Zelalem, the telegraph

[bluenosebrad 452]

Good luck to the lad and congrats if he gets promