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General Reserves Talk

  • Thread starter M+D
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Klaus Daimler

Established Member
"That would have been so cruel on Man City." Haha, do **** off. City have done practically nothing all game. Can't keep the ball within the team for **** and doesn't have the passing game in midfield to dominate along the ground. They're trying to catch us on the counter without much luck, that's what they're doing. This commentator is so punchable.
 

Klaus Daimler

Established Member
Quality interception in the box from Evina. I think he's had a pretty good game. The midfield is selling him short at times but he's got good positional awareness.
 

Pepe LeFrits

Established Member
Don Pacifico said:
Yeah, sure...Seaman vs Sheffield United. :roll:

This commentator is a very odd young man.
lol, did he really liken the save to that?

_39091077_seaman_peschi300x200.jpg
 

Klaus Daimler

Established Member
FT. 1-1. Szczesny, Eastmond, Randall and JET impressed me the most in Arsenal.

I loved JET's expression when he scored, by the way. He was all: "Yeah, I know, I know. It was pretty great. Just like I planned."
 

Don Pacifico

Established Member
The thing is, you expect a team's TV station to be a bit biased but this guy talks about these (youth) players as if they've saved his life.
 

Nela

Established Member
When JET wants to play, he's brilliant.

I'm a bit concerned about Djourou. He's been out for so long that it's understandable that it will take a long time for him to find some form. But if he plays in the CC next week it could be a bit of a disaster.
 

gstew

Well-Known Member
If I were giving out ratings I couldn't give Gavin Hoyte more than a 2. He was beaten again and again and again.

JET has everything in his locker....size, strength, speed, quick feet, passing instincts, shooting, a great long throw-in. If he puts it all together he could be a hell of a player. It is a shame that we have so many injuries. Otherwise he could go out on loan and get more games.

I think people are being a little harsh on Djourou.

Aneke and Afobe might be great prospects, but are years away from the first team.

Best camera work and stream I have ever seen for reserve football. Credit to MCFC.com
 

M+D

Established Member
The commentator's berating of Ignasi Miquel was diabolical. Especially when he was probably our best defender.

My match ratings:

Wojciech Szczesny - 7 - Did everything he had to do as competently as ever.

Gavin Hoyte - 4 - Got beaten with ease when he went tight, so instead left acres of room for McDermott to breeze past him instead.

Johan Djourou - 5 - Composed in possession but got beaten very easily at times when they ran at him.

Ignasi Miquel - 7 - Despite what the commentator would have you believe, he won almost everything in the air. Few moments of indecision but on the ball he was brilliant.

Cedric Evina - 6 - Not as bad defensively as he can be, not that he had a lot to do as everything came down the Arsenal right. Very poor tackle on Etuhu.

Craig Eastmond - 6 - Poor passing at times, but some very good tackles. Pressured the ball well but pushed too far up too often.

Mark Randall - 6.5 - Was surprisingly good. Decent on the ball and more disciplined off it than usual, always available too.

Chuks Aneke - 7 - He was great in the first half but faded in the second, didn't really get on the ball enough. Exceptional touch.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas - 7 - An enigma. When he can be bothered he is incredibly talented, what a great hit for his goal once again. Breezes past players for fun as well, but you get the feeling he's outgrown reserve football by quite some way. Players like him need to have things made difficult for them.

Benik Afobe - 6 - Didn't really happen for him. As ever his movement was very good, he doesn't find himself in such great positions by accident. Didn't make the right decisions when he got there today though.

Roarie Deacon - 6 - Tidy, looked bright early on. A better player on the right wing it has to be said.

Subs:

Murphy - 5 - Fairly anonymous, the 4-3-3 doesn't suit him at all.
Ozyakup - 5 - Even more anonymous, feeling his way back in after injury.
 

ricky1985

Established Member
Klaus Daimler said:
FT. 1-1. Szczesny, Eastmond, Randall and JET impressed me the most in Arsenal.

I loved JET's expression when he scored, by the way. He was all: "Yeah, I know, I know. It was pretty great. Just like I planned."
We spend the whole game saying how JET is strutting around like he owns the place - and then he goes and plays like that second half and you can see exactly why he thinks he does! He was awesome for most of that second half. Looks made for Arsenal and I can't wait to see what he does next week at WHL.

Szczesny was exceptional, especially his reading of the game early on.

Hoyte and Djourou were truly awful. Djourou has the excuse of really poor fitness, but Hoyte is just not good enough. Needs a move.

Miquel and Evina played pretty similarly. Some good moments, some poor moments, but you can see there's a bit of class there. Evina is a year older though so I'm not convinced he has a future here, Miquel looks a real prospect.

