Ethan Wheatley | On loan at Walsall

top1whoisman

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We may finally have a decent striker coming through the ranks. Okay Rashford & MG did that a few years ago but they're not really pure number 9s.

17-year old Ethan Wheatley (born 2006 in Stockport) made his U18s debut in March 2022. Five goals in ten starts last season. Wheatley's started this season much better than last season, made his U21s debut and it looks like he'll have plenty of minutes in PL2. The striker scored a goal in his only U18s appearance so far against Reading last weekend.

He came on for the last minutes in the EFL Trophy game against Stockport and scored the decisive penalty in the shootout to give us an extra point. Played the last 26 minutes against Stoke in the PL2 game and scored a goal.

I'd estimate he's around 185-187cm tall, but far from a lanky forward. He's quick in long sprints and is very capable with the ball at his feet. I was a bit underwhelmed by him last season but it's good to remember he was only 16 at the time.

He started this season by scoring five goals and being the top goalscorer in the competitive Otten Cup in the Netherlands and he basically looks a different player to the one I watched last season. Seems to be full of confidence and is much more involved in the games. With his size he can hold the ball up well, drop the ball or turn and find wingers behind the opponent defense. And as said he can go past defenders with his decent close control and speed.

He can and he must still improve technically and he could be much more composed with his finishing but I don't see anything stopping him from improving in those areas, if the work ethic is there. He will only get stronger and might become a very difficult forward to play against.

He got called up to the England U17 squad last September and made his debut against Poland.

All in all an interesting player to watch this season. If he keeps on performing well in the U21s, we might not see him in the U18s that much anymore. Then again the younger age group are missing a prolific striker themselves and Hugill is going to stay at least until January, so his minutes will probably be split between the two teams. I'm confident he will impress in the UEFA Youth League too.

Some of his goals from Otten Cup:






Goal vs Reading last weekend:




A headed goal vs Everton last season:







A bit of complication:

 
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top1whoisman said:
We may finally have a decent striker coming through the ranks. Okay Rashford & MG did that a few years ago but they're not really pure number 9s.

17-year old Ethan Wheatley (born 2006 in Stockport) made his U18s debut in March 2022. Five goals in ten starts last season. Wheatley's started this season much better than last season, made his U21s debut and it looks like he'll have plenty of minutes in PL2. The striker scored a goal in his only U18s appearance so far against Reading last weekend.

He came on for the last minutes in the EFL Trophy game against Stockport and scored the decisive penalty in the shootout to give us an extra point. Played the last 26 minutes against Stoke in the PL2 game and scored a goal.

I'd estimate he's around 185-187cm tall, but far from a lanky forward. He's quick in long sprints and is very capable with the ball at his feet. I was a bit underwhelmed by him last season but it's good to remember he was only 16 at the time. He started this season buy scoring five and being the top goalscorer in the competitive Otten Cup in the Netherlands and he basically looks a different player to the one I watched last season. Seems to be full of confidence and it much more involved in the game. With his size he can hold the ball up well, drop the ball or turn and find wingers behind the opponent defense. And as said he can go past defenders with his decent close control and speed.

He can and he must still improve technically and he could be much more composed with his finishing but I don't see anything stopping him from improving in those areas, if the work ethic is there. He will only get stronger and might become a very difficult forward to play against.

He got called up to the England U17 squad last September and made his debut against Poland.

All in all an interesting player to watch this season. If he keeps on performing well in the U21s, we might not see him in the U18s that much anymore. Then again the younger age group are missing a prolific striker themselves and Hugill is going to stay at least until January, so his minutes will probably be split between the two teams. I'm confident he will impress in the UEFA Youth League too.

Some of his goals from Otten Cup:






Goal vs Reading last weekend:




A headed goal vs Everton last season:







A bit of complication:

Click to expand...

Interesting. What do you think makes him a better bet than Hugill or McNeill as that breakthrough CF, given where they were at respective stages of their youth careers? My knowledge of the youth system is admittedly spotty, so asking out of genuine curiosity...
 
