Omar Dampha - 16-year-old Swede having a trial here

[shaolinpunk]

https://twitter.com/MedioTransfer/status/793016030222090240
https://twitter.com/huseincehajic/status/793016489662177280

Obviously one for the future if it goes well although he appears to have already made nine appearances for the Kristianstad first team; all off the bench and has two goals.

Kristianstad appears to be in the third tier of Swedish football so either he has caught the eye in his limited appearances or our scouting department has an incredibly in-depth knowledge of Scandinavia.

 

[BensGrandad]

While not wishing to belittle either him or the club recruitment team it appears that we spend a lot of time giving young players a trial for the future should we not be looking at bringing in more 19/20 year olds who could make the grade in 1 -2 years rather than 16 yr olds who will probably be 5 years away.

 

[albionfan37]

While not wishing to belittle either him or the club recruitment team it appears that we spend a lot of time giving young players a trial for the future should we not be looking at bringing in more 19/20 year olds who could make the grade in 1 -2 years rather than 16 yr olds who will probably be 5 years away.

What a very short sighted thing to say
I can just imagine your writing on here as he scores a hat trick for arsenal in a couple of yrs against us

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

The standard of football here is crap. The top 10 in Allsvenskan are on par with the Championship (on a good day) and the rest are League 1-level.

I wouldn't get too excited about a young lad banging in two goals in the third tier being given a trial by us.

 

[Taybha]

While not wishing to belittle either him or the club recruitment team it appears that we spend a lot of time giving young players a trial for the future should we not be looking at bringing in more 19/20 year olds who could make the grade in 1 -2 years rather than 16 yr olds who will probably be 5 years away.

If you're good enough you're old enough .

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

While not wishing to belittle either him or the club recruitment team it appears that we spend a lot of time giving young players a trial for the future should we not be looking at bringing in more 19/20 year olds who could make the grade in 1 -2 years rather than 16 yr olds who will probably be 5 years away.

Fairly short-sighted view I would've thought?

What are the chances that a 19/20 year old, who is already showing enough to be Championship quality in 2 years, is going to be unattached in the first place?

Obviously there are examples of it happening, but I'd imagine (based on sod all) that it'd be easier/cheaper to trial and sign number of 16 year olds than it would be to get a promising ex-PL academy (presumably) player.

There's also the argument that a 16 year old has that much more time to be develop and improve in the first place, not so much when older.

 

[BensGrandad]

What a very short sighted thing to say
I can just imagine your writing on here as he scores a hat trick for arsenal in a couple of yrs against us

Not short sighted as yes we do need to bring on good prospects but I would be more interested if there were more 19/20 year olds who could be in the first team squad in 2 years that have been rejected by the big clubs. Some years ago granted, but we signed a 19 year old released by Man Utd named Peter O Sullivan who went on to play over 400 games for us. That is the type of player I am looking at.. Even the likes of Rohan Ince although he hasnt pushed on as much as was expected after Oscar left.

 

[Brian Fantana]

While not wishing to belittle either him or the club recruitment team it appears that we spend a lot of time giving young players a trial for the future should we not be looking at bringing in more 19/20 year olds who could make the grade in 1 -2 years rather than 16 yr olds who will probably be 5 years away.

The whole point of the academy is to bring in players when they are 14, 15 and 16 to nurture them through our style of play and ethos as a club. Some will make the step-up to the first team but others inevitably wont. Personally, I'm happy to see the club taking the approach that they are.

From a financial standpoint too, the cost of a 19/20 year old from a League 1/2 club will be a lot higher than bringing in someone 2-3 years younger.

 

[chaileyjem]

I would be more interested if there were more 19/20 year olds who could be in the first team squad in 2 years that have been rejected by the big clubs.

Do you mean the 19 year old we signed on loan from Man Utd last November ?

 

[JCL666]

Not short sighted as yes we do need to bring on good prospects but I would be more interested if there were more 19/20 year olds who could be in the first team squad in 2 years.

You mean like Hambo, Dallison, Harper, Hunt, Walton, Hall, Horny-Forbes and Adekugbe?

Not all of them "have been rejected by the big clubs", but they are in the age range you are talking about...........

