[Albion] Jurgen Locadia season-long loan to Hoffenheim

[AZ Gull]

First I've heard of him,

You are certainly not alone amongst Albion fans in having no interest in the U-18s. As it happens, someone already posted on here his comment about wanting to be like Messi - Marc Leonard - 16yr old from Hearts

How long with the Albion

He joined us in the summer of 2018 to commence his two-year scholarship.

... and is he considered a top tier prospect?

Many of the U-23 matches are shown either by the Albion or their opponents (and hopefully the FA Youth Cup matches will also be televised this season). I would urge you to try to catch them, and then you can make that determination yourself.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

You are certainly not alone amongst Albion fans in having no interest in the U-18s. As it happens, someone already posted on here his comment about wanting to be like Messi - Marc Leonard - 16yr old from Hearts

He joined us in the summer of 2018 to commence his two-year scholarship.

Many of the U-23 matches are shown either by the Albion or their opponents (and hopefully the FA Youth Cup matches will also be televised this season). I would urge you to try to catch them, and then you can make that determination yourself.

Thanks. I'm certainly starting to take an interest.

I follow a lot of baseball where, as you well know, young players are scouted and ranked and raved about way before they reach the majors, with top 50 lists for every MLB side. In football however that doesn't seem to happen, a kid will turn up in the first team and everyone goes, ooh, look at him. Like that Williams kid for Man Utd yesterday, turns up in the first team and has an absolute blinder, and most United fans won't have had more than a passing recognition that he existed. Like Rashford the other year just came out of nowhere.

So when I look at the youth team, we can scout the goals and assists and so on, and obviously watch them, but there are so many different variables, of age, level and so on to compare, a 16-yr old kid versus a 23 yr old, someone in a youth team and someone on loan in the championship, its not particularly easy to sort them out when wondering who is going to make it, who is a top tier prospect and who isn't.

Is there any effort going into making these kind of lists, a top-10 prospects for the Albion? I'm guessing that Connolly, White, Alzate would be top three, but only because they've burst onto the first team scene. You've seen more of them than most, how would you rank our prospects in order of most likely to be a premier league star?

 

[marlowe]

Thanks. I'm certainly starting to take an interest.

I follow a lot of baseball where, as you well know, young players are scouted and ranked and raved about way before they reach the majors, with top 50 lists for every MLB side. In football however that doesn't seem to happen, a kid will turn up in the first team and everyone goes, ooh, look at him. Like that Williams kid for Man Utd yesterday, turns up in the first team and has an absolute blinder, and most United fans won't have had more than a passing recognition that he existed. Like Rashford the other year just came out of nowhere.

So when I look at the youth team, we can scout the goals and assists and so on, and obviously watch them, but there are so many different variables, of age, level and so on to compare, a 16-yr old kid versus a 23 yr old, someone in a youth team and someone on loan in the championship, its not particularly easy to sort them out when wondering who is going to make it, who is a top tier prospect and who isn't.

Is there any effort going into making these kind of lists, a top-10 prospects for the Albion? I'm guessing that Connolly, White, Alzate would be top three, but only because they've burst onto the first team scene. You've seen more of them than most, how would you rank our prospects in order of most likely to be a premier league star?

It might be better to let them develop in their own time rather than cast them in the spotlight with the attendant pressure and burden of expectation heaped upon them. Any of them who did not subsequently make the grade as expected would then be wrongly regarded as "failures".

 

[AZ Gull]

Thanks. I'm certainly starting to take an interest.

I follow a lot of baseball where, as you well know, young players are scouted and ranked and raved about way before they reach the majors, with top 50 lists for every MLB side. In football however that doesn't seem to happen, a kid will turn up in the first team and everyone goes, ooh, look at him. Like that Williams kid for Man Utd yesterday, turns up in the first team and has an absolute blinder, and most United fans won't have had more than a passing recognition that he existed. Like Rashford the other year just came out of nowhere.

So when I look at the youth team, we can scout the goals and assists and so on, and obviously watch them, but there are so many different variables, of age, level and so on to compare, a 16-yr old kid versus a 23 yr old, someone in a youth team and someone on loan in the championship, its not particularly easy to sort them out when wondering who is going to make it, who is a top tier prospect and who isn't.

Is there any effort going into making these kind of lists, a top-10 prospects for the Albion? I'm guessing that Connolly, White, Alzate would be top three, but only because they've burst onto the first team scene. You've seen more of them than most, how would you rank our prospects in order of most likely to be a premier league star?

