Loan Watch: Alfie Devine

[Coolpudge]

Talk of a League One or Two loan next season, would do him a power of good to get regular competitive football. Hopefully Conte will have enough senior squad players to fill the bench and won’t have to rely on stuffing it with Academy players.

I agree that a loan and some game time would benefit him but I’d quite like him to stay for the 1st half of the season and train with Conte and then in January see if there is an appropriate loan move for him.

I’d say the same about Scarlett as well. They’re both still very young and I think training with Conte and the rest of the 1st team could benefit them both but eventually they will need games.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

I think Alfie is indeed a likely lad. I think he could play at senior level, and benefit from first team involvement. Also can see the argument for a loan.
Wish him all the best whatever is decided, a definite prospect.

 

[Delboy75]

I wouldn’t be against a loan. But he’s 18 in August and unless we sign Eriksen of someone like that we actually don’t have a player like him. He’s a natural 10 really hope he goes on the tour. Love to see how he’d link up with Kane & Son.

 

[Flobadob]

He’s elite I knew since day 1. I saw Foden and Mount at 17 and he’s just as good if not better. I have zero doubt will be a very very big player for us.

No way he’s better than Foden at 17. I think he’s as nailed on to be a first team player for us as a 17 year old can get but Foden is and was something else mate

 

[Delboy75]

No way he’s better than Foden at 17. I think he’s as nailed on to be a first team player for us as a 17 year old can get but Foden is and was something else mate

I watched a lot of Foden at 17 and I’ve watched a lot of Devine. If anything I’d say Alfie is all round better in that he’s stronger more flexible and can literally play anywhere in a front 6 which he has done. Trust me if England win this and he plays like today the hype will be off the scale.

 

[Flobadob]

I watched a lot of Foden at 17 and I’ve watched a lot of Devine. If anything I’d say Alfie is all round better in that he’s stronger more flexible and can literally play anywhere in a front 6 which he has done. Trust me if England win this and he plays like today the hype will be off the scale.

Snap, so did I and Foden is a generational talent, whereas Devine is just a very good one. You’re talking to one of Devine’s biggest fans here, but I’m also a realist and Foden is special mate. If someone bet me £1000 Devine won’t make it at Spurs I’d take the bet, I’m that sure he will, as like you say he has it all to be a top player. He really has very little weaknesses as a midfielder, he’s big, he’s technical, he has decent speed, he has an eye for a pass, he has an eye for goal, he’s got that extra time on the ball that only the best players have, he’s tenacious and aggressive in defence. He’s so well rounded that I feel whichever positional direction he goes in with his development he’s going to be class regardless, so we agree on that for sure, I just don’t think he’s at Foden’s level purely because Foden is 1 in a generation, he’s the next best player for England after Kane hangs his boots up unless someone emerges from nowhere

 

[Delboy75]

I just think Devine has got a bit more directness than Foden. It’s almost like comparing Scholes and Lampard. People can probably argue forever who was better. Remember he was youngest English player on the pitch today and only Chukwemeka was on same level as him.

 

[Rob]

It’s almost like comparing Scholes and Lampard. People can probably argue forever who was better.

Scholes by a fucking mile. It's not even an argument. Lampard/Gerrard is a debate.

 

[Flobadob]

I just think Devine has got a bit more directness than Foden. It’s almost like comparing Scholes and Lampard. People can probably argue forever who was better. Remember he was youngest English player on the pitch today and only Chukwemeka was on same level as him.

And I think Foden’s level of technique, touch, dribbling ability, burst of speed and agility is another level, we see different things clearly. You don’t need to remind me of anything when it comes to Devine, I’ve watched him more closely than any other youth player since Skipp, before that I watched everything on Bentaleb I possibly could. I know how young he is and I know how big a talent he is, this England U19 side has the best set of midfielders since Winks, Dele and Loftus-Cheek in their U19 days together, him and Chukwuemeka are immense, but Foden is another level, he just is

 

[hughy]

And I think Foden’s level of technique, touch, dribbling ability, burst of speed and agility is another level, we see different things clearly. You don’t need to remind me of anything when it comes to Devine, I’ve watched him more closely than any other youth player since Skipp, before that I watched everything on Bentaleb I possibly could. I know how young he is and I know how big a talent he is, this England U19 side has the best set of midfielders since Winks, Dele and Loftus-Cheek in their U19 days together, him and Chukwuemeka are immense, but Foden is another level, he just is

Haha Bentaleb what a fucking waste of your time.

 

[Flobadob]

Haha Bentaleb what a fucking waste of your time.

