Watched the final yesterday... A lot of skill & endeavourer from all of the kids, and a real pleasure to see players playing for all the right reasons, primarily enjoyment & glory... Noticed there was a "GO Joe GO" flag on the terrace...
Might be a bit biased from a Charlton point of view but Joe was one of the better players out there in my opinion. The (pathetic) reports on the BBC and Daily Mail websites have clearly forgotten to mention as well the fact that a Dutch player ran clear with about 3mins to go only for Gomez to get back and get a block in on the shot (i.e. kept his head didnt dive in and made the Dutch player make the first move)... Had he not done that then pens may not have been required!!
The media tend to highlight the play-makers, but I think Gomez got a lot of praise from the TV commentators throughout...
It's funny how the younger teams always seem to succeed in these tournaments, only for the national team continue to struggle. I guess it's because teams like Holland will start bedding their younger players in the first team at clubs like Ajax where in England they starve in the developmental squads.
I don't agree that we have done particularly well, although certainly better than the seniors. Where we have done well in the past it was because we tended to field players who were physically bigger and stronger. Thought that was still the case in the semi against Portugal, but in the final I think we more than matched Holland for football too. I think the FA have finally coming around to relying on skill and awareness from an early age rather than physique. With our larger pool to pick from we might start pulling clear of countries with smaller populations like Holland and Portugal who have outskilled us in the past.
According to one poster on CL, Joe has a year to go on his contract. I didn't know he'd signed a contract. If true it must have been a very short one, because he's not long turned 17. Still, it's better than none, although ideally he needs to be on a longer one. Any reliable well-connected Charlton fans know if this is true?
Was I alone in thinking that pairing Gomez with Bikey - albeit for a short period, is not a great idea ? Bikey is a headcase, and the worst role model imaginable.
I didn't think it's possible to sign a pro deal until your 17 - so unless he's signed a 1 year deal in secret then I'd doubt this story. That said, the Chelsea links seem to have died down - though the more players returning from the World Cup means clubs will be working on their main targets. Possibly why West Ham stole a march on Poyet. I'd also be surprised to see him play if not tied down. Would RD risk losing another outstanding talent for a nominal fee?
Reading Bob's interview, it states clearly that Joe Gomez signed a 2-year contract earlier this year, They kept quiet about that, then! Anyway, Hip Hip Hoobloodyray! This is fantastic news; as AHLL said not long ago, Joe is going to be better than Poyet, and I've now applied to join the Raa-raa Brigade.
Yes within limits.... I would give him 5 - 10 games against Championship strikers before going against former Prem players
I expect that in the course of the pre-season friendlies he'll make a strong case for first-team action when the serious business begins. What I will predict is that he'll end the season as a first choice CB.
As long as he's under contract - that's the most important thing. Yet with Chelsea's interest, and the fact he couldn't sign pro terms then does make me slightly skeptical. That's years of supporting CAFC for you!
I remember Ducker. I did not know he was a rock hound though. I though he was much weirder than that. What a great story to tell his kids and mates though and I hope he come back on here to give us a more detailed account of what happened. I have no sympathy for him though. He is a bit to old to play Indiana Jones then again looking at Sean Connery and Harrison Ford probably not. This post belongs under the bloody one about Chris Powell - admin! Admin Sort it out..".
Lovely little tongue-in-cheek comment there, Eddie. Unfortunately, they've probably got their finger more on the pulse than we'd like. Whatever. Gomez does indeed look to be a good young prospect. Let's enjoy watching him do well while he's here
