The only answer if we’re struggling to break Sunderland down.
Throw me overboard
Gyokeres is coming in as cover for him.
Eat me alive
We’ll see what happens when the intensity rises but he didn’t look out of place today.
Like Nwaneri, I don’t think there is much question about his quality, its really a matter of whether he can handle the repeated physical intensity while also learning the off-the-ball responsibilities like pressing angles, etc. There were times when Odegaard seemed to be coaching him on the field in terms of off the ball positioning in the press.
Stupidly comfortable for his age. Struggling to comprehend that he’s only 15 ffs.
Really good. I had high hopes for Charlie Patino, Rein-Adelaide, Zellalem etc. so I’ll put a lid on my excitement for now until he starts making cameo appearances in cup games at least.
Good to see a consistent stream of really good academy players making a name for themselves.
I was thinking about how comfortable he looked. And then I had this thought. If you are completely confident in your abilities, you naturally are more calm and comfortable. This kid plays like he knows he’s good, like the game comes easy to him. He’s not just got ball skills, he seems to have a sharp brain as well. Seems to just glide out of trouble with a stop and a quick turn.
I can’t wait to see more of him.
Yeah, he just looks like a natural footballer, one of those players who makes the game appear easy, always looks like he has time on the ball.
Compare him to a player like Martinelli who is always looking rushed and in a hurry in every action.
Even the first sequence in which Dowman was involved tells a story I think. Gets the ball out on the wing, takes a touch, sees the double team and doesn’t force anything just makes the easy pass into the center…then gets it back and the picture has changed, now Zubimendi is making a run to goal to take the double team away, so he immediately gets into gear cutting in for the shot but even then he isn’t going 100 miles an hour its just dribbling and looking for the right shooting opportunity among the defenders then pulling the trigger when its there.
Martinelli would never.
Saw a clip of Simon Jordan speaking very highly of him, even putting him up with Yamal as a talent.
I thought it was AI because Simon is usually very dismissive of English players and has always downplayed world-class calls for many of the PL’s better players over the years.
It is real, I found in YouTube too. He was very complementary of Nwaneri too a year ago.
Who was the English player to get such reputation at 15 before Max and Ethan?
Jude?
@RockyMaivia it’s happening
Breathe in…
Breathe out…
Hope he plays u21’s all season and not a minute for the first team.
Love the kid, but hope the hype doesn’t ruin him and he has a good support network so he can stay focused.
Our academy would have instilled loads of humility in him. Also, in Mikel, he has the right kind of manager that will keep his ego in check, if it ever gets too big for him.
Yeah, I get the impression he’ll handle all the hype. Seems to have a cool head on his shoulders. What’s his current contract situation with the club?
It must be said that Mertesacker deserves a lot of credit.