Yeah for sure ? He was very highly regarded as a teenager though and was head and shoulders above his peers at the time. Shame he didn’t amount to much but he had a shit attitude, so never mind! I have no idea who he even plays for now

 

[$hoguN]

Lad is a baller. Hopefully he and Scarlett both have great tournaments and they get good loans

 

[C0YS]

Snap, so did I and Foden is a generational talent, whereas Devine is just a very good one. You’re talking to one of Devine’s biggest fans here, but I’m also a realist and Foden is special mate. If someone bet me £1000 Devine won’t make it at Spurs I’d take the bet, I’m that sure he will, as like you say he has it all to be a top player. He really has very little weaknesses as a midfielder, he’s big, he’s technical, he has decent speed, he has an eye for a pass, he has an eye for goal, he’s got that extra time on the ball that only the best players have, he’s tenacious and aggressive in defence. He’s so well rounded that I feel whichever positional direction he goes in with his development he’s going to be class regardless, so we agree on that for sure, I just don’t think he’s at Foden’s level purely because Foden is 1 in a generation, he’s the next best player for England after Kane hangs his boots up unless someone emerges from nowhere

I mean it's not a particularly easy discussion to have. Foden is still developing and we have no idea how he will be like when he is fully developed, though I'm not sure he actually is clearly England's second best player at this stage of his development. Devine is even less developed so really hard to tell.

Kane is an interesting example, because at 17 no one saw him anywhere close to the way they saw devine and Foden at that age yet he developed as the best English player of his generation. And that's the thing, young players are just incredibly difficult to predict.

 

[Flobadob]

I mean it's not a particularly easy discussion to have. Foden is still developing and we have no idea how he will be like when he is fully developed, though I'm not sure he actually is clearly England's second best player at this stage of his development. Devine is even less developed so really hard to tell.

Kane is an interesting example, because at 17 no one saw him anywhere close to the way they saw devine and Foden at that age yet he developed as the best English player of his generation. And that's the thing, young players are just incredibly difficult to predict.

I didn’t say he’s England’s second best player, I said he’s the next “best player” for England after Kane hangs up his boots, meaning by that time I can’t see anyone but Foden being that guy. We will see though, if there’s someone to challenge him for that it would be great and they’d be one hell of a player

 

[Westmorlandspur]

I mean it's not a particularly easy discussion to have. Foden is still developing and we have no idea how he will be like when he is fully developed, though I'm not sure he actually is clearly England's second best player at this stage of his development. Devine is even less developed so really hard to tell.

Kane is an interesting example, because at 17 no one saw him anywhere close to the way they saw devine and Foden at that age yet he developed as the best English player of his generation. And that's the thing, young players are just incredibly difficult to predict.

Remember Kane at 19 in uefa cup. Million miles from a PL striker. Sheer hard work has enabled him to make the most of his talents. He is so driven and confident in his own ability( cut the free kicks Harry, please) Poch must take a fair bit of credit for Harry. In the book of Poch’s first season Harry started that pre-season with 18% body fat. Usually pros are 10% or less. Poch told him he was playing like a 30yr old striker. The advice obviously sunk in.
The question is...do Parrot and Scarlett have that drive and will to succeed. Certainly The penny seems to have dropped with Parrot. He is currently out in Mykonos at a training centre in a bid to push for the first team squad. Good luck to Scarlett. He looks physically strong enough to play in the lower leagues. I can’t help remembering when they stuck him up front on his own away to Vitesse and he just got battered by two big centre halves. He kept at it though.

 

[C0YS]

Remember Kane at 19 in uefa cup. Million miles from a PL striker. Sheer hard work has enabled him to make the most of his talents. He is so driven and confident in his own ability( cut the free kicks Harry, please) Poch must take a fair bit of credit for Harry. In the book of Poch’s first season Harry started that pre-season with 18% body fat. Usually pros are 10% or less. Poch told him he was playing like a 30yr old striker. The advice obviously sunk in.
The question is...do Parrot and Scarlett have that drive and will to succeed. Certainly The penny seems to have dropped with Parrot. He is currently out in Mykonos at a training centre in a bid to push for the first team squad. Good luck to Scarlett. He looks physically strong enough to play in the lower leagues. I can’t help remembering when they stuck him up front on his own away to Vitesse and he just got battered by two big centre halves. He kept at it though.

Yeah Parrott seems very committed, but seemed to lose a lot of confidence out on loan for a fair bit. It's good to see him playing confidently again and hopefully this is an experience he's learned from.

 

[EQP]

Happy to be in the minority on this one but would actually like Scarlett and Devine to stay around this season, at least until January, before we loan them out.

With us back in UEFA Youth League, would love to see how both of them perform against other European youth teams. Who knows, Conte might even give them minutes in the cup games as well.

 

[$hoguN]

Happy to be in the minority on this one but would actually like Scarlett and Devine to stay around this season, at least until January, before we loan them out. With the us back in UEFA Youth League, would love to see how both of them perform against other European youth teams. Who knows, Conte might even give them minutes in the cup games we have as well.

Devine maybe. I’d sooner keep Parrott than Scarlett at this point

 

[BoringOldFan]

Big article in The Athletic about Our Alfie.

 

[ButchCassidy]

Devine maybe. I’d sooner keep Parrott than Scarlett at this point

That would maybe be better for the squad but I think much worse for Troy. His stock is high right now and the right loan could be the making of him.