Maffeo

[Mikhail Chigorin]

surely since both Angelino and Maffeo are gone for the rest of the season that means we're brining in a new fullback in January.
Pep said the fullback position was light and then let two of them go on loan.

This is a real concern now, particularly with the timing of Maffeo and Angelino's loan spells.

The price of any available, decent full backs has probably increased in effect, in expectation of a City bid.

I wonder, as with the centre-back thread elsewhere, if there are any available players we could get on a short term loan basis, just to tide us over until the summer transfer window kicks in ??

[Foreverinbluedreams]

surely since both Angelino and Maffeo are gone for the rest of the season that means we're brining in a new fullback in January.
Pep said the fullback position was light and then let two of them go on loan.

This is a real concern now, particularly with the timing of Maffeo and Angelino's loan spells.

The price of any available, decent full backs has probably increased in effect, in expectation of a City bid.

I wonder, as with the centre-back thread elsewhere, if there are any available players we could get on a short term loan basis, just to tide us over until the summer transfer window kicks in ??

It's easy said though, we have squad rules to comply with. Not that I'd rule it out, perhaps that Srna link was with this short term loan option in mind.

[john@staustell]

I wouldnt be too pessimistic. Girona are our partner club in Spain effectively and it looks like they have a chance of making La Liga this year. With help from our loans of course, including Pablo Mari.

3 of our full backs are out of contract this summer

[Dimples]

My understanding is that our U17 (and U18) teams are way way ahead of other club (except maybe Chelsea).
And that this is the group that are expected to make the first proper breakthrough to our first team I.e. 3/4
of them at least.
Also that at least two of them are potential 'world class' players.

Doug et al. Is the above expectation accurate?

[Douglas Higginbottom]

My understanding is that our U17 (and U18) teams are way way ahead of other club (except maybe Chelsea).
And that this is the group that are expected to make the first proper breakthrough to our first team I.e. 3/4
of them at least.
Also that at least two of them are potential 'world class' players.

Doug et al. Is the above expectation accurate?

It's hard to be black and white about things like this. I looked at a programme from 5 years ago and only one of the team is still with the club and that's Angus Gunn.The only other that arguably has " made it" is Dennis Suarez. Looking at the other names though and I would not have expected any of them to get into City's first team as a top four side.

Since then we have had "stars" who some who have had high hopes for but again none have come through at least yet athe City current level. Brandon Barker, Manu Garcia, Celina, Ntcham,Ash Smith Brown,Roberts and others out on loan have had differeing degrees of success but nothing which suggests they will come back into our team.

Now playing for the 23's we have Gunn, Tosin, Cameron Humphreys, Maffeo and Angelino ( till they just left),Ambrose,Nmecha,Fernandez,Duhaney,Garcia and Diaz and again some are being touted as possible break throughs. I still reckon Tosin has what it takes as has Gunn and definitely Diaz but that step from youth football to the big time is massive.

I do think Diaz is a must to succeed but maybe one or 2 of the others might too. No doubt at all they will have very good football careers but it's just so hard to say at what level. Clubs and managers need to take chances at times to throw players in and see if they swim.The football talent is clearly there but do they have the extra ingredient.

Looking at the current younger ages, 16 to 18, and yet again we have some great talent. I watch them as much as I can and they are a pleasure to watch. Let's not forget some of thre lads playing under 23's and who have had a look at first team action are still eligible to play under 18's this season. Diaz, Nmecha to name but 2. But of the regulars playing 18's this season 2 attacking players I think stand out. Sancho and Foden.

Both are regulars for England at their age group and both are stand out players. I would say yes to both making it at City and significantly better than their contemporaries of recent years. As a a winger Sancho is streets better than Barker for example but he has yet to step up to join the big boys. I think he wil handle it.

I guess a comparison to Foden would be the likes of Suarez, Celina and again I would say Foden without hesitation. He already seems to handle playing against much bigger opponents butas ever the real test will be first team action. Pep had him on the bench for the Celtic game which tells us how highly he thinks of him. When is the right time to give these lads the first team challenge and experience.They are only 16!

Brahim Diaz was only 17 when he came on at Swansea and loved the brief experience. I thought he froze ever so slightly but he will make it I am sure.
Then we have others like Gonzalez who is also 16. Early days in my viewings of him but there is a bit of Aguero and Tevez in him so that cant be bad can it. We have brought in some great young talent at early ages and hope that some will come through but it's just so hard to be certain when they are so young.

As for the under 16's this year who , like last year, are beating just everyone I really don't know much about them beyond Bobby Duncan who seems to score goals for fun. cannot wait to see him step up.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Problem here is that identifying talent at U17 and even to some extent U19 group is complete crapshoot. You get these superkids who never turn into anything meaningfull and at same time you got lads who are nothing special and then all of the sudden blossom.

I've followed al these U16, U17, U18 world cups and Euro tournaments (thank you Eurosport) for decades and it's actually amazing how few of these creme de la creme talent of their age group turn into anything special. The most talented player I ever saw at U17 level, and I've seen fake-ronaldo and rest of them who made it at that stage, was Antoine Le Tallec. I could've sworn he'd be best player on the planet in couple of years.

Same goes for these youngsters in our Academy. In fact, any youngster who turns into player who plays at top two divisions in main European leagues should be celebrated as major success by the Academy.

[Justified logic]

Maybe the answer is to include a buy-back clause when they are sold to our top-level but not-direct competitors?

[Dunnylad]

Problem here is that identifying talent at U17 and even to some extent U19 group is complete crapshoot. You get these superkids who never turn into anything meaningfull and at same time you got lads who are nothing special and then all of the sudden blossom.

I've followed al these U16, U17, U18 world cups and Euro tournaments (thank you Eurosport) for decades and it's actually amazing how few of these creme de la creme talent of their age group turn into anything special. The most talented player I ever saw at U17 level, and I've seen fake-ronaldo and rest of them who made it at that stage, was Antoine Le Tallec. I could've sworn he'd be best player on the planet in couple of years.

Same goes for these youngsters in our Academy. In fact, any youngster who turns into player who plays at top two divisions in main European leagues should be celebrated as major success by the Academy.

Good example of this was our own Lee Croft - most capped youth player, outshone Shrek at international youth level - last seen in Scotland I think after a rather unspectacular pro career

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Problem here is that identifying talent at U17 and even to some extent U19 group is complete crapshoot. You get these superkids who never turn into anything meaningfull and at same time you got lads who are nothing special and then all of the sudden blossom.

I've followed al these U16, U17, U18 world cups and Euro tournaments (thank you Eurosport) for decades and it's actually amazing how few of these creme de la creme talent of their age group turn into anything special. The most talented player I ever saw at U17 level, and I've seen fake-ronaldo and rest of them who made it at that stage, was Antoine Le Tallec. I could've sworn he'd be best player on the planet in couple of years.

Same goes for these youngsters in our Academy. In fact, any youngster who turns into player who plays at top two divisions in main European leagues should be celebrated as major success by the Academy.

Good example of this was our own Lee Croft - most capped youth player, outshone Shrek at international youth level - last seen in Scotland I think after a rather unspectacular pro career

Yeah but great cross to Kris for the winner against Liverpool.