29 Nov 2024 17:35:39
So, Chido Obi-Martin is 17 today and he has signed his first professional contract.
He has started 2 games for the U18s and scored 4 goals.
It seems he has been impressing at training and is expected to be upgraded to the U21s in pretty short time and may even join in some first team training.
Can't wait to see how he progresses over coming times.

1.) 30 Nov 2024
30 Nov 2024 09:44:59
He's one of a number of youngsters in our academy who will be hoping that they catch the attention of the new manager. Especially given his record of giving youth a chance and developing them.

I'm actually really excited to see which youngsters Amorim brings into the first team. I'm not expecting him to do it anytime soon unless there is an injury crisis. I'd imagine he'll be wanting to work with the senior players and find out their capability to play how he wants them to play. However, by February time you'd imagine he'll have this squad sussed out and he'll know who isn't for him and who can play a role. At that point he might look to the academy to see if there are any young players who can step up and play a role in the first team.

My view is that there are a number of youngsters who might get a chance due to either a lack of numbers or a lack of quality in the first team.

Harry Amass is likely one who'll get an opportunity to show the manager what he can do in that LWB position given the lack of options we seem to have in that role. While I have a feeling that Bendito Mantato could end up playing as a wingback in Amorim's system. He's one to keep an eye on, although I think he's a little further away from possibly breaking into the first team.

I've got a lingering concern over the LCB position which is a worry I try to push out of my mind as Martinez is probably my favourite player in this squad and I don't want to think about him possibly being replaced in the line up. Yet those concerns still persist. Can he stay fit? Can he return consistently to the player he was before the injuries? Finally is he really a good fit/ can he adapt? On the ball he's brilliant, perfect for what the manager wants. Off the ball he is aggressive in winning the ball back, yet that can lead to him being out of position and he doesn't have the athletic capacity to recover, or potentially cover in the wide areas. The wide CB's in a back three need to be quick as they are somewhat of a hybrid between a CB and a fullback. With Martinez one of the reasons he moved from midfield to CB was due to a lack of athleticism. Something that becomes more of an issue as a wide CB. Personally I think he suits the central CB position much more in Amorim's system, the aggressive player who'll step into midfield. While the other options we have for LCB is Shaw (who if he can stay fit looks very well suited, but we know he can't stay fit), and Evans who despite being an excellent defender hasn't got the legs for this system sadly. That might open the door to the 16 year old Godwill Kukonki who at 6'4 is a physical freak for his age and is getting rave reviews from the staff at the academy.

In midfield we have a declining Casemiro who might still be able to play a role, but should be phased out of the team. Ugarte and Mainoo look like solid options, but Eriksen isn't suited to the midfield role that exists under Amorim. Collyer might be able to stake a claim for a more prominent role this season. While Sekou Kone also looks like the perfect tactical fit. He's one who could maybe start making a few appearances before the end of the season. I'd imagine Amorim will want to see if he has the potential to step into the first team squad for next season.

In the attacking midfield area we are in an odd spot where we have quite a few players, but I'm not sure how many of them really suit what Amorim has typically done in the past. Players like Rashford and Antony are typically players who need to start wide and move into the inside channels rather than start in those areas. Garnacho is as well, but being younger should be more mouldable. Although I think he'll need to play more of a bit part role as he adapts. Amad and Mount look perfectly suited to the role Amorim has asked these players to do in his Sporting team. While Bruno has many of the qualities needed, he plays best when he is given more freedom and is allowed to play off the cuff. Something that typically Amorim doesn't allow in his teams. So given that we have 2 maybe 3 players who long term should be good for these two positions then there might be a chance for some of the academy players to maybe get a chance here. While I think we actually have a lot of depth for these positions in our academy, they might struggle to get game time this season given the number of players in the first team ahead of them. Players like Jack Fletcher, Shea Lacey and Amir Ibragimov all look like exciting prospects who would suit this position well.

