daba
Full Member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2021
- Messages
- 1,232
As much as I enjoy seeing an academy star break through to the first team squad, I do quite like ETH setting the bar high for players and therefore saying he won't just hand out games to kids and that they have to earn it through effort and ability.
Garnacho is proof that they can earn it under ETH, but the lack of playing time for any of the others suggests they pretty much have to be almost a generational talent to establish themselves. That does make it very hard for even the quite talented ones like Pellistri and Amad.
I do think Amad, Mainoo and Hannibal have the potential to make it to the first team squad, so would be a little disappointed if they didn't get some kind of genuine opportunity to try and establish themselves. But I guess it depends on who keeps them out. If we make good signings, and our squad is made up of top level players, like City, then I can understand the bar being very high for any kid looking to break into it. But if squad positions are taken up by some of the relatively average quality of our back up players of recent years, then I don't think the bar is that high for the likes of Amad being given an opportunity to break into it.
I see both Amad and Mainoo having careers here. Unfortunately as much as I like Hannibal, I see him leaving us before realising his potential.