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Saints in the hunt for Ademola Lookman from Charlton Athletic


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http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/14159784.Southampton_join_Arsenal_and_Liverpool_in_transfer_battle_to_sign_Charlton_Athletic_prospect/

 

 

Saw him play for Charlton against Brighton. No doubt he's a real talent.

 

Direct, fast, able to carry the ball and can finish.

 

Worked hard and although he faded out of the game, it's early days for him and there's clearly a lot of talent to work with.

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I heard from a friend yesterday and i cant say who before anyone asks, that there's been an ongoing disagreement between Koeman and one of the youth coaches about the pathway into the first team. Seems like there's a few things going on behind the scenes at the moment. I'm sure it will all improve once the confidence comes back and there's less pressure on the team.

 

My my what a surprise, the "pathway" disappeared up it's own backside about 18 months ago. Probably why Hunter hasn't been much in the news of late.

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I heard from a friend yesterday and i cant say who before anyone asks, that there's been an ongoing disagreement between Koeman and one of the youth coaches about the pathway into the first team. Seems like there's a few things going on behind the scenes at the moment. I'm sure it will all improve once the confidence comes back and there's less pressure on the team.

 

Wouldn't surprise me at all.

 

Essentially there is no pathway at the moment. Perhaps the current crop of youngsters simply aren't good enough.

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Wouldn't surprise me at all.

 

Essentially there is no pathway at the moment. Perhaps the current crop of youngsters simply aren't good enough.

 

Exactly that...Reed has lost his way due to better options blocking him earlier in season - although if you watch first team training he always seems to be involved. He hasn't been any great shakes for the under21's and he should be.

Hesketh is the only other one and he is too lightweight. Seagar?? not sure on him personally misses too many at that level.

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Exactly that...Reed has lost his way due to better options blocking him earlier in season - although if you watch first team training he always seems to be involved. He hasn't been any great shakes for the under21's and he should be.

Hesketh is the only other one and he is too lightweight. Seagar?? not sure on him personally misses too many at that level.

 

Surely you don't mean Harrison Reed, the saviour to all our problems?

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Who are all these youth players that could be taking the Premier League by storm?

That is what my mate and I were saying watching that dismal performance - we seem to have believed our own hype too much.

The cupboard is bare for a few years - go out and buy the most promising youngsters from other clubs in Championship rather than believe the hype - it can't always produce gems and we are suffering from letting all go at u16 level a few years ago. Plus getting rid of Dodd and Williams.

Out passed, out muscled, stamina and fitness weaker than before, shape and formation gone and not one person on the bench that could change things on Saturday...well one and our management team didn't see fit to.

I would have hoiked Wanyama off after 20 minutes and put Romeu on who at least shows he can be bothered when I have seen him play and just maybe Dembele might have been tackled once or twice.

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Or.....Koeman isn't very good at developing players. How many people has he improved over the course of his time here, compared to Poch.

 

Or he has given up trying to as they just get sold? Soul destroying it must be.

Apologies if too negative but from what I saw again on Saturday I am concerned and don't see where we go from here.

The players don't seem to give a **** and have no bottle or fighting spirit (are they getting that from manager - Strachan Mk2?)- again I will say watch the replay after the first goal not one player was rallying them at all.

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Or.....Koeman isn't very good at developing players. How many people has he improved over the course of his time here, compared to Poch.

 

I think Koeman is a very good manager, but he is nowhere near Poch at developing players. That said, you can't make a sows ear into a silk purse.

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What surprises me the most about the current lack of decent youth is our failure to capitalise on our reputation. Every parent of decent youth players should have been queuing at our door over the last few seasons trying to get their son onto the fabled "conveyor," yet this doesn't seem to have happened at all.

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What surprises me the most about the current lack of decent youth is our failure to capitalise on our reputation. Every parent of decent youth players should have been queuing at our door over the last few seasons trying to get their son onto the fabled "conveyor," yet this doesn't seem to have happened at all.

 

I would imagine we have capitalized on it, but you won't see the results for years and years. I don't know why you'd expect us to see results straight away anyway, or why you'd expect us to to field 9 year olds.

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The "youth argument" is completely spurious. We currently have the following crop of home-grown players in their prime:

 

Shaw, Chambers, Walcott, Ox, Bale, Lallana...

 

Then you have Target, Reed and the likes of Dyer, Sparv....

 

How many teams have produced that amount of quality still in prime playing age? We've been a victim of our own success - it's nonsense to expect a Shaw or Ox every season. If they weren't so good they would still be with us.

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What surprises me the most about the current lack of decent youth is our failure to capitalise on our reputation. Every parent of decent youth players should have been queuing at our door over the last few seasons trying to get their son onto the fabled "conveyor," yet this doesn't seem to have happened at all.

 

I should imagine the u14s and down to u8s are very good, but definitely not good enough for the first team just yet ;)

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What surprises me the most about the current lack of decent youth is our failure to capitalise on our reputation. Every parent of decent youth players should have been queuing at our door over the last few seasons trying to get their son onto the fabled "conveyor," yet this doesn't seem to have happened at all.

How on earth could you possibly know this, they'd be 10-12 year olds if they turned up now, 15 or 16 if they turned up a few years ago.

 

Unless, of course, parents are turning up with "10 year olds" that actually first team ready 24 year olds, like Rodney in the Groovy Gang in Only Fools and Horses and now we're waiting for the professional debut of Britain's tallest 11 year old footballer in history.

 

Either way, I'd like to see where you know about our "queue" and how it compares to other clubs' "queues".

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I heard from a friend yesterday and i cant say who before anyone asks, that there's been an ongoing disagreement between Koeman and one of the youth coaches about the pathway into the first team. Seems like there's a few things going on behind the scenes at the moment. I'm sure it will all improve once the confidence comes back and there's less pressure on the team.

 

I can't say I'm his biggest fan, but to be fair to Neil Ashton he was saying about this in August: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3213295/Southampton-s-talent-struggling-break-Ronald-Koeman-losing-faith-prolific-St-Mary-s-academy.html

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I heard from a friend yesterday and i cant say who before anyone asks, that there's been an ongoing disagreement between Koeman and one of the youth coaches about the pathway into the first team.

Seems like there's a few things going on behind the scenes at the moment. I'm sure it will all improve once the confidence comes back and there's less pressure on the team.

 

 

I've watched highlights of most U21/U18 games on You Tube and.... tbf...I can't see too many rising stars in the current crop of youngsters.

Whilst they may look good to their trainers, it doesn't follow that they can make the transition to Prem.football and hold a place-especially in a team struggling for results.

 

Good for their age.. .maybe, but it doesn't follow that we will "discover" another; Bale, Shaw or Oxlade-Chamberlain every season. It just won't happen.

Most of these lads maybe able to hold down a place in an L1 side, but they're still a long way from Prem. standard...whatever Hunter / Reed may think.

 

Finally, most of those named who were successes came into a stable team, and blended in well, but it's not the same as (like current side) where we've lost half-a-team inside a year and still don't have a stable midfield set-up. Maybe OK for the odd game, but we have no-one who can come into the side and make the difference.

 

Targett is the closest to a regular place, but there no way he's better than Bertrand if both are fully fit.

 

I'd go with Koeman. We need changes, but unless there is someone " really outstanding ", we must find (buy) other more experienced alternatives ASAP.

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