Up front we seem to have an issue that I think will be addressed with a new signing. Højlund I think is well suited and will thrive under Amorim, but he's young and he cannot do it all on his own. I think Zirkzee will be a casualty of the Amorim appointment. I like him as a player, and think he offers something very different, but I can't see him getting the game time he needs to both adapt to the EPL and build up his confidence. Amorim has a very clear role for his CF, and he doesn't change that role. He changes the players and the roles of the wider forwards/ attacking midfielders to alter his attack, but he still wants his CF to be strong, run the channels and be able to hold up the ball and bring in others. That isn't Zirkzee's game, he likes to drop deep which doesn't work when your "wide" players are already playing in the inside channels as you have too many players in the same space. Maybe Chido Obi-Martin gets a chance to be back up to Højlund. However, what we really need is for Højlund to have someone to develop under rather than being the main man himself. I'd expect us to maybe look at Victor Gyökeres or maybe Santiago Gimenez, Marcus Thuram or Victor Boniface as possible options. Sesko is another the club have followed closely, but given he's the same age as Højlund and not really any more experienced than him I'm not sure he's the right fit. Personally I'd go with Gyökeres as he knows the managers system, or possibly Marcus Thuram as he looks a good fit and at 27 is the ideal age and profile to take the pressure off of Højlund but not totally block him.

There should be plenty of opportunities for youngsters in our academy to break into the first team under this manager. I'm really looking forward to seeing who gets the chances and who steps up to take them.

2.) 30 Nov 2024
30 Nov 2024 14:37:29
Shappy,

I think you're overthinking Martinez's injury concerns. He was rushed back last seasons. EtH knew that the team played better with him at the back.

I'd understand if it was Shaw, Malacia, followed by Mount, Lindelof, and Maguire, all of whom have had plenty of time out injured.


Hopefully these gems in our Youth setup can step up over the next 18 - 24 months. Casemeiro and Ericsson are too old and slow in midfield.

3.) 30 Nov 2024
30 Nov 2024 22:08:22
An additional midfielder and LWB is there the most urgent surgery is required. I think we can muddle through with the rest for now if budget is a concern until the summer.

4.) 01 Dec 2024
01 Dec 2024 01:17:13
Shappy overthinking. Get out! ?.

5.) 01 Dec 2024
01 Dec 2024 02:00:15
Can see fernandes playing some games at CM. We have not moved on from having to play our captain it seems, I think this was part of EtH downfall. Bruno has not always warranted a place in the starting 11, or to stay on the pitch. a lot if first steamers to give minutes to, not sure I see amorim bring too many youngsters into the first team any time soon.

6.) 01 Dec 2024
01 Dec 2024 11:15:50
Mad Hatter, we are a third of the way through this season, and Martinez hasn't yet recaptured his pre-injury form from 16 months ago.

That has to be a concern, whatever the reason behind it.

Then when we consider how he fits the new managers tactics/ system we find that he isn't an ideal fit (even if he still has many good qualities) .

The central CB is the one who steps into midfield, but they also need to be aerially dominant as they are the only CB who is always defending the central space. While Martinez suits being the ball playing CB who steps into midfield, he isn't aerially dominant. Which could leave us exposed to high balls if he played in the middle of the back three.

The wide CB's have tended to play more as sweepers, they need to be good on the ball, press resistant, mobile and quick so they can move out wide and defend in the channels. They need to be good 1v1 defenders who don't tend to dive in but stay on their feet and hold up the attacker. While Martinez is great on the ball and is press resistant, he isn't particularly quick or mobile, and he's an aggressive player who has a tendency to dive in to win the ball. Maybe he does that because he doesn't want to stay on his feet and enter a foot race with opposition players as he knows he'll likely lose it.

On the ball I think Martinez is well suited to play either central CB or LCB for Amorim. Off the ball he lacks the aerial ability to play centrally and the pace and mobility to play LCB.

He's far from a bad player, yet as we saw against Bobo/ Glimt his tendency to try and jump out to win the ball can leave space behind and he doesn't have the recovery pace to get back into position. That left Malacia (who is severally short on fitness and form due to the long time he has been out) to try and keep up with the oppositions quickest player as he drove into the space leading to a goal conceded. That space is where Martinez should have been.

Hopefully he has the ability to adapt his game and learn the role he needs to play in this system.

While that might mitigate his weaknesses a little, they will still be there and can be exploited by the opposition. The issues he has are physical things that he can't really do much about. He can't make himself a more athletic player capable of keeping up with the quickest players. Nor can he make himself any more aerially dominant than he is now, if he was to play as the central CB.

