Jobs for old boys
Chido Obi Martin
- Thread starter jadajos
- Start date
Jobs for old boys
Yes it really is enviable compared to the vast majority of our peers. The club has been poorly run otherwise, but the academy has produced so much talent that has been integrated into the squad. There’s hardly anyone else that has come close. Chelsea obviously have a great academy, but I don’t agree that it’s better “hands down”.
Chelsea have produced some great players, but United has more academy graduates playing in the top division of Europe’s top five leagues, than any other English team. Which speaks volumes for not only its quality, but also its consistent quality. There’s another bumper crop coming through too, that just won everything at u18 level.
As other posters have said, bringing through academy players isn’t a bonus for United, or side hustle for bragging rights; it’s a fundamental and quintessential component of the principles the club is built on. It’s non-negotiable and essential to the past, present and future of the club. And always will be. It just means more at United than almost anywhere else, because of what it means to the club, and the role it’s had in our success. The Busby Babes, a team built from the academy, eight of whom were killed in Munich, being the first English team to compete in Europe. 1968, a team of academy products (9 out of 11 starting, and all four goals scored) becomes the first British team to win the European Cup. 1999 Fergie’s Fledglings, another great Manchester United team built on the foundation of the academy, become the first European team ever from one of Europe’s top five leagues to win a treble. And that’s just for starters. It just who United are…..
And no, you can’t count Martinelli as an academy product. Signed as an 18 year old that was already playing first team football. Cheeky bugger! But I admire the effort,
Anyway, thanks for your reply.
No-one is doubting your history mate, it's there for all to see and one that you should rightly proud of. The challenge going forward is getting the team back competing for leagues and Champions Leagues while integrating these players. The margin for error that City give you just now is very, very small, and the cry for modern supporters to just buy your way to improvement is greater than ever.
I feel like I've been living under a rock or something. We've just signed the best forward in his age group and nobody seems to care. Where's the party?
10 goal Chido >> 4 goal Mame..
We finally have the One..
We finally have the One..
He is joining u18/reserves team right? I hope he will develop well here and gets good opportunities. Too much hype and focus on young players won't help them.
As lots of other posters mentioned here previously, he most probably will directly go into u-21s. He scored something insane like 32 goals in 20 games for the u-18s last season including 10 goals in one game against Liverpool.
And it's not like we have lot of talent in u21s either. Hugill has left on loan and McNeill was released so it's going to be him/Wheatley for the u21s probably .
Yeah, edited my post to include reserves team.
Makes sense, if he is already too good for u18 team.
Yeah. With that scoring record he definitely needs to be challenged at a higher level as it looks like his physicality helped him a lot at the u-18s level. If he really had offers from Germany then we have done well to convince him to come here. As clubs like Dortmund live for these kind of players and sell them on for big money couple of years later.
Not based on hype, but I can see him getting some first team chances this year given our injury crisis and lack of striker options. I wouldn't be surprised if this was used as a leverage in getting him to sign. It's him vs Wheatley as Hojlund's backup unless we get another striker.
We have Zirkzee.
First RVP now Chido Obi. Taking Arsenal’s best strikers is jus what we do.
Fair, but I always thought the idea was to play Zirkzee with Hojlund, not instead of?
I don't think that will be our regular set up. Bruno will be one of the player with Mainoo and one CM. Amad, Garnacho, Rashford 2 of them as wingers.
I'll start getting hyped when he's older and playing with people of a similar size. I can't say any of the videos I've seen him so far make me think he's some generational striking talent, but time is on his side. Lets see how he progresses.
Video's may not make you think that but the stats should. Some folks will say James Wilson or McNeil had crazy stats too but not even close to Chido's stats. Scoring 10 in a game? 32 in 23 games? That's insane and shows why he's highly touted as a generational talent in his position. He is already built like a tank and will still fill into his body a bit more, kid has all the tools, he just needs time and proper guidance to fulfill the undoubted potential.
Patience and reasonable expectations are much more healthy for him and everyone. Some of the comments on him are just unrealistic overly giddy silliness. Maybe its an age thing, but I'm a lot more wary about youth talents. Back in the day I'd be certain he's the next big thing.
I'll never forget my absolute never relenting belief that Davide Petrucci would be a key player for us for many years
This is the way to be I think. Obi looks a lot like Moukoko, and the expectation on him hasn't done him any favours.Patience and reasonable expectations are much more healthy for him and everyone. Some of the comments on him are just unrealistic overly giddy silliness. Maybe its an age thing, but I'm a lot more wary about youth talents. Back in the day I'd be certain he's the next big thing.
I'll never forget my absolute never relenting belief that Davide Petrucci would be a key player for us for many years
I think we should just see him as a talent as any other in our academy really.
Hopefully he has the talent Fergie emphasized the most: Hard work - that’ll make all your other skills greater.
Hopefully he has the talent Fergie emphasized the most: Hard work - that’ll make all your other skills greater.
I remember dreaming he was the next Totti.I'll never forget my absolute never relenting belief that Davide Petrucci would be a key player for us for many years
Macheda said it quite well himself. He should have focused/done more and grabbed the chance more when he had it here.
Big fish in small pond.
He won't look half as good when playing against others who have grown similarly.
Still nice to get young talent in.
He won't look half as good when playing against others who have grown similarly.
Still nice to get young talent in.
Shame we couldn’t have done this with a young Bellingham and Haaland, definitely prefer signing young talent and developing them over spending 80m on so called established players which hasn’t really worked out for us.
He could well have been if it hadn't been for injuries. He had the talent.I'll never forget my absolute never relenting belief that Davide Petrucci would be a key player for us for many years
Oh another stat padder. Did not want.
Welcome to the greatest club in the world kid.
First team?!? He’s 16, he’ll be no where near the first team
He could probably get a game or two in one of the cups, but of course he could feature more if he impresses enough. It’s not too obscene for a 16 year to feature despite it being very rare (especially for one that is as physically developed as he already he is).
And even less rare for a 17 year old (he will be 17 in novembee).
@bringbackbebe I stand corrected, but still as I say, shocked that we’re expecting a 16 year old to fill in if needed, lots of pressure on the young lad
Okay that’s huge but if he’s considered the third striker surely he’ll be with the first team squad and rarely playing for the academy but the tweet suggests otherwise?
Why would he need to be generational? He has to become the best striker in the world, else he's not good?
People care. But you need to remember he's only been in the u18's so far. Next season will be his first playing u21 football.
I think you'd only get that "party" if he had already, at 16, broken into Arsenal's senior team last season.
I’d be shocked if that was the case. He’s 16.
I would think that the first season he will start u18 to gauge him, then he will move up to u23 to see how he gets on, and see his level. There then is a huge jump in quality between that and PL level
If true maybe Wheatley will go out on loan and we felt the need to make this offer in order to get a player we believed in. I think he's likely to move past Wheatley anyway with the difference in scoring records but would have expected it to take a season. But it does show that sometimes we just bypass the u21s with players doing well in the u18s.
Always difficult to judge when teenagers are this physically ahead of their peers.
Lukaku or Rooney?
Lukaku or Rooney?
He's played U23 a few times for Arsenal already I believe
Only 20 minutes
You mean one of the best strikers of his generation (with flaws, admittedly!) or one of the best players of all time?
Either of those would be an unbelievable outcome for this lad.