He stood out in an otherwise lukewarm performance from us yesterday. Like so many of the actual talents in the U21s, he's suffering from the mess that they're in at the moment. Best two players from a great generation are gone, the weaker ones from that team are hanging around but don't look likely to go anywhere. Many of the next year-group down are stuck on the sidelines by our continued refusal to get rid of those who clearly haven't got a future here. And whilst we've done the right thing finally sending Keane and Lingard on loan, it's only added to the imbalance in the side.
This is the sort of thing I want to see. Basically, we need to shunt Macheda and Bebe. They're a serious impediment to the development of players who might make it here.
Cheers, roughly what I thought.
I'm drawing a complete blank trying to remember Cathcart at reserve level. Outstanding for the academy though. Chester was a very good defender for the ressies but Thorpe's clearly a better footballer. I agree with the op, our best defensive prospect along with Keane.
| Player | goals per game | games | total goals | goals in each game |
| Thorpe | 0.8 | 5 | 4 | 0,2,2,0,0 |
| Evans | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Wootton | 1.0 | 6 | 6 | 2,0,1,1,1,1 |
| Fornasier | 1.45 | 11 | 16 | 2,0,2,0,2,0,3,1,4,1,1 |
| Blackett | 1.5 | 2 | 3 | 2,1 |
| Keane | 2.0 | 5 | 10 | 1,1,3,1,4 |
| Veseli | 2.0 | 1 | 2 | 2 || [U]Center Backs[/U] | [U]G[/U] | [U]GA[/U] | [U][B]GAA[/B][/U] | [U]GG[/U] |
| Scott [B]WOOTTON[/B] | 7 | 6 | [B]0.86[/B] | 2,0,1,1,1,1,0 |
| Tom [b]THORPE[/b] | 9 | 8 | [B]0.88[/B] | 0,1,0,2,2,0,2,1,0 |
| Jonny [B]EVANS [/B] | 1 | 1 | [B]1.00[/B] | 1 |
| Luke [B]MCCULLOUGH[/B] | 2 | 3 | [B]1.50[/B] | 2,1 |
| Michele [B]FORNASIER[/B] | 13 | 20 | [B]1.54[/B] | 2,0,2,2,0,3,1,4,1,1,1,2,1 |
| Tyler [B]BLACKETT[/B] | 3 | 5 | [B]1.67[/B] | 2,1,2 |
| Frederic [B]VESELI [/B] | 1 | 2 | [B]2.00[/B] | 2 |
| Michael [b]KEANE[/b] | 6 | 13 | [B]2.17[/B] | 1,1,1,3,1,4 |no Lionel Cole? and yes, i know it's Larnell. referencing that newspaper article!
Daehli is my first pick.
Think that's a very simplistic way of judging who's been better - it's not like they've been the only defender playing. It doesn't take into account the make-up/strength of our team or the ability of the opposition - for example, as many have rightly noted, we've set up in a much less adventurous way for most of the second half of the season due to the players available to Joyce, so it stands to reason we'll have conceded less goals in that period.
| [U]Center Backs[/U] | [U]G[/U] | [U]GA[/U] | [U][B]GAA[/B][/U] | [U]GG[/U] |
| Chris [B]SMALLING[/B] | 1 | 0 | [B]0.00[/B] | 0 |
| Tom [b]THORPE[/b] | 17 | 11 | [B]0.65[/B] | 0,1,0,2,2,0,2,1,0,0,0,0,0,2,0,0,1 |
| Sean [B]MCGINTY[/B] | 3 | 2 | [B]0.67[/B] | 0,0,2 |
| Scott [B]WOOTTON[/B] | 7 | 6 | [B]0.86[/B] | 2,0,1,1,1,1,0 |
| Jonny [B]EVANS [/B] | 1 | 1 | [B]1.00[/B] | 1 |
| Michele [B]FORNASIER[/B] | 24 | 27 | [B]1.13[/B] | 2,0,2,2,0,3,1,4,1,1,1,2,1,0,1,0,2,3,0,0,0,0,0,0 |
| Luke [B]MCCULLOUGH[/B] | 2 | 3 | [B]1.50[/B] | 2,1 |
| Frederic [B]VESELI [/B] | 2 | 3 | [B]1.50[/B] | 2,1 |
| Michael [b]KEANE[/b] | 7 | 11 | [B]1.57[/B] | 1,1,1,3,1,4,0 |
| Reece [B]BROWN[/B] | 3 | 5 | [B]1.67[/B] | 0,2,3 |
| Tyler [B]BLACKETT[/B] | 3 | 5 | [B]1.67[/B] | 2,1,2 |