[Albion] Albion sign Man City starlet

[Postman Pat]

Bit strange at 18 we’ve only tied him down to a two year deal.

Clearly he’s not a development squad signing - the language used by Potter and Ashworth suggests they’ve already got one eye on him in the first team.

If the boy proves to be the real deal we could lose him on a free before he’s even turned 21.

Surely there must be an option to extend built into his contract?


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He's had a pretty serious knee injury in the last 2 years or so, maybe we want to ensure he is fully recovered from that, also if he doesn't really develop would we want someone on a 5 year deal that we can't then move on.

2 years sounds like a good deal for all parties. If he makes the first team squad a few times this season in cups etc.. then I expect we will re-negotiate a deal for a longer period. Lets hope he doesn't become the next Hazard before we get the chance to tie him down.

 

[chaileyjem]

Connolly needs a decent L1 or Champ loan. He's still very young and inexperienced.

Agreed. I think thats likely in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Baldseagull]

Yes. I know. But Potter also has to balance his squad between keeping 25 or thereabouts first teamers who will all want game time, youngsters/u23s who need to develop and play regularly either against fellow u23s or in adult teams. Even with injuries and suspensions then opportunities , whilst looking more likely than under Chris, are still going to be limited. imo anyway. One small example but its true all over the pitch and will get worse given we are likely to make 2-3 more signings.
How do you explain to someone like Andone , who isn't getting any game time, that he's still out of the 18 even though we've had an injury or suspension or loss of form because Gyokeres or Connolly are ahead of you ?
Not sure he's going to want to hang around for long or take it too well. . Thats the challenge that Potter has and realistically he's not going to be packing the 18 with u23s. And i'm not sure he should. Someone like Connolly has so far had 20 minutes of league football. In L1. Giving him his Premier League debut would be quite the leap for everyone.
Especially when you might have £50m worth of forwards potentially kicking their heels on the bench or in the stands.

I agree that to keep all happy is a difficult task, from what I have read about Potter, he believes that if he takes the time to explain to players why another has been preferred to them, in a particular game, and is honest about it, it is possible. I read that he dropped a player when in Sweden, that was man of the match the previous week, because he felt an alternative player would be better for how he wanted to set up against a particular opponent, he explained that and the reasons why to the player he dropped, and there were no dummys spat by anyone. If it turns out that Connolly is a better option than Andone, in more matches than Andone is better option than Connolly, as upsetting as that may be for Andone, Potter should be more worried about Connolly not wanting to hang around.
Plenty of decent players have come straight into the first team without going out on loan to lower divisions, Rashford an example again, (Wilson may have been in front of him for a chance if he had not been on loan with us at the time)
That said, I have no idea whether Potter will bring in any of the current U23's or not, he has said though that age is not a barrier to making it into the first team, it may be he has a choice of similar players but one is experienced and the other is not, and he goes with experience as the deciding factor, but I don't think he will shy away from putting an U23 in if he feels they have something ability wise over an existing first teamer.

Chris was only willing to change the full backs and wingers around a bit, the spine generally remained the same unless forced to change, but I think Potter will use different midfielders, centre backs and strikers too, dependent on the opposition. I was pleased to hear that in training and friendlies he is looking at partnerships closely, to see who works well with who else, it might be that in picking a particular player from the 25 for a game, he feels the best pairing for that player to be most effective is one of the lads from the U23's.
On the whole, I would be more surprised if we don't see any of the U23's at all, than if we do, but I am not expecting a youth revolution, I just hope that when they get their chances they take them at the first opportunity.


In short, I dont think Potter will hold much store in what a player cost to bring in, what age he is, or what wage he is on. He has had all his success using mostly players that were getting overlooked previously, whether any of our young players is one of those that has been overlooked, or they are all just not ready yet, or ever going to be, is his and his teams judgement, but it would be a sad indictment of the academy and the recruiters if there was not one of them at least capable of making the bench for us.

 

[Monkey Man]

I agree that to keep all happy is a difficult task, from what I have read about Potter, he believes that if he takes the time to explain to players why another has been preferred to them, in a particular game, and is honest about it, it is possible. I read that he dropped a player when in Sweden, that was man of the match the previous week, because he felt an alternative player would be better for how he wanted to set up against a particular opponent, he explained that and the reasons why to the player he dropped, and there were no dummys spat by anyone. If it turns out that Connolly is a better option than Andone, in more matches than Andone is better option than Connolly, as upsetting as that may be for Andone, Potter should be more worried about Connolly not wanting to hang around.
Plenty of decent players have come straight into the first team without going out on loan to lower divisions, Rashford an example again, (Wilson may have been in front of him for a chance if he had not been on loan with us at the time)
That said, I have no idea whether Potter will bring in any of the current U23's or not, he has said though that age is not a barrier to making it into the first team, it may be he has a choice of similar players but one is experienced and the other is not, and he goes with experience as the deciding factor, but I don't think he will shy away from putting an U23 in if he feels they have something ability wise over an existing first teamer.

