Soccer Prospect Discussion Thread IV

[Evilo]

Told you guys french/L1 players would be tremendously underrated. How Mbappe isn't #1, I have no idea. How both Asensio and Alli are over Dembele and Mbappe either.

As for Coman I have no idea.

That's L'Equipe for you, only watching Real, Barca, Bayern or the big EPL teams and being ****** at evaluating talent.

 

[John Pedro]

Look, I don't like to judge those kinds of list cause I'm no expert and I haven't watched all of the players listed for more than 2 games. However, how come the only SA player not playing in Europe listed is freaking Cristian Pavón? lol

How didn't Bentancur make it? Wendel, who's PSG bound next season? Arana the most promising LB out there, being compared with Roberto Carlos also not good enough? Arthur linked to Bayern and Chelsea and already called up to Brazil NT also not listed.

No idea how a French newspaper can not list Mbappé as the best u21 in the world, either. Everyone but them does.

 

[Ajacied]

I never use this phrase, but 'lol' for not including Kluivert, who's now, with Nouri's horrible situation, Ajax' top prospect. Better than Dolberg, who's too high, and de Ligt. Should be top 10. Sanchez is rated too highly as well. I think he's already near his peak and very one dimensional. De Ligt is a much more intriguing package and nearly four years younger. Both de Jong and van de Beek could've made the list near the bottom, but there are a lot of quality youngsters at their level.

For the rest, Mbappé should be number one. Pretty clearly, too. He's the real deal. Not a fan of Dembele and Coman, at least I am not as high on them as some here or the media. And this once again proves how overrated Renato Sanches is.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

There's a big difference between Dembele and Coman.

 

[YNWA14]

No Woodburn on the list is pretty silly, but yes missing Kluivert but having Dolberg is just as bad.

I think Mbappé deserves the nod as #1 but Asensio is not a horrible choice there either. Alli should be nowhere near the top 10 IMO.

 

[Luigi Habs]

No Woodburn on the list is pretty silly, but yes missing Kluivert but having Dolberg is just as bad.

I think Mbappé deserves the nod as #1 but Asensio is not a horrible choice there either. Alli should be nowhere near the top 10 IMO.

FFS

If Alli was playing for Liverpool I'm pretty sure you'd be screaming for injustice that he's not #1.

Alli may not have the most talented among the top 5 or even top 10, but he's #1 in terms of individual achievements. For someone barely 21 yrs old, you feel he's been there since a long time and he's been arguably the best Tottenham player the past 3 years.

Also please tell us why Woodburn should be on the list. What has he done with Liverpool so far?

 

[YNWA14]

Youngest goalscorer in their history, powered Wales to 2 wins to keep their world cup hopes alive while looking the best player on the pitch including guys like Bale, Ramsey and Allen, and dominated the u23 division (or PL2 if you like) at 16 years old. He's also only 17.

Prospects are more than just individual achievements which are largely team oriented at this age. Even guys like Mbappé and Asensio have a ton of insulation and support which allows them to express themselves fully in higher leagues. Alli is very fortunate to be playing for a team that allows him to have almost 0 defensive responsibility and float around essentially like a deep lying poacher in the middle; he loses the ball a lot and doesn't create a ton of chances.

Arguably the best Spurs player the last 3 years? lol come on.

 

[Deficient Mode]

Not too many 17 year old players or players who haven't played a full pro season made this list. Glancing over it, I think Kean is the only one who satisfies both??? De Ligt is 17 but played a good, full season of professional football. Havertz just turned 18 and played a good chunk of last season. Woodburn is hardly the only highly hyped but completely unproven kid not on the list.

 

[cgf]

FFS

If Alli was playing for Liverpool I'm pretty sure you'd be screaming for injustice that he's not #1.

Alli may not have the most talented among the top 5 or even top 10, but he's #1 in terms of individual achievements. For someone barely 21 yrs old, you feel he's been there since a long time and he's been arguably the best Tottenham player the past 3 years.

Also please tell us why Woodburn should be on the list. What has he done with Liverpool so far?

I feel like that statement requires some defending. He broke through first, but reaching senior football first isn't the same as achieving the most.

 

[John Pedro]

This ins't a list of better prospects. They listed guys who have already performed at senior level to back up their prospect hype. If it was a prospect list including just guys that have high upside there would be Foden, Sancho, Woodburn, Vinicius Jr... but these kids while talented haven't proved at senior football that they are among the best.

