Cheick One For The Future
Thursday, 4th Oct 2012 06:00

Blues boss Paul Jewell says fans shouldn’t expect too much too soon from French midfielder Cheick Kourouma, whose one-year deal with Town was finally confirmed a fortnight ago. The Town manager says the 20-year-old, whose signing was delayed by red tape relating to his old clubs, is viewed as one for the future rather than someone likely to break straight into the first team.

Jewell said: “He’s only a young lad, we’ve taken a few young lads on below the first team that we’re hoping can turn out to be players.

"He’s nowhere near the finished article, he’s a bit raw around the edges but he will get better.

“Whether he becomes a player in our first team in the years to come is entirely up to him and how he progresses. We’ve got to be careful not to expect too much of him.”

Kourouma was in the U21 side which beat Barnet 3-2 last Sunday with academy second-year scholar Jack Marriott netting a hat-trick.

It was the striker's second three-goal haul of the season, the first having come in the 4-1 U18s victory over Swansea in August.

Assistant manager Chris Hutchings was impressed with the 18-year-old's performance, but says Sunday's game was a long way from a first team match.

“Jack did very well, he’s honest and hard-working and he took his goals very well and that will do his confidence no end of good,” he said.

“But it’s a big step from there and if you look at the team, it was basically the youth team apart from Joe Whight and Cheick Kourouma.”

However, he believes the U21 side, which has replaced the traditional reserve team this season, is a useful bridge between the U18s and senior football: “It was a very young team and that’s a nice environment for them to be in.

“It’s now not such a big jump from the U18s to the first team squad. It’s a void which is trying to be filled.

“Because we’ve got a busy schedule at this moment in time there weren’t too many of the older pros involved.”

Photo: Action Images

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ericgates added 06:08 - Oct 4

Its a bit confusing that he is one for the future,but only given a one year contract, but good luck Cheik and keep it up Jack. It would be good to get some young blood up front, because I'm slightly wondering what all the fuss about Chopra is about. There are all statement about on his day he is the best striker in the championship. Maybe true 3 or 4 years ago,but he's isn't even in the top 10 any more.Give me Kuqi or Lee any day,players chopra would say aren't fit to lace his boots,let alone bent,stewart,johnson,rhodes, wickham etc etc who are/were better.

wrightyblue added 06:49 - Oct 4 JEWELL OUT!!!!!
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Pessimistic added 07:35 - Oct 4 Jewell is right. If you blood them too early and especially when Town are struggling you are asking for trouble. He has to learn his craft first like many others.
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Dissboyitfc added 07:35 - Oct 4

ericgates..... on the face of it, it does sound confusing, but remember this lad has had plenty of clubs already and just maybe looking at him over the period of a year will give some indication as to whether he is going to cut it. Maybe he is the type to get bored quick and if things arent as he would like them to be perhaps he unsettles and gets restless. He did show fantastic application to get his contract now he has to carry that onto the footballing side of things....Time will tell on this....COYB

Urchin added 07:45 - Oct 4 Wrightyblue: yet another thoughtful and well constructed comment. Don't know how you do it. Two words, all in capitals coupled with five exclamation marks. Impressive.
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Wickets added 07:53 - Oct 4 Yes i suppose you have to trust their,the coaches, judgement but you never know how good they are untill they play in the first team.Some clubs belive in blooding them early we rarely seem to do that,Rhodes only got about 20 mins before we sold him so we didn't know how good he was untill we had sold him,dont think we will be making that mistake again! OR WILL WE?
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Bluetaff added 08:01 - Oct 4 One for the future yet given a one year contract, the very nature of our recent ability to convert short contracts into longer deals is a worry! Maybe he was brought in to bolster the U21 ranks after all...
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TR11BLU added 08:48 - Oct 4 Safe to say you wont reap any benefit then PJ. Jewell Out Now
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Gazelle added 09:03 - Oct 4 Wrightyblue i see your message was sent at 0649, have you been awake all night composing it ?
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Kesgraveblue57 added 09:19 - Oct 4 Cheick Kourouma this lad can really, and in my book if your good enough and he is, you should get into the side the one year contract is just crazy
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Kesgraveblue57 added 09:25 - Oct 4 Cheick Kourouma this lad can really play ( I missed that out on the above )
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meekreech added 09:27 - Oct 4 One year contract is sensible given his club record ( number of ) as he will show the application and get an extension or he will not cost a pay-off if he fails to maker the grade . The chance is there for extension or improvement as shown by Cressie and Luke .
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activeblue added 10:15 - Oct 4 I think now with this u21 league most of our young players will be able to improve faster than before due to the poor reserve league we had. Kourouma and Marriott will certainly benefit from this as they ain't quite ready for first team. Let's get behind our team Saturday come on town!.
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Legend added 10:41 - Oct 4 Rooney, Wallcott, Ramsey, Wickham and Dyer etc were all playing playing first team football at seventeen. All this crap about age is rubbish! If you are good enough age does not come into it!
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activeblue added 11:03 - Oct 4 Yes but they were playing in decent sides when they stepped up at moment our team not winning lack confidence, I would love nothing better than to see our youngsters play in first team but give them a fighting chance perhaps when we start winning games.
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jaydee added 11:10 - Oct 4

activeblue-- dont you think if we start to bring youngsters in that actually want top be playing football rather than are at the club just for the money then we may start picking up results? Jewell has to change it around, i could place a bet every week on the 15 man squad. Bring the youngsters in and see what happens! Look what happened when hyam and drury played centre midfield together last year, awsome.

activeblue added 11:21 - Oct 4 All our youngsters should want to play football and not just for money (shouldnt be on big wage yet ) certain youngsters do deserve their chance eg hyam,ainsley,Carson, but putting in to many at once ain't going to help you still need experiance and Marriott and check ain't got that yet.
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brian_a_mul added 11:33 - Oct 4

Cheick has good potential, the U-21 league requires us to get players in this age bracket to field a team. At the moment we have a gap from youth to Senior squad that we need to fill. He and some of the other promising players will get regular games and hopefully improve. Heweitt will probably play U-21 for a few games to get up to speed.

Cheick is just in the door, he needs to prove his worth to the club first and hopefully develop in to a player capable of playing in the first team. If he does well he will get a longer contract.

Michael11 added 11:41 - Oct 4 This is where PJ doesn't help himself for me. If he truely believes this kid can play and have a big future then why is he on a 1 year deal? If he recovers from injury and plays a blinder this season he can go to a bigger club and we'releft with nothing.
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jaydee added 12:08 - Oct 4

activeblue-- I do agree that bringing in alot of youngsters at the same time isn't the best idea, but playing the likes of drury and hyam together with carson wide isnt't a bad shout. Carson was awsome when he was playing last year. From what i've seen scotland is the best striker we have. Chopra hasn't done enough for me, its same old same old with jewell. Needs to buck his ideas up or leave.

Luggworm added 12:17 - Oct 4 If you're good enough you're old enough is exactly right, however if you're not quite good enough the PDL is a great place for you to develop. Hopefully these boys will continue to get better and be banging on the first team door soon.
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Mark added 12:22 - Oct 4 I have no problem with the one year deal; hopefully Kourouma will earn an extended one. I do wonder how highly ITFC really rate him however, as it felt like we were prepared to let his move here fall through for the sake of a small risk of some compensation. One for the future perhaps, but 20 is not that young so let's hope he can push on this season.
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