Pre-Season 2024/25

[fishhhandaricecake]

I don’t know whether to be amazed or concerned that our young players genuinely move the ball better and slicker than our senior players do, with more technical quality and consistency. Crisp passes, slick 1-2s, excellent movement, it was so much better.

Even our young players touch is better than the senior equivalent, much smoother and better in tight spaces.

Forget the level of the opposition, I’m talking purely about the technical ability and quality of the touch, passes and movement. The young players obviously have a lot to learn about the game but their foundations seem extremely strong which is very encouraging.

Was thinking the exact same, yes it was against lesser opposition in Hearts but a lot of our youngsters looked far better suited to how we play than some of the senior pros on our books.

I take that as very exciting, this crop of youth players is seriously talented, not quite United 92 but honestly not far off, there are a lot if given the platform and opportunity could do really well under ange.

 

[philll]

...not quite United 92 but honestly not far off...

Ok, calm down. A good showing in half of a pre-season match against poor opposition and you're hailing them as being "honestly not far off" the greatest group of youth players a team has had in the PL era (and long before)?

I see what @Trix was getting at.

 

[easley91]

Yea I only saw highlights but hard not to notice the clear cut chances we were giving away. On a other day a better team would have converted about 4 of them

Our starting back 4 had 3 players in very unnatural positions. Gray, an 18 year old new to the club at CB, Skipp, who apparently nobody likes or rates anymore at CB and Donley a youth product who is known for being an attacker at LB. Oh and we had our 3rd keeper in goal.

I'd be more shocked if Hearts didn't create chances at all..

 

[coy-spurs1882]

Ok, calm down. A good showing in half of a pre-season match against poor opposition and you're hailing them as being "honestly not far off" the greatest group of youth players a team has had in the PL era (and long before)?

I see what @Trix was getting at.

You would probably say "we haven't won the league/CL yet" if we somehow win a FA Cup or Carabao Cup wouldn't you

 

[RuskyM]

It's his ridiculous system that leaves us wide open regardless of personnel

What's so ridiculous about it?

 

[tommyt]

Ok, calm down. A good showing in half of a pre-season match against poor opposition and you're hailing them as being "honestly not far off" the greatest group of youth players a team has had in the PL era (and long before)?

I see what @Trix was getting at.

Yeah, that's the extreme end. But watching the game a few things were abundantly obvious. These young players played with cohesion, confidence and skill.

I don't contribute much to the 'Youth watch Thread' (lurker), but there has been excitement building around a lot of these players for a while and watching them put in an accomplished performance 'live' on TV (with a proper camera setup/angle) was another positive step in the right direction.

Looking forward to seeing more vs QPR on Saturday!!

 

[Trix]

You would probably say "we haven't won the league/CL yet" if we somehow win a FA Cup or Carabao Cup wouldn't you

Ha ha,

Just to be clear no one that I have seen is being negative regarding last nights game. Yet it seems to some it's a case of either you think we were outstanding and going to win the league, or you think it's all doom and gloom and relegation beckons. I know it is the SC way that if you don't agree with a post you have to project it to the extremes.

Hope you can see what I did here ^

Context is always key.

 

[RuskyM]

If people honestly are tired of hope and positivity then just wait: we'll be back to relentless doom-mongering soon enough.

 

[philll]

If people honestly are tired of hope and positivity then just wait: we'll be back to relentless doom-mongering soon enough.

As soon as the first goal is conceded from a set piece, if not before.

 

[RuskyM]

As soon as the first goal is conceded from a set piece, if not before.

It'll be when a rival signs a player. Or when we're linked with a player we don't rate. Or when there's an injury setback. Or it's a Thursday.

 

[Trix]

If people honestly are tired of hope and positivity then just wait: we'll be back to relentless doom-mongering soon enough.

Only thing I'd say on that, is that is a lot of the ones that overhype with positivity are the same ones that will be doom mongering. Not all of course but certainly a good chunk.

 

[ItsBoris]

Fuck me some of the hysteria going on based on this game is ridiculous.

