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Player Jamie Donley

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McFlash said:
Yeah, can't disagree with this.
I've got high hopes for some of our youngsters but they are no way better than the likes of Simons, Odobert and even Tel, all of whom have plenty of experience in top leagues and international football, even if it is only U21 level it's higher than all of our prospects.

Some of our first team, well, most of it may look shit right now but that's not their actual level and we know this because we've actually seen it.

It's amazing how reactive some people can be because for examples in the first few months of Moores loan, there were mutterings of "see he's not even good enough to play for Rangers" and now, after a couple of months he's already better than what we have?!
We've already got a divide in here on Gray, with some thinking he's great and others failing to see what he's good at.
Throw the likes of Donley, Lanks, LWB and even Moore into the first team and they'd be getting slated after their first game, probably by the same people who were calling for them to play!

Progression in youth football isn't linear, there are peaks and troughs and no one person develops the same as the next because there are so many variables.
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Yeah, I get this impression a lot too.

It's tricky one as sometimes bringing a kid straight into the PL does work out. Apparently Rashford wasn't even considered one of the top talents at United, but he got a few games in the first team when he was 18 and became a huge player for them. There are a few other similar examples, so it's certainly not impossible - especially given how uniformly shit many of our expensive signings have been this season.

On the flip side, I think the more common outcome is fans hype up our youth players then get massively disappointed when we throw them in too early with high expectations. Everyone hated Jose for not playing Parrott when Kane and Son were out, then when he finally did play he looked miles off it - it's taken him 5 years and a move to the Eredivisie to reach the point where he looks ready for the PL. Equally we threw Moore in last season after tons of hype and he looked completely lost against Palace - truly a boy amongst men.

Not sure what the answer is tbh and maybe given our injuries you can make a case that it was worth keeping one of Devine/Donley or whoever at the club as a backup for Xavi (they'd probably do a better job at 10 than Bergvall did under Frank) but overall I think good loans are the best thing for these players unless they have a clear path to consistent minutes at Spurs.
 
Timberwolf said:
Yeah, I get this impression a lot too.

It's tricky one as sometimes bringing a kid straight into the PL does work out. Apparently Rashford wasn't even considered one of the top talents at United, but he got a few games in the first team when he was 18 and became a huge player for them. There are a few other similar examples, so it's certainly not impossible - especially given how uniformly shit many of our expensive signings have been this season.

On the flip side, I think the more common outcome is fans hype up our youth players then get massively disappointed when we throw them in too early with high expectations. Everyone hated Jose for not playing Parrott when Kane and Son were out, then when he finally did play he looked miles off it - it's taken him 5 years and a move to the Eredivisie to reach the point where he looks ready for the PL. Equally we threw Moore in last season after tons of hype and he looked completely lost against Palace - truly a boy amongst men.

Not sure what the answer is tbh and maybe given our injuries you can make a case that it was worth keeping one of Devine/Donley or whoever at the club as a backup for Xavi (they'd probably do a better job at 10 than Bergvall did under Frank) but overall I think good loans are the best thing for these players unless they have a clear path to consistent minutes at Spurs.
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Yeah man, it's really hard to judge.
I remember a young striker who's name I can never remember tearing it up for the ressies as it was back then, literally, record amounts of goals but never amounted to anything in senior football.
Looked like a proper talent initially but ended up at Southend or somewhere before disappearing completely.
Same as Troy Archibald-Henville who at one stage I was convinced was going to be our next Ledders.

You can never judge a youngster until they properly get a chance in actual men's football because the ones you expect to make it will often fail, whereas the ones you think don't quite have it will forge themselves a decent career.
 
sudoku said:
Brutal night for the British Isles. North and South of Ireland out of the WC along with Wales.
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It's called dearth of strikers nearly everywhere, and high quality.

You put a Giggs and even more so, a Bale yesterday, and Wales are off to the land of lunatics.

The most bereft period I have known for a very very long time.

As a club we epitomises it, more than any top club. Not one of our players gets into a first or second best 16 squad.

It's not just that we lack a real star, but the lack of consistency in any single player. It's mind-blowing.
 
Football Chap said:
Called up to Northern Ireland senior squad again for 2 friendlies including one of France's world cup preparation games in a couple of weeks.
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Looks like Jamie Donley is establishing himself as main contender for NI striker (he was best striker in E youth groups up until E u18's I think), before dropping back to become a great no 10 in Spurs u21's behind Lankshear as striker.

I wonder if he's going to make club coaches think - do I want him to play as a striker or no 10 ? One reason for dropping back to be a no 10 was Donley's lack of speed as a striker, but maybe he's finding that quickness of brain is overcoming lack of physical speed ?

Either way, will be interesting how he fares as a striker against France !
 
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