Randall, in my opinion, flatters to deceive, and it was no different in this game. He plays his nice little 40 yard passes, but when a incisive pass presents itself or he has to play quickly under pressure he's found wanting every single time. He's a classic case of exemplary technique not being backed up by the awareness and decision making to put it to use.

Eastmond has big time potential. Love his energy, his understanding of where to move and how best to tackle. His passing is quick and crisp, and I think the potential is there for it to improve. He played a 60 yard pearler at one point in the second half.

Deacon and Afobe struggled. Afobe in particular looked a little out of his depth physically, and was really struggling by the end of the game.

Aneke had class moment, after class moment, but the final ball or shot wasn't quite there from him. What a prospect though.

Not basing this on today's game, you'd have to say Szczesny, Eastmond, Aneke and JET have big chances of making the first team in the future. Miquel and Afobe also have a chance.
 

Chass

Active Member
Great stuff lads!

Our youth project has now really taken shape. I remember when the likes of Randall and Hoyte were two of our brightest young English prospects, now players like Emmanuel-Thomas, Eastmond and Aneke make them look so average.

My standout players from tonight are Miquel, JET, Szczesny and Eastmond.
 

M+D

Established Member
ricky1985 said:
Not basing this on today's game, you'd have to say Szczesny, Eastmond, Aneke and JET have big chances of making the first team in the future. Miquel and Afobe also have a chance.

I'd still be stunned if Eastmond actually makes it here tbh. Frimpong is a better player, as is Coquelin (by a distance) and Yennaris could be the best of the lot. Talent isn't all you need of course, and Frimpong and Yennaris have injury problems, but I'd still be amazed.

Miquel on the other hand, is sensational for his age. At 17 to be captaining the reserves and looking comfortably a better player than Djourou is exceptional.

And just to clear up a particularly annoying remark by the commentator tonight, the valiant young "underdogs" of Manchester City had an average age of 20.6 years old tonight. Arsenal's wasn't even 19.
 

ricky1985

Established Member
:lol:

20.6? I didn't think it was possible for me to despise that commentator any more than I already did, but there you go. What an utter tosser.

I know what you mean about Coquelin, you know how much I rate him, but I think Eastmond has a more subtle but equally impressive talent.

I think he reads the game brilliantly, and as a result is rarely caught the wrong side of his man/the ball, or easily bypassed when opponents break quickly. I think that's his greatest strength; his awareness and understanding of where best to move. Technically and physically he's inferior to Coquelin, without question, but I think there's big room for improvement in those areas.

I love his crisp passing and the way he drives forward and is always moving once he releases the ball - he really understands and gets our football. If he develops into a powerful 6 footer, and I think he still could, then I think he'll become a seriously good central midfielder.

On Miquel, my only worry is his speed/agility, but it's been more of a problem for him at this level. Against players his own age he seemed to cope well. I think he could turn into a very, very good centreback, a little like Eastmond, I think a lot of that will hinge on how he develops physically in the coming years. I don't doubt his ability though and like you think he's a huge prospect.
 

M+D

Established Member
I really like Eastmond's engine but I'm still to be really convinced about his ability to be anything more than decent in midfield, expecially with the competition ahead of him. I think a fully fit Frimpong being constantly picked ahead of him in pre-season spoke volumes.
 

ricky1985

Established Member
Didn't Eastmond injure himself fairly early on in pre-season, though?

I think when you compare Eastmond and Frimpong the difference couldn't be more stark. Frimpong has all the physical power and strength in the world, but doesn't really have much of a clue when he has to go beyond that. Eastmond lacks that power, but has spent years finding a way to compete without it - as a result he's developed, in my opinion, and understanding of the game that's rare in an 18 year old.

If you combined the two of them you'd have an 18 year old world beater!

However, whilst I'm convinced Eastmond will develop that power - not to Frimpong's level but enough to compete at the top level - you can never say for sure whether Frimpong will develop the awareness/reading of the game that Eastmond has.
 

Klaus Daimler

Established Member
ricky1985 said:
Klaus Daimler said:
FT. 1-1. Szczesny, Eastmond, Randall and JET impressed me the most in Arsenal.

I loved JET's expression when he scored, by the way. He was all: "Yeah, I know, I know. It was pretty great. Just like I planned."
We spend the whole game saying how JET is strutting around like he owns the place - and then he goes and plays like that second half and you can see exactly why he thinks he does!
Yep. Like M+D said, he's way past the level of reserve team football already. I can't believe we haven't loaned him out yet. He looks a bit like Wilshere did his last year in the reserves. I don't really consider it arrogant to be fair. It's more a case of knowing one's current level.
 

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