Who will be the next AOC/Walcott/Bale

Who does everyone think will be the next 'wonderkid' from the academy. I think james warde prowse looks promising and he is apparently moving up to the u-21's. His finish against cardiff u-21s recently looked very tidy and he seems to be highly rated by saints coaches. Are there any other kids that people think will be the next big thing?

 

James Ward-Prowse & Luke Shaw are thought VERY highly of - as are many of the academy players this year, with Jack Stephens, Jordan Turnbull, Harrison Reed & Jake Sinclair instantly springing to mind as well as many others (this years intake is the best yet - seriosuly superb players)

Edit: How can I forget Omar Rowe?

 

A lot of people saying Omar Rowe set to directly become the next Walcott/AOC, as another speedy tricky winger.

 

I've heard Omar Rowe's name bandied about a lot too...

Dammit Dan!

 

wasn't he the one that was released form west ham academy, if he does turn out to be a wonderkid, i'm sure they will be kicking themselves

 

he was released from West Ham - not sure why? sounds (and looks) a real handful and if developed the right way could be a big star

 

Don't forget Reeves too, not exactly a kid anymore but still young and on the fringe of the first team. Hopefully gets a chance soon even with the arrival of Fox

 

if we're including Reeves, we could also list Ryan Doble, Sam Hoskins etc who are on the fringes of the 1st team

 

Don't tell Wenger, he'll start hanging around like a bad smell. ffs

 

he probably aint left !

 

Has anyone else noticed that Reeves looks like Ian Dowie...poor lad.

 

If any of the names mentioned were to be the next..... they would already be in the first team. None of them are going to be world class like the names mentioned.

 

By the accounts of all the Bournemouth fans, though, Doble shouldn't even be anywhere near THEIR first team. I hope he picks up some form and some confidence, puts some shifts in and gets going, as I still reckon he could develop into a decent player.

 

Was watching the full BBC interview with Cortese, the other day, and he was asked about the Academy, and it's reputation, that he had inherited. His answer was that they'd all gone, they'd all been sold. Obviously, he didn't mean absolutely everyone, down to the last junior, but he meant that players of real potential and quality had thinned down to almost nobody [AOC being one of the last]. If we take that as a reasonable statement, it could be a couple of years or more before we see the conveyor belt of Academy players again coming through.

And yes, I am aware of the Ward-Prowses and Dobles that we have.

 

As Youth Academiess go, I'd say waiting a couple of years for a great batch isn't exactly too bad! I'm more than happy with who we have coming through now anyways

 

What's with the negativity? AOC and Bale didn't make their first team debuts until near the end of their first season as first year scholars. If any of the new lot appear this season, it shows they have great promise. Not all of them can make it obviously, but it's ludicrous to be writing off 16 year old kids who've never or barely kicked a ball against grown men. Walcott isn't world class (possibly could have been) and neither is AOC yet. Lets not forget that a lot of these kids won't be fully developed physically yet and can't be expected to be pulling up trees as soon as they step onto the pitch. The best players in the long run often are the late developers - the distinctly unathletic, but know where to pass and where to position themselves.

 

It's a fact that British lads take longer to develop physically than those from warmer climes. They have a late growth spurt which can throw their balance off for a short while. This is seen in other sports as well. It can also be why promising youngsters don't always seem to reach their potential. NA will be aware of this and want to protect them and monitor their development carefully. This is an area of strength that Adkins has over Pardew. Just because a few stars come through early doesn't mean that a slower developer won't get their in their own time.

 

I think sam hoskins if he can get a chance and get in the team, he scores every week!

 

They probably stay nice and snug in those sports bra monitor things. We can always wrap them up in lycra catsuits if that fails!

Adkins keeps up with the developments on the continent unlike a lot of managers who seem stuck in the 1980s, so he should have a way of tapping into the potential. Most of our team are quite physical and I think we could accommodate one ankle biter at a time.

 

Have you not heard of late developers? Most of the players won't make it with us due to the strength of our first team but one or two that have been mentioned could play for us.