What's new

The All New Spurs U21, U18 & Other Youth News Thread

Chris12

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2013
7,293
13,252
Like we've had anything to play for for the last month. And he could have at least had a couple on the bench, including McGee instead of Fatty Friedel. It's not like some of them haven't deserved or needed a rest either.
Like I said in my original post, I too am a bit disappointed with lack of youngster being shown opportunities. I just think that using the example of Loftus-Cheeks for Chelsea today was a poor choice for supporting criticism of Poch.
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
Disagree. Rather a youngster come in when team is playing very well and has more protection. When team playing terrible, I think it's a bad time to start handing out debuts unless very desperate and it shows that manager can't actually manage his first team players.
If a player would offer improvement to the first team, it doesn't really matter whether its a bad time or not

Was Pritchard's debut a bad time for him to play, after all the club was in the biggest mess for a long time.

Was Harry Kane starting last season a bad time after all we had 2 top class strikers who were very inconsistent and we werent playing for anything bar europa against Man Utd?

Was giving Milos a 2 min cameo a bad idea?

As was giving Bentaleb a debut, after all, the squad was in a mess, we just sacked our manager and we were struggling at the time and we had several senior candidates. Bentaleb didn't have the best start but bar the idoits calling him Timmy's lovechild most of us saw he had a very good season and has now become one of our best players
 

Chris12

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2013
7,293
13,252
If a player would offer improvement to the first team, it doesn't really matter whether its a bad time or not

Was Pritchard's debut a bad time for him to play, after all the club was in the biggest mess for a long time.

Was Harry Kane starting last season a bad time after all we had 2 top class strikers who were very inconsistent and we werent playing for anything bar europa against Man Utd?

Was giving Milos a 2 min cameo a bad idea?

As was giving Bentaleb a debut, after all, the squad was in a mess, we just sacked our manager and we were struggling at the time and we had several senior candidates. Bentaleb didn't have the best start but bar the idoits calling him Timmy's lovechild most of us saw he had a very good season and has now become one of our best players
Theres no guarantee that a youngster will automatically improve the team, whether we think they would or not. We have been very fortunately recently with Kane and Bentaleb.

It works out sometimes and it doesn't. At those times it seemed as though Sherwood had already caused a split opinion in teh squad and some people not performing for him, so he was right to introduce them. I just rather not have a youngster given debut when we are in a mess right now and would prefer them to come in when team is confident and playing well, so confidence of a youngster isn't ruined and not around such a negative squad.

Pritchards was literally the last 7 minutes of the campaign and we were cruising in the match and playing well, which would actually back up my point here. Milos like you said had a 2 minute debut and again we were cruising 5-1, and then vs Villa with granted longer time but still - cruising 3-0. I'd hardly call being 5-1 up and 3-0 performing badly like we are now.

Milos and Pritchard came on as subs as well - didn't start and nor did Bentaleb against Southampton. Again I think you are missing my point, I think Poch should've used the youngsters a bit more and put them on the bench and ease them in. However, handing them a start such as Loftus-Cheeks has been given today without being on the bench (in our case, not Chelsea because he has been on the bench before I think) would've been wrong IMO. And again using LC situation to help support that criticism of Poch I feel is a poor example because Chelsea have won the league and literally have nothing to play for, whilst we still do and would be very risky of Poch to give a youngster their EPL debut by starting them in these last 2 matches, especially with the pressure he is coming under now.
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
Theres no guarantee that a youngster will automatically improve the team, whether we think they would or not. We have been very fortunately recently with Kane and Bentaleb.

It works out sometimes and it doesn't. At those times it seemed as though Sherwood had already caused a split opinion in teh squad and some people not performing for him, so he was right to introduce them. I just rather not have a youngster given debut when we are in a mess right now and would prefer them to come in when team is confident and playing well, so confidence of a youngster isn't ruined and not around such a negative squad.

Pritchards was literally the last 7 minutes of the campaign and we were cruising in the match and playing well, which would actually back up my point here. Milos like you said had a 2 minute debut and again we were cruising 5-1, and then vs Villa with granted longer time but still - cruising 3-0. I'd hardly call being 5-1 up and 3-0 performing badly like we are now.

Milos and Pritchard came on as subs as well - didn't start and nor did Bentaleb against Southampton. Again I think you are missing my point, I think Poch should've used the youngsters a bit more and put them on the bench and ease them in. However, handing them a start such as Loftus-Cheeks has been given today without being on the bench (in our case, not Chelsea because he has been on the bench before I think) would've been wrong IMO. And again using LC situation to help support that criticism of Poch I feel is a poor example because Chelsea have won the league and literally have nothing to play for, whilst we still do and would be very risky of Poch to give a youngster their EPL debut by starting them in these last 2 matches, especially with the pressure he is coming under now.
With regards to giving players debuts, no one is saying lets just throw them in. The fact those players got on the bench is alot more than what they have been given this season

We have been fortunate, have we bollocks, those players were given a chance to prove themselves after being a class above for the youth team. Not alot of people are saying lets throw Winks, KWP, CCV or Harrison in. Yet onomah has shown himself to be at the same stage Bentaleb was if not better.

In Onomah we have a 17 year old/18 year old that is being targeted by u21 players as a result of being that good in the youth matches. People tend to press him more than others as a result.

As for Liverpool they have more to play for than us and they just brought a youth player in sinclair on.

Again no one said start the youth team but highlighting the worst team in terms of their youth structure is giving their players more of a chance than we are.

Funny I see the same people saying its too risky to play a youth player, put in Alli in their squad next season, despite him playing in a position where it is much harder to break in to. It seems all that spurs fans really respond to is hype generated away from the club rather giving a player a chance based on the amount he has applied himself at the club. After all it was only the start of the season where our star striker was still considered a donkey by most on here and not as good as the likes of Berahino, Ings and etc. because he only had one good loan move and was a failure at Norwich and Leicester
 

Chris12

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2013
7,293
13,252
With regards to giving players debuts, no one is saying lets just throw them in. The fact those players got on the bench is alot more than what they have been given this season

We have been fortunate, have we bollocks, those players were given a chance to prove themselves after being a class above for the youth team. Not alot of people are saying lets throw Winks, KWP, CCV or Harrison in. Yet onomah has shown himself to be at the same stage Bentaleb was if not better.

In Onomah we have a 17 year old/18 year old that is being targeted by u21 players as a result of being that good in the youth matches. People tend to press him more than others as a result.

As for Liverpool they have more to play for than us and they just brought a youth player in sinclair on.

Again no one said start the youth team but highlighting the worst team in terms of their youth structure is giving their players more of a chance than we are.

Funny I see the same people saying its too risky to play a youth player, put in Alli in their squad next season, despite him playing in a position where it is much harder to break in to. It seems all that spurs fans really respond to is hype generated away from the club rather giving a player a chance based on the amount he has applied himself at the club. After all it was only the start of the season where our star striker was still considered a donkey by most on here and not as good as the likes of Berahino, Ings and etc. because he only had one good loan move and was a failure at Norwich and Leicester
Well it seemed as though @yankspurs was suggesting that Poch should've started a youngster by now, or that at least what I got from his post. I'm not saying let's not give out youth players some match time. I'm again saying that the example of LC to criticise Poch is harsh due to Chelsea not having anything to play for - that's all I'm saying. I'm not saying the criticism is unjust, because i'd like to see more youth playing as well and coming off the bench.
 

nightgoat

Well-Known Member
Sep 12, 2005
24,604
21,898
Tactically England have been superb, completely nullified the Dutch. Individually Edwards, Willock and Yates all look very good.
 
Top