Our Most Promising Youth Team Players?
- Thread starter SwiftGuyver
- Start date
Masetro10
Member
Dro is not going to be a long term player in my eyes. Some won't want to hear that but it is just my opinion the top 2 on the list will be coming for the AM spot soon. These are Yamal type impacts coming.
Masetro10
Member
He's ok not Yamal though
Messi983
Senior Member
Fair enough. Not watched Moreno besides few highlights but history has shown me it's hard to get excited about 13 yo talents (this also sounds so wrong when I read it again, lol) because so many things could go wrong in these players development. Mainly injuries but other things can happen too. Easier to get hyped about Tunkara but he's still some way off the first team too.
I've said this before and I know it's hard to do it when it comes to great talents you don't want to lose but I really think club should try and hold back a bit with agressive promotions of the youngsters to the first team. Ansu and Gavi are good examples of what can happen when you play them too much too soon. Hopefully Lamine or Cubarsi won't be the next ones and club will improve enough financially we won't need to relly on kids so much in future. It's also about sending the message to them. 10-15 years ago they were more patient and ready to wait for their chance in the first team to late teens/early twenties, nowadays many of them (and also their agents who are often selling them the grass is greener on the other side idea for their own benefit) expect to have guaranteed first team minutes at 16-17.
Even Messi had to rotate with Giuly early in his career and while he wasn't happy at that time he realized later Rijkaard was protecting him. None of the La Masia graduates since Ansu had that luxury of a proven veteran to share minutes with because of the injuries (they were given a chance because first team players got injured in first place and then never looked back) and club's financial state after Covid.
And on the other side we also have the media and these days social media fans perspective. You often hear that if someone doesn't play for the first team at 18 then "he'll never make it here". Thankfully we have recent examples of Casaso and Fermin to dissaprove that (though that won't prevent people to use that nonsense again and again) and show that patience and hard work can still pay off even if they were not amongst the most talented 18 year old players in the world. They've gone through a more natural development curve than just being thrown into the water out of necessity and expected them to be our saviours.
Don't get me wrong, first team doors should always be open to La Masia and most talented players should be given a chance but unless they are not only generational talents (I think people are throwing this label around a bit too much though) but also (close to) elite players already at that young age like Lamine who you really can't hold back then we should manage their minutes better and ease expectations for them.
Calling kids the next (insert random legend name) is also both stupid (putting unnecessary pressure on them; why not just let them become the best version of themselves instead?) and at the same time disrespectful to these legends. Good knows how many Argentine kids were dubbed the next Maradona untill Messi arrived (and since him there were probably tens of new Messis every year). And how many new Xaviestas have came through La Masia in last 10-15 years for whom we mostly don't even know where they are today.
I'm not BBZ doubting every kid but I've learned my lesson over the years and try not to get into the La Masia hype anymore so often until the players prove themselves at least on the Juvenil A or Barca B level though ofc recently most top talents have skipped the B team or at least not spend much time there.
@Messi983
Great post. In my younger years I used to try and catch the talents coming up but now I don't take much interest until atleast 15-16.
Even if I watch the 12 year old tournaments I may note down a name or two but I won't excessively dwell on their progressions. Just re-check the names when one of that generation breaks through (like Lamine for example) and see where the other names noted are.
I recall back in the generations of Thiago Alcantara to Rafinha Alcantara, that there was a kid from Canary Islands who was outstanding and the best out of all the ones I saw in LaMasia at that time. Well he just disappeared off the footballing map. As you say, tons of external factors to it.
Great post. In my younger years I used to try and catch the talents coming up but now I don't take much interest until atleast 15-16.
Even if I watch the 12 year old tournaments I may note down a name or two but I won't excessively dwell on their progressions. Just re-check the names when one of that generation breaks through (like Lamine for example) and see where the other names noted are.
I recall back in the generations of Thiago Alcantara to Rafinha Alcantara, that there was a kid from Canary Islands who was outstanding and the best out of all the ones I saw in LaMasia at that time. Well he just disappeared off the footballing map. As you say, tons of external factors to it.
I don't think they are that level of talent to be honest. Or rather yet. These are guys that in normal squad conditions make a breakthrough at 19/20 like Casado.
To be fair to Flick, he did give DRO a start and he bombed. And Dani R a start and he bombed.
We will see with Marc Bernal when match fit if we are slowing integrations. He's a higher level talent.
And then Ebrima.
I think Jofre would be up there though, but for a Flick fullback he lacks physically right now. Which is a shame as at a level, he's way tidier than Gerard Martin on the ball. But for now he is another Valle.
jamrock
Senior Member
Yea that's a fair point, those guys aren't at the level of
Fati, gavi, yamal, Cubarsi who immediately looked ready to play first team football and have more competition in Midfield than when say gavi was getting his chance.
We will see with Bernal & whoever comes after him, as that level of talent.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Folk keep mentioning likes of Guille who hasnt even been that great in Atletic team.
He has moments and if comes together could be good but he plays with head down far too often and makes too many bad decisions.
The likes of Juan Hernandez has been better than him when AM the last few.
Dro even in Atletic team looks like weight as he did when played in first team. Needs time to bulk up.
Toni probably suffers a bit as lacks pace and 1v1 and it leaves AM or a RW role with an attacking RB that Barca dont have.
Tunkara looks class as he has the pace, physicality and decision making that should translate quickly to higher level.
Just need to renew him.
He has moments and if comes together could be good but he plays with head down far too often and makes too many bad decisions.
The likes of Juan Hernandez has been better than him when AM the last few.
Dro even in Atletic team looks like weight as he did when played in first team. Needs time to bulk up.
Toni probably suffers a bit as lacks pace and 1v1 and it leaves AM or a RW role with an attacking RB that Barca dont have.
Tunkara looks class as he has the pace, physicality and decision making that should translate quickly to higher level.
Just need to renew him.
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