Baxquux said:
Interesting. What do you think makes him a better bet than Hugill or McNeill as that breakthrough CF, given where they were at respective stages of their youth careers? My knowledge of the youth system is admittedly spotty, so asking out of genuine curiosity...
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To me Hugill and McNeill are good goalscorers but lack the overall game to become top strikers. A lot of academy strikers are signed after they’ve scored 80 goals in a season in U13 football or something, which is understandable. They don’t score them without some special talent at that level. Don't get me wrong, I think both will have decent professional careers at EFL level, if they work hard.

To me Wheatley looks like he could become much stronger than them physically, he's quicker and has more to his game than just goals. Like I said I wasn't that impressed with him last season as he was nowhere to be seen for large parts of some games but he has improved a lot in that sense. Although there is room for improvement technically, he looks more talented with the ball than the two you mentioned.

Not a sure bet by any means, all depends on his development of course. But I can see a lot of good raw materials there.
 
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Agreed, always liked the look of him

Think he's got all the tools needed, just needs to piece them together
 
top1whoisman said:
We may finally have a decent striker coming through the ranks. Okay Rashford & MG did that a few years ago but they're not really pure number 9s.

17-year old Ethan Wheatley (born 2006 in Stockport) made his U18s debut in March 2022. Five goals in ten starts last season. Wheatley's started this season much better than last season, made his U21s debut and it looks like he'll have plenty of minutes in PL2. The striker scored a goal in his only U18s appearance so far against Reading last weekend.

He came on for the last minutes in the EFL Trophy game against Stockport and scored the decisive penalty in the shootout to give us an extra point. Played the last 26 minutes against Stoke in the PL2 game and scored a goal.

I'd estimate he's around 185-187cm tall, but far from a lanky forward. He's quick in long sprints and is very capable with the ball at his feet. I was a bit underwhelmed by him last season but it's good to remember he was only 16 at the time. He started this season buy scoring five and being the top goalscorer in the competitive Otten Cup in the Netherlands and he basically looks a different player to the one I watched last season. Seems to be full of confidence and it much more involved in the game. With his size he can hold the ball up well, drop the ball or turn and find wingers behind the opponent defense. And as said he can go past defenders with his decent close control and speed.

He can and he must still improve technically and he could be much more composed with his finishing but I don't see anything stopping him from improving in those areas, if the work ethic is there. He will only get stronger and might become a very difficult forward to play against.

He got called up to the England U17 squad last September and made his debut against Poland.

All in all an interesting player to watch this season. If he keeps on performing well in the U21s, we might not see him in the U18s that much anymore. Then again the younger age group are missing a prolific striker themselves and Hugill is going to stay at least until January, so his minutes will probably be split between the two teams. I'm confident he will impress in the UEFA Youth League too.

Some of his goals from Otten Cup:






Goal vs Reading last weekend:




A headed goal vs Everton last season:







A bit of complication:

Click to expand...

In that goal against PSV there I like how he shapes up like he's going far post all day long, and then smashes it near post.
 
I think with both Wheatley and E Williams this season I’ve realised I judged them too early. I know this is sometimes silly with young players but with neither on multiple views did anything jump out to me.

However both seem to have some back this season full of confidence and putting in good performances. With Wheatley I felt he lacked belief and a bit of desire and I felt these were reflected in tame finishes or him lacking composure at times. A striker with his attributes, especially at this level can dominate and I felt he could do this more.

Thankfully I was wrong and he has shown a nice variety of finishes so far this season and lead the pretty well. I’m hoping that he can also develop his back to goal play and pressing from the front. Being the main man and hopefully the added responsibility will help him step up even more.
 
top1whoisman said:
Not a sure bet by any means, all depends on his development of course. But I can see a lot of good raw materials there.
Click to expand...
I was just asking you about this lad the other day and you made a thread about him! Noice! :devil:

And the bolded part was precisely why I was asking about him and why I liked what I saw against Reading. Has good raw materials for a striker and he's already very tall with room to grow further.
 
saik said:
I was just asking you about this lad the other day and you made a thread about him! Noice! :devil:

And the bolded part was precisely why I was asking about him and why I liked what I saw against Reading. Has good raw materials for a striker and he's already very tall with room to grow further.
Click to expand...

