Another good run out. Some good stuff played, just lacked the cutting edge. Pleased with all of the new players so far.
A few positives, the new lads all looked decent and Smallbone was good again. Negatives obviously are AA missing the pen and Small needs to learn how to play LWB.
Pretty uninspiring stuff, but another 90 minutes of fitness done. Really like the look of Aribo, tricky and positive, but doesn't lose the ball in stupid ways like Moussa does (and continues to do). Lavia looks like a more mobile Romeu too, so enjoyed their performances. Keeping Stu fit remains vital. Hard to make a call on Beautiful Ketchup as he didn't have much to do. Our desperate need for a proper striker is plain for all to see though (including the management, I have no doubt). Adam Armstrong sadly still looks nothing more than a half decent championship striker.
Lavia looks fantastic already. Think the KWP-Aribo combo will work well. Feel for Armstrong but bloody hell that was a crap pen. Djenepo just not good enough.
Yeah, I can see him rotating with Romeu and Smallbone rotating with JWP. If JWP ever needs rotating that is.
Be honest. From what you’ve seen would you give him a chance in the Prem? He’s 18 in a couple of weeks. Same age as Lavia who is actually good.
Players develop at different rates. Lavia has been in the City academy so he's bound to develop quicker. No Small is not ready for PL football but it doesn't mean he won't make it.
Yeah on the ball he was ok, his sense of positioning and lack of work-rate was a little suspect though and i'm sure that Ralph and his coaches will put him right.
Just that I’ve never seen a glimmer of a footballer in there. Have you guys spotted something I haven’t? First time I saw him close up was Coventry in the cup. Since then all I’ve seen from him is rash challenges, poor positional play and being offside about 150 times
I don’t know much about him, but he’s quite a big unit, for his age. Maybe he’s been a bit overhyped because of doing well in younger age groups, because of his physical attributes, and is now finding it not so easy against “men”. I seem to remember that our own Francis Benali was always considered to be an up and coming star of the future, as a forward, but he too was playing above his limits owing to having growth spurts ahead of those he was up against, giving him a physical advantage over his peer group. He turned out okay, in the end.
