Let's see how the players that we should probably be starting get on! The U21s and the U18s both got off to good starts. Lloris and Pritchard both played today, as the U21 sides recorded a 4-1 victory over Everton at the training centre. The French number one played a full 90 minutes while the winger scored twice, once from a set-piece and the other from an Oduwa back heel. The provider, who also won the free-kick for the opener, went on to score himself just before the break, after Everton had pulled one back. Coulthirst added one late on to seal the win, having been put in by Harrison. Team: Lloris, Walker-Peters, Ogilvie, Lesniak, Ball, Carter-Vickers (c), Azzaoui, Harrison, Coulthirst, A Pritchard, Oduwa. Subs: Maghoma, Amos, Sonupe, McEvoy, Voss (GK). The U18s had a similarly impressive win on Saturday, putting Brighton to the sword. Kieran McKenna seems happy with the 5-1 win: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/u18-brighton-home-verdict-090815/ Team: McDermott, Paul, Muscatt, Owens, Marsh, Brown, Daly, Stylianides, Loft, Edwards, Sterling. Subs: Hayford, Oakley-Boothe, Shashoua, Whiteman (GK). Loft, Stylianides and Owens put the game beyond the visitors in the first 24 minutes, though they pulled on back before HT. Sterling and Shashoua finished it off in the second half.
Cheers PNP. I really appreciated all the contributions to previous incarnations of this thread - it's really good to keep up with what's happening with the youngsters - one of the best things about this board IMO
Good news on Lloris and Pritchard both getting some minutes. Could've done with Pritchard offering some invention on Saturday.
I know you talked up Harry Kane for years and you was proved right about him being the next Alan Shearer, but if you're right about Pritchard, will he offer that much needed support to Kane when Eriksen is busy thinking about a move to Real Madrid? as when Eriksen is day dreaming, the team does need someone with energy and drive and attacking instinct from midfield.
Watching Pritchard today was a pleasure. I have no idea how far the boy will go in the game, but he's certainly a class above the under 21 league and looks well worth his place in our current PL squad. Good to see him back.
Ah, you've missed my predictions on Pritchard over the summer The one I'm sticking by is "next Ginola". He's got the same features to his game. a few tricks, great bringing the ball forward and strikes the ball really well. He also goes down a bit easily at times but like Ginola he also gets kicked a lot I'm sure there's better examples but I do like this clip of him: If we can see a bit of that at the Lane he should keep us entertained.
Impressive but Taarabt was doing that and more in the lower leagues, so for now he is the new Adel Taarabt until I see him produce these skills in the premier league
I came to the conclusion awhile ago that Taraabt was reliant on playing against sides that give you time and space, which is why he showed so much promise in the Championship but never made more than a few fleeting moments of promise in the Premier League. The Championship was probably as competitive as you'll ever see it last season and Pritchard was very much a marked man. Maybe I'll be wrong with my prediction but I think he's shown a lot of the qualities that will take him a long way in the Premier League. The clip is a bit misleading as he doesn't do that kind of stuff often. His tricks are usually just a one off flick or backheel, or reverse pass that will send the opposition the wrong way and opens up an area of the pitch. What I like most about him though is that he seems to enjoy the physical side of the game. When he's playing badly or on the receiving end of some tough treatment he just seems to get back up and works hard. I have noticed him switch off a couple of times when defending in his own half but generally he does look like the type of player that fits into what Pochettino wants, much like Kane has done.
For the most part, Pritchard has something Taarabt has never had, which is the discipline to be dedicated and work hard on the training ground. He did go off the rails briefly when at Swindon when he got matey with Nile Ranger and his subsequent "antics" caused the break up of his long term relationship with his girl. He was ordered back to WHL and told to sort himself out, which to his credit he did do and has remained sensible ever since. If he continues this way, then he should have a big future ahead of him.