Yeah noticed there wasn’t a thread on him when you posted that :)
 
Not sure about him personally, a more than decent U18 striker but there’s quite a few deficiencies in his game. He’s not a particularly outstanding finisher and his last touch before a shot frequently lets him down. Obviously interested to see how he does for the rest of the season but not sure I see first team potential.
 
AltiUn said:
Not sure about him personally, a more than decent U18 striker but there’s quite a few deficiencies in his game. He’s not a particularly outstanding finisher and his last touch before a shot frequently lets him down. Obviously interested to see how he does for the rest of the season but not sure I see first team potential.
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I don’t see any that could not be improved on. Whether he does is up to him.
 
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My main problem with Wheatley is I don't think he's a natural striker. Felt like he was shoved into that position in the younger age group because he had the physical frame/build for it and we didn't have any half-decent striker prospect in his group but I don't think he has the finishing as well as other natural tendencies of a number 9.
 
khoazany said:
My main problem with Wheatley is I don't think he's a natural striker. Felt like he was shoved into that position in the younger age group because he had the physical frame/build for it and we didn't have any half-decent striker prospect in his group but I don't think he has the finishing as well as other natural tendencies of a number 9.
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That's fair, but a lot of professional footballers end up playing a different position than what they were coached as at academy level. A lot of what he's lacking in can be coached, in my opinion.
 
sglowrider said:
Actually his gangly running style and how he strikes the ball, no back-lift reminds me of a certain protege who recently left for Spain on loan.
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Ehh, I see more Welbeck than Greenwood apart from that trait you cited. His deficiencies and style remind me of Danny. I thought that since he was like 13 years old or so. He might become one of those players whose general play gets him playing time, but his striking qualities don't make him a natural goal scorer needed to be a top player or playing in that striker position where finishing is a vital part of the job.

Granted, anyone of these kids would be lucky to have Welbeck's career so I take that as more of a compliment. And I'm comparing him to Welbeck as a first team player as I didn't get to see him for the u18s. I started watching right after that.

Who knows, he might become a great finisher. Hard to know at this stage when a lot of development is ahead of them. Rashford all of a sudden had a huge leap in finishing ability.
 
In Rainbows said:
Ehh, I see more Welbeck than Greenwood apart from that trait you cited. His deficiencies and style remind me of Danny. I thought that since he was like 13 years old or so. He might become one of those players whose general play gets him playing time, but his striking qualities don't make him a natural goal scorer needed to be a top player or playing in that striker position where finishing is a vital part of the job.

Granted, anyone of these kids would be lucky to have Welbeck's career so I take that as more of a compliment. And I'm comparing him to Welbeck as a first team player as I didn't get to see him for the u18s. I started watching right after that.

Who knows, he might become a great finisher. Hard to know at this stage when a lot of development is ahead of them. Rashford all of a sudden had a huge leap in finishing ability.
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Completely agree with you about their development trajectories. Never a straight line much like in life. That's why I am still amaze with people calling any kid at 19-22 a write off.

Welbeck -- interesting call. Didn't think of it then but I can see what you are seeing
 
This isn't good. Bit like when we kept Charlie Savage.
 
I think there are raw ingredients there with this kid to improve and become better I’m just not sure about the mental aspect of the game yet. Obviously he is young and will mature but it will take time. Can score a stunner and then miss an open goal.
Be interesting to see him in under 21 football, can he grow his game when his physicality is less apparent?
 
Demaw said:
This isn't good. Bit like when we kept Charlie Savage.
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Not really, it is normal thing for 18 years old. Give them contract, let them develop in U21 and after year loan them out or find them a club where they can start their professional career. It is Academy, not just having kids that will play for United or be sold for profit, just a few of them will.
 
Wheatley will fill a gap for the u21s, can't see him making it at United but could still have a pro career at a lower level.
 
