01 Aug 2020 20:42:12
So who are the youth players to look out for in the first team next year?

Hoping we see more of the same and giving them a chance.

1.) 02 Aug 2020
02 Aug 2020 00:24:28
Jesse Lingard.

2.) 02 Aug 2020
02 Aug 2020 02:43:56
Laird, mengi, Garner, mejbri, levitt, elanga or Bernard. All talented and capable of playing in the premier league. I think out of them all laird or mejbri may feature the most.

3.) 02 Aug 2020
02 Aug 2020 03:57:07
Lingard.

4.) 02 Aug 2020
02 Aug 2020 10:55:21
I don't see anybody outside caolans list but they are all miles of epl standard most of them are only kids and all could benifit from a good championship loan along with chong.

5.) 02 Aug 2020
02 Aug 2020 12:52:34
I agree with Ken, that Caolan's list is probably the ones to watch out for. Although most of them are a loan or two away from genuinely breaking into the first team.

That said 12 months ago no one would have said Williams would break into the first team this season. He didn't even go on the tour.

While McTominay wasn't really expected to breakthrough under Mourinho when he did.

The same for Rashford under LvG.

So it's not always the most highly rated, or the ones that everyone is expecting who actually have a breakthrough campaign. A lot depends on chances.

Williams got his because Shaw, Young, Dalot and Laird were injured at the same time.

McTominay got his die to a few injuries and Jose wanting to prove a point to Pogba.

While Rashford got his chance due to injuries. Martial pulled up with an injury in the warm up before the game Rashford actually made his debut in.

So while we have some very talented young players, it is often things outside of their control that opens up that chance they need to play in the first team. It is then up to them to seize that chance and prove they are worthy of more minutes.

6.) 02 Aug 2020
02 Aug 2020 14:14:51
What about Charlie McNeill? If he does come back from City is he a player to make it?

7.) 02 Aug 2020
02 Aug 2020 14:38:40
I think shappy makes a really goid point . Not a word on here about mctom rash or Williams before they broke through.

8.) 02 Aug 2020
02 Aug 2020 16:28:43
It's all about being presented with an opportunity and then taking that chance with both hands.

The reason young players often struggle to breakthrough at top club's is due to the deeper and higher quality of squad depth those club's have.

Look at Williams for example, there were 3 first team options ahead of him (Shaw, Young and Dalot) along with Laird in the academy. That's actually a lot of injuries that have to align in order for him to even get a chance.

Yet had those injuries not happened, then Williams wouldn't have played for us and the club would probably be looking at signing a LB this summer.

If you look at the sides where young players consistently breakthrough they often have smaller squads which create pathways for young players to play in the first team.

Gomes left because he had Bruno, Lingard, Mata and Andreas Pereira ahead of him. Three of which don't have a long term future at the club.

While myself and many others point to squad depth as a key factor in success or failure there still needs to be a balance.

Personally having 18-19 players good enough to be first choice is ideal, the rest of the squad should be made up of academy players.

We have seen more young players have a chance in recent years due to lack of quality in squad depth. Players like Williams, McTominay, Rashford and Greenwood have all taken their chances in the first team and have probably saved the club 200m in transfer fees at least.

So there definitely has to be a balance. City have had two outstanding young players come through their academy in recent years in Sancho and Foden. One is still at the club while the other had to leave to get his chances. As a result City have lost a 100m player and have spent significant sums on players like Mahrez and Ferran Torres to play in the first team when they had Sancho there to begin with.

While I feel the squad needs more quality I also feel that 8-10 players should leave with only 4-5 of them being replaced with purchases.

We have players like Laird, Garner, Mejbri, Levitt, Mengi etc who we should be considering before splashing out on a new full back or CDM for example.

9.) 02 Aug 2020
02 Aug 2020 19:57:52
Sancho was from Watford academy not City.

He was at city a year or 2.

10.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 06:51:24
Wilbot, did he sign a professional deal at City or an academy deal?

He moved to City as a child and joined their academy.

In the same way Pogba did with us.

He played academy football, with fellow academy players while on an academy contact. Ergo he was an academy player.

Just because he wasn't at City when he was 7 doesn't mean he wasn't part of City's academy.

He was able to leave City for relative peanuts due to him not having a professional contact.