Frazier Campbell a near certain future star

oskarutd

That was the thought of Eric Harrison on MUTV today.
He reminded him of Mark Hughes with his bravery.
He also mentioned Cathcart and Johnny Evans + David Gray.
Cathcart needs to work on his positional sense especially.

So finally a striker from our ranks again?

M160RA

Well, being M.U.Q is one thing...getting ahead of the five strikers ahead of you in the pecking order is quite something else. We'll know a few years down the line I guess, whether Harrison made a good call on this one.

I'm a little surprised he mentioned David Gray...I had no idea he was that highly rated.

KingEric7

Same here. David Gray is never a name i have heard being thrown about to often. Obviously Jonny Evans as been touted around a fair bit and it would pain me to see nobody out of this current crop to make it as there is obviously a fair bit of talent.

julesee

he didnt mention martin or barnes which i thought was wierd....the latter looks fantastic to me

ManRyan

Doing alright at Antwerp, isn't he ?

oskarutd

Gray has actually been mentioned alot by experts, but only in few words.

PS18

i'd be stunned if david gray made it at championship level, let alone united.

surprised to hear campbell talked about in those glowing terms as well - he's a definite talent, but a 'near certain' future star? bit premature.

julesee

agree PS18.....i thought he looked good in the reserves but not as outstanding as Rossi for example....

dan_alex

I can't see Frazier Campbell ending up being anything other than a good championship player. Everyone was saying similar things about Ebanks-Blake at one time, and he's found his level in the championship. The only people who I think can make it from our youth setup now Jones has gone, are Evans and Rossi. For others, it could depend how they progress... N'galula, Cathcart, Martin Pique...

julesee

I think a lot of people miss out Barnes... the guy has pace and skill in abundance and he's only been at United for one year...

Tribec

With the recall of so many of the players who are out on loan right now as from when ever, I am sort of expecting to see Barnes sent out on loan to Antwerp for the remainder of the season. If Martin is coming back from Rangers then he'll over take Barnes for the spot in the reserve team and so I think Barnes is earmarked for a spell abroad.

As for Campbell, well let's see how he comes back from Antwerp. It's interesting to note that he's being left in Belgium for the whole season while some are being recalled. He's a talent and one that's interesting in the way he plays compared to the others at Old Trafford in his position. We may find he moves our to the wing with his pace, but that's for the club to consider an option if he's not going to make it as an out and out striker.

RedPhil1957

are thinking of sean gray who needs to make a big step up? david looks quality to me

sincher

Campbell has a real chance, but before he plays at the top level it's stupid saying things like 'near certain' even if you do have Harrison's experience.

I don't think Barnes, Cathcart or Gray will make it.

PS18

no idea who this sean gray you're talking about is

david gray is just very very average. hard-working, not a bad footballer by any means but simply has nothing outstanding or potentially outstanding about his game at all. if he plays for the first team in a proper fixture, i'll wear a liverpool shirt to the next home game and sing YNWA in the stretford end. simply not happening.

RedPhil1957

we can agree to differ about david Gray, watched him play a number of positions and thought he has done well in them all. Must appologise for the other I was thinking of Sean Evans, I mixed up his surname very stupid.

julesee

Sincher...have you been watching any of the reserve games recently? Perhaps you have, but Barnes has been the outstanding player in the reserves this season (in my view)... the commentators on MUTV seem to agree too

PS18

i'd agree with you on that Jules, but also agree with sincher that he probably won't make it (if that makes any sense). it's a huge step up from reserve football to first team level (and it's getting huger), and at the minute i can't see him having what it takes either physically or mentally.

as much a hunch as anything else right now, you never know how these kids will develop but from what i've seen so far, i can see him being another Chadwick.

Red17

Harrison did not actually use the words "near certain" - he just said he would be very disappointed if Campbell does not make it. He says Campbell is almost as courageous as Hughes (whom he worked with), ball control not as good as Hughes but is much quicker than Hughes. And that Campbell scores goals (I think in reference to everywhere and every level that he's played at - lots of it).

