This is the most recent video compilation of Willock on Youtube. He looks the goods, although the quality of opposition is obviously not Premier League standard.

whenever i see players like him i think of jay-z's line "Check out my swag yo, I walk like a ballplayer"

I know that perhaps he's not as "sexy" as Fortune or Malen, but what do our reserves-watchers make of Stephy Mavididi? He's been amongst the goals and assists quite a bit in recent weeks. Just a case of being older/more physically developed?

Not that impressed with him

El Genio de Oviedo wrote:

I know that perhaps he's not as "sexy" as Fortune or Malen, but what do our reserves-watchers make of Stephy Mavididi? He's been amongst the goals and assists quite a bit in recent weeks. Just a case of being older/more physically developed?

He's still only 17 and he's not that strong or tall - I wouldn't say he has a particular advantage physically. I'm not blown away by him but that's mainly because there's nothing extraordinary in his game. He is a very solid player, strong across the board. He has good movement in the box, when working the channels or trying to get in behind - there's an intelligence behind what he's doing. His touch is good under pressure and he links play well, he's also a threat when he runs with the ball when he gets played into space. His finishing is good with both feet and with his head he's half decent too. He also runs tirelessly and is a proper team player. Got good pace and is a good athlete.

I wouldn't say he has starting striker written all over him but maybe he still has a future at Arsenal. Iwobi has shown that being technically sound and intelligent in most of what you do can go along way at Arsenal. He doesn't have Akpom's 'x-factor' in his game - Akpom has phenomenal acceleration and is a better dribbler/more tricky, but Mavididi has a more solid all-round game and is a better finisher.

It'll probably depend largely on how Wenger rates him and what chances he is given as a result. When you see the lump that is Giroud up front playing how he has since January, well, let's just say that standard isn't very high, is it?

You might not be wrong about Mavididi, Iwobi has given me pause for thought on some on these kids because I just didn't see it coming with him. Mavididi, for example, was completely nullified by Man City's defenders in the semi of the FA Youth Cup at the Emirates - didn't get a kick. In terms of a comparison to Afobe, I don't think there's much at all between Afobe and Mavididi, but then I never did rate Afobe that highly.

No, you're not wrong on Akpom either. He has had a three years that would have been hard to imagine when he was 16/17 years old and doing big things for our U21s. I don't think it is playing against older players that has hurt him. I think his problem, and I don't want to be unkind, is whilst he has a great attitude; wants to improve and work really hard, he's not a very intelligent footballer. And it's usually the smart ones that improve because they understand what parts of their game they have to work on and then set about making that happen. Akpom still has a dodgy first touch and he still can't hit a ball any better than Chamakh - still the same as when he was 15. And because he can't score goals now he's moved up to proper football, his confidence has dropped and the rest of his game looks worse for it.

Wrighty had amazing imagination and flair in his finishing. That's a very exciting thing to watch. I remember his volley against Schmeichel in the 1993 Charity Shield - I was there at Wembley as a little boy. You don't see that much at all these days. Wrighty had fantastic technique where it mattered.

You might be thinking of Nketiah as the top scorer. He got 24 goals for the U18s and finished top scorer. Mavididi got 11 for the U21s and the top scorer in the League got 12.

Some of those goals are just ridiculous. They guy was a genius. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say he was a better finisher than Thierry. The range of finishes is incredible.

Shame he never properly got into coaching. Imagine the kids at Arsenal learning about sticking the ball in the net from him? His story is one they could learn a lot from too.

As for Nketiah. He's certainly no Ian Wright, but he does seem a genuinely fantastic finisher.

Reiss Nelson has scored again, against Denmark for the U17s out in Azerbaijan in the European Championships. It's half time, currently 1-0 England. That now 3 goals in 2 and a half games, joint leading scorer in the tournament. 9 goals in 9 games if you include the qualifiers. Top scorer in those too. From the right wing, for an average England side.

