[Albion] Youth

[Not Andy Naylor]

Nothing new here, but I just wanted to remind myself as much as everyone else.

Have a look at this team:

Verbruggen; Lamptey, JP, Igor, Hinshelwood; Baleba, Gilmour; Buonanotte, Joao Pedro, Adingra; Ferguson.

Quite a feasible RDZ starting line-up, wouldn't you agree? (In the unlikely event that Lamptey was fit). Not far off the side that started against Brentford, in fact.

The average age of that team is 21. Twenty one!! 21!!! And that's with relatively geriatric Igor (25) at centre back. Rejig with Moder in the team somewhere instead (now that we've seen Baleba at sweeper) and it drops to 20.9.

Even assuming that one or two are sold, what an incredible future that represents for the club.

 

[Mustafa II]

It's insane.

These are some seriously talented footballers to be playing at this level at such a young age.

For me, it's not so much that this specific group of players bodes well for the future. After all, most if not all of them will probably end up going somewhere else for far higher wages given enough time.

For me, it's that our philosophy and business model has truly become a reality - we really are a conveyor belt of world class talent - and it feels inevitable that the club will surprise us with more wonderkids again and again.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Plus, you didn't even mention Enciso!

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Nothing new here, but I just wanted to remind myself as much as everyone else.

Have a look at this team:

Verbruggen; Lamptey, JP, Igor, Hinshelwood; Baleba, Gilmour; Buonanotte, Joao Pedro, Adingra; Ferguson.

Quite a feasible RDZ starting line-up, wouldn't you agree? (In the unlikely event that Lamptey was fit).

I know it's not really the point, but I'd be surprised if we put out a starting XI without any of Dunk, Gross, Lallana etc. to provide some experience on the field.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

You can also imagine a situation next season when you have the likes of Moran, Sarmiento, Sima, in the squad (and I've left out about 14 names I could have included) hammering on the manager's door for a place in the team

 

[el punal]

Having watched our U/21s, albeit on the official club stream, there are quite few that are catching the eye Mark O’Mahony in particular.

 

[dazzer6666]

Having watched our U/21s, albeit on the official club stream, there are quite few that are catching the eye Mark O’Mahony in particular.

Very much this - sense he’s thundering towards the conversation at quite a speed.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I know it's not really the point, but I'd be surprised if we put out a starting XI without any of Dunk, Gross, Lallana etc. to provide some experience on the field.

The starting XI against Chelsea in the League Cup didn't have any of Dunk, Gross or Lallana. That team still dominated Chelsea possession wise and weren't disgraced at all. The average age of that XI was 22.6 years, with Dahoud being the old man of the team at 27. Igor and Fati were making only there second ever starts for us and it was the full debut for Baleba too.

The future is very bright.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

And the lad joining in January who by all accounts is a bit tasty.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

The starting XI against Chelsea in the League Cup didn't have any of Dunk, Gross or Lallana. That team still dominated Chelsea possession wise and weren't disgraced at all. The average age of that XI was 22.6 years, with Dahoud being the old man of the team at 27. Igor and Fati were making only there second ever starts for us and it was the full debut for Baleba too.

The future is very bright.

I had, entirely arbitrarily, discounted the League Cup from my considerations.