Andreas Christensen

[LAM09 6,744]

This guy will prove 3 things:
1. Our youth system can be trusted (spent 3 years at our academy)
2. Our loan system can be trusted (spent 2 good years in Germany)
3. Integrating our young players in our first XI is possible (played 3 games from the start, played a lot of games overall)
He is all the things we wanted for years.

One player doesn't prove much when there are another 30-50 players that have fallen by the wayside through the same process.

[Leif 6,006]

Honestly, it's not like Man City, Bayern, Real Madrid, PSG, essentially the teams who should be our peers, do any better with their youth player integration. 

And, regardless of other teams or our youth integration, what needs to be commended is the fact that we assemble the strongest youth teams in Europe. Year in year out. Barcelona are loaded with talent, they're known for it, but who wins the competitions every year? Chelsea Chelsea Chelsea. We bring the heat. We bring the fya. We understand something about youth which other teams don't. We're not as bad at this as we seem. 

And, looking at our most successful youth team of all time (the one with RLC, Musonda, Abraham, Christensen, Chalobah, Ake etc.), a few of them have a chance of making it here (Christensen, RLC, Abraham if the board are happy to settle for a less-than-elite back-up), and the others are genuinely good additions to the teams they've now joined - mainly Premier League clubs so far. 

The only players we've fucked up with in my opinion are Jay Dasilva, Charlie Colkett so far, and somewhat Izzy Brown. Barely any truly great talents have slipped through the cracks so far. McEachran wasn't up to it, Boga has been too streaky even in the youth teams (but how can't you want such a flairy player to succeed? hence he's given the benefit of the doubt), Solanke had nothing to his game which made him qualified to play for a top team, and that's that. Everyone else isn't good enough for our senior squad, and yet they'll still end up at decent teams, no doubt being one of the best players on those teams. 
(Can't comment on Musonda so far. He was going to get chances this season, but missed out due to injury.)

Where are everyone else's youth players? Nowhere. Arsenal's bring no success to any team they play for, and hold Arsenal themselves back from investing in their positions when required; Tottenham have brought through the cream of the crop, Harry Kane, but nobody else writing headlines (I imagine a lot of people think Alli and others are youth products. Nope.) To reiterate, Arsenal have nobody from the youth team helping them progress; Man City too; and United aren't managing their youth prospects very well. 

What if, the narrative is actually completely skewed, and instead of being the worst with youth, we're actually the very best in the Premier League with the young ones?

[the wes 7,212]

36 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

3 hours ago, El P. said:

This guy will prove 3 things:
1. Our youth system can be trusted (spent 3 years at our academy)
2. Our loan system can be trusted (spent 2 good years in Germany)
3. Integrating our young players in our first XI is possible (played 3 games from the start, played a lot of games overall)
He is all the things we wanted for years.

One player doesn't prove much when there are another 30-50 players that have fallen by the wayside through the same process.

Let's be honest here Most off them are not good enough tho 

[LAM09 6,744]

2 hours ago, the wes said:

Let's be honest here Most off them are not good enough tho 

I'd agree with that for the most part, but there has to be more players worthy of a chance. Will be interesting to see what happens to RLC & Abraham next summer

[Jase 43,479]

5 hours ago, !Hazard! said:

Or if Andreas plays in midfield. I wonder how he would perform as the anchor in a midfield three similar to the role in which Busquets plays. Obviously I wouldn't move him there because he isn't good enough as a CB but because our midfield is simply not good enough at the moment.

  Fabregas       -       Kante

               Christensen

Worth a try at least?

No need to complicate his development by starting to change his position. If we're going to put a defender further forward, it'll be Luiz.

[El P. 1,354]

5 hours ago, LAM09 said:

7 hours ago, El P. said:

This guy will prove 3 things:
1. Our youth system can be trusted (spent 3 years at our academy)
2. Our loan system can be trusted (spent 2 good years in Germany)
3. Integrating our young players in our first XI is possible (played 3 games from the start, played a lot of games overall)
He is all the things we wanted for years.

One player doesn't prove much when there are another 30-50 players that have fallen by the wayside through the same process.

I know that, only saying - it's possible, and not that unlikely at all.

[Leif 6,006]

but, but i wrote a long positive post 

[El P. 1,354]

1 minute ago, Leif said:

but, but i wrote a long positive post 

You are writing faster than I can think. Post here, post there, cannot keep up most of the time.

[the wes 7,212]

 

[the wes 7,212]

 

[The Skipper 20,593]

On 27/11/2017 at 7:47 PM, LAM09 said:

I'd agree with that for the most part, but there has to be more players worthy of a chance. Will be interesting to see what happens to RLC & Abraham next summer

IMO Tammy needs another loan. 

[Tomo 21,733]

Our defense just seems so assured and solid with him in the centre, apart from Roma at home he nor us have looked poor at the back with him in the middle. i don't want to speak to soon but i can't remember the last time i had this much confidence in our defense that i have with Christensen currently in it, probably the run in to the 2010 double. We say Hazard has been waiting for like minded attackers, but same applies to Azpi with fellow defenders and we have finally got him one on the same wavelength. 

I am a big fan of David but it will be farcical if he gets his place back now. I hope he sticks around until the end of the season though, as he is great cover and i feel he deserves a proper goodbye as he served us well over two spells.

[LAM09 6,744]

10 hours ago, The Skipper said:

IMO Tammy needs another loan. 

Where would he go, though? A team like Everton (aside from this season) would be the bridge in between, but he wouldn't be a guaranteed starter.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

2 hours ago, LAM09 said:

Where would he go, though? A team like Everton (aside from this season) would be the bridge in between, but he wouldn't be a guaranteed starter.

Everton is impossible imo, after Stones and Lukaku fiasco we wont deal with them for a while IMO. 

Besides I dont understand why we make such shitty loans so often when players dont even play for months. Just take a look at Sanches in Swansea, he is garbage but still plays. Probably because that was part of the loan deal. We must make such demands too when we loan out our players. 

[LAM09 6,744]

Just now, BlueLyon said:

Everton is impossible imo, after Stones and Lukaku fiasco we wont deal with them for a while IMO. 

Besides I dont understand why we make such shitty loans so often when players dont even play for months. Just take a look at Sanches in Swansea, he is garbage but still plays. Probably because that was part of the loan deal. We must make such demands too when we loan out our players. 

Just using them as an example. I've been saying that for an age due to so many loans going to waste.

[Leif 6,006]

5 clean sheets in 7 starts. I'm not sure if anyone else boasts a ratio like that this season.

[Tautvix 1,321]

He is such a smart defender. He doesn't just clear the ball like Cahill and Rudiger do. Really impressed.

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

Not sure what he was doing for that long ball to Gayle before the Newcastle goal but other than that very good performance. The moment where he went on that run and played a perfect pass to Moses was great play.