Everton's U21 coach David Unsworth, a Fantasy Football favourite of yesteryear, gives the youngsters a glowing review: http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2015/08/10/unsworth-the-better-team-won? Seemed very impressed with Pritchard, unsurprisingly. Our OS match report: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/u21-everton-home-report-100815/? Didn't realise that he only played the first half!
You can't hype youngsters too much of course, its a dangerous game to play...but based on what I've seen of Pritchard, he has more than a bit of guile, graft, invention and end product about him and he'd certainly have earned his opportunity to have a crack at the Spurs 1st team once he's fit enough. I hope we see him get the chance to make an impression as soon as he's realistically ready. Good thing about it being the start of the season is that there will be plenty of opportunities for him to get lots of game time.
Yes but he do this in a tightly contested premier league game with the pressure on? I hope so as he looks like the type of player we need.
Highlights for members: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/spu...er-league/barclays-u21-pl--spurs-4-1-everton/ Four good goals, though Lloris looked seriously at fault for Everton's, ending up in the middle of nowhere. Opening goal: Little deflection helped it in.
Ugo Ehiogu's U21 side were involved in a rollercoaster of a draw with Man City at their training academy today. Both sides scored at the death to share the spoils. Spurs: Glover, Walker-Peters, Walkes, Veljkovic, Carter-Vickers (c), Maghoma, McEvoy, Lesniak, Harrison, Goddard, Azzaoui. Subs: Sonupe, Amos, Georgiou, Voss (GK). City: Gunn, Maffeo, Humphreys, Evans, Smith-Brown, Glendon (C), Nemane, Garcia, Ambrose, Celina, Barker. Subs: Bryan, Haug, Horsfield, Intima, Faupala. McEvoy opened the scoring after only six minutes, having been played in by Goddard after Azzaoui won the ball. Ambrose leveled things up for the hosts 20 minutes later and that's how the sides went in at HT, despite chances for each team. City flew out of the blocks after the break and it took them only two minutes to take the lead with a goal from Garcia. That lead didn't last long though, as Azzaoui pulled us back on par six minutes after that. Sonupe was the provider this time. With the clock running down that appeared to be it, but Maghoma headed us into the lead on 90 minutes from a Georgiou corner. The home side weren't satisfied with that and they rescued a point with a goal from Celina in injury time. Sounds like quite an entertaining game from two sides who've invested fairly heavily in their academies in recent years. City are normally very good with their social media side, so highlights should be forthcoming pretty promptly. They've got a match report up already and the game only finished about 20 minutes ago: http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-re...1-Premier-League-match-report-14-August-2015?
The City keeper is Angus Gunn, son of the former Norwich keeper Bryan Gunn. He's highly rated by the people at City.
The U18s followed the example set by the first team and U21s and drew their second fixture yesterday. They traveled to West Ham's Little Heath facility for an 11am kick-off and might not have been fully awake, as they conceded an early goal. Oscar Borg put them ahead before Kazaiah Sterling's goal restored parity and that's how the game finished. Spurs: Whiteman, Paul, Muscatt, Owens, Marsh, Brown, Edwards (Shashoua 66), Stylianides, Sterling, Hayford (Loft 59), Bennetts (Daly 59). Substitutes (not used): Mukena, McDermott (GK). West Ham: Howes, Eggleton (Lewis 60), Neufville, Sylvestre, Akinola, Rice, Borg, Dobson (Kanu 69), Hector-Ingram, Carter, Powell Subs not used: Boness, Henry, Longelo. Match reports: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/u18-west-ham-away-report-150815/ http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/August/15-August/U18s-pick-up-first-point
Our U15 team has beaten Liverpool in the final to win the Lion City Cup, a youth trophy based in Singapore. The teams both saw off local youngsters to meet in what turned out to be a very one-sided win for our kids. Rodel Richards (x2), Nya Kirby and Reo Griffiths got the goals in a 4-0 rout. http://www.espnfc.co.uk/blog/football-asia/153/post/2565470/tottenham-win-lion-city-cup-in-singapore please log in to view this image They all look about 12, but then so does Tom Carroll. Must've been an interesting experience for them.