Oh fuck yeah. What a prospect!

Knew you start to like him Tricks

Ricky1985 wrote:

Some of those goals are just ridiculous. They guy was a genius. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say he was a better finisher than Thierry. The range of finishes is incredible.

Shame he never properly got into coaching. Imagine the kids at Arsenal learning about sticking the ball in the net from him? His story is one they could learn a lot from too.

As for Nketiah. He's certainly no Ian Wright, but he does seem a genuinely fantastic finisher.

i don't think many would dispute that.

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Knew you start to like him Tricks

Always loved him but I still hate his shooting technique. It's very strange. Almost like he swings his hip at it or something, falls over nearly every time. Would become a much better player if he can improve it further than he has already this season.

He is the maziest of mazy dribblers though.

This is Mavididi, Tone:

Donyell Malen's Dutch side have been knocked out of the European Championships in the semi-finals by Joao Virginia's Portugal (although he hasn't got off the bench yet).

Not a good tournament at all for Malen. Missed some sitters, according to reports, and ended up without a goal or an assist in 5 games. Has to call into question his potential, especially given Reiss Nelson did really well in a terrible England side.

Yeah, that video is a good representation of his strengths and weaknesses. He's a good, but not great, finisher at this level. Moves well in the box, runs the channels well and always a threat on the shoulder.

Didn't get a kick off the Man City defence over the two legs of the semi-final in the youth Cup though and I'm not sure he has enough to make it here but wouldn't write him off.

theo pires has joined the academy.

hopefully he's more pires and less theo.

Still seems too lightweight and needs to take more risk in his game. 

Was in Edinburgh this weekend, watched the Scottish Cup final in a pub full of Hibs fans - Rangers were not very good, but Zelalem was decent. Our old youth player Anthony Stokes was good for Hibs!

Anyway, spoke to a Rangers fan at one point over the weekend - the guy knew Rangers like we know Arsenal and he waxed lyrical about the kid. Said he was technically a level above everyone else; his touch and his composure were outstandingly good. He was desperate to get him back next season. I was surprised how positive he was about him given what I had read this season in lots of different places about his time up there.

That surprises me Ricky. I've been in the process of trying to reply to your last post today and got caught up with one thing or another.

I don't think Zelalem stood out much on Saturday, and I think that's been typical from what I've seen of him this season. I'm not an avid Rangers fan and I don't see all the games, but I don't think underwhelming would be an unfair description of his time on loan. What that guy said is true, but it's what we've all known and witnessed from his time with our first and youth teams. He doesn't showcase it often enough for a boy of his talent. He doesn't make the difference and he rarely comes off the park as a standout player. He's not been aggressive enough, neither in the sense of seizing an opportunity and trying to impress nor in getting stuck in to dominate a game and take control, which is really what I expected more of.

I feel unfair in saying it but at times he reminds me of Denilson, moving side to side recycling the ball on without doing much to affect the match. I think there was shades of that on Saturday too. It sort of ties in with what you were saying about him lacking personality. He can see he’s skilled, he’s just not able to get it out for whatever reason.

I feel I’m repeating what you said but you pretty much summed it up. On your previous point about tempering what Rangers fans say, I don’t think that’s really an issue that I’ve noticed. Of those I’ve spoken to I would have to say the vast majority we’re delighted to get him in from us and thought he would be a big plus in the season. Oduwa and Ball were the boys from Spurs. Oduwa would be the one Klaus referred to and he impressed initially but his loan was cut short because Rangers had other signing priorites. Similarly to Zelalem, it was viewed very much as a positive move to have these talented youths coming and contributing. Oduwa was as you said a one note footballer, tricky winger but he won’t amount to much, but at that level his running at and taking on of defenders impacts the game more than Zelelam, but he also benefitted from playing in a position with less competition so it wasn’t an either/or scenario with them.