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Not short sighted as yes we do need to bring on good prospects but I would be more interested if there were more 19/20 year olds who could be in the first team squad in 2 years that have been rejected by the big clubs. Some years ago granted, but we signed a 19 year old released by Man Utd named Peter O Sullivan who went on to play over 400 games for us. That is the type of player I am looking at.. Even the likes of Rohan Ince although he hasnt pushed on as much as was expected after Oscar left.

We've taken in several 18/19 year olds who've been rejected by big clubs. Some worked, like Bridcutt, and to an extent, Ince. Others like George Barker and others I can't instantly recall, didn't.

 

[Frutos]

I would be more interested if there were more 19/20 year olds who could be in the first team squad in 2 years that have been rejected by the big clubs.

Odd that our scouting and recruitment strategy criteria don't include "must be interesting to BensGrandad", isn't it?

Would you like them to give you a call to gauge your interest levels before they offer anyone a trial?

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

While not wishing to belittle either him or the club recruitment team it appears that we spend a lot of time giving young players a trial for the future should we not be looking at bringing in more 19/20 year olds who could make the grade in 1 -2 years rather than 16 yr olds who will probably be 5 years away.

Hate to break it to you, but the 19 and 20 year olds were once 15 and 16 year olds.

 

[BensGrandad]

Dallison was released by Arsenal so they have done the groundwork similar with Hall at Motherwell Walton at Plymouth, and to a lesser extent Hornby-Forbes at Fleetwood and Aderkugbe at Vancouver Whitecaps. I am sure there are some released by the Manchester and top London clubs who we miss out on like Henri Lansbury started going out on loan to clubs from Arsenal when he was 17 and signed for Forest when he was 22. This is the type of player. I can see the logic of 16 year olds but would like to see better 19/20 year olds brought in

 

[BensGrandad]

Odd that our scouting and recruitment strategy criteria don't include "must be interesting to BensGrandad", isn't it?

Would you like them to give you a call to gauge your interest levels before they offer anyone a trial?

Totally irrelevant as this is a discussion forum where supporters air their views not all just conform to club policy. Just for the record that did happen in the past when I was given a name and asked to go and view him by all of the mangers from Alan Mullery up to Steve Coppell who dispensed with nearly all of the scouts and brought his own in with him, men he knew and had worked with.

 

[mattislost]

The standard of football here is crap. The top 10 in Allsvenskan are on par with the Championship (on a good day) and the rest are League 1-level.

Have to agree with that! I saw Kalmar vs. Djurgårdens in July and that was definitely League 1 level!

 

[Gwylan]

The standard of football here is crap. The top 10 in Allsvenskan are on par with the Championship (on a good day) and the rest are League 1-level.

I wouldn't get too excited about a young lad banging in two goals in the third tier being given a trial by us.

That may be true but I'm not sure that the standard of football is relevant - it's how good the kid is, not how good the team is.

Burton Albion were several leagues below us when we signed Peter Ward - should we have given him a miss? Gary Hart wasn't playing at that much higher level, should we have passed him by?

There have been some good players from lowly leagues. Stuart Pearce was several leagues below Coventry when he signed for them and who knows what equivalent level Roy Keane was when Forest signed him.

 

[Stat Brother]

Finishing October on fire.
Can our main man keep this phenomenal form up through November?

 

[Medwayseagull]

Finishing October on fire.
Can our main man keep this phenomenal form up through November?

Are you referring to BGs post count ?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

That may be true but I'm not sure that the standard of football is relevant - it's how good the kid is, not how good the team is.

Burton Albion were several leagues below us when we signed Peter Ward - should we have given him a miss? Gary Hart wasn't playing at that much higher level, should we have passed him by?

There have been some good players from lowly leagues. Stuart Pearce was several leagues below Coventry when he signed for them and who knows what equivalent level Roy Keane was when Forest signed him.

I think two things are relevant. Performance levels and the standard at which you play.

I think what I'm getting at if this kid is going to make the jump from a third tier team from Sweden to one of the best academies outside of the Prem, it's surprising to me that he's not been snapped up by another (better) team here first.

Our scouts have never shown interest in anyone else in Sweden thus far either. So I wonder if the agent has just done a wonderful job at getting him a trial. Maybe he is worth a shot. But it's just very odd on paper.