Anyway, I'm glad Jack Munns has signed (apparently). Nothing wrong with a little un, despite popular CL opinion. There have been plenty of world class players who wouldn't pass the height test.
Anyway, I'm glad Jack Munns has signed (apparently). Nothing wrong with a little un, despite popular CL opinion. There have been plenty of world class players who wouldn't pass the height test.
One of the best players (partnerships even) I've seen at Championship level live was little Leon Britton, completely run the show with Dobbie and Dyer too. Best of luck to Jack
Saw him in U-21 pre-season friendlies at Maidstone and Dartford. Seemed a decent ball-playing midfielder, but honestly I'm not sure he's got the physical strength to make it to the top.
Saw him in U-21 pre-season friendlies at Maidstone and Dartford. Seemed a decent ball-playing midfielder, but honestly I'm not sure he's got the physical strength to make it to the top.
Saw him in U-21 pre-season friendlies at Maidstone and Dartford. Seemed a decent ball-playing midfielder, but honestly I'm not sure he's got the physical strength to make it to the top.
Saw him in U-21 pre-season friendlies at Maidstone and Dartford. Seemed a decent ball-playing midfielder, but honestly I'm not sure he's got the physical strength to make it to the top.
Saw him in U-21 pre-season friendlies at Maidstone and Dartford. Seemed a decent ball-playing midfielder, but honestly I'm not sure he's got the physical strength to make it to the top.
Was really, really good against Dartford and could have had a hat-trick. Extremely skilful player - has the passing and composure of a Premiership midfielder. We should be glad of his height, for it's probably caused a lot of clubs 'above' us in the current order of things to overlook him (unfairly, of course) - he's going to be a cult hero if not club legend IMO, or at the very least a game-unlocking option from the bench. Quite a similar style to Shaun Maloney as far as I can tell, although with more graft, and like Maloney has a helluva set-piece.
He looked shorter than Warwick Davis at Dartford. No chance of him playing for the first team and have no doubt he'll be gone once the 5 months are up.
He looked shorter than Warwick Davis at Dartford. No chance of him playing for the first team and have no doubt he'll be gone once the 5 months are up.
I too was at Dartford and once I'd got over the surprise of his mascot-like stature, I was struck by a very strange optical illusion - As the play developed and the closer he came to my vantage point on the terraces, the smaller he appeared. Explain that one, please. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I think an unfortunate effect of the academy system generally is that it breeds ball-players to the detriment of physical strength. I recall our FA Cup game at home to non-league Luton a few seasons ago when several youngsters were playing, and Luton simply muscled them aside: agriculturally, but perfectly lawfully. We scraped a 1-1 draw. Let's face it - Our mature first-team midfielders are weak enough as it is.
We'll see. I suspect Munns is a little stronger than he's getting credit for. The sort of player that will win a lot of free-kicks (and then take them)
Being small is definitely an issue at professional level but if he's good enough he will make it. After all he's been up against bigger opponents and colleagues than him all his life yet has carved out a career with Spurs and now us. I'm not writing him off at all. Welcome Jack.
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I think an unfortunate effect of the academy system generally is that it breeds ball-players to the detriment of physical strength.
I don't see that as being unfortunate.
In the article I wrote for the Trust on academies I pointed out that this was deliberate and was producing a generation of shorter than average playmakers across Europe who in previous eras might have been discarded before they had an opportunity. Increasingly players are being inducted into footballing academies across Europe purely on their footballing ability not on whether they meet physical attributes such as height and bulk, which when you are dealing with pre-adolescent children is irrelevant. The idea is that those with the best natural ability are being given the chance to develop their skills and when in their mid-teens they start to develop physically they can then add strength and bulk - but that comes after they have first learnt to play the game.
Chris Solly, Lionel Messi, Shaun Wright - Phillips, Aaron Lennon, Michael Owen, Paul Scholes, Claude Makelele etc etc.
Players are often scared to play against small players because all they have to do is run into them and they give away a free kick or a penalty. Look at Andrew Johnson he made a career out of it.
He looked shorter than Warwick Davis at Dartford. No chance of him playing for the first team and have no doubt he'll be gone once the 5 months are up.
