If looking for a cautionary tale, I remember Ellis Simms hitting similar numbers a few years ago. Though he was doing it at 17/18 years old, rather than 15/16. Not that Simms isn't having too bad a career, just not elite.
Youth transfers and rumours thread.
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) get the depressing job of reviewing United's 3-0 loss at Old Trafford to Liverpool. They discuss what went wrong, Casemiro's day to forget, and the pressure now on Erik Ten Hag. They also take some time to give McTominay a proper farewell, and give their overall thoughts on the Summer Transfer Window.
Our own Ennis and now previously McNeil are two others. Ennis scored a lot at Liverpool and has only done okay in the u21s for us, McNeil we let go this summer
The one thing I will say about Chido Obi is, like with say Leny Yoro, he has the physical profile you'd choose for a player in his position given the chance. He's tall, has enough speed and hes strong. So its more than just his record that suggests he'll end up a good striker. I would also describe him as quite determined to get on the scoresheet, in the performances I saw he would be active a lot getting into goalscoring positions and keep trying till he got his goal and that mentality should see him score goals in the future too.
He has the build of a lad who will always be physically impressive. There are guys like Elanga who you could tell was an early developer, and then guys like Haaland who always looked like he’d be a beast.
This lad looks like the latter.
This lad looks like the latter.
How much do you currently rate Patino and have you been following him whilst on loan?
Funny how similar Patino's and Hannibal's careers have gone so far.
He does look like a player well worth signing if we can get him!
Big word of caution though, his size and body is ridiculous for a 16 year old and average 16 year old kids would find him almost impossible to deal with. From the videos I’m not sure his technique looks razor sharp so he may well struggle as his peers catch him up with strength.
Someone like Ibragimov is far more interesting for me as you can tell his technique, spatial awareness and quality on the ball should translate to the adult game really well!
Big word of caution though, his size and body is ridiculous for a 16 year old and average 16 year old kids would find him almost impossible to deal with. From the videos I’m not sure his technique looks razor sharp so he may well struggle as his peers catch him up with strength.
Someone like Ibragimov is far more interesting for me as you can tell his technique, spatial awareness and quality on the ball should translate to the adult game really well!
You keep repeating this Ennis shit, he’s played 6 games for the U21s. Knock it off, it’s ridiculous.
He was writing off Collyer after a fitness run out last week.
It’s the easiest thing in the world to write off young kids and act like you have some sort of superior insight. The majority don’t make it so fellas get to feel like they are football savants for throwing out lazy dismissals.
When a young lad makes it to the top then, the same spoofers will be telling whoever listens that they saw it all along.
True. Though it was actually at U18 level that he scored 32 goals this season, aged 15/16, not against 16 year olds.
But as a number have commented, and I've also alluded to as well, there's plenty of prolific scorers at youth levels who fail to kick on at senior level. And no doubt his large physical presence will be a much bigger advantage at these levels than when stepping it up against senior professionals.
But I really hope the reports are true and that he's coming here. Big physical advantage or not, he'd still be a very impressive youth signing for us.
Yeah, McNeil has not progressed, Ennis was just unlucky with injuries. Different cases.
If he doesn’t rate a player, that’s fine. Lying about the player is just really pathetic.
Agreed. Ennis more than likely won’t make it, as most players don’t, but pretending he was bad at U21 level despite him barely playing there is just really poor form. If you don’t like a player just be honest why, don’t pretend it’s because of some made up poor appearances.
If there is a super talented youngster that you can get a hand of, you go ahead and sign him, regardless of who you already have. Wheatley, Biancheri or whoever, if they are going to make it, they will have to beat off competition for places from senior players, let alone a 16 years old.
Also it's not like Obi-Martin is even on the same age group as them, he's one year younger than Biancheri and 2 years younger than Wheatley. We can play both Obi and Wheatley on the U21s, or we can even loan Wheatley out, or put 1 of them on 1st team bench.
With him and the Palace kid as potential additions our FA Youth Cup squad will really be something.
Also it's not like Obi-Martin is even on the same age group as them, he's one year younger than Biancheri and 2 years younger than Wheatley. We can play both Obi and Wheatley on the U21s, or we can even loan Wheatley out, or put 1 of them on 1st team bench.
With him and the Palace kid as potential additions our FA Youth Cup squad will really be something.
Fair point although he’s probably taller and stronger than most 18 year olds too!
Passing on someone like Obi-Martin because you have Biancheri is crazy to me anyway, I like Biancheri but Obi-Martin is an outstanding talent, you can’t pass up the chance to sign talents like him.
I didn't want us to pass on Obi-Martin, don't get me wrong. I was merely wondering what will the plan be for Biancheri/Wheatley next season as I assume we will be looking to nurture every player's development as a club.
