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The kids - who will travel to Austria/make the 1st team squad?


mcbendy
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It was interesting seeing the training photos from yesterday. This is clearly a chance to impress for some of the youngsters, with the prize of a place on the Austria pre-season trip up for grabs.

 

I recognised some but not all of the faces in the photos. I live up in Scotland so I don't get to watch U21 matches live anymore. Which of the kids look most promising and how might they fit into our plans this season?

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A few other names that seem to be mentioned more than others: Jack Stephens, Jason McCarthy, Dominic Gape, Jake Flannigan, Jake Hesketh and Josh Sims. Plus there was the recent hype about Callum Slattery. Do any of these have a chance of making a meaningful contribution to the first team in 2016? Jason McCarthy looks like he is pushing up the pecking order?

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Couldn't care less about Seager unless we plan on changing to play 2 up front - he's completely unsuited to the first team's style (similarly to Charlie Austin as it happens) and I feel a bit sorry for him having to play in a target man position when the U21s set up like the first team, because it's clear he's a finisher who thrives on being involved in the box but not so much outside it.

 

On the flip side, I'm keen to see how McQueen does as he looks perfectly suited for the system. I'd like to see Sims to see if he's progressed, and for Reed to get a run around the first teamers (probably later than Austria then) so he can learn what not to do. Gallagher is overdue involvement too. For a team that plays with 2 DMs, we're not really developing them at muchof a rate (Reed being the exception, and he's not quite there yet).

 

All the others who have one or two sub appearances need to make an impact this pre-season or they'll be on the one-way trip to lower leagues which I suspect Isgrove is approaching. If they can develop like JWP that one summer, adding free-kicks and corners practically overnight, they'll give themselves a chance.

 

Not sure we've got any CBs ready to step up (as usual).

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Will certainly be interesting if we think either Stephens or Turnball are ready after their season away.

 

That was Stephens' second consecutive season at Swindon. Whilst he did well, I'd be amazed if he can make a claim for the 1st team squad, never mind a start.

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I am looking forward to seeing if Gape and Hesketh continue to improve - Hesketh needs to bulk up a bit but can see a decent player in him if he gains some strength similar to how Lallana(cough spit) did.

Disagree with The9 above about defenders Will Wood, McCarthy and Mugabe should feature this year.

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That was Stephens' second consecutive season at Swindon. Whilst he did well, I'd be amazed if he can make a claim for the 1st team squad, never mind a start.

 

I didn't follow Swindon's season at all despite our two lads being there. Do you know if they played regularly together as a CB partnership? From your reply above you were not impressed by what you saw?

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Centre back is one of the hardest positions to break through in the Premier League but I think Stephens and Turnbull could get some games for us in the cups and / or Europe if they stayed. Whether or not that is the best thing for their development is another thing, but if they do both leave on loan it should be for games in the Championship.

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This thread ia supposed to be about who will travel to Austria. It seems pretty clear to me that just about anyone who was in the training video yesterday will be involved, with the probably exception of Morgan, of course. Koeman said quite clearly that none of the players coming back next week will be involved. So no point talking about Stephens for the purposes of this thread, as he is not back yet. Turnbull is back, and as the only available CB is nailed on to be involved, I would think. Stephens though is probably more highly rated than Turnbull, guess one of them might be 4th choice if we don't resign Toby. Its going to be a strange team playing Austria with so few current first teamers actually available.

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This thread ia supposed to be about who will travel to Austria. It seems pretty clear to me that just about anyone who was in the training video yesterday will be involved, with the probably exception of Morgan, of course. Koeman said quite clearly that none of the players coming back next week will be involved. So no point talking about Stephens for the purposes of this thread, as he is not back yet. Turnbull is back, and as the only available CB is nailed on to be involved, I would think. Stephens though is probably more highly rated than Turnbull, guess one of them might be 4th choice if we don't resign Toby. Its going to be a strange team playing Austria with so few current first teamers actually available.

 

Pretty sure I saw him training yesterday.

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I think you're wrong here - my understanding is that most of the kids that we saw in yesterday's video will drop back to U21 and not travel to Austria. Only some will get selected. I might have misunderstood of course. I think that the 'internationals' will travel and be involved in the training camp, but do I remember hearing that they will not play a part in the RB Leipzig game? Anyway - this is a distraction - my underlying interest is in which of the academy kids are likely to step up and make an impact. Isgrove, Targett, Reed, Gallagher, McCarthy seem likely. McQueen, Turnbull, Stephens perhaps. Any others?

