| AAH v U21s 06:46 - Jan 6 with 2528 views | LA_Tractor_Boy |
Clearly KMc thinks that AAH is currently our best option to come on for Delap and frankly who are we to argue.
IMO this is why it's imperative that we get Cat 1 status asap, so that our U21s are playing competitive football against technical players from other PL acadamies.
He's injured at the moment, but it appears the only other striker in the building with a similar profile is Gerard Buabo who came on against QPR last season.
Most other PL teams can call upon their U21 players, but this isn't an option for us at the moment so injuries hurt us more than other teams.
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| AAH v U21s on 06:59 - Jan 6 with 2480 views | Asa |
This is nothing more than a combination of getting promoted quicker than expected, a League Two striker we believed to be a long term project to be a top Championship player / potentially Premier League player / someone we could sell on for a healthy profit, an unfortunate injury to George Hirst, a long pursuit of a player (Ioannidis) we wanted to but had to wait for other teams / parts (Zirkzee) to move along and a last minute failure of a loan signing (Broja - medical concerns) and Latte Lath.
With Cat 1 we'd be no more likely have a striker ready to come in. Looking at other clubs you could say that they'd have young players in their Cat 1's good enough to do well at a League Two club like Wimbledon and maybe then get a loan move to a good Championship side, exactly like Al Hamadi.
Really feel for the guy. A year ago he was playing against us in the cup. A year later he's being scapegoated for not tearing it in up in the best league in the world, playing through injury it seems. It's not his fault Hirst was injured, Broja wasn't a go, we waited on other potential targets.
The club have got very little wrong. The one criticism of the summer window was we ended up with Al Hamadi as third choice, which was one Hirst injury away from not mattering. | | | |
| AAH v U21s on 08:03 - Jan 6 with 2259 views | Metal_Hacker |
| AAH v U21s on 06:59 - Jan 6 by Asa |
This is nothing more than a combination of getting promoted quicker than expected, a League Two striker we believed to be a long term project to be a top Championship player / potentially Premier League player / someone we could sell on for a healthy profit, an unfortunate injury to George Hirst, a long pursuit of a player (Ioannidis) we wanted to but had to wait for other teams / parts (Zirkzee) to move along and a last minute failure of a loan signing (Broja - medical concerns) and Latte Lath.
With Cat 1 we'd be no more likely have a striker ready to come in. Looking at other clubs you could say that they'd have young players in their Cat 1's good enough to do well at a League Two club like Wimbledon and maybe then get a loan move to a good Championship side, exactly like Al Hamadi.
Really feel for the guy. A year ago he was playing against us in the cup. A year later he's being scapegoated for not tearing it in up in the best league in the world, playing through injury it seems. It's not his fault Hirst was injured, Broja wasn't a go, we waited on other potential targets.
The club have got very little wrong. The one criticism of the summer window was we ended up with Al Hamadi as third choice, which was one Hirst injury away from not mattering. |
Absolutely spot on with that reflection Asa |  |
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| AAH v U21s on 08:04 - Jan 6 with 2254 views | ITFC_Forever |
| AAH v U21s on 06:59 - Jan 6 by Asa |
This is nothing more than a combination of getting promoted quicker than expected, a League Two striker we believed to be a long term project to be a top Championship player / potentially Premier League player / someone we could sell on for a healthy profit, an unfortunate injury to George Hirst, a long pursuit of a player (Ioannidis) we wanted to but had to wait for other teams / parts (Zirkzee) to move along and a last minute failure of a loan signing (Broja - medical concerns) and Latte Lath.
With Cat 1 we'd be no more likely have a striker ready to come in. Looking at other clubs you could say that they'd have young players in their Cat 1's good enough to do well at a League Two club like Wimbledon and maybe then get a loan move to a good Championship side, exactly like Al Hamadi.
Really feel for the guy. A year ago he was playing against us in the cup. A year later he's being scapegoated for not tearing it in up in the best league in the world, playing through injury it seems. It's not his fault Hirst was injured, Broja wasn't a go, we waited on other potential targets.
The club have got very little wrong. The one criticism of the summer window was we ended up with Al Hamadi as third choice, which was one Hirst injury away from not mattering. |
The club did get it wrong though.
Spent too long chasing a lame duck (Broja). Should moved on much sooner to another option, eg LL. |  |
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| AAH v U21s on 08:15 - Jan 6 with 2177 views | textbackup |
| AAH v U21s on 06:59 - Jan 6 by Asa |
This is nothing more than a combination of getting promoted quicker than expected, a League Two striker we believed to be a long term project to be a top Championship player / potentially Premier League player / someone we could sell on for a healthy profit, an unfortunate injury to George Hirst, a long pursuit of a player (Ioannidis) we wanted to but had to wait for other teams / parts (Zirkzee) to move along and a last minute failure of a loan signing (Broja - medical concerns) and Latte Lath.
With Cat 1 we'd be no more likely have a striker ready to come in. Looking at other clubs you could say that they'd have young players in their Cat 1's good enough to do well at a League Two club like Wimbledon and maybe then get a loan move to a good Championship side, exactly like Al Hamadi.
Really feel for the guy. A year ago he was playing against us in the cup. A year later he's being scapegoated for not tearing it in up in the best league in the world, playing through injury it seems. It's not his fault Hirst was injured, Broja wasn't a go, we waited on other potential targets.