Chris was only willing to change the full backs and wingers around a bit, the spine generally remained the same unless forced to change, but I think Potter will use different midfielders, centre backs and strikers too, dependent on the opposition. I was pleased to hear that in training and friendlies he is looking at partnerships closely, to see who works well with who else, it might be that in picking a particular player from the 25 for a game, he feels the best pairing for that player to be most effective is one of the lads from the U23's.
On the whole, I would be more surprised if we don't see any of the U23's at all, than if we do, but I am not expecting a youth revolution, I just hope that when they get their chances they take them at the first opportunity.


In short, I dont think Potter will hold much store in what a player cost to bring in, what age he is, or what wage he is on. He has had all his success using mostly players that were getting overlooked previously, whether any of our young players is one of those that has been overlooked, or they are all just not ready yet, or ever going to be, is his and his teams judgement, but it would be a sad indictment of the academy and the recruiters if there was not one of them at least capable of making the bench for us.

Reading all that gives me a lot of optimism for the coming season and the Potter era generally. I have no idea whether it will mean we stay up or get relegated but potentially an interesting and exciting era could be unfolding.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Seagulls SWOOP on starlet shirley?

 

[Quinney]

Thought he looked pretty good when he came on. Always wanted the ball, looking for a give and go, good movement. Could be a very good bit of business.


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[Wilka]

I’d say he’s very obviously a cut above the rest of our under 23’s from his brief display tonight. Early days but looks to have first team promise.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Thought he looked pretty good when he came on. Always wanted the ball, looking for a give and go, good movement. Could be a very good bit of business.


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He did fine.


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[One Teddy Maybank]

I’d say he’s very obviously a cut above the rest of our under 23’s from his brief display tonight. Early days but looks to have first team promise.

Watch the U23s much?



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[Ecosse Exile]

I thought he did ok, no more, no less, tried to take on his man a few times, wasn't always succesful, a couple of stray passes, one of which was woeful and could have been costly, but yes there wer good moments too, none more so than the very cool penalty. Promise but lots of improvement needed before making the first team imo.

 

[Nixonator]

He did ok, nothing more.

I thought the only players who looked composed and a cut above the rest were our two central defenders (Clarke, Baluta).

 

[Titanic]

Cheeky...

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Last night gave us one thing - the debut of Taylor Richards. He's going to be a star, hopefully for us!

 

[Nixonator]

Last night gave us one thing - the debut of Taylor Richards. He's going to be a star, hopefully for us!

Able to actually back this up with anything?

Hope it isn't based on last night's showing.

 

[Taybha]

Watch the U23s much?



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There's a lot of that about .

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

There's a lot of that about .

[emoji23][emoji23]


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[Nottseagull]

It was a younger team - because they had played a Checkatrade Trophy match three days beforehand.

Most of them couldn't manage a game on a Tuesday because they had played on the Saturday? Or couldn't manage the Saturday game because they played on the Wednesday previous?? They're U-23s, not Glenn's age!

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

He's had a pretty serious knee injury in the last 2 years or so, maybe we want to ensure he is fully recovered from that, also if he doesn't really develop would we want someone on a 5 year deal that we can't then move on.

2 years sounds like a good deal for all parties. If he makes the first team squad a few times this season in cups etc.. then I expect we will re-negotiate a deal for a longer period. Lets hope he doesn't become the next Hazard before we get the chance to tie him down.

Trossard is the next Hazard. He'll have to be the next someone else - Neymar? Messi?

 

[the right footed denilson]

I’d say he’s very obviously a cut above the rest of our under 23’s from his brief display tonight. Early days but looks to have first team promise.

That's a huge call to make after 45 minutes of friendly football.

 

[blue-shifted]

He did alright, but the team whole performance wasn't good and he didn't get long so we can;t really tell.

What we can tell is something about his personality. He stood on the spot and demanded to take the penalty, as one of the youngest on the pitch, who has been at the club for 2 days, he in effect, told the others that he was the main man. Then flicked it in the centre of the goal. Ballsy, and crucially, it worked.