Noisy Neighbours - the Man City thread

[Tal]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

Exactly.

Foden is so far ahead of the curve as far as youngsters at the big 6 are concerned and discounting the young players who have moved to the top clubs on full pro contracts at 17+  ( like Gomez and Solanke at Liverpool)

Spurs have a great reputation for bringing youngsters through but i think there are only 2 currently who've come through the ranks and are on the verge of making it.  Winks is nearly 23 and has 53/2000 (apps/mins) and Walker-Peters 21 with 5/290.

LIverpool  have Trent and he's smashed it.

Rashford has smashed it at United and McTominay (22) has got 975 PL mins under his belt. Pereira has been witrh them ages and he'll make it somewhere. Angel thingmebob is the big hope.

Arsenal all I can think of is Maitland Niles  21 with  21/1069 in PL.

Oliver Skipp made his debut the other week. Tashan Oakley-Booth has been on the bench a few times.

Of course, there's also Mr Kane.

Ah, Skipp. I forget about him and they were talking about him on 5live the other day. Great shout and I see he is only just 18.  So, high prospects for him then? What is the chat about him staying with the 1st team or being shipped out on loan?

I didn't include Kane because he is no longer a youngster. Good example though in the sense that he has become a world class player but didn't really become a PL regular until he was 21.

Skipp is a confident lad, I gather, who won't be fazed by occasions. Dembele is playing his last season at spurs and we need rotation in midfield with our system. He has the opportunity to be part of the team going forward for sure. Like Winks and Mason, part of the problem is staying fit when you get your chance.

[TightEnd]

there us a interesting one today

Chelsea reject a second bid of more than £20m from Bayern for Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Chelsea have told Bayern that they value Hudson-Odoi at closer to £40m.

according to Sky

This means they’re admitting to having a £40m winger at the club who can’t get in the regular squad rotation, currently outside the top 3 and eleven points off the top

If he was worth that he'd be playing

It’s the KDB, Salah, Lukaku affair all over again.

[DungBeetle]

there us a interesting one today

Chelsea reject a second bid of more than £20m from Bayern for Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Chelsea have told Bayern that they value Hudson-Odoi at closer to £40m.

according to Sky

This means they’re admitting to having a £40m winger at the club who can’t get in the regular squad rotation, currently outside the top 3 and eleven points off the top

If he was worth that he'd be playing

It’s the KDB, Salah, Lukaku affair all over again.

Quite.  Chelsea are simply useless at prospect development.  Loftus Cheek, for example, must leave this window.  Permanently.  He comes in, plays well, then dropped for games on end.  And so it always is with Chelsea.

[hhyftrftdr]

If anyone was in any doubt about just how important Fernandinho still is to us.

[Pokerpops]

Happy to see you win tonight.

[Karabiner]

Me too - Happy Invincibles Day.

[pleno1]

Sancho was nevertheless in the academy for two years, thought he was assured some first team playing time and when left out of a pre-season squad pined for a move

Much like Chelsea (though without the attention) its tough for the Academy boys there

Foden gets occasional time and beyond that?

It struck me when i saw Delph struggle at the weekend that there is Zinchenko sitting on the bench, a proper left back who i have only seen play in the flesh in the league cup but has looked a real talent whenever i have. Looks absolutely ready for playing time and when Mendy isn't fit he plays a midfielder there

Heis anything but a proper left back, he can't defend to save his life, he is a natural number 10 who plays behind the striker!

[pleno1]

Fernandinho most underrated player in the world its a joke!

[nirvana]

Fernandinho most underrated player in the world its a joke!

Haha. You can take it to the bank that a player is highly rated by nearly everyone when everyone says the player is underrated.

[teddybloat]

People have spent the whole month saying he is the only irreplaceable player in the Greatest Club Side Ever and yet he's seen as underrated?

Cracking game last night. Bernardo Silva had a great game, not seen that side of his game before.

[Archer]

Fantastic night - brilliant result, brilliant game and a brilliant atmosphere probably the best at the Etihad since the big United game in 2012.  Very fine margins but I guess that along with the importance of the occasion made it so absorbing.

Not seen the TV coverage yet so not sure how the physicality was reflected but in the stadium that was right up there.

Bernardo and Fernandinho simply immense.

Pep's PEDS clearly helped with Bernardo with him being literally non-stop. Just seen he recorded the highest distance covered in a PL game this season which is impressive in itself but then on top of that there was a huge number of sprints.

Kante would be nice cover for Dinho

[teddybloat]

The atmosphere came across on the TV. Really intense all the way through.

The first half of the match was as good as I've seen

[Juperjiper]

Click to see full-size image.

[nirvana]

Whenever Fernandinho's out City really struggle, it seems the lowlier the oppo the tougher the struggle

[tikay]

Seen on Twitter;


Disgusting scenes at The Etihad as stewards force Chelsea fans to stay and watch the game.

Click to see full-size image.