19 Jul 2022 17:00:25
Shack confirmed to ‘wall for the season. Rowett has said while it’s good to have him as a RB option if needed, he sees him primarily as a midfielder, and able to play as CM/ DM or in a more advanced role. Hopefully he gets plenty of minutes throughout the season and takes his game up a couple of levels.
That club has just signed a youngish Dutch lad, who has already played in as many positions as Dallas while in the Eredivisie and Jupiler league, though primarily in attacking positions, and has decent goal and assist figures - Forest were apparently in for him. If he starts ripping it up in the Champ, maybe Shack and Cresswell can help sell a move to Leeds if we become interested.
19 Jul 2022 17:35:12
I really like Shack just not sure he has what it takes at top level. Great energy and attitude but unfortunately be a poor man’s David Batty. I don’t mean any disrespect in saying that as I believe he will have a good career and who knows given a run of games maybe even at premier league level.
19 Jul 2022 18:46:00
Wall could have a great season this year.
19 Jul 2022 18:50:51
Seen wall at 40/ 1 to win League could be a good each way bet think our 2 lads will do well there.
19 Jul 2022 20:43:10
Alf Berm must be elated.
19 Jul 2022 21:21:30
Cork - clearly Shack is nowhere near the level of Batts currently, but potentially he could have far more to his game. On top of the engine and tenacity, he has pace and the potential to provide greater threat in and around the opposition’s box. It will be interesting to see whether Rowett gives him opportunity to play at 10 occasionally, having said he believes he can play there as well as more defensively. I’m guessing they may have him working on his strength whilst he’s down there. If he comes back a stronger more confident/ assertive player he could yet have a role to play here.
Obviously they can’t increase his height, but there’s been some very effective Prem players of 5ft6 or less - currently including N’Golo Kante, Daniel Podence and Tariq Lamptey, with players from the past including two very different players, Juninho and Dennis W*$e - apologies for swearing.
19 Jul 2022 22:16:51
I’ve always thought the same regarding Shacks but he’s been on the fringes of team for a long time now and still hasn’t made his mark.
I’d love him to break through.
19 Jul 2022 23:15:25
Shacks has pace butnot much of a premiership players brain
He's not going to make it in the big time, but that not to say he's a far superior player than I ever was.
Our academy has very little continuity to the 1st team .
Lash me out of it all some of you want but the stats back it up, it's really as simplez as that.
20 Jul 2022 09:21:20
Chris - Shack is still only 22 and has had precious little time to play in his natural position whilst we’ve been in the Prem to demonstrate what he is actually capable of, so it’s probably a little premature to make a judgement on that.
If you want to look at stats, the vast majority of players who come through academies don’t make it into their respective first teams. However, as previously discussed when we were in the Champ, the Academy was allowed to go into virtual stasis under Cellino, then Orta attempted to fill the gaps from the markets he knew best, which bore little fruit, then three years later we made it to the Prem - there was clearly going to be a somewhat of a temporary disjunct between the Academy throughput and the requirements of the first team given the very significant step up in quality.
However, despite that, of those already in the Academy Struijk has become many people’s first choice for the LCB position and Cresswell will become an integral member of the first team from next season, and Shackleton may yet make it, and but for his unfortunate injury last season Bogusz may well have continued to play himself into contention. Of those brought into the Academy since we reached the Prem, Gelhardt, Greenwood, Summerville and Hjelde are likely to be involved with the first team this season and following a loan this season, Bate will be expected to be involved next season. It could be argued that the ‘continuity’ from Academy to first team is now re-established following a very understandable hiatus.
20 Jul 2022 11:03:17
Oh, and how did I forget young Archie, who provides further evidence that our Academy is providing a route into the first team squad.
Of the current crop of u21s, I reckon Matteo Joseph, Sean McGurk and Jeremiah Mullen are among the group most likely to make the transition over the next few years - there will probably be others, and other folk on here who also watch the Academy sides will have their own views on who is most likely to make the grade.
The u21s should smash PL2 second division this coming season, with relegation only happening last season because it was largely the u18s fulfilling their fixtures for much of the period. So hopefully that setback in Academy development will prove to be very temporary blip.
20 Jul 2022 11:13:02
Clue I mean. , actually. home. grown talent from a young age, the players you speak of all came. from elsewhere mostly.
I just don't fink Shacks will make a premiership team, championship I feel will be his level . His height will also be an issue along with bodily strength, yes there are exceptions to this but the vast majority will struggle with the smaller attributes, that's not me being mean, just stating fact.
Bit like a 13-15 stone lad could never be a quality prop in egg ball . It's just the way it is.
20 Jul 2022 12:44:01
Premiership clubs don’t really rely on local talent at most serious age levels. The competition out there is just so great. Kids like anyone else want to play for the top clubs, so other clubs can look for their caste offs and almosts. Nice when one comes through but I think probably going to be less in the future.
20 Jul 2022 12:47:24
Love your under 21 / 23 focus clueless! I still try to watch all the games from Spain! Feel a buzz every time I watch Pascal after chatting with his mum and gf and him when he was out injured. They always came to watch the games even if out. Really encourage everyone to try and watch the matches if you can, really interesting and a lot of good football!
20 Jul 2022 12:54:17
Chris - when we’re outside the Prem, the best local talent was cherry picked from the Academy by Prem clubs (as we are now doing to other clubs) or never even made it to Thorp Arch because the Prem scouts were able to get them instead. So it’s not surprising that there’s not many who’ve come right the way through who are currently ready to step up to the Prem - which is therefore not a reflection on either the Academy coaching or the Club’s desire to foster the development of homegrown Academy prospects, but rather a reflection of the real world.
20 Jul 2022 14:12:51
George - Berm still over the moon about Bielsa and KP leaving to be worried about 'wall.