Many clubs, particularly in London it seems, have so many young players that they seem to just be going through the motions. Their coaches are under no pressure because they know the club will lash out every window especially if the fans are demanding big names and success. Sunderland have established themselves as a 'go to' destination for ambitious players who know their careers are stagnating and want more targeted coaching. Whether that's as a permanent signing, or a loan, they appreciate Sunderland are a leg up in their progress. Amad could've spent two or three more seasons kicking around the reserves at Old Trafford ... ... this season will fast track his career one way or the other.
I can see us making some big name loan signings and possibly some permanents that we would have had absolutely no chance of getting in the past. Any young players who have the right attitude and high potential, but no clear pathway to the first team, will look at the likes of Diallo, Gelhardt and Michut and think "yeah I want a piece of that". We also may see the likes of Zak Johnson, Chris Rigg, Harry Gardiner, Tom Watson etc push on this year. It's a very exciting time to be a Sunderland fan.
And back on the subject of Ekwah, this lad could be a proper star in our squad next season. The lad is still learning but appears to have it all in his locker.
I'm sure I read somewhere that a few of the Chelsea academy coaches are getting pissed off that all their graft with their younger players counts for nothing as the club never give them a chance. We could pick up a decent coach or two as well as a few players.
Chelsea must be a nightmare for youth coaches. They never know who the manager is, they have endless lads out on loan and, as you say, they just keep buying big money players ... ... the top clubs have created their own pressure and are starting to creak at the joints.
Yeah but Rice will be off in the Summer. They could have had a ready-made replacement if they'd managed Ekwah correctly. The lad is 21 years old, it's absolutely criminal they never loaned him out to get first team experience. He's this good after 10 senior games, imagine what he'd have been like if he had e.g. a full League One season plus a full Championship season under his belt.
This was an article from the start of the year, situations like this are perfect for us. Some of the youth players and their families were supposedly unhappy at the lack of opportunities. Chelsea seem more interested in throwing daft money around for established players. On the other hand this has been happening at Chelsea for a long time so makes you wonder how many of them actually have the right attitude and are willing to take a chance elsewhere. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...ck-team-opportunities-clubs-big-spending.html
Ekwah seemingly loves it up here! https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/pierre-ekwah-opens-up-move-26899896
Class read that and confirms what was said earlier about how good TM managed the lad after the penalty. The young lads all love it here and sounds like they all think very very highly of TM. Can someone just confirm that all this positive news we keep seeing is our club as it all seems surreal and completely alien to our club!
Never get tired about any player talking about how they’re enjoying it up here. Makes such a change from the years of dross and mercenaries we had. I love this squad.
"I had the switch in the season so, in January, I went from U21s football with West Ham, where no one really knows what you're doing, to coming to Sunderland where wherever I walk, people recognise me. When I first started going to the stadium, people were shouting my name. "I was saying, 'Are you really sure you want me to sign your shirt?' That switch was quite big. "It's why I say the fanbase of Sunderland is crazy. "I really felt straightway that I was here at one of the biggest clubs in the country.
I loved his reaction to missing that chance last weekend. He was raging at himself. You want to see that as a coach, some acknowledgement of what has just happened. I would bet that is an abiding memory for him and he will commit to working on his finishing now. Most young lads in academies are like sponges, they will soak up everything they can from coaches. He looks like someone who is learning very quickly about mens football to me.
Scored a few belters on the youtube video of him at West Ham that was posted when we first signed him. Sure a couple of them were free kicks as well.
Exactly, listening to Jack Clarke in the unfiltered podcast he talks about young lads not feeling they backed by bigger teams in favour of spending loads of dosh on older more experienced players. They aren’t daft and if they’ve got intelligence about them they will seek out moves like this.
No one really knows who will make it, and it's very hard to blood players in the PL. But for Moyes the Dreadful to just let Ekwah and Alesi go for coppers, with neither of them getting any serious chance is negligence in the extreme. Bloke is a dinosaur. Someone is turning out some good players at Wistem, and they are wasting their time while he's there.
He will never give young players a start not his style to risk it with a player who hasnt played before! To be honest he is hardly in the minority there though is he? It's the way football is these days clubs (owners/board/fans) want instant success. Managers don't dare blood young players as if it goes tits up and they lose a few times on the bounce they could be sacked!