Baseball is a sport that lends itself to statistical analysis far more than football does. There have certainly been attempts to rectify that in recent years, with stuff like xG and goodness knows what else, but those tend to be team-based metrics rather than individual-based (I think; I'm only aware of things that have been posted on here about it, I certainly haven't made any attempt to study it).

It is notoriously difficult to predict which kids might make it in football; there are countless examples of the next "wunderkind" who disappears without trace (John Bostock, anyone?). When Michael Standing and Gareth Barry were signed by Villa, it was actually Standing who was the England youth international who was thought to be the great prospect.

The Guardian does actually produce an annual list of the "best" first-year scholar at each Premier League club (although I have no idea what criteria, if any, they use.... beyond sticking a pin in a list of each club's first-year scholars.....). If you wanted to know who they have selected at the Albion in the last 3 years, then it is covered here, here and here..

Unfortunately, when you say "You've seen more of them than most" you are probably wrong. The U-18 league matches are not streamed; Albion used to televise the (U-18) FA Youth Cup matches but they stopped that a couple of years ago (I'm hoping they will rectify that this season). And for one reason or another, I've had little opportunity to catch the U-23 matches this season. You saw the kids in action (live) against Villa in the Carabao Cup, so perhaps I should be asking you the question......

I will tell you though that I am a massive fan of Ben White, and have been since he was playing for the U-21s (as they were then). I think he is destined for the very top.

If you are genuinely taking an interest in the U-18s (who are on an incredible run over the last 10 months) then you should keep an eye on this thread - Albion 1st-year scholars for 2019-20

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

It might be better to let them develop in their own time rather than cast them in the spotlight with the attendant pressure and burden of expectation heaped upon them. Any of them who did not subsequently make the grade as expected would then be wrongly regarded as "failures".

Is a good point, certainly. One could argue that the pressure they get when they enter the premier league is so massive that having been exposed to attention beforehand might help. The point of loans I suppose.

One can only imagine what it was like for Alzate to walk out at Old Trafford yesterday

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Baseball is a sport that lends itself to statistical analysis far more than football does. There have certainly been attempts to rectify that in recent years, with stuff like xG and goodness knows what else, but those tend to be team-based metrics rather than individual-based (I think; I'm only aware of things that have been posted on here about it, I certainly haven't made any attempt to study it).

It is notoriously difficult to predict which kids might make it in football; there are countless examples of the next "wunderkind" who disappears without trace (John Bostock, anyone?). When Michael Standing and Gareth Barry were signed by Villa, it was actually Standing who was the England youth international who was thought to be the great prospect.

The Guardian does actually produce an annual list of the "best" first-year scholar at each Premier League club (although I have no idea what criteria, if any, they use.... beyond sticking a pin in a list of each club's first-year scholars.....). If you wanted to know who they have selected at the Albion in the last 3 years, then it is covered here, here and here..

Unfortunately, when you say "You've seen more of them than most" you are probably wrong. The U-18 league matches are not streamed; Albion used to televise the (U-18) FA Youth Cup matches but they stopped that a couple of years ago (I'm hoping they will rectify that this season). And for one reason or another, I've had little opportunity to catch the U-23 matches this season. You saw the kids in action (live) against Villa in the Carabao Cup, so perhaps I should be asking you the question......

I will tell you though that I am a massive fan of Ben White, and have been since he was playing for the U-21s (as they were then). I think he is destined for the very top.

If you are genuinely taking an interest in the U-18s (who are on an incredible run over the last 10 months) then you should keep an eye on this thread - Albion 1st-year scholars for 2019-20

Thank you heading to that page now...

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Baseball is a sport that lends itself to statistical analysis far more than football does. There have certainly been attempts to rectify that in recent years, with stuff like xG and goodness knows what else, but those tend to be team-based metrics rather than individual-based (I think; I'm only aware of things that have been posted on here about it, I certainly haven't made any attempt to study it).

It is notoriously difficult to predict which kids might make it in football; there are countless examples of the next "wunderkind" who disappears without trace (John Bostock, anyone?). When Michael Standing and Gareth Barry were signed by Villa, it was actually Standing who was the England youth international who was thought to be the great prospect.

The Guardian does actually produce an annual list of the "best" first-year scholar at each Premier League club (although I have no idea what criteria, if any, they use.... beyond sticking a pin in a list of each club's first-year scholars.....). If you wanted to know who they have selected at the Albion in the last 3 years, then it is covered here, here and here..

Unfortunately, when you say "You've seen more of them than most" you are probably wrong. The U-18 league matches are not streamed; Albion used to televise the (U-18) FA Youth Cup matches but they stopped that a couple of years ago (I'm hoping they will rectify that this season). And for one reason or another, I've had little opportunity to catch the U-23 matches this season. You saw the kids in action (live) against Villa in the Carabao Cup, so perhaps I should be asking you the question......