The club have got very little wrong. The one criticism of the summer window was we ended up with Al Hamadi as third choice, which was one Hirst injury away from not mattering. |
Scapegoated
Ffs |  |
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| AAH v U21s on 10:38 - Jan 6 with 1847 views | tivo |
We would be better bringing on Harry Clarke if we just need someone to press and put all the effort in the world in for 10 mins. | | | |
| AAH v U21s on 12:39 - Jan 6 with 1617 views | Guthrum |
| AAH v U21s on 06:59 - Jan 6 by Asa |
This is nothing more than a combination of getting promoted quicker than expected, a League Two striker we believed to be a long term project to be a top Championship player / potentially Premier League player / someone we could sell on for a healthy profit, an unfortunate injury to George Hirst, a long pursuit of a player (Ioannidis) we wanted to but had to wait for other teams / parts (Zirkzee) to move along and a last minute failure of a loan signing (Broja - medical concerns) and Latte Lath.
With Cat 1 we'd be no more likely have a striker ready to come in. Looking at other clubs you could say that they'd have young players in their Cat 1's good enough to do well at a League Two club like Wimbledon and maybe then get a loan move to a good Championship side, exactly like Al Hamadi.
Really feel for the guy. A year ago he was playing against us in the cup. A year later he's being scapegoated for not tearing it in up in the best league in the world, playing through injury it seems. It's not his fault Hirst was injured, Broja wasn't a go, we waited on other potential targets.
The club have got very little wrong. The one criticism of the summer window was we ended up with Al Hamadi as third choice, which was one Hirst injury away from not mattering. |
I'd like to know the specifics of how al-Hamadi is supposedly to blame for us dropping points yesterday, in his nine-minute cameo. |  |
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| AAH v U21s on 12:45 - Jan 6 with 1574 views | FrimleyBlue |
| AAH v U21s on 12:39 - Jan 6 by Guthrum |
I'd like to know the specifics of how al-Hamadi is supposedly to blame for us dropping points yesterday, in his nine-minute cameo. |
I don't think he blamed him did he
but one thing we dont know is if a fit striker came on, would they have counter pressed better as KM mentioned after Clarke hit the post.. |  |
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| AAH v U21s on 12:55 - Jan 6 with 1514 views | Guthrum |
| AAH v U21s on 12:45 - Jan 6 by FrimleyBlue |
I don't think he blamed him did he
but one thing we dont know is if a fit striker came on, would they have counter pressed better as KM mentioned after Clarke hit the post.. |
There are people on here absolutely tearing into AAH. I don't think it can be claimed that he puts in too little effort pressing. That situation yesterday was caused by a long pass into midield, then developed out on the right. It was barely a danger until Davis' tired sticking a leg out tripped Jiminez (who was looking for something to fall over).
We don't have any other wholly fit strikers at anywhere near the level required. | |
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| AAH v U21s on 13:16 - Jan 6 with 1447 views | Meadowlark |
More prem minutes = bigger transfer fee... |  | | |
| AAH v U21s on 13:18 - Jan 6 with 1434 views | FrimleyBlue |
| AAH v U21s on 12:55 - Jan 6 by Guthrum |
There are people on here absolutely tearing into AAH. I don't think it can be claimed that he puts in too little effort pressing. That situation yesterday was caused by a long pass into midield, then developed out on the right. It was barely a danger until Davis' tired sticking a leg out tripped Jiminez (who was looking for something to fall over).
We don't have any other wholly fit strikers at anywhere near the level required. |
I think most are tearing into him actually coming on when he's clearly not fit more than AAH as a player himself.
Everyone is well aware of his level, and it's not his fault. | |
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| AAH v U21s on 14:16 - Jan 6 with 1258 views | soupytwist |
This touches on a wider subject I was thinking about at the weekend, which is what is the point of a category 1 academy?
What made me think about it was that Spurs ended up with two full backs (if you class Archie Gray as a full back rather than a midfielder) playing in central defence at the weekend. What's the point of their (presumably) Cat. 1 academy if it doesn't give you someone who can fill in at centre back in an emergency?
Their U21 squad includes Alfie Dorrington, described on the Spurs website as "a commanding central defender who was born locally in Enfield. He joined us as a 13-year-old, having previously played for Cockfosters FC, and was a pupil at Ashmole Academy. During the 2020/21 season, he stepped up to play three games for our Under-18s while still a schoolboy.
He has been capped by England at Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 levels."
Then there's Archie Baptiste - "Tall central defender Archie Baptiste went full-time with us as a scholar in July, 2022, having made 12 Under-18 Premier League appearances for us in 2021/22 as a schoolboy."
It just seems weird. That academy must cost them an arm and a leg to run but it can't produce a centre half to put in the team if necessary? |  | | |
| AAH v U21s on 14:43 - Jan 6 with 1200 views | Guthrum |
| AAH v U21s on 14:16 - Jan 6 by soupytwist |
This touches on a wider subject I was thinking about at the weekend, which is what is the point of a category 1 academy?
What made me think about it was that Spurs ended up with two full backs (if you class Archie Gray as a full back rather than a midfielder) playing in central defence at the weekend. What's the point of their (presumably) Cat. 1 academy if it doesn't give you someone who can fill in at centre back in an emergency?
Their U21 squad includes Alfie Dorrington, described on the Spurs website as "a commanding central defender who was born locally in Enfield. He joined us as a 13-year-old, having previously played for Cockfosters FC, and was a pupil at Ashmole Academy. During the 2020/21 season, he stepped up to play three games for our Under-18s while still a schoolboy.
He has been capped by England at Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 levels."
Then there's Archie Baptiste - "Tall central defender Archie Baptiste went full-time with us as a scholar in July, 2022, having made 12 Under-18 Premier League appearances for us in 2021/22 as a schoolboy."
It just seems weird. That academy must cost them an arm and a leg to run but it can't produce a centre half to put in the team if necessary? |
Part of the issue is the disparity in standard between anything the U21s do and going up against some of the World's best players in the Prem. It's why they all get fed out on loan to Football League sides.
The direct step from Academy to Prem is too much for all but the most exceptional. But by taking the longer way round via loans, promising youngsters can make it into the first team. | |
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