I too was at Dartford and once I'd got over the surprise of his mascot-like stature, I was struck by a very strange optical illusion - As the play developed and the closer he came to my vantage point on the terraces, the smaller he appeared. Explain that one, please. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I think an unfortunate effect of the academy system generally is that it breeds ball-players to the detriment of physical strength. I recall our FA Cup game at home to non-league Luton a few seasons ago when several youngsters were playing, and Luton simply muscled them aside: agriculturally, but perfectly lawfully. We scraped a 1-1 draw. Let's face it - Our mature first-team midfielders are weak enough as it is.
Thinking like that is the reason our big strong England players watch the ball getting passed round them at major tournaments
He looked shorter than Warwick Davis at Dartford. No chance of him playing for the first team and have no doubt he'll be gone once the 5 months are up.
I too was at Dartford and once I'd got over the surprise of his mascot-like stature, I was struck by a very strange optical illusion - As the play developed and the closer he came to my vantage point on the terraces, the smaller he appeared. Explain that one, please. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I think an unfortunate effect of the academy system generally is that it breeds ball-players to the detriment of physical strength. I recall our FA Cup game at home to non-league Luton a few seasons ago when several youngsters were playing, and Luton simply muscled them aside: agriculturally, but perfectly lawfully. We scraped a 1-1 draw. Let's face it - Our mature first-team midfielders are weak enough as it is.
Thinking like that is the reason our big strong England players watch the ball getting passed round them at major tournaments
Players are often scared to play against small players because all they have to do is run into them and they give away a free kick or a penalty. Look at Andrew Johnson he made a career out of it.
Or maybe because they are simply not as technically gifted?
I have seen Jack a few times for Spurs and for us.He may be small but he is chunky, he flew into a Tackle against Palace and crunched their player. He is playing in a position where height is not the be all and end all. Instead of his height we should be concentrating on how good or bad he is. What is this obsession with height? If he was a centre half I could understand it.
Just after the sending off on Wednesday Jack yelled to the rest of the team, 'we've got ten, lets keep the ball'. He is a bit spongebob squarepants in build, but he is confident enough to use both feet, seems to make good decisions, is able to link up play, and all that without being too familiar with his teammates. He is very young, his youth and inexperience at the moment is a more significant factor than his height. However he has the air of a proper footballer about him. To survive even this long in the game against others who are much bigger tells me he must have something about him, like Chris Solly has.
You say that he is very young Seth but he is 20 in November, which is not that young as quite a few players are playing first team football at his age.
Comments
Vincenzo Member
2:09PM
We can't afford potholes.
Quote
We can if we get them in on loan.
Diego Maradona and Juninho for starters.
So yeah, welcome!
http://www.cafc.co.uk/news/article/20130830-u21s-paul-takes-heart-1025149.aspx
No chance of him playing for the first team and have no doubt he'll be gone once the 5 months are up.
I don't see that as being unfortunate.
In the article I wrote for the Trust on academies I pointed out that this was deliberate and was producing a generation of shorter than average playmakers across Europe who in previous eras might have been discarded before they had an opportunity. Increasingly players are being inducted into footballing academies across Europe purely on their footballing ability not on whether they meet physical attributes such as height and bulk, which when you are dealing with pre-adolescent children is irrelevant. The idea is that those with the best natural ability are being given the chance to develop their skills and when in their mid-teens they start to develop physically they can then add strength and bulk - but that comes after they have first learnt to play the game.
Players are often scared to play against small players because all they have to do is run into them and they give away a free kick or a penalty. Look at Andrew Johnson he made a career out of it.
Or maybe because they are simply not as technically gifted?
edit: to Norfolk_Addick
I think it started a few years back with Solly with someone claiming that he was too short to make it or some variation.
As you point out there are some positions where height/bulk is a necessity and a creative midfielder is not one of them.
He is a bit spongebob squarepants in build, but he is confident enough to use both feet, seems to make good decisions, is able to link up play, and all that without being too familiar with his teammates. He is very young, his youth and inexperience at the moment is a more significant factor than his height. However he has the air of a proper footballer about him.
To survive even this long in the game against others who are much bigger tells me he must have something about him, like Chris Solly has.