I will tell you though that I am a massive fan of Ben White, and have been since he was playing for the U-21s (as they were then). I think he is destined for the very top.

If you are genuinely taking an interest in the U-18s (who are on an incredible run over the last 10 months) then you should keep an eye on this thread - Albion 1st-year scholars for 2019-20

Based on progression to date, plus stats, plus respective ages, plus the little I have seen myself - all weighted against what I personally believe are the most important aspects in a young player's make-up (specifically technique and awareness, over pure physicality), the ones I am most excited about are White, Molumby, Jenks and Roberts.

A bit stating the obvious really. These seem the real talents near the front of the queue.

White has gone beyond being considered 'a prospect' mind. He's winning weekly accolades, right at the top, of a very tough league.

Molumby isn't far behind.

 

[phoenix]

Thanks AZ .


I enjoy your posts and opinions, update's about the youngsters are much appreciated

 

[schmunk]

White has gone beyond being considered 'a prospect' mind. He's winning weekly accolades, right at the top, of a very tough league.

Molumby isn't far behind.

Championship at (its) best.

 

[Gabbiano]

Thank you heading to that page now...

Worth noting as well that the U18s have continued to win matches consistently despite the promotion of Roberts, Jenks and most recently Tsoungui to the U23s. Vukoje, Leonard, Spong and one or two others have been involved in the U23s on several occasions too. Lorent Tolaj looks like a bit of a goal machine. Future looks bright.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Worth noting as well that the U18s have continued to win matches consistently despite the promotion of Roberts, Jenks and most recently Tsoungui to the U23s. Vukoje, Leonard, Spong and one or two others have been involved in the U23s on several occasions too. Lorent Tolaj looks like a bit of a goal machine. Future looks bright.

Anyone care to bump this thread back on-topic? How's DJ Carthorse being received by the good burghers of Hoffenheim?

 

[BensGrandad]

If Locadia continues scoring should we bring him back in January to replace Murray either on the bench or possibly starting?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

If Locadia continues scoring should we bring him back in January to replace Murray either on the bench or possibly starting?

No. No we shouldn't. We've seen quite enough of him to mark his cards. To state the bleeding obvious, he can't hack it at PL level. Might as well bring back COG

 

[BensGrandad]

No. No we shouldn't. We've seen quite enough of him to mark his cards. To state the bleeding obvious, he can't hack it at PL level. Might as well bring back COG

I must disagree as a good player doesn't suddenly become bad so I think that given time he could well adjust to our new style of play and prove to be a success.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

If Locadia continues scoring should we bring him back in January to replace Murray either on the bench or possibly starting?

I cannot see this happening and nor should it. If he carries on scoring then it should add some more dosh to his transfer fee. Ditto Andone.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I must disagree as a good player doesn't suddenly become bad so I think that given time he could well adjust to our new style of play and prove to be a success.

Likewise a bad player doesn't suddenly become good. Potter and his sidekicks clearly reached a conclusion re the player earlydoors. Which is pretty much the same conclusion many of us reached pre-Potter. Player NEVER looked the part.

 

[blue-shifted]

I cannot see this happening and nor should it. If he carries on scoring then it should add some more dosh to his transfer fee. Ditto Andone.

With Andone's injury the chances of a January recall increased, (from very slim to quite slim).

Ultimately though we need a striker. We are playing 2 up front with only 2 strikers we can realistically play. I'm sure we'll be looking to get someone in. As we've found out though, recruiting strikers in January isn't an exact science. I wouldn't rule out further promotions from the u23s and I wouldn't rule out a loan recall. It's quite possible we'd go for Gyokeres over Locadia

 

[BensGrandad]

In his first games when he signed and again at the start of this season he looked to be the answer to our scoring problems. I dont think that Potter his just cast him aside with no thoughts of him coming back a better player.

 

[crabface]

It's quite possible we'd go for Gyokeres over Locadia

Im confused by Gyokres, people seemed to think he was our next big striker and Hughton seemed to place him in more regard than Connelly. However, feel free to correct me if im wrong he spends more time on the bench for a German second division team than on the field for them.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

In his first games when he signed and again at the start of this season he looked to be the answer to our scoring problems. I dont think that Potter his just cast him aside with no thoughts of him coming back a better player.

He did look reasonably threatening against Coventry, yes.

He isn't good enough. If we were to recoup our outlay, that would be a huge result.