It was a good showing but this was a Hearts team that got taken apart by our youth team players and lost to Orient. It wasn't Madrid.

It's a good start and valuable minutes in the legs. Let's see how we shape up against proper opposition before declaring Gray a future balon d'Or winner and DJed Spence the answer to all our RB prayers.

No wonder the match day threads are bipolar central at every toot of the referees whistle.

Me watching as Trix gets negged to hell and proceeds to double down and triple down on the unpopular viewpoint:

 

[purplemonkey]

Let’s not beat around the bush, I think anyone with eyes can see that Gray and Bergvall are absolute certainties to make it. Exceptional footballing IQ and maturity for their age allied with their physical and technical ability… they’re ready for first team football now and they probably wouldn’t be here if they weren’t.

I’d exercise a bit more caution with the other individuals but I think it’s fine to get excited in general about our prospects and the direction we’re heading in. The average age of the signings we’ve made under Ange is 21, so it’s obviously a strategic decision that we’re going with youth. For me, the benefits far outweigh the risks with this manager, system and style of play. The risks are also mitigated if you sign the right characters with the right mentality and motivations. Going back to Gray as an example, his post match interview last night reflected his performance on the pitch: nuanced, intelligent, self-aware, self-assured, calm, confident.

 

[Trix]

Me watching as Trix gets negged to hell and proceeds to double down and triple down on the unpopular viewpoint:

First time, Nah. Give it time mate and i'll be there in the history books..... Galileo, Capernicus, Servetus and Trix.

 

[Oh Teddy Teddy]

Let’s not beat around the bush, I think anyone with eyes can see that Gray and Bergvall are absolute certainties to make it. Exceptional footballing IQ and maturity for their age allied with their physical and technical ability… they’re ready for first team football now and they probably wouldn’t be here if they weren’t.

I’d exercise a bit more caution with the other individuals but I think it’s fine to get excited in general about our prospects and the direction we’re heading in. The average age of the signings we’ve made under Ange is 21, so it’s obviously a strategic decision that we’re going with youth. For me, the benefits far outweigh the risks with this manager, system and style of play. The risks are also mitigated if you sign the right characters with the right mentality and motivations. Going back to Gray as an example, his post match interview last night reflected his performance on the pitch: nuanced, intelligent, self-aware, self-assured, calm, confident.

Agree on this, Spence being the obvious one. Think he holds value, and we should get as much as we can for him this summer.

 

[RJR1949]

Bit harsh to judge either of them based on a few minutes of an early pre-season game.
I am beginning to think that it's getting close to make it break time for Scarlett and that he needs a good season (or loan) this year but Veliz is still very much an unknown quantity.

Ange is not going to change his system. He certainly knows that playing his way his teams are open to the counteract but he reckons that playing his way his teams will score more goals and have more of the ball so that the opposition cannot attack.

As for me, all I know is that I enjoyed going to the games last year very much more than at any time in the last 25 years other than the peak Poch years.

For sure the personnel can be improved and the patterns of play can be better coached but the team is moving forward on the right lines.

And isn’t it exciting having all this young talent!

 

[Berti]

 

[EastUpperDK82]

If people honestly are tired of hope and positivity then just wait: we'll be back to relentless doom-mongering soon enough.

Yes... we haven't signed Locko, Eze, Neto and Doué yet... this pre-season is just not good enough... ffs... Levy.

But wait... hey... we also have to make room for Gray, Bergvall, Donley, Lankshear, Moore, Spence, Devine, Hall etc... after that Hearts-game.... aaaarrggh... what do we do ?

 

[NickHSpurs]

I'm really interested to see how Spence does this pre-season, he has an opportunity to get good minutes this season if he gets his head down.

Royal is almost certain to be off and we could save ourselves some money on a backup RB if he knuckles down.

 

[Romulus]

Of course, pre-season needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

I remember in 2008 under Ramos when we beat Roma and Dortmund 3-0/5-0 and thought we would challenge for the title (look how that season started out..)

But I don't blame people for getting excited watching some of our youngsters, you can easily see how talented they all are.

We won a trophy and haven't won one since??