 

[YNWA14]

Not too many 17 year old players or players who haven't played a full pro season made this list. Glancing over it, I think Kean is the only one who satisfies both??? De Ligt is 17 but played a good, full season of professional football. Havertz just turned 18 and played a good chunk of last season. Woodburn is hardly the only highly hyped but completely unproven kid not on the list.

Fair enough. I guess I figured because of the stage of his accomplishments (and his very obvious, projectable talent) he'd make the top 50 if someone like Kean would.

Woodburn, Sancho and Vinicius Jr. are probably 3 I'd put over Kean.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

List is clearly fake. Joe Gomez is not ranked higher than Davinson Sanchez.

 

[YNWA14]

List is clearly fake. Joe Gomez is not ranked higher than Davinson Sanchez.

Another thing you're hung up on, though Gomez is clearly better than Sanchez. Just watch the two play.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Another thing you're hung up on, though Gomez is clearly better than Sanchez. Just watch the two play.

I'd tell you to watch the two play too. And you're clearly hung up on Alli not choosing Liverpool.

 

[Savant]

Another thing you're hung up on, though Gomez is clearly better than Sanchez. Just watch the two play.

Nope

 

[YNWA14]

I'd tell you to watch the two play too. And you're clearly hung up on Alli not choosing Liverpool.

I have actually watched both of them, unlike most of the people that commented on the Gomez thing before (and am one of the few people that actually watches the Eredivisie). Now Gomez has stepped up and been fantastic this season (like he was before injury), in a much more difficult defensive system to play in.

Anyway, I'm not hung up on Alli because he didn't snub Liverpool; Liverpool snubbed him. Rodgers wanted him and the board said no. People just overhype him because he scored a bunch of goals (creatively carried by guys like Eriksen, Kane and Poch's system). You can see the massive difference when he's actually asked to contribute more than just floating when he plays with England and he looks very poor for them.

He's good for a 21 year old but he's not among the top prospects in the world and he's never going to be much better than he is now.

 

[Evilo]

Gomez fantastic? Come on, he's played 3 games in the league and was hardly fantastic in all 3.

 

[YNWA14]

Gomez fantastic? Come on, he's played 3 games in the league and was hardly fantastic in all 3.

He played a large part in why Arsenal had no scoring chances, and 2 of our goals came of his interceptions (yes, he was fantastic in that game). He was solid to very good in all the games he's played, he just turned 20 years old, in a system that is very difficult on defenders. If he were French you'd have hyped him to no end (not saying you only hype French players, btw).

 

[Evilo]

Every Arsenal attack came from the left side of Arsenal. I didn't find him fantastic defensively in that game.
And again, hardly fantastic in the others.

 

[Live in the Now]

I thought he was great in that game but not so much in the other games.

Still think he has massive potential and would be pretty surprised if he didn't develop into a top defender. I am worried about his knee though because it already blew up once and he's just barely getting back to first team football. Contrary to Woodburn who I think probably won't develop into a great player.

 

[YNWA14]

Every Arsenal attack came from the left side of Arsenal. I didn't find him fantastic defensively in that game.
And again, hardly fantastic in the others.

Yeah, all 0 of their shots on goal came from the left side. They really looked threatening in that one.

 

[Evilo]

Good to know you watched the game instead of looking at a stat sheet.

 

[YNWA14]

Good to know you watched the game instead of looking at a stat sheet.

Good to know you watched the game if you think Arsenal looked dangerous at any point in that game, or you missed some of Gomez's very strong defensive plays in it, and you don't think that Gomez looked great (which he did). You're blinded by your stubbornness especially after commenting relative to things you had no idea about before the season started; though I don't think I've ever seen you admit you were wrong in something you've debated with someone on this site ever so I'm not expecting you to ever give Gomez a compliment or anything. Par for the course. Enjoy watching him develop (if you'll actually watch some games)

 

[Evilo]

I'd say the only blind here is you. You refuse to accept any shortcoming. Just like every Liverpool player/prospect.
I watched the game. And actually posted during it, and you may find the comment about Arsenal putting the left side of Liverpool's defense to struggle every time they managed to get there.

 

[phisherman]

I think lost in this is that a lot of what he's basing his opinion on Gomez is through the U23 reserve matches. Gomez has only played on the senior team a whole 8 times!!

You know who else looked good for Liverpool against Arsenal in the past? Jon Flanagan. I bet he's Dani Alves level for Curtinho.