he was 22.

 

 

[brady1993]

Just now, RamNut said:

If the academy chickens are good enough, then we need to start playing them sooner rather than later. Will Hughes had played 165 games by the time he was 22.

 

 

Whilst I see your point. Hughes showed more potential than the current crop and there was a greater need to play him at the time.

[RamNut]

13 hours ago, brady1993 said:

Whilst I see your point. Hughes showed more potential than the current crop and there was a greater need to play him at the time.

Jason knight could turn out to be very good.

I’m not sure that we currently have a better player in that position, although he wouldn’t yet have the physique or stamina to play every game. 

[europia]

On 19/11/2019 at 23:34, Nick_Ram said:

Is this based on the 1 mistake against Forest?

No, his defending generally. 

[Will Hughes Hair]

24 minutes ago, RamNut said:

Jason knight could turn out to be very good.

I’m not sure that we currently have a better player in that position, although he wouldn’t yet have the physique or stamina to play every game. 

I'd like to see more of Knight (and Sibley) too.  I think most young players are in a similar position with regard to physique and that's why you often see inconsistent performances from them. But the best way for them to learn is get used to the demands is to play.

I'm convinced that the academy is going to have to deliver players on a regular basis and you can see why having a manager with a reputation for bringing players through is important to us.  Despite not seeing much of them very recently I'm probably comfortable in integrating our trio of midfielders (I think Bird in time will make it too) into the first team at the right time.

I'm a little less confident that our recruitment team can find the gems we're going to need to address some of the structural faults (e.g. at centre back) in the squad.

[brady1993]

31 minutes ago, RamNut said:

Jason knight could turn out to be very good.

I’m not sure that we currently have a better player in that position, although he wouldn’t yet have the physique or stamina to play every game. 

Oh I agree and so could Sibley and I think both will increasingly get involved with the squad more and more as time progresses. But as good as both look and as much as they stand out, I don't think they stand out as much as Hughes did. Although that might be I part due to the overall quality of the current u23s.

[plymouthram]

You can never tell who is good enough to play in the Prem League. You can argue all day about certain players that we currently have, are they ready etc etc. Only time will tell, if we reach the promised land. Some good standard Championship players can make the adjustment and cope. I can remember last season, when the media kept bigging up Grealish and stating he was the best midfielder in the Championship and would get into any other Premiership team. Well, I thought Mason Mount was the best midfielder. I wonder if he would make it and would he progress into the England team. I got excited about Tom Huddlestone when he first appeared for Derby has a teenager, knew he would make it into the Prem, shame it was not with us. I thought Will Hughes would set the Prem alight and burst into the England team (got that wrong). You can never tell, but I do beleive, we are due to find another super player from our youth set up. Could it be Sibley, or Knight, my answer is " I don't know" time will tell.

[uttoxram75]

Hughes and Hendrick were naturally technically good footballers who were given the chance to play at an early age. Hughesy looks very comfortable in the Prem and I believe he'd be comfortable in any team, even Liverpool or City. Hendrick is very similar, just controls the ball easily without having to think about it. 

Bogle is prem quality right now. He will easily play in a top ten prem team. Max Lowe is not far behind. Jack Marriott in the right team would be the new Vardy. Have Sheffield United got a better striker than Jack?

Its all about the team, football is not an individual sport and someone else mentioned Sheffield United as a great example of that. 

Mason Bennett is an enigma, he can look clumsy at times but his performance in the away win at Dirty Leeds was fantastic. Strong, brave, direct, he caused the panic, alongside Jack Marriott, that turned the play off semi round.

 

[Will Hughes Hair]

Cocu's interview seems to indicate that three or four out of the current seven or eight training with the first team squad will be first eleven starters in a couple of years from now.  I think that's not only brilliant but quite exciting too.

The other part of the equation, which I think Cocu referred to was the need to supplement the youth with two to three bought players.  I can definitely see a couple of players incoming in January, I just hope they're more Bielik than Butterfield.