Topic: Youth and Under 23 Thread

[dakid]

But the move doesn't really make sense for anyone. I'm assuming he'd get more wages if stays at Chelsea and he'll get more playing time with the first 11 if he moves to a club in midtable. He isn't going to get anywhere near our current front 3 and there will even less chance if we strengthen with with a top striker - something he isn't. I really don't see this one happening too be honest.

And how many games have our front three started together this season?

Knowing Liverpool we will probably sell Sturridge and buy Solanke which would be underwhelming if it is just him yet the thing is Solanke would still be an upgrade on Sturridge because he will actually be able to play when needed.

[Aceldama]

Odd really compared to Ings.  He was a proven, prolific goalscorer at the point we bought him.

We paid a fee "rising to" £5m for a 15 year old Raheem Sterling, potential costs money. If Solanke fulfills his potential he'll be a £50m striker in a few years time never mind an £8m one. For all that's good about him you can't say the same about Ings.

I'm unconvinced of our interest though and think it's most likely he'll go abroad.

[Redcap]

We paid a fee "rising to" £5m for a 15 year old Raheem Sterling, potential costs money. If Solanke fulfills his potential he'll be a £50m striker in a few years time never mind an £8m one. For all that's good about him you can't say the same about Ings.

I'm unconvinced of our interest though and think it's most likely he'll go abroad.

I know nothing about Solanke. Is he a Sterling level talent?

If he is, why isn't Chelsea with all their money paying him what he's asking for?

[Lycan]

I don't know what's happening with Solanke at Chelsea. What I do know is, both he and Tammy Abrahams looked a cut above the rest playing at that level, every time I saw them play.

[the_red_pill]

I know nothing about Solanke. Is he a Sterling level talent?

If he is, why isn't Chelsea with all their money paying him what he's asking for?

Lukaku

[Coolie High]

I know nothing about Solanke. Is he a Sterling level talent?

If he is, why isn't Chelsea with all their money paying him what he's asking for?

No he isn't.

[Aceldama]

I know nothing about Solanke. Is he a Sterling level talent?

If he is, why isn't Chelsea with all their money paying him what he's asking for?

Probably not, a striker doesn't need to be to command a £50m fee and the dispute is over game time, supposedly, first young Chelsea player to notice what happened to all those who went before him.

[Chris~]

Probably not, a striker doesn't need to be to command a £50m fee and the dispute is over game time, supposedly, first young Chelsea player to notice what happened to all those who went before him.

Ola ainia was the same last year and ended up signing again. They'll know the situation and will just be looking to get paid a fair amount to be put in the loan farm.

[Redcap]

Probably not, a striker doesn't need to be to command a £50m fee and the dispute is over game time, supposedly, first young Chelsea player to notice what happened to all those who went before him.

I dunno. Very, very few strikers have gone for £50m so far.

It's basically:

1. Suarez
2. Ibrahimovic
3. Cavani
4. Falcao
5. Torres

All of those, were probably in the top 3-5 strikers in the world at the time they were purchased. Aguero was only £38m, Benzema only £35m. I imagine the likes of Lacazette would go for no more than those top 5, and he's certainly up there with the best.

Not saying I don't believe in investing in good young players, mind you. It just doesn't seem like he's done quite enough to justify the hype.

What's the hype based on exactly? He's 19 and scored 7 goals in 25 in the Eredivisie? That seems closer to a Markovic kind of bet to me. If we want a 19 year old forward that's scored goals in a tier 2-3 league, why not place a bet on Dolberg instead?

Lukaku

Yeah, also Sturridge and De Bruyne.

They were all pretty extravagantly talented players though. Is this lad being talked about in similar terms?

[lamonti]

Just because the young lads at Chelsea don't get a game, it should not be a mark against them, nor a mark for them. Chelsea don't intend on bringing those players through, that's not the point of them, which as far as I have read is why Solanke won't sign a contract with them.