He did use "almost certain to make it" or "as certain as one can be to make it" in reference to Rossi.

Though I don't think he's come anywhere near such high praise for any other young players coming through Carrington - so such comments coming from him should be enough to give us further thought.

noodlehair

Harrison clearly knows his stuff

It was great listening to him on MUTV. I thought he gave a pretty good insight into the way things work, in terms of bringing young players through, and how the process has changed and perhaps become more difficult, in recent years.

I like Campbell too. He's got something about him

sincher

I have, and he looks alright, but I don't see a top class footballer in him. He's a kick and run merchant - very effective at that level, but lacks quality at the moment. Hope I'm wrong. He's still young enough to improve.

sincher

I don't see the similarity between Campbell and Hughes though. Campbell reminds me of Walcott.

noodlehair

Yeah, that's a bit of a strange one. He's nothing like Hughes at all, unless Harrison's getting at something else that we don't see

I haven't seen enough of Walcott, but you'd have to think he's a far, far better player. He still looks like a youth team player trying to fit in when Arsenal play him though.

sincher

Well Walcott is more proven obviously, but is of a similar style.

Red17

Harrison did not start off by comparing the 2 directly. He said he would be very disappointed if Campbell did not make the first team and then went on to describe Campbell as a very courageous player and this courage is similar to another United player who is no longer playing, which is Hughes. So, he was actually comparing that particular aspect and wasn't so much their playing "complete" style. Of course, the "courage" quality influences the playing style but IMO, Harrison was just comparing this specific quality.

oskarutd

All true, that was his point and he didn´t use the words a near certain future star. But that is just another way of saying the same thing.

sincher

No it's not. It's a way of saying a completely different thing.

oskarutd

Well, I didn´t have time to type all he said to the word, so I typed it in as few words as I could to let you know, good to have more interested whom can say it rightly.
Sorry for the confusion and interpeted Harrison too strongly

julesee

lets see - ive think ive at least watched the highlights of all the reserve games this season and he has really stood out for me.... pace, good touch and good crossing ability.... i may be wrong - its easy to get carried by good displays at this level obviously

PS18

he's certainly got plenty of pace, but my worry would be that he doesn't appear to really have the guile that sets quality wingers apart from mere sprinters.

he's a bit of a weird case anyway, he's come to us quite late really so it's even harder than normal to make a proper judgement.

julesee

that's one reason why im so impressed with him - he's only been with us for a year....anyway lets wait and see

Plechazunga

Campbell's a class act. I'm not sure he's going to be big enough though...unless he's grown a bit since last season.

Walcott's a pretty different player, he's got fantastic ability to go past men, and is ridiculously fast. Campbell's quick too, but more of a finisher.

Bearded but no genius

I like Campbell, but we've heard this song before.

VanNistelrater

Cathcart should be put in the first team sheerly by virtue of sharing a name with a character from Catch-22.

Plechazunga

Campbell's cream of tomato soup is absolutely delicious

And what's more...you can put it in a casserole

Because Campbell's, is the only soup, that's concentrated.

sincher

I wonder if Campbell and Heinze get on with each other, being massive soup rivals and all?

Fazer

Anyone knows if Campbell is with the squad in Asia?
Is he ready to push for a place in the first team squad??

Mr. MUJAC

No he isn't in the squad.....he played against Hyde United last week and will probably play at Fleetwood tomorrow.

Epic

Next season will probably be make or break season for him. His 20 soon and needs to start knocking on the first team door. A loan move to a Championship side would do good for him me thinks. Maybe that's why he wasn't taken on the tour so the local scouts can have a look at him.

M160RA

Yeah, a loan to a Championship side should probably be the next step. He had a pretty successful season with Antwerp, so if he can do the same for a Championship side then he'll be showing some good progress.