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That's one for MLG to do later.

 

Off the top of my head:

 

Will Wood (left back or centre back)

Jordan Turnbull (centre back)

Jack Stephens (centre back)

Bevis Mugabi (centre back or right back)

Dominic Gape (central midfield)

Sam McQueen (winger)

Sam Gallagher (striker)

Ryan Seager (striker)

Armani Little (central midfielder)

Harry Isted (goalkeeper)

Jake Hesketh (attacking midfielder)

Jason McCarthy (centre back)

Josh Debayo (centre back or left back)

Edited by Lallana's Left Peg
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I didn't follow Swindon's season at all despite our two lads being there. Do you know if they played regularly together as a CB partnership? From your reply above you were not impressed by what you saw?

 

My mate's a Swindon ST holder. He says Stephen's tailed off last season but that Turnbull got better and better. He rates Turnbull as the better prospect but thinks Championsip is his level and league 1 for Stephens.

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Two seasons since McQueen first broke through now, you'd hope he'd start making more of an impact now - although with the signing of Juanmi you have to wonder when he'll be getting a chance.

 

He is a good player but he is a PL good? Doubtful, which is no disgrace.

 

Hesketh is a very interesting player IMO and already been picked out by Koeman last season. Think we will see more of him...

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Mugabe looked interesting when he switched to right back. Hesketh looks close to breaking through but I think Stephens and Turnbull need to step up to the Championship on loan. Centre back is a difficult place to develop early.

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My mate's a Swindon ST holder. He says Stephen's tailed off last season but that Turnbull got better and better. He rates Turnbull as the better prospect but thinks Championsip is his level and league 1 for Stephens.

 

As long as neither of them have to face Jermaine Beckford...

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Mugabe looked interesting when he switched to right back. Hesketh looks close to breaking through but I think Stephens and Turnbull need to step up to the Championship on loan. Centre back is a difficult place to develop early.

 

He looked good in the U21 Cup Final and absolutely exposed against Man City, totally the opposite end of the scale performance wise, though not helped by tactical naivety in leaving him 2 on 1 with no supporting midfielder to stop City attacking him.

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Two seasons since McQueen first broke through now, you'd hope he'd start making more of an impact now - although with the signing of Juanmi you have to wonder when he'll be getting a chance.

 

McQueen against City reminded me of Pellè in terms of movement and passing choices in midfield, much better suited to the first team formation than Seager.

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Two seasons since McQueen first broke through now, you'd hope he'd start making more of an impact now - although with the signing of Juanmi you have to wonder when he'll be getting a chance.

 

Historically speaking....that's about par for the course.

 

I recall after Alan Shearer's famous Dell hat-trick it took him around two seasons even to get selected.....let alone become a regular. MLT and Channon too, if you go back far enough.

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I think you're wrong here - my understanding is that most of the kids that we saw in yesterday's video will drop back to U21 and not travel to Austria. Only some will get selected. I might have misunderstood of course. I think that the 'internationals' will travel and be involved in the training camp, but do I remember hearing that they will not play a part in the RB Leipzig game? Anyway - this is a distraction - my underlying interest is in which of the academy kids are likely to step up and make an impact. Isgrove, Targett, Reed, Gallagher, McCarthy seem likely. McQueen, Turnbull, Stephens perhaps. Any others?

 

Koeman: We start to play a friendly on that Wednesday, that’s too early for
 the international players but we will use that friendly game with the
 people who started today. After that we have the two 45 minute games,
 the first one against Valencia and normally the international players
 will play 45 minutes. That’s the second week, but for them the first
 week and we have to grow in all aspects of football, in a physical
 way, how we like to play football. Most of the players they know that.

 

The "normally" is a bit ambiguous, but it sounds like the first-teamers will play in the mini-tournament in Salzburg, but not the first game. Hope that's right, because the Salzburg games are the ones I'm half-planning to see. If it's just the kids I think I'll give it a miss, since the travel schedule is already pretty packed and it is, technically, my honeymoon.

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Koeman has told them that they have a big opportunity to show him what they're made of. I very much hope that one or two of them step up and take this opportunity to try and push themselves into the match day squads for next season.

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