Hopefully he does, would be a great step for him. Will definitely watch a couple of their games if the deal goes ahead.
Chido Obi
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That's a big step up but if he hits the ground running and stays lucky with injuries who knows he could do very well there
Like everyone says, good move if he gets gametime. I’m not convinced he will, no matter how grim everyone paints the bundesliga…
I think the Bundesliga would be a really good destination for Chido. It's one of the best leagues in Europe for young strikers because games tend to be more open, there's more space to attack, and forwards generally get more opportunities to make runs in behind. We've seen plenty of young attackers develop there over the years.
That said, the league itself is secondary to one thing. Consistent game time. At his age, playing 2,000-3,000 senior minutes any league is worth far more than training at Carrington or sitting on a Bundesliga bench.
Personally, I'd even consider a permanent sale with a buyback clause rather than a straight loan. When a club owns the player, they're invested in increasing his value and are much more likely to give him the patience and minutes needed to develop.
With a loan, especially one without an obligation to buy, there's always the risk that the club prioritizes players they'll actually keep. If Obi hits a rough patch, they know he'll be back at United in a few months anyway, so there's less incentive to develop him.
A buyback clause gives United protection if he explodes, while giving Köln every reason to play and improve him. For a young striker, that's probably a better development pathway than a traditional loan, assuming the buyback fee is set at a sensible level.
Should be a good move. Germany seems like a cracking place for a youngster to develop.
If he plays weekly, then it’ll be great experience for him.
If he plays weekly, then it’ll be great experience for him.
I get the feeling he's been the biggest fastest kid in every youth team he's played and he's scored a daft amount of goals. We had one at school who ended up at Bury when they were a league club. He never made it because he technically wasn't good enough, I think that's the case with Obi, I've been to see a few youth games and he looks the worst player in the team by a country mile.
He has good matches too but he’s young and so he’s going to be inconsistent until he develops. His size fools a lot of people who think he should be ready for first team action. Hes not nearly ready for that
Nooo. Farmers & sheep herders are the 5th to 10th Bundesliga teams, At 14th we can expect young women dressed up as men playing.
I think he's lazy, I don't think he's anywhere near good enough.
So you’ve never actually watched him then.
If you read back I've attended several youth games he's played in and I've watched them on MUTV. There have been plenty of games he could do more off the ball running.
What kind of a response is that anyway. Grow up.
I don't think he is lazy per se, but he has hit that difficult period that a lot of Q1's do whereby he is having to figure the game out beyond his own obvious physical capabilities.
Patience will be needed with him but there is enough there technically, some time away in a serious 1st team environment will do him a lot of good.
Patience will be needed with him but there is enough there technically, some time away in a serious 1st team environment will do him a lot of good.
I did read back, every post seems to be about watching warm ups on the sideline. Stick to those as you don’t seem to understands what’s happening on the pitch.
Said the same about Januzaj a few years back, watched him from my seat at Old Trafford week in week out walk around the pitch whenever United were out of possession of the football. Lazy off the ball, lazy attitude. I'm saying the same about Obi. Whether that's in a warm up or on the sidelines or on the pitch that's my opinion.
You don't like it, I don't care. Go insult someone else.
I don’t think pressing is a natural part of his game but believe he’s tried to improve in this and his off the ball work in general the season gone. I’ve also liked some of his hold up and interplay with teammates.
I will say I think he can finish and be believes in himself which are definitely positives for his age.
I will say I think he can finish and be believes in himself which are definitely positives for his age.
Be careful, your not allowed to have negative opinions you know, unless you’ve watched every minute of their career.
Caveat….. this only applies to young players from our academy, everyone else is fair game.
I'd be surprised if Obi makes it and I have watched (pretty much) every available minute of him at United. He could bully defenders thanks to his size but he doesn't have any particularly impressive skills to make it at the first-team level. Time flies, he's soon 19.
I think Bundesliga or any other top-5 league would be a step too far for him. Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, or League One all seem like much more promising options. A loan move where he barely gets any minutes doesn't make sense.
Besides that, I agree with a lot of what's been said here. I also think he's lazy and his technical ability seems pretty limited. I'd be surprised if he ever makes the jump to our first team. He had incredible numbers in Arsenal's academy, but, much like Youssoufa Moukoko at Borussia Dortmund, he also benefited a lot from being physically ahead of his peers.
Besides that, I agree with a lot of what's been said here. I also think he's lazy and his technical ability seems pretty limited. I'd be surprised if he ever makes the jump to our first team. He had incredible numbers in Arsenal's academy, but, much like Youssoufa Moukoko at Borussia Dortmund, he also benefited a lot from being physically ahead of his peers.
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Good move for him.
I will be curious to see if he goes there and does well and let’s say scores 15 goals, by Bundesliga logic he should be valued at 60M right?
I will be curious to see if he goes there and does well and let’s say scores 15 goals, by Bundesliga logic he should be valued at 60M right?
I think the lazy / bad attitude comments are harsh. Obi improved over the course of the season in his pressing and workrate. To me it sounds like a lot of development and maturity behind the scenes has resulted in progress to the point where we're now confident he can shine on a high pressure loan rather than...with respect to Wheatley, somewhere like Northampton or Scunthorpe.