[Chris~]

Solanke has played next to no football at any level for them this year so it's hard to say how rated/good he is now. He was considered equal to Tammy Abraham, maybe even rated a bit higher when they were scoring loads for their u18s.

I don't really see what we could offer him at this stage if his career that he couldn't get elsewhere. Probably better off looking at what Dembele did at Celtic or going to Holland.

U18s against West ham is down to be on lfctvgo from 7 tomorrow.

[plura]

Solanke has played next to no football at any level for them this year so it's hard to say how rated/good he is now. He was considered equal to Tammy Abraham, maybe even rated a bit higher when they were scoring loads for their u18s.

I don't really see what we could offer him at this stage if his career that he couldn't get elsewhere. Probably better off looking at what Dembele did at Celtic or going to Holland.

U18s against West ham is down to be on lfctvgo from 7 tomorrow.

I guess the Dembele idea is not a bad shout. But actually Dembele has been great from the start at Celtic, hasn't he? And I reckon the way he has played this season at Celtic would merit playing quite a bit for us at times. And maybe Dembele/Solanke could have/will produce to almost similar levels.

[phil236849]

If we were to get Solanke, could we give him a nickname of Crouchy?

[jboy14]

If we were to get Solanke, could we give him a nickname of Crouchy?

Crouchy ? I don't get it

[Boaty McBoatface]

If we were to get Solanke, could we give him a nickname of Crouchy?

 

[HopefulRed]

Crouchy ? I don't get it

So .. lanky

[Aceldama]

I dunno. Very, very few strikers have gone for £50m so far.

It's basically:

1. Suarez
2. Ibrahimovic
3. Cavani
4. Falcao
5. Torres

All of those, were probably in the top 3-5 strikers in the world at the time they were purchased. Aguero was only £38m, Benzema only £35m. I imagine the likes of Lacazette would go for no more than those top 5, and he's certainly up there with the best.

Aguero moved for that fee six years ago, Benzema moved for that fee eight years ago. In football inflation terms that's an eternity ago, last summer we got £30m from a mid table team for a bench warming striker we didn't want and Higuain fetched €90m. How much would Kane or Lukaku go for today? Both £50m plus surely, if you ignore Lukaku running his contract down. Not many strikers have moved for those sort of fees, yet, but it doesn't mean they aren't being valued at that level. It's not outlandish to say Solanke could be a £50m player at the same age if he gets a couple of 20 goal seasons in a top league under his belt.

[Scaryscouse]

If we were to get Solanke, could we give him a nickname of Crouchy?

Haha fair play.

Not sure if this was posted. It's the interview with Ojo interesting insight into his charcater. Seems like he's sincerely taken on board what klopp has said to him. Encouraging stuff.

https://vid.me/7VVF

[jooneyisdagod]

Aguero moved for that fee six years ago, Benzema moved for that fee eight years ago. In football inflation terms that's an eternity ago, last summer we got £30m from a mid table team for a bench warming striker we didn't want and Higuain fetched €90m. How much would Kane or Lukaku go for today? Both £50m plus surely, if you ignore Lukaku running his contract down. Not many strikers have moved for those sort of fees, yet, but it doesn't mean they aren't being valued at that level. It's not outlandish to say Solanke could be a £50m player at the same age if he gets a couple of 20 goal seasons in a top league under his belt.

Maybe it's just me, and I'm with you on the cost of strikers btw, but I'm not sure what I see in Solanke that would allow him to be a 20 goals a season player for a top team. He looks a Defoe-level talent at best. Just seems to lack that little bit extra in terms of pace, skill, touch, movement etc.

[Welshred]

Maybe it's just me, and I'm with you on the cost of strikers btw, but I'm not sure what I see in Solanke that would allow him to be a 20 goals a season player for a top team. He looks a Defoe-level talent at best. Just seems to lack that little bit extra in terms of pace, skill, touch, movement etc.

We'd have been a lot better as a team if we had a Defoe-level talent in our team the last time years. The man knows how to screen goals, he'd have been a perfect 2nd or 3rd choice striker for us.

