That was a really great game to watch. The future of the England team looks good. Both teams can be proud of themselves
Onomah and Cook have been excellent through the tournament by all accounts. Only caught the final but if they've performed that way in all the games then they deserve the plaudits. Onomah in a deeper position might be an good option for us if Dembele can't play as much. KWP was very consistent on his weaker side as well, apparently. Great final to watch and well done to the team!
He's got lots of talent but club and country are asking too much of him at the moment. At most he should be getting on as sub for England. Preferably when we're ahead and playing 'up top'. He looks a confident lad and he will probably not suffer too much for games Iike yesterday but it shows how lacking for options we are when we've got a few injuries. As limited as Sterling can be, he should have played yesterday given that our central midfield was Eric Dier and Jake Livermore.
Onamah looked really good throughout the tournament but especially composed in the Final. Deserved that shot to go in. Well done to England - shouldn't underestimate winning any global event at any age level.
Oh and everyone should ignore reports that it was Walker-Peters who gave away the penalty. I know the abundance of double-barreled surnames can get confusing, but let's get this clear: It was Clarke-Salter. KWP literally didn't put a foot wrong all game.
With all these double-barreled names, you'd think football had gone back to Victorian days when Old Etonians and Oxford University were getting to finals
Clavert-Lewin, Walker-Peters, Maitland-Niles, Clarke-Salter, Borthwick-Jackson... Quite uncanny really, isn't it? And then there's that guy who recently left Chelsea. Oh, what was his name again? Oh yes, silly me. Terry-McTwatface.
I'd share your optimism if I could see a progression for most of these players to the first teams of leading clubs and experience in the PL and CL as well as playing together for the national team at every level. The reality is that two of three might make it to the top level, but the rest will finish up as bit part players at PL clubs if they are lucky, regulars at GIllingham, Walsall or Scunthorpe if they're not.
I think that most of them will get games next season, honestly. The Everton and Spurs players all seem to be in their managers' plans. Woodman and Cook should get games too, though the keeper might have to go out on loan. Chelsea routinely loan out tons of their youngsters, but a lot of them do make it at some level. Can't see many of them getting into the first team at Stamford Bridge, but they'll get decent moves.
Before people get too far ahead of themselves, it;s worth remembering the squad that England took to the 2013 U20 World Cup Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone, George Long, Connor Ripley Defenders: Eric Dier, John Stones, Jon Flanagan, Adam Reach, Jamaal Lascelles, Tom Thorpe, Luke Garbutt Midfielders: Ross Barkley, James Ward-Prowse, Alex Pritchard, Gael Bigirimana, Conor Coady, Larnell Cole, John Lundstram Forwards: Harry Kane, Luke Williams, Christopher Long While most people will point to Kane and Dier (and, if they're feeling generous, Stones and Barkley) it's worth pointing out that the majority of the squad are playing in the second, third or even fourth tier of English football.
I think you could be a bit more generous there, HBIC. Ward-Prowse had a fantastic season with a top-half PL side. And Jamaal Lascelles continues to develop at a rate of knots, handed the captaincy by Benitez at the ripe old age of 22, consequently leading his side to the top of the Championship and automatic promotion back to the promised land. As for the rest...Pritch aside I have to be honest and say I really haven't heard of them. Wasn't Flanagan the one Klopp once dubbed 'The Scouse Cafu'? His loan to Burnley proved fruitless it would seem... I feel for these players though; with all the riches of the PL they are genuinely caught between a rock and a hard place. Some players need to be around class acts to keep up their own level; others need to go out on loan to lesser sides to build up the physical side of their game. Burnley's dealings are a great example. Took Keane from United and he has flourished, took "Cafu with a 'tache and reeboks" from Pool and we haven't heard from or of him since. It is such a gamble when you think about it as until a youngster has actually gone out on loan and left behind the finesse of (quote dg) "seasoned internationals" (end quote), it is impossible to tell which category they fall under. And if the gamble doesn't pay off, you receive a miserable, confidence-stripped young lad whose level of performance has regressed drastically due to a year away from your PL-standard players and facilities. Poch is clearly of the school of thought that loans are a secondary option, keeping the likes of Winks and Onomah around to learn from the likes of Dembele and Eriksen instead. We only seem to loan players out to put them in the shop window these days. Nothing wrong with that, but watching Onomah's performances in this tournament does get me a'wundrin...what if we'd loaned him to a decent footballing side like Brighton or Fulham? Would we now be receiving a 'finished article' ready to push Alli and co to the hilt?
I think we can trust our management. Between Daniel Levy, John McDermott and Mauricio Pochettino we have a philosophical commitment to try to get Spurs boys into the first team. That the Harry's are succeeding and that Andros Townsend, Alex Pritchard, Nabil Bentaleb and others are making their way elsewhere shows that there is a clinical assessment of who has 'it' and who doesn't. Seeing KWP and Josh Onomah play today, I was struck by how mature their game was. Their ability to give the ball at the right time in the right place was at odds with many others on both sides. Many looked like they had talent but not understanding of when to use it and when and how to bring others into the game. Our two lads looked like professional players, doing their jobs with application, commitment and skill. Like Harry Winks, I could see them coming into the team and being able to meet the level needed, which is extremely high. I expect them to get their chances in the next 2 seasons. They have the highest of standards to reach but they will get that chance under the very best of circumstances - they know that they are "one of our own" and if Mauricio Pochettino trusts them to put them into the team, they are capable of being international quality footballers. His record at Spurs and Southampton proves it.
I'm worried about how many people are making a direct comparison between winning the U20 World Cup and an actual World Cup, even though that statement is about as accurate as saying Man City Women winning the Women's FA Cup this season means Pep Guardiola had a successful first season in the Premier League.
So after fighting the lad's corner for quite some time, has Onomah's performances for England made some of you begin to believe that he is indeed a very talented lad? Yes, I'm sitting here feeling very big-headed and yes, once he hits a 30 yard screamer against Arsenal, I will be saying "I told you so". #TeamOnomah In all seriousness, he and KWP were genuinely brilliant throughout the tournament. With Dembele ageing along with seemingly being less able to play 90 minutes regularly, there's definitely going to be chances for Josh and Winksy to be pushing themselves further into the starting XI contention. As for KWP, I knew he could play LB comfortably but he made it look as though that was his natural position, really impressed me. Really hope to see him given chances in the coming season. Buzzing for the U20's though, great achievement and was a thoroughly enjoyable final match, the senior squad should've been watching on looking to pick up some tips.
A good thing was that the U20 squad distribution across clubs was quite good (several clubs including PL, not loads from one club) . That bodes well for a lot of those kids pushing on from here at the senior level. However, as was said some are unlikely to get that opportunity at their current club (the Chelsky kids etc) .