I don’t think it’ll have been a bad move for Zelalem, but I don’t think foresee him coming back to Glasgow next year. He hasn’t made the impact I thought he would but it’s not something I’d write him off over, players have blossomed at a much later age than he is however my worry is that by this point I would like to have seen more personality and desire to his game. It’s a difficult league to make a move to for him and fair play to him to trying. Warburton will be looking for loan signings again next season but based on his performances I think he’d fall short of what would be expected unless he really improved his ability to control the game.

As an aside Ricky, why were you in Edinburgh? I was through there last weekend for a few nights.

This guy was a bit biased, maybe because it was the morning of the cup final and he was revved up for it, so he was positive on nearly all things Rangers we spoke about.

He knew his football though and really knew his club and he had nothing but good things to say about Gedion, as he called him. Mind you, he was telling me that Waghorn was a really good player and I didn't see much of that in the final (scored a shedload this season though). And Kenny Miller was basically a God to him, but then watching the Scottish coverage of the final, I got the feeling that's how most of the country feel about "Kenny"!

For what's its worth, I thought Zelalem was exactly what I've come to peg him as in the final; smart, tidy, technically a level above, but no interest whatsoever in actually making himself a hero and winning the cup for Rangers. Denilson comparison, for me, is harsh because he's hundred times smarter in possession and has much better touch, technique and balance, but in his style and personality, it's appears to me to be very apt.

I was up there for a stag weekend. Hadn't been before but it's a beautiful city. Can't wait to take the girlfriend up there and really see it properly at some point.

Another thing the guy said which surprised me was Rangers attendance average in the 4 years they've spent down the Leagues has beaten the average of the total attendance figures for all of SPL clubs combined. That can't be right can it?

Ricky1985 wrote:

Mind you, he was telling me that Waghorn was a really good player

That should have been enough for you not to trust him

Thought that match comp looked pretty decent, agree maybe that he's still a bit too lightweight. Would like to see him play with players who are better at short passes and linking up as I wasn't too impressed with some of those Rangers' players takes/turns/traps to be honest 

he might be lightweight, but that comp wasn't bad and players like him tend to look better with more talented players who can generally receive a pass. that shit around 0:52 was ridiculous.

Meatwad wrote:

theo pires has joined the academy.

hopefully he's more pires and less theo.

He's likely already better than Walnut.

So we are now calling Walcott what Spurs fans have called him for years? Classy.

Yeah, have never liked it when 'fans' abuse current players and call them names simply because they're not performing, whether it's Theo, Flamini, Giroud or Almunia. I remember there was some wanker in this place that used to regularly call Giroud 'eeyore'.

Zelalem won't make it here I don't think, he's not displaying enough talent to suggest that he can muscle his way into a strong group of midfielders. Doesn't look like he's progressed at all in the last couple of seasons.

otfgoon wrote:

Yeah, have never liked it when 'fans' abuse current players and call them names simply because they're not performing, whether it's Theo, Flamini, Giroud or Almunia. I remember there was some wanker in this place that used to regularly call Giroud 'eeyore'.

Zelalem won't make it here I don't think, he's not displaying enough talent to suggest that he can muscle his way into a strong group of midfielders. Doesn't look like he's progressed at all in the last couple of seasons.

Zelalem plays his position, well at that. I like him. Don't know how getting stuck in controls a game, or whatever, but he was always available, passed and moved, and but in a few great tackles to boot.

Need more of that kind of discipline from our midfield, though he obviously isn't ready yet.

Tyson's best quote and probably just as applicable here is "everybody's got a plan until they get punched in the mouth"

Disappointing that ManU seems more capable of developing decent youngsters who are capable of providing an end product for a designated role, whereas we seem to be fixated in producing technical playmakers with no end product other than the quality of their passing.

you talkin bout rashford?

He's just the latest of a number of youngsters/developing players who have played this season, however he looks more fit for purpose that our developing forwards like Akpom or Afobe.