The youth

[coolhandfox]

10 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Alves played well for Cardiff last season despite how bad they were. Thomas was thrown in at the deep in the PL and Aluko looks like he has better attributes than Thomas did at that age.

 

If Monga looks as good as he might be, even now, then he should start as many games as he can. We don't really have any natural forward thinking 8s so if Page can add something nobody else does then why shouldn't he start.

 

I've said similar before but if we had a 18 year old Messi on our books he'd have to prove himself on loan at Walsall first - according to some on FT

If they are good enough they are old enough! 

 

It should be a fair fight for the shirt, performance over age, cost! 

 

 

Edited 16 July 2025 by coolhandfox

[Claudio Fannieri]

Personally I think in the right tactical set up and based on how players have performed to date in preseason there is no reason why Nelson, Aluko, Joseph, Page and Monga shouldn’t be in contention for starting places in the championship. I also think Evans will be on the bench as a minimum. 

[slymunn]

18 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

If they are good enough they are old enough! 

 

It should be a fair fight for the shirt, performance over age, cost! 

 

 

I agree with this! 

 

Sunderland had the following play for them last season and still got promoted. There's no reason we couldn't do similar with our youth.

 

Chris Rigg - 17 -                47 appearances  

Tom Watson -18 -            22 appearances  

Jobe Bellingham - 18 -   43 appearances  

Eliezer Mayenda - 19 -    41 appearances  

Leo Fuhr Hjelde - 20 -     19 appearances  

Romaine Mundle - 21 -   25 appearances  

 

[Aleksz]

13 minutes ago, slymunn said:

I agree with this! 

 

Sunderland had the following play for them last season and still got promoted. There's no reason we couldn't do similar with our youth.

 

Chris Rigg - 17 -                47 appearances  

Tom Watson -18 -            22 appearances  

Jobe Bellingham - 18 -   43 appearances  

Eliezer Mayenda - 19 -    41 appearances  

Leo Fuhr Hjelde - 20 -     19 appearances  

Romaine Mundle - 21 -   25 appearances  

 

Great example. Its doable if a manager has the balls.

[LFEFox23]

1 hour ago, Stadt said:

If Monga looks as good as he might be, even now, then he should start as many games as he can. We don't really have any natural forward thinking 8s so if Page can add something nobody else does then why shouldn't he start.

Because we don't want him to have poppadom hamstrings at 25 like Michael Owen did, from overplaying at such a young age... Monga is similar build to Owen and needs time to adapt to mens football, Unlike Rooney who had the physicality of a full grown man and didn't particularly struggle with muscle injuries. Personally i don't think we should be relying on a 16 year old to be starting 20-30 games in a tough Championship league!

[Stadt]

4 hours ago, LFEFox23 said:

Because we don't want him to have poppadom hamstrings at 25 like Michael Owen did, from overplaying at such a young age... Monga is similar build to Owen and needs time to adapt to mens football, Unlike Rooney who had the physicality of a full grown man and didn't particularly struggle with muscle injuries. Personally i don't think we should be relying on a 16 year old to be starting 20-30 games in a tough Championship league!

Sports science and load management have developed a lot since then. If Bellingham hadn't have played so many minutes at 16 - would he be the same player?
 

I'm not saying he should start all the time just if he's as good as he threatens to be he should be playing at least 40 - 50% of minutes. For his own development but also for the benefit of the team.

Edited 16 July 2025 by Stadt

[filbertway]

33 minutes ago, LFEFox23 said:

Because we don't want him to have poppadom hamstrings at 25 like Michael Owen did, from overplaying at such a young age... Monga is similar build to Owen and needs time to adapt to mens football, Unlike Rooney who had the physicality of a full grown man and didn't particularly struggle with muscle injuries. Personally i don't think we should be relying on a 16 year old to be starting 20-30 games in a tough Championship league!

What would be the difference to his hamstrings from playing U18s/U21s and playing for the men's team?