I don't think that means he should be sold as soon as possible. But it does raise the question of his long term suitability to play this system.

Someone like Branthwaite for example who is good on the ball (although not at Martinez's level) but also stronger and quicker, is comfortable defending in the channels looks a much more natural fit for how Amorim has tended to play. While the thing that Branthwaite needs to work on (his passing choices and quality) are things that can be coached and improved on as opposed to Martinez's physical deficiencies that can't really be significantly altered.

I can see a situation where if we were to sign Branthwaite then he will force Martinez out of the line up over time. A back three of Yoro, MdL and Branthwaite looks far more suited to an Amorim system than a back three of Yoro, MdL and Martinez.

We also have the young Godwill Kukonki who is left footed and highly thought of. He might start to really push into the first team squad in 2-3 years time. At which point you'd expect a player like Martinez to be the one to make way for him.

7.) 01 Dec 2024
01 Dec 2024 11:40:41
Dodgy, Bruno is a player who is very well liked by all his coaches/ managers. As fans yes his antics on the pitch can be a little annoying/ embarrassing at times, as well as his tendency to give the ball away too often (although to be honest I blame the other attackers for that more than Bruno, they just aren't on his level and don't make the right movements. He often plays the right ball, but no one has made the run to be there) .

Yet he's hardly ever injured, works incredibly hard trains incredibly well, is well liked and respected by his team, and has a great record in a very average United team for goals and assists.

He isn't the kind of player a new manager will want to alienate.

The tricky thing for Amorim is how he fits him in his team, as while he's a good player he has a few flaws that make him less than ideal for many of the roles in Amorim's system.

For example as one of the attacking midfielders his tendency to press individually and not as part of a pressing structure opens up gaps and means teams always have a way to play through the first line of pressure. While his tendancy to drift into different pockets of space can be very useful in an attacking sense, but completely breaks down our defensive shape and leaves us vulnerable to a quick transition if we lose the ball.

While many of those issues also exist if he plays as one of the midfield pivot. He can leave even more dangerous gaps when he presses unsuccessfully or drifts into space. Yet the trade off is that he has a better vision of what's in front of him when deeper and that tends to lead to better choices in passing options.

I actually think he might be better suited to playing in the pivot in this system as it relies heavily on the front line pressing successfully as a unit and being more patience with the ball in attack to work openings and not needlessly give the ball away. While this system allows one of the pivot players to move forward when in possession with the central CB stepping up into midfield to keep the pivot. That suits his game where he likes to drift into pockets of space to receive the ball. This movement is good for getting an extra man forward into space often unmarked enabling overloads.

While Bruno has always had excellent work rate and energy which is also key for the midfield in this system. All that needs to be coached into his game is to press within the team structure. Something that shouldn't be too difficult for Amorim and his team to do.

I can see Bruno and Mainoo being the two options for the midfielder tasked with progressing the ball. Which is ideal as Mainoo shouldn't be heavily relied on yet, and Bruno is 30 now won't be a long term barrier for Mainoo. Maybe this season Bruno will be first choice with Mainoo working on the training ground and coming in for some games and later on in matches. Then next season it's more of a 50/ 50 shared role (with Bruno being 31 and Mainoo 20), then the following season Mainoo takes over and Bruno becomes the back up/ rotation option) .

Ugarte will be first choice as the ball winner in the pivot, but we will need to find a reliable back up/ rotation option.

As for the youngsters, I don't think we will see many given a chance before Christmas. I imagine the manager will want to both see what the senior players can do, but also make sure his system and ideas are well bedded into the team before asking a youngster to step into the line up.

Amorim has shown he is very good at giving youth a chance ans developing players. But to enable youth to flourish you first need to create the right environment for them. It's a massive step up from academy level to senior football, those youth players need to be able to focus on themselves and their game as they make their way into the first team. It's too much to expect them to do that and carry some of the burden of settling into new tactics and shape as a team. They need to have the players around them comfortable in what should and shouldn't be happening and who needs to be where and when so they can guide those youngsters as they come into the team.

I've fully faith in the manager to get this right, he has done an excellent job with this previously.