Jack Harper

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Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,425
Location Location
He did have a choice, RM asked him to stay, he said no.

The reason for that being that due to the disbandment of their C team, Real Madrid were just going to loan him out to a Spanish 3rd division club. Having knocked around in those leagues all his career so far, I expect he didn't see that as much of a progression at all, and so instead decided to sign for a club that is competing at a higher level in a proper professional league. Good on him for that, it shows a good attitude.
 




brighton_girl87

New member
Jul 18, 2006
2,319
Strange, that he's only on a 1 year contract. If he turns out to be great in the last 6 months of that contract, he will be snapped up by the Premier league vultures for next to nothing:shrug:

Unless I'm missing something from his contract.

He's on a two year deal.
 




Lady Whistledown

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
47,641
There is a slight curiosity on my part as to whether we'd be quite so excited about him if he was called Juan Carlos Fernandez, say. I wonder if the poor kid faces extra hype simply because he was a British (and, even better, Scottish :lol: ) player at one of the world's biggest clubs. That in itself is such a statistical rarity that we can't help but take notice and perhaps build him up more than his mere natural ability warrants.

Whereas if we'd picked up some Spanish kid from Real Madrid C, it would be viewed with the optimism and yet caution that it undoubtedly merits.

I welcome his signing, of course, and I'm sure he's talented enough to do well. I just hope he's allowed to develop like any other 19 year old player would, and not pressured to excess and then subsequently dismissed as not up to scratch because he doesn't instantly resemble Xabi Alonso.
 


Withdean11

Well-known member
Feb 18, 2007
2,908
Brighton/Hyde
There is a slight curiosity on my part as to whether we'd be quite so excited about him if he was called Juan Carlos Fernandez, say. I wonder if the poor kid faces extra hype simply because he was a British (and, even better, Scottish :lol: ) player at one of the world's biggest clubs. That in itself is such a statistical rarity that we can't help but take notice and perhaps build him up more than his mere natural ability warrants.

Whereas if we'd picked up some Spanish kid from Real Madrid C, it would be viewed with the optimism and yet caution that it undoubtedly merits.

I welcome his signing, of course, and I'm sure he's talented enough to do well. I just hope he's allowed to develop like any other 19 year old player would, and not pressured to excess and then subsequently dismissed as not up to scratch because he doesn't instantly resemble Xabi Alonso.

I get what you're saying, but i think i'd be MORE excited if he was called Juan Carlos Fernandez.
 








ewe2

Well-known member
Mar 14, 2008
2,739
Hailsham area
The problem as i see it is that CH dare not blood any young player in the championship,unless we are romping to victory. Its just such a tight league. This player (and Hambro) have to be seriously good to get any playtime at all......
 






GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,188
Gloucester
Sorry, where exactly did I say he's going to be crap ?
Technically speaking, OK, you didn't say carp (or an anagram of it, for the benefit of those with a fish fixation).

'Cheap punt' is as close as you can get to 'carp' without saying it, though. The implication is crystal clear.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
53,200
Goldstone
The problem as i see it is that CH dare not blood any young player in the championship,unless we are romping to victory. Its just such a tight league. This player (and Hambro) have to be seriously good to get any playtime at all......
That's the problem with getting knocked out of the league cup - although if we'd have been playing Chelsea, it matters not I guess. Perhaps if they do well enough in the development squad or U21s, and they also do well in training, that will be enough to see them get some time from the bench.
 




NooBHA

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2015
8,592
The problem as i see it is that CH dare not blood any young player in the championship,unless we are romping to victory. Its just such a tight league. This player (and Hambro) have to be seriously good to get any playtime at all......

Why don't you ask Andy Carroll or Nathan Redmond if CH is frightened to blood any young players in the Championship early in the season ????????
 


BadFish

Huge Member
Oct 19, 2003
18,216
The problem as i see it is that CH dare not blood any young player in the championship,unless we are romping to victory. Its just such a tight league. This player (and Hambro) have to be seriously good to get any playtime at all......

The benefit of having more subs though is that you can stick one on the bench on the off chance that they may get some game time.
 


supaseagull

Well-known member
Feb 19, 2004
9,614
The United Kingdom of Mile Oak
What people seem to be forgetting is that he is already being considered for Scotland under 21's when he's fit and he's only 18! If he was any more highly rated then we would of had no chance of getting him and a prem team would of snapped him up.

Erm...he turned down offers from Premier league, La Liga and Serie A teams to join us.
 




Surf's Up

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2011
10,441
Here
If he's as good as we hope he is then I'm pretty certain he will find his way into first team contention once he's fit.
 




HastingsSeagull

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2010
9,433
BGC Manila
He's been highly rated for a couple of years and played other top youth sides not only Spanish noddy league against adults. That said I'm not expecting him to be some world beater but do think he'll bounce in and out of Prem sides as a career. That's an amazing prospect for us currently so just smile and enjoy the flair when it comes (in a couple of years not months).

Yes youth players being highly rated means little till they're 18/19 but he's now 19 and a half and early next year I hope ready to like Dunk was, JFC was, March is...... be sprinkled in occasionally (just having my views). I don't expect him to 'do a Bridcutt' and when given a chance become an every week player but if he is (and he certainly COULD be) then great, if not then great we have a young and promising squad player with potential.
 


BigGully

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2006
7,139
He's been highly rated for a couple of years and played other top youth sides not only Spanish noddy league against adults. That said I'm not expecting him to be some world beater but do think he'll bounce in and out of Prem sides as a career. That's an amazing prospect for us currently so just smile and enjoy the flair when it comes (in a couple of years not months).

Yes youth players being highly rated means little till they're 18/19 but he's now 19 and a half and early next year I hope ready to like Dunk was, JFC was, March is...... be sprinkled in occasionally (just having my views). I don't expect him to 'do a Bridcutt' and when given a chance become an every week player but if he is (and he certainly COULD be) then great, if not then great we have a young and promising squad player with potential.

With respect you could lend that analysis to any of the development youngsters ..............................
 




Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,425
Location Location
Technically speaking, OK, you didn't say carp (or an anagram of it, for the benefit of those with a fish fixation).

'Cheap punt' is as close as you can get to 'carp' without saying it, though. The implication is crystal clear.

Not at all, I'm just calling it for what it is. The transfer fee will have been fairly minimal, and the wages he'll be on at this stage of his fledgling career will be moderate as well. Harper has proved nothing yet, but he's been given a 2 year opportunity to show us if he's worth it. If he does then fantastic, we'll have a hot new talent on our hands and can look at tying him down to a longer more lucrative deal. But if he doesn't come up to scratch after 2 years, then we can bin him off with no great loss to the club (just like we did with Bergkamp and Agdestein). Thats why in relative terms it was a cheap punt.

The fact he came from Real Madrid's C team does not automatically make him the Next Big Thing, but unfortunately when the club announce "Albion Sign Real Madrid Striker" it DOES mean we get posts like...

This!

And I'm going to go a step further and say that he is a future player of the year for us in the prem

...which is frankly insane, is based on christ knows what, and lumps a ridiculous amount of pressure and expectation on a youngster before he's even kicked a ball in a proper game. He might be terrific, he might not. Lets just see how he develops without assuming we've got the next Ronaldo already.
 


fleet

Well-known member
Jul 28, 2003
12,249
I don't think age is going to be a consideration on first team selection - fitness and what quality he shows in training will be the factors.
 


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