HalfaSeatOn
Well-known member
Turns is his own man, of course, but did have a feel of Ben White Mk11. Surprised at his 5ft 8 inches height as looked a tall, strong unit on the pitch.
Roberts has grown very significantly in the last 2 years. Chances are that Turns will too.
So this is purely based on being ten rows back in a stand but, for me, Lamptey didn't look quite as comparatively small. I wonder if he's grown a little in height and if, in turn, the growth was part of the reason the injury took so long to heal?
Might be complete bollocks but I imagine that a leg growing as a muscle in it is repairing isn't ideal.
Anyone else there last night think they noticed this or am I talking total nonsense?
A very assured debut and my word he wants the ball. Stout defending, nice positioning and great ball retention. The lad did good.
Unfortunately, unless the Premier League gets overrun by dwarves in the next two years he's not a centre back unless he grows upwards and bulks up. A Toney or Lukaku would murder him. Credit to Potter for sticking him in tonight where it was only his skill and willing that mattered but get him into a holding midfield role and we'll have a star of the future (if he can beat Mwepu, Leonard and possibly Caciedo to the role).
A couple of extra inches would be nice (oioi) but nearly basically the same height as Jules Koundé who Chelsea bid £42,000,000 for in the summer - and part of the reason they wanted him was because he’s good in the air! Put Turns in a back 3 with Dunk and Duffy and he’d probably cope with the physicality. Put him as half a CB pairing and I agree he’d struggle.
It’s a shame really that some of this central defenders won’t make it with us, it’s a very congested field even with us playing 3ATB
Turns & Roberts both have are good chance of being PL players in the next year or so . Turns needs a season in the championship first obviously but I think he is already too good for league 1.
Turns & Roberts both have are good chance of being PL players in the next year or so . Turns needs a season in the championship first obviously but I think he is already too good for league 1.
It is a total guess, but I'd expect that if Turns is progressing as the club like, then the club will find him a League One loan for the second half of this season - possibly after the FA Cup 3rd / 4th round games. Regular games, that MATTER, are exactly what young players need, IMO.
We were sitting in G block of the WSL quite near the front. Turns and Lamptey were playing right in front of us in the first half. I based my comments partly on there not being a lot of height difference between the two when they were talking.
The only height stat I can find for him is on Transfermarket https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ed-turns/profil/spieler/580809 which has him at 1.73 metres or 5ft 8 in old money. Admittedly he's only 18 and may yet grow a bit but that's too short for a centre back IMHO. Lamptey has shown you can be short and still tackle well and be very strong but he's typically up against wingers. Turns, as I said, will have to be stronger against the Toneys of this world if he wants to succeed in that postion.
He can't do much about his height to be fair and every thing he can work on he clearly has. Very good player but not in the Dunk / Duffy mode unless he grows at least a couple of inches.
Roberts has grown very significantly in the last 2 years. Chances are that Turns will too.
Still looked small to me last night - I actually thought Turns was taller, but Roberts was more of a slight build.
Plus two other CBs out on loan, one in the Championship, one in the SPL, that haven't any minutes at all yet - I wonder where and how they will fit in to the plans?It is. Our current first team CB's are more likely than not to still be with us and still be at the top of their game for at least a couple of years and before you get to the Roberts, Turns, Tsongui generation, there's the Ostigard, Clarke lot who we need to make a decision on.
Plus two other CBs out on loan, one in the Championship, one in the SPL, that haven't any minutes at all yet - I wonder where and how they will fit in to the plans?
I'm not saying we can ignore height, but we can get a bit carried away with it. How high you can jump is more important. At the other end of the pitch, I know, but Kevin Keegan for example was excellent in the air and won loads of headers; when he broke into the Liiverpool tea the nicknamed him Spring-healed Jack - he was 5'8" ............ that's 5 inches shorter than Locadia, and almost a foot shorter than Dan Burn! And he was better in the air than either of them!
If Turns and Roberts get to about six foot, as long as they can jump they should be OK.