Wait, this was tonight? Feck, I missed it. He played alright. Took up good positions but missed so many chances though. Needs to put those away.
 
saik said:
Wait, this was tonight? Feck, I missed it. He played alright. Took up good positions but missed so many chances though. Needs to put those away.
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Yeah, he does tend to miss a few easy chances but I feel that the finishing part can be worked on and could ”click” anytime. Works hard and offers something different to say Biancheri and Musa.

With his frame he also needs to be a bit more aggressive, but maybe that comes when he becomes stronger. But in the U18s he should already be able to physically dominate in the box. He does sometimes but in my opinion should be able to do it more or less every game.
 
top1whoisman said:
Yeah, he does tend to miss a few easy chances but I feel that the finishing part can be worked on and could ”click” anytime. Works hard and offers something different to say Biancheri and Musa.

With his frame he also needs to be a bit more aggressive, but maybe that comes when he becomes stronger. But in the U18s he should already be able to physically dominate in the box. He does sometimes but in my opinion should be able to do it more or less every game.
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Yea I do like him and was arguing with another poster last week that he might come good. Like you say, he has to do more with the attributes he has. Scores goals but is inconsistent(can be put down to age). I rarely see him dominating anyone physically. Hopefully he bulks up a bit because he has height to be good at that.
 
Not sure whether it's true but apparently he's eligible for Malaysia through his grandmother. Hence why he has people spamming the Malaysian flag on his IG posts.
 
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Someone on twitter compared his goal to the one Mitoma scored last season I think. Mitoma was rightly praised for that, as should Wheatley. Great composure and technique.



 
Two goals and an assist for him today. Improving as the season has gone. Getting more involved in games now and pressed well today. If he can add some physicality and hold up play he's can be one to keep an eye on.


 
top1whoisman said:
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Still not lethal enough for me - he is capable of scoring dreamgoals - only to miss 2 sitters 5 minutes later. But he is the only one of our U18 strikers who has the potential to make it. Biancheri is too limited outside the box and Musa well...offers very little to put it mildly
 
The thug from liverpool who tried on 2 occasions to put him out of the game against them has been given a 5 game suspension, Their coach also called after the game to apologise.
 
lysglimt said:
Still not lethal enough for me - he is capable of scoring dreamgoals - only to miss 2 sitters 5 minutes later. But he is the only one of our U18 strikers who has the potential to make it. Biancheri is too limited outside the box and Musa well...offers very little to put it mildly
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I disagree on Biancheri, I actually think his holdup play is really good for someone of his size. He's very clever in the way he uses his body to earn fouls as well.

He's certainly got room for improvement but there's definitely something there.
 
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OldRed1 said:
The thug from liverpool who tried on 2 occasions to put him out of the game against them has been given a 5 game suspension, Their coach also called after the game to apologise.
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Well done by the coach - he was actually lucky to escape with just 5 matches. 3 matches for each episode should be a minimum - but the most important thing is that he was severely punished
 
Can
lysglimt said:
Still not lethal enough for me - he is capable of scoring dreamgoals - only to miss 2 sitters 5 minutes later. But he is the only one of our U18 strikers who has the potential to make it. Biancheri is too limited outside the box and Musa well...offers very little to put it mildly
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Can't see Wheatley making it at United, he doesn’t have any elite qualities. In saying that he will probably have a professional career but hard to see how high of a level he'll have.
 
Gungerz said:
I disagree on Biancheri, I actually think his holdup play is really good for someone of his size. He's very clever in the way he uses his body to earn fouls as well.

He's certainly got room for improvement but there's definitely something there.
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I said this about Biancheri before too. I think he has good movement and is in the right place a lot of the time. He can play wider and got decent link play. I think they’d have a decent partnership.
 
OldRed1 said:
The thug from liverpool who tried on 2 occasions to put him out of the game against them has been given a 5 game suspension, Their coach also called after the game to apologise.
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And he hasn't played for them since.
 
OldRed1 said:
The thug from liverpool who tried on 2 occasions to put him out of the game against them has been given a 5 game suspension, Their coach also called after the game to apologise.
Click to expand...

Good on the FA and Liverpool. About time some of the shite challenges get properly punished at this level.
 
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