[Lambert09]

47 minutes ago, LFEFox23 said:

Because we don't want him to have poppadom hamstrings at 25 like Michael Owen did, from overplaying at such a young age... Monga is similar build to Owen and needs time to adapt to mens football, Unlike Rooney who had the physicality of a full grown man and didn't particularly struggle with muscle injuries. Personally i don't think we should be relying on a 16 year old to be starting 20-30 games in a tough Championship league!

That would be Chelsea’s problem 

[TJB-fox]

7 hours ago, Ryy said:

Could get 2.5mil for both 

From Where hahaha. No way mate.

[TJB-fox]

3 hours ago, filbertway said:

What would be the difference to his hamstrings from playing U18s/U21s and playing for the men's team?

Presumably strength and intensity?

[filbertway]

8 minutes ago, TJB-fox said:

Presumably strength and intensity?

 

Agreed that intensity of the matches will be bit different, but I don't think its a co tributing factor to a player being injury prone.

 

I'd always argue workload is more important than who you're playing against.

 

But playing 60-90 mins a week at 16 assuming he can handle it shouldn't cause issues.

 

For every Owen theres plenty of players that have started young and been fine. 

 

Don't overload them and they'll be fine. Playing first team or kids footie. Its all about managing the workload.

[moore_94]

4 hours ago, LFEFox23 said:

Because we don't want him to have poppadom hamstrings at 25 like Michael Owen did, from overplaying at such a young age... Monga is similar build to Owen and needs time to adapt to mens football, Unlike Rooney who had the physicality of a full grown man and didn't particularly struggle with muscle injuries. Personally i don't think we should be relying on a 16 year old to be starting 20-30 games in a tough Championship league!

He will have left us before he even reaches 20

 

We don't need to worry about what he will be like when he is 25

[LFEFox23]

4 hours ago, filbertway said:

What would be the difference to his hamstrings from playing U18s/U21s and playing for the men's team?

So you’re saying there’s no difference in intensity and fitness levels from youth football to professional championship level?

[Big_Nige]

Monga, Page, Evans & Aluko have to be part of the first team squad this season. As much out of necessity than anything else

 

It’s a perfect storm in a way, we are unable to spend our way out the league, we have PSR still hanging over our heads and we have some serious young  talent on our hands

Each one is a potential gold mine in future transfer fees and long term success has to be the way forward over short term gain. This is the way to get the club back on a sustainable financial footing
 

There’s been numerous 16/17 year olds playing week in week out in the championship over the past 4/5 years. The Bellingham brothers, Archie Gray, Chris Rigg etc etc. I’m not saying play a team of 16 year olds but Monga especially is ready, and from what I’ve seen from the other 3 they aren’t far behind 

 

if we’re not going to be brave now we never will be 

[filbertway]

1 hour ago, LFEFox23 said:

So you’re saying there’s no difference in intensity and fitness levels from youth football to professional championship level?

There is yes. I don't think the intensity is an issue as long as properly managed.

 

Playing him 90 mins Saturdays and Tuesdays will overload him. The lad getting 60 on a Saturday and 30 on a Tuesday likely won't.

 

As Stadt says, the sports science team will know what he's capable of, just the same as every other player.

 

James Milner played regularly from the age of 16/17 and had a long career. 

 

Seen people bring Michael Owen a bit and I just find it frustrating, when there's plenty of examples of people starting young and not having poppadom hamstring as you called them  

 

[Claridge]

7 hours ago, LFEFox23 said:

Because we don't want him to have poppadom hamstrings at 25 like Michael Owen did, from overplaying at such a young age... Monga is similar build to Owen and needs time to adapt to mens football, Unlike Rooney who had the physicality of a full grown man and didn't particularly struggle with muscle injuries. Personally i don't think we should be relying on a 16 year old to be starting 20-30 games in a tough Championship league!

If he is with us at 25 he is either Sxxt or we have won the champions league multiple times.