[TepidT2O]

Got to be a chance for Grujic to get game time.,?

[Chris~]

Longstaff makes his first start, 5 u16s starting for us.

[RogerTheRed]

Tight match and 0-0 after 78 min.

[jillcwhomever]

1-0 Liverpool, Simmonds the scorer.

[RogerTheRed]

Just gone 1 up after 87 mins. Soft goal finished by Okera Simmonds.
Only watched the last 30 min but best performances for me are Coyle and Johnstone

[RogerTheRed]

Terrible mistake by Atherton gave away a pen that they scored. 1-1

[jillcwhomever]

Very poor decision by Atherton. Its not like our defender wasn't already dealing with the situation.

[jillcwhomever]

Finished 1-1.

[Chalky Boots]

Maybe it's just me, and I'm with you on the cost of strikers btw, but I'm not sure what I see in Solanke that would allow him to be a 20 goals a season player for a top team. He looks a Defoe-level talent at best. Just seems to lack that little bit extra in terms of pace, skill, touch, movement etc.

Obviously this is being optimistic but it's impossible to say. Kane would've been classed as second rate a few years ago, he's now on the way to being one of the most prolific strikers this leagues had. Solanke has been rated highly by them (and by Mourinho). If the senior showings matched up to the youth hype he'd be better than defoe but we all know that's just not how it works.

I would say he'd be anymore than a third choice player if he came but there'd be the room to go beyond that here, not sure Chelsea will ever offer that kind of thing again to a youth player. They're just fodder who they train up and sell for profit to fund seasoned stars or hyped talent.

[jillcwhomever]

I have to say with regard the game tonight we had four sixteen year olds in that team. I think that is one of our youngest ever teams. West Ham were more experienced and with a couple of exceptions much bigger boys. They were a good team West Ham, but I think we showed some good touches in parts of the game.

Atherton's mistake at the end was a shame as he had a pretty fine game other than that. He rescued us on a couple of occasions. I like the look of Longstaff a very intelligent boy for his age, and certainly has some nice skills. Coyle had a great game, and good to see Miller charging down the wings again.

A draw was probably a fair result as West Ham made genuinely more chances, but our boys would have earned a lot of experience coming through that game.

[HopefulRed]

I have to say with regard the game tonight we had four sixteen year olds in that team. I think that is one of our youngest ever teams. West Ham were more experienced and with a couple of exceptions much bigger boys. They were a good team West Ham, but I think we showed some good touches in parts of the game.

Atherton's mistake at the end was a shame as he had a pretty fine game other than that. He rescued us on a couple of occasions. I like the look of Longstaff a very intelligent boy for his age, and certainly has some nice skills. Coyle had a great game, and good to see Miller charging down the wings again.

Signed his first professional contract today apparently. 

[jillcwhomever]

Signed his first professional contract today apparently.

That's great news, fully deserved.

[ggcc14]

[Ratboy3G]

Haven't heard much about Adekanye this season after a lot of hype, has he been unlucky with injuries?

[HopefulRed]

Haven't heard much about Adekanye this season after a lot of hype, has he been unlucky with injuries?

Very good question which I'd like two know the answer to too.  He certainly was unlucky with injuries but of late he is only making the bench so perhaps he's not training well enough at the moment. 

Interesting article on the LFC site about Okera Simmonds and how he wasn't working hard enough and not making the U18 squad.  But he turned it around.

[jooneyisdagod]

Brilliant bit of skill from Kent.

https://streamable.com/dy0f8

[mallin9]

Who's the bodybuilder??  (Youth captain next to Stevie G)?

[Ratboy3G]

Who's the bodybuilder??  (Youth captain next to Stevie G)?

Owen Coyle?

[ElPayaso]

Owen Coyle?

Liam Coyle.

[tubby]

Brilliant bit of skill from Kent.

https://streamable.com/dy0f8

Nice.  And even better was him bursting past his man afterwards and playing the right pass.