Hob Nob Anyone?

Snowflake Royal wrote:Just as a follow up on Garcia the winger... he got 1 assist in 39 appearances as an attacking fullback last year.

0.2 shots per game, 0.3 key passes per game. It's not exactly signs of a winger in waiting.

Having him as second/third choice winger maybe.

Interesting stat there. He has some skill about him that could make him a good winger but he is clearly lacking confidence. Something I hope the coaching team can work with him on.

I’m not sure that’s totally fair though. He was thrown in as a 16 year old and the full backs weren’t particularly attacking. We were 4 at the back and esp under Hunt they didn’t get forward that much. Craig’s weren’t massively different stats - though I accept he has no designs on being a winger

He’s 40 games under his belt already - he’ll improve a lot this year I reckon as he gets stronger - he was and looked like a school kid last year

Hound wrote:I’m not sure that’s totally fair though. He was thrown in as a 16 year old and the full backs weren’t particularly attacking. We were 4 at the back and esp under Hunt they didn’t get forward that much. Craig’s weren’t massively different stats - though I accept he has no designs on being a winger

He’s 40 games under his belt already - he’ll improve a lot this year I reckon as he gets stronger - he was and looked like a school kid last year

Massively unfair in fact ... for a 16 year old! Most 16 year olds would be nowhere near the first team ...

Royalwaster wrote:

Hound wrote:I’m not sure that’s totally fair though. He was thrown in as a 16 year old and the full backs weren’t particularly attacking. We were 4 at the back and esp under Hunt they didn’t get forward that much. Craig’s weren’t massively different stats - though I accept he has no designs on being a winger

He’s 40 games under his belt already - he’ll improve a lot this year I reckon as he gets stronger - he was and looked like a school kid last year

Massively unfair in fact ... for a 16 year old! Most 16 year olds would be nowhere near the first team ...

The old adage is if you're good enough you're old enough.

You can't give him a break because most 16 year olds wouldn’t be playing. He isn’t most 16 year olds, he was playing.

He certainly wasn't a defensive fullback, he got forward plenty and defending was his biggest weakness.

Can’t help with having WiFi in front of him. If he had, for instance, a player like Jobi, who was prepared to do defensive duties and actually help the full back out, then Garcia might have been a little bit less exposed at lb last season.

Snowflake Royal wrote:

Royalwaster wrote:

Hound wrote:I’m not sure that’s totally fair though. He was thrown in as a 16 year old and the full backs weren’t particularly attacking. We were 4 at the back and esp under Hunt they didn’t get forward that much. Craig’s weren’t massively different stats - though I accept he has no designs on being a winger

He’s 40 games under his belt already - he’ll improve a lot this year I reckon as he gets stronger - he was and looked like a school kid last year

Massively unfair in fact ... for a 16 year old! Most 16 year olds would be nowhere near the first team ...

The old adage is if you're good enough you're old enough.

You can't give him a break because most 16 year olds wouldn’t be playing. He isn’t most 16 year olds, he was playing.

He certainly wasn't a defensive fullback, he got forward plenty and defending was his biggest weakness.

Well there’s a bit of both. Happy to accept he wasn’t great last year and probably wasn’t good enough to play as much as he did, whatever age he was. However the learning curve will be extremely quick for someone of that age, along with considerable changes to body strength. As mentioned I think he’ll be massively better this year

Still here then.

Hendo wrote:Still here then.

Obviously other clubs have the same reservations most of us have about him and aren’t willing to risk the £2m or whatever it takes to see if they can develop him further.

Personally think last season stunted him and may have put off any risk takers as he isn’t really a left back, he looks happier as a winger.

Plenty of interest in him but his father has advised him to stay and not chase the big bucks as that will come in the future. He told him the best place for him for the time being is here, getting first team football.

Considering how young he is I don’t think last season stunted him. He’ll learn loads from it

I do think people forget just how young him and Ahmed are. Most 17 year olds in academies are nowhere near a first team squad.

Brogue wrote:Plenty of interest in him but his father has advised him to stay and not chase the big bucks as that will come in the future. He told him the best place for him for the time being is here, getting first team football.

Nice to hear

Hound wrote:Considering how young he is I don’t think last season stunted him. He’ll learn loads from it

I do think people forget just how young him and Ahmed are. Most 17 year olds in academies are nowhere near a first team squad.

Unless you are a winger at Arsenal or Liverpool.

South Coast Royal wrote:

Hound wrote:Considering how young he is I don’t think last season stunted him. He’ll learn loads from it

I do think people forget just how young him and Ahmed are. Most 17 year olds in academies are nowhere near a first team squad.

Unless you are a winger at Arsenal or Liverpool.

I’m sure Garcia would love to be mentioned in the same sentence as those Arsenal kids especially

Hound wrote:

South Coast Royal wrote:

Hound wrote:Considering how young he is I don’t think last season stunted him. He’ll learn loads from it

I do think people forget just how young him and Ahmed are. Most 17 year olds in academies are nowhere near a first team squad.

Unless you are a winger at Arsenal or Liverpool.

I’m sure Garcia would love to be mentioned in the same sentence as those Arsenal kids especially

You did see my didn't you?
The start of this season has seen clubs prepared to throw very young players in across all the divisions, seemingly more so than in the past and Leicester followed Arsenal in bringing on 15 year old Monga on Friday night.

Garcia looks like a 17 year old and is far from the finished article but Ahmed is a man already and apparently the club even considered loaning Abrefa out for the season which would imply great confidence in the lad.

I’ve thought Garcia has looked a fair bit stronger this year as is inevitable at that age

Do think people a bit harsh on the kid at times, he is still a school boy. To play 50 odd games already is incredible really

Ahmed prob our next big money sale. The lad is class (if still a fair bit to learn of course)

Hound wrote:I’ve thought Garcia has looked a fair bit stronger this year as is inevitable at that age

Do think people a bit harsh on the kid at times, he is still a school boy. To play 50 odd games already is incredible really

Ahmed prob our next big money sale. The lad is class (if still a fair bit to learn of course)

Think I read somewhere (probably Clyde's write up of the Carey Q&A) that he had a growth spurt over the summer so the club are monitoring his fitness levels a little closer at the moment.

Garcia's developing physicality could hold him back slightly this year if he has bad growing pains etc., but it sounds like the club have that in mind and he will hopefully be managed well. There's a very good player in there and I think if we get it right, he could be another one to go for some decent money with a nice potential bump in a few years' time.

Ahmed is similar, although he already looks big and strong enough to handle some of the more agricultural elements of League One, and I think he will be involved a lot this season.

Our academy really is excellent and I do think it's worth the outlay on keeping Cat 1.

JedMaxwell wrote:Garcia's developing physicality could hold him back slightly this year if he has bad growing pains etc., but it sounds like the club have that in mind and he will hopefully be managed well. There's a very good player in there and I think if we get it right, he could be another one to go for some decent money with a nice potential bump in a few years' time.

Ahmed is similar, although he already looks big and strong enough to handle some of the more agricultural elements of League One, and I think he will be involved a lot this season.

Our academy really is excellent and I do think it's worth the outlay on keeping Cat 1.

With Clyde saying it's a minimum out lay of £2.5m, and we spend the least of the Cat 1s, you'd have to say it's superb value at ~£2.5m - £3.5m a season given the sheer number of appearances we get out of it, let alone sales.

Linked with Club Brugge now: https://x.com/fabrizioromano/status/201 ... f-Gr-Pczbg

Clyde1998 wrote:Linked with Club Brugge now: https://x.com/fabrizioromano/status/201 ... f-Gr-Pczbg

18 year old British lad in Brugge. What are they thinking?