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Esapa Osong

G

gamble

Stuart Pearce
Hasn't got a thread yet and from what I've seen he needs one.

Just watched his goal against WBA tonight in the Fa Youth Cup and what a goal, this kid looks a real talent.

Every time the U18s score it seems to be his name although our OS is so poor I can't find his stats, he also played well VS Stoke in the mid season friendly.

Anyone seen much of him?

tonight's highlights worth a watch.
 
Notcher

Notcher

Stuart Pearce
gamble said:
Hasn't got a thread yet and from what I've seen he needs one.

Just watched his goal against WBA tonight in the Fa Youth Cup and what a goal, this kid looks a real talent.

Every time the U18s score it seems to be his name although our OS is so poor I can't find his stats, he also played well VS Stoke in the mid season friendly.

Anyone seen much of him?

tonight's highlights worth a watch.
Click to expand...
He's extremely raw, obviously a lot of that you expect from a young player.

He's got a the ability to drive at defenders and bully his way through defences (a bit like a younger version of Kienan Davis) and he can finish. What seemed apparent to me the few times I've seen him (albeit not this season) is his workrate out of possession wasn't there for me and his decision making let him down a lot. Both can be worked on though.
 
G

gamble

Stuart Pearce
Notcher said:
He's extremely raw, obviously a lot of that you expect from a young player.

He's got a the ability to drive at defenders and bully his way through defences (a bit like a younger version of Kienan Davis) and he can finish. What seemed apparent to me the few times I've seen him (albeit not this season) is his workrate out of possession wasn't there for me and his decision making let him down a lot. Both can be worked on though.
Click to expand...
Nice one thanks, from what I've seen (very little and limited to highlights) what you say does seem true, he also seems a bit greedy and wants to "do it all himself" and get the glory, his goal today typifies that.

But all that can be worked on.
 
M

MaxiRobriguez

Bob McKinlay
Notcher said:
He's extremely raw, obviously a lot of that you expect from a young player.

He's got a the ability to drive at defenders and bully his way through defences (a bit like a younger version of Kienan Davis) and he can finish. What seemed apparent to me the few times I've seen him (albeit not this season) is his workrate out of possession wasn't there for me and his decision making let him down a lot. Both can be worked on though.
Click to expand...
'Extremely raw' would be my view too from the 5 or so games I've seen him.

Decision making aka football intelligence definitely a weak point, not just making the wrong ones a lot but taking too long to make the choice. Arguably the hardest trait to improve too.

If I were to stick my neck out I'd say he'll manage to get a career in the game but it might be in the lower leagues.
 
Notcher

Notcher

Stuart Pearce
gamble said:
Nice one thanks, from what I've seen (very little and limited to highlights) what you say does seem true, he also seems a bit greedy and wants to "do it all himself" and get the glory, his goal today typifies that.

But all that can be worked on.
Click to expand...
Yes the greed part falls into the decision making which is partly what I was referring to. You want strikers to have that bit of selfishness about them but you still have to understand what is the option with a higher chance of success.
 
Notcher

Notcher

Stuart Pearce
MaxiRobriguez said:
'Extremely raw' would be my view too from the 5 or so games I've seen him.

Decision making aka football intelligence definitely a weak point, not just making the wrong ones a lot but taking too long to make the choice. Arguably the hardest trait to improve too.

If I were to stick my neck out I'd say he'll manage to get a career in the game but it might be in the lower leagues.
Click to expand...
Obviously players develop at different rates both physically and with their technical development but that's where I was at with him too Maxi.
 
Statto

Statto

Free Kick Specialist
Notcher said:
Obviously players develop at different rates both physically and with their technical development but that's where I was at with him too Maxi.
Click to expand...
Yes, there are a lot of kids at this level who can be flat track bullies in their teens simply because they're stronger than most 16/17/18 year old boys and have a bit of technical ability. But if they are playing adults against whom they won't have the strength advantage anyway, and also, once their peers have caught up physically, they lose the relative strength advantage they had as kids which highlights the weaknesses more such as decision making.

There have been plenty of strikers especially in the academy over the years who haven't really made it as first team players here despite scoring a lot of goals at the age group level. Craig Westcarr is the obvious one, he played for the first team at like 15/16 but didn't really do much after that for us or anyone else in the league. We don't really bring through that many strikers (Not counting Brennan, or Patrick Bamford who we sold to Chelsea young as he really ended up coming through their system not ours) but the age group sides always seem to have plenty of lads who can hit the net, it just doesn't transfer to first team.

The ones who typically will make it from the current sides are the ones who have the better decision making and footballing intelligence - probably more likely Jack Nadin will than Osong, and the likes of Zach Abbott and Aaron Donnelly who have already been with the first team this season in the cup. If you look at Osong's goals most of them were probably created by someone like Nadin's intelligence behind them anyway.
 
Notcher

Notcher

Stuart Pearce
Statto said:
Yes, there are a lot of kids at this level who can be flat track bullies in their teens simply because they're stronger than most 16/17/18 year old boys and have a bit of technical ability. But if they are playing adults against whom they won't have the strength advantage anyway, and also, once their peers have caught up physically, they lose the relative strength advantage they had as kids which highlights the weaknesses more such as decision making.

There have been plenty of strikers especially in the academy over the years who haven't really made it as first team players here despite scoring a lot of goals at the age group level. Craig Westcarr is the obvious one, he played for the first team at like 15/16 but didn't really do much after that for us or anyone else in the league. We don't really bring through that many strikers (Not counting Brennan, or Patrick Bamford who we sold to Chelsea young as he really ended up coming through their system not ours) but the age group sides always seem to have plenty of lads who can hit the net, it just doesn't transfer to first team.

The ones who typically will make it from the current sides are the ones who have the better decision making and footballing intelligence - probably more likely Jack Nadin will than Osong, and the likes of Zach Abbott and Aaron Donnelly who have already been with the first team this season in the cup. If you look at Osong's goals most of them were probably created by someone like Nadin's intelligence behind them anyway.
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That's very true. I was tall and extremely quick and although I played at academy level I only went on to play semi-pro. I was so reliant on my pace which got me away from players and gave me lots of goals when I was younger but I didn't work hard enough technically and as you say others catch up with you and essentially you get found out. At that age my naivety was that it would always be the case, that I would always be far quicker than anyone else and that I'd always have that pace. I suffered an injury to my Achilles when I was 19 and I lost a good few yards of pace and that neglect to work harder at my technical development finished any aspirations of playing league football.
 
Captain Sinister

Captain Sinister

Senior doom Monger
He's 18... needs time to learn his trade and develope his physique;
Anyone taking any indications as to his quality from the Stoke friendly is being a bit previous.
 
valspoodle

valspoodle

Steve Chettle
You only have to look at old photos of England U23s or U21s to see how many fail to progress.

Just let the lad find out himself. No pressure.
 
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