Chido is 18 until the end of November. Harry Kane didn't return from loan and start featuring regularly for Spurs until he was 21. He had 4 lower league loan spells scoring 14 goals in 56 appearances.
Adam Lawrence quotes from April:
People need to give the lad time. Far too early to draw any conclusions about his ceiling, let alone his character and professionalism.
Chido is 18 until the end of November. Harry Kane didn't return from loan and start featuring regularly for Spurs until he was 21. He had 4 lower league loan spells scoring 14 goals in 56 appearances.
Adam Lawrence quotes from April:
People need to give the lad time. Far too early to draw any conclusions about his ceiling, let alone his character and professionalism.
Is it too early to draw any conclusion about the ceiling for Lois Jackson or Habeeb Ogunneye too, or is that only for specific players?
Honest answer is yes...too early...but with any talent development you're looking for signs. What are the indicators shown so far that Jackson or Ogunneye have the potential to reach the first team compared to Obi, JJ..etc?
I was just curious, because to me it's pretty obvious that you can draw some conclusions about most players. What are the indicators that Obi has the potential? I had this exact discussion a year ago here, and people said the same cliches. "He is young!" like every young player will succeed. I said it years ago, he won't make it here. And nothing wrong with that, few will.
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He's still really young, I assume the idea was because of his size that he could already come into the first team in an emergency but he was pretty invisible in the chances he got so it's good to go back to basics and build him back up. Also I guess it was a market opportunity as we keep seeing said these days.
He could still become anything, it's definitely a bit premature to be writing him off when we obviously bought him with the plan to develop him over a few years either way. He's one that could potentially make us decent money if he doesn't make it here.
He could still become anything, it's definitely a bit premature to be writing him off when we obviously bought him with the plan to develop him over a few years either way. He's one that could potentially make us decent money if he doesn't make it here.
Ignore them, mate. Carry on giving your opinion, it's what this place is for.
FYI. There was a study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that analyzed racial biases in adults working with children.
The research found that young Black children (ages 0-8) were nearly three times more likely to be rated as "lazy" by White adults compared to White adults themselves. Black teenagers were nearly ten times more likely to be rated as lazy.
I would suggest using the term less involved in the general play as a better description.
Substantial racial stereotyping toward young children of color found among white adults who work with them
https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/subst...-found-among-white-adults-who-work-with-them/The research found that young Black children (ages 0-8) were nearly three times more likely to be rated as "lazy" by White adults compared to White adults themselves. Black teenagers were nearly ten times more likely to be rated as lazy.
I would suggest using the term less involved in the general play as a better description.
Thanks for sharing the study. It's always good to reflect on our own behavior and judgments in light of solid evidence. I watched a lot of Obi last season, and based on that I've come to the conclusion that his work rate simply doesn't seem high enough to me. I believe I'm making that assessment independently of his race or background. That said, it's important to examine our own thinking for stereotypes and biases.
More generally, though, it's probably worth questioning whether the word "lazy" is appropriate in the first place. I suspect I (and many others) use it too readily. After all, it describes an attitude or mindset. But inferring someone's attitude directly from a perceived lack of work rate may be unfair—it could just as well be due to something like limited stamina or fitness. Just a few thoughts.
Admittedly I don't watch every youth game but when I've watched him this season he seemed far from lazy. He seems a more well rounded player than when he first came through.
He's still very young for a striker so I'd loan him out for another couple of seasons and let him develop.
He's still very young for a striker so I'd loan him out for another couple of seasons and let him develop.
Chido Obi's workrate had been patchy in games while he's been at United but he seemed to make a breakthrough last season in the run it.
he worked his bollocks off in games after Christmas
he worked his bollocks off in games after Christmas
He plays like a fox in the box, Franny Jeffers type which is a little anachronistic in this day & age. That's my issue with him.
In today's football, the #9 needs to get more involved in the buildup.So I am not sure if it's the instructions or otherwise. He certainly isnt make full use of his toolbox. He only needs to look at Sesko and learn a thing or two off him.
As evidenced by Charlie McNeil, scoring hundreds of goals at youth level means diddly squat to holding down a first team place in the PL
Doesn't make sense to send him on loan to a top flight club as he will be binned never to be seen again at the first sign of adversity. Get him to a team where he is guaranteed to either start or come off the bench even if it is at a lower level.
Surely this depends on what other options they have and how highly they rate him.
A year ago, I could agree with the criticism towards Obi - but the last 3-4 months of the season it was like everything turned upside down. He started working his socks off - but instead started missing huge chances he would have scored before. To me he appears slightly too limited to have a huge chance of making it at United - but I question his overall quality more than his work-rate
Totally agree.
He started doing all the things he didn't do before (passing, holding play, chasing defenders etc) and for some reason stopped doing the thing he did best - score. Started missing goals he'd score with his eyes closed..
Did this get done??
I've just read koln have signed Heskey, think he's a CF
I've just read koln have signed Heskey, think he's a CF
No, he's a winger.
Ah, thanks