He is an absolute unit. Very raw, but strong and quick. Good news that he's staying around the first team squad, but way too soon to expect him to be a starter.
If it was a top striker keeping him out then fair enough but it's Dykes and Bonne ! Dykes has hardly set the world alight for us and we decided last season that Bonne isn't up to Championship standard. Give the young lad a chance to like both of those already have, he might surprise a few doubters. What's the worst that can happen ?
OK, he's not. The worst that could happen is that he gets thrown in, fails, and has his confidence blown. The lad's an exciting prospect and should be handled carefully.
Makes perfect sense to me that he doesn't start games for now particularly if he is as big strong and fast as people are saying about him. When better to terrorise a defence with a raw unknown quantity than in the last 20 minutes of a game when they may be getting tired? Perhaps Hughes should have tried that with Diakite in those first few games he played for us. Unleash the beast.
They said that about Owen aged 17 ! There have been plenty of youngsters getting their chance in the Championship in the last few years, and alot have prospered big time. I don't think Armstrong lacks in confidence at all by his demeanour and in the interviews I've seen with him he believes he's ready and hungry which is all important.
Just listened to the new Open All Rs podcast, and they were discussing Armstrong. They'd had Dunne on as a guest, and he said he's a unit and a bully on the pitch, keen but still very raw....he needs to learn how to use that rawness in a positive direction. We all know how anal some of the refs in our league are, and a plethora of red and yellow cards ain't gonna help anyone, least of Armstrong. Bring him on for the last ten to fifthteen minutes and he could flourish, but heaping all these expectations on a young lad who's never played Championship football is a bit premature IMO.
"Given opportunities in and around the first team" isn't quite the same as slamming him in as no9 from day 1
That's a positive thing in my book. He can only get better by playing with the 1st team, he can only get better by playing against better players, he can only get experience by being selected. I would actually start the kid and tell him to run havoc.
I've seen him play twice in the flesh, when you see him move its frightening. In my eyes we haven't had a young prospect at the club like this for a very long time. I'm not obsessed with him, I just know what potential there is in there and am rightly excited as a Hoops supporter. When I see our team sheet with Dykes or Bonne leading the line it doesn't do anything for me although I wish they would both deliver the goods, however when I see Armstrong coming on for a cameo I'm immediately buoyed and don't want to take my eyes off the action. I fully expect him to be massive for us once he's given a proper chance, enjoy it when he does cos we won't witness it first hand for long. There are plenty out there that already know what he's gonna do in the game !
Well it looks like he's going to get his chance one way or another. I just think he'd be better served coming of the bench initially rather than getting thrown in at the deep end. We're all hoping he makes an impact this season, anyway.
Blackburn have had a 2.5 mill bid for Peterborough striker Szmodics accepted apparently and have also put in a 3.5 mill bit for ex hoop Josh Bowler from Blackpool ! Looks like their board has given Tomasson slightly more than ours have given Beale ! They must be selling Brereton Diaz