Wasn’t having a go mate, I understand what you’re saying but a talent like Obi-Martin comes around so rarely you just sort of put what you have on the back burners
Do Arsenal get a fee if we end up signing him? Not sure what the rules around that are. Will hope MUTV shows more of our u-21s so that I can watch him if he does end up signing for us. We barely got to watch u21s last season and in the few games I got to watch none of them(guys like Collyer, Oyedele) really impressed so I'm a bit surprised.
Do Arsenal get a fee if we end up signing him? Not sure what the rules around that are. Will hope MUTV shows more of our u-21s so that I can watch him if he does end up signing for us. We barely got to watch u21s last season and in the few games I got to watch none of them(guys like Collyer, Oyedele) really impressed so I'm a bit surprised.
They do. Either we will agree one with Arsenal or it'll go to a tribunal. I imagine probably a mil or two max + add-ons.
Similar to the Garnacho deal then. Cool. Hope he ends up joining us.
Well - let's hope it works out better than the last Nigerian Obi we signed 
400 goal Charlie McNeill is always the concern.
It's not as if that physique won't come in handy at senior level too. We're crying out for an aggressive forward who isn't shy of putting his head in the mixer. Hojlund and Zhirkzee despite being giants are not good in the air. And neither was Weghorst come to think of it.
I've only seen bits and pieces but by all accounts, he's technically advanced but with very little physical presence and surprisingly slow for his age and build.
I have seen him play a few times for the Danish youth national team. The times I've seen him, I've thought "why should he be something special?". He has often been a bit anonymous in the matches I have seen. But still, he has scored every time, which is a quality after all.
I've been scarred too much by getting overly excited about James Wilson and to a slightly lesser extent Will Keane. I genuinely thought Wilson would become a prolific PL scorer. Genuinely impossible to predict potential in young strikers as sometimes its down to how inexperienced defences are that makes them look good.
Sometimes it is also down to injuries which is the case with Willo and Will Keane.
You only have to watch a match of Willo at 18 and then again at 22 to see injuries had completely destroyed him and altered his entire game. What he has become and what he was are incomparable as they are two completely different players at this point.
Will Keane has even been good in the Championship in recent years having finally managed to stay injury free for a while for the first time ever. This being in his late 20s early 30s, so he spent about 10 years being consistently injured and still has made it in the Championship. It is fair enough to say if he didn't have the injuries he'd have been PL level.
You've just made me realise that Will Keane is only a few months older than me. Thanks. Damn I feel old.
Will Keane has done better in the past couple of seasons, seems to have come together for him at Wigan and now Preston, so a very late developer you could say.
Wilson has just signed for my team, Northampton Town, so we shall see what he's about this season, doesn't seem to be a prolific scorer, but I can see him playing wide, or just behind the main striker for us, depending on whether John Brady plays a back three or a four.
That McNeill story was always more PR than something else. Like Pele counting goals in his career scored in every competition. McNeill in reality scored 1 goal in 5 matches for City U18 before joining us. Yes, he was younger, but it is not comparable with what Obi is doing. Unfortunately, after first season it was obvious that McNeill won't have that good transformation in senior football, even with U21 will have problems. I really hope he will find the ground with Sheffield and get some playing time.
Obi is the beast at the moment. Of course it is not certain that he will transform to senior football that good, but at this moment you don't have better striker in that age. I guess he will be with U21 next year, and that Wheatley will get loan at one point. Would not be surprised to see that in January, like Wheatley as a first option with U21 until January, and Obi with U18, and sub and a few matches with U21, and than Wheatley loaned, while Obi U21 and training with first team.
Historically, we make very few mistakes letting youth players go. The coaches know what they are doing and whilst certain players do manage to reach our first team, they can't always stay there and rarely excel at another club.
So apart from maybe a handful of players I agree with you.
I think it’s even easier to hype young players who will never make it because of all sorts of reasons, mostly injuries, bad luck or being physically so much stronger on a young age but not with grown men. We have all seen numerous kids in the last 30 years we thought would make it big time and didn’t even play professional football on a high level.
Although I like Collyer, it is way too early to really say something about his development in the next couple of months/years. Let’s hope keeps developing. I heard he missed a whole year of competition his last year at Brighton because he didn’t want to sign a new contract and they didn’t let him play in competition games because of that. Missing a year of competition is a lot and really bad for your development on that young age, maybe he needs some more time because of that.
Samuel Lusale has removed Crystal Palace from his ig bio.
Yahya Idrissi-Regragui has signed a new contract at Chelsea. There were a few reports earlier in the summer linking him with United.
Ah. Could tell with your wording that we'd missed out on whoever it was, but with the image not loading I was worried it was about Lusale or Odi.
As far as I know both of them are joining us. Sometimes it can take a while to get clearance for young players. Can’t remember which players but there’s been a few at academy level we’ve waited for quite a long time.
That's true.
Hopefully we'll eventually get both confirmed as they should be very good additions.
There’s been quite a few Arsenal references in Lusale’s ig stories. Hope it’s just because he’s an Arsenal fan, not because he’s signing for them.
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Are we still of the belief that he's signing for us?
He's following Manchester United.