The way Nwaneri and Skelly have emerged with such tremendous poise is a testament to the way we're now preparing these kids. I guess we are doing something right. Makes me wonder if the reticence to "blood" those who aren't quite ready, as with the PSV dead rubber in the CL last year, is fair enough.
It's also something to reflect on next to the debate about Smith Rowe, Nketiah and Nelson being sold last summer. Seems to me we usually benefit when our "question mark" players are moved on.
Kids usually always play with more confidence and fearlessness. The problems with bravery on the ball usually come later down the line.
I think there is an intelligence about the way both Ethan and MLS play though that gives you a lot of hope about their ceiling.
Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert not a lack of talent but his stature and play style not always being suited to how we want to play
He should be England’s leftback though
Great player. Better find than Nwaneri IMO.
He'll defo get an England call up soon enough.
Would really like to see him play the Partey role for us at some point, right down to emergency full-back.
Wow, just wow. Ashley Cole regen indeed.
Calafori got a big problem on his hands. Beggars belief we spent £40m on a LB when we knew we had MLS in the ranks. It’s like spending £72m on Pepe when we knew Saka was coming up. Need better allocation of resources.
This guy is going straight to the top.
Sicario2 - Tier 1 Calafori got a big problem on his hands. Beggars belief we spent £40m on a LB when we knew we had MLS in the ranks. It’s like spending £72m on Pepe when we knew Saka was coming up. Need better allocation of resources
Agree but MLS will likely end up in midfield as a regular and Zinchenko/Tomiyasu aren’t viable anymore. Nevertheless we could have pushed out the LB recruitment by 1 summer
Calafiori was a fine buy, tons of talent and not too expensive. It’s not his fault we didn’t spend on a forward. We need lots of good players in the squad, like 6-7 strong defenders to challenge for the PL and the CL. The prospect of having both competing for a position is excellent news.
The problem with spending £72m on Pepe was spending £72m on Pepe, not that we had the teenaged Saka coming out of the academy.
Myles is not a left back he's a midfielder. The signing we should question is Merino, not Calafiori.
How does it beggar belief? MLS hadn't even made his professional debut when we signed Calafiori. I'm sure even Arteta didn't think he'd grasp the opportunity as well as he has done.
Sicario2 - Tier 1 this is the full bit. It's great.
Gurgen Why is everyone so sure about this? The fullback spaces vs the central midfield spaces make very different demands on a player. The club shifted MLS to an inverting LB for a reason – presumably because they felt it was a profile that maximized his talents and could give him a viable role in a team playing to win the Premier League. There are always suggestions that certain defenders could step into midfield, but how many have really done so? Kimmich comes to mind. David Alaba. Stones sort of in Pep's weird formation. But history isn't exactly littered with them.
And Merino was cheap and bought as a squad player, I don't get the frustration with him. Our problems all come downstream from being a winger and a striker short, and tactically too labored in attack.
Very impressive so far.
I think having someone with his skillset in midfield could be a game changer (if we ever get our left backs, uh, back) He's so good on the ball, press resistant and has an eye for a pass. I think of those tight CL games where Saka and Ode are shut down and we lack a bit of that special sauce driving through the middle of the pitch, opening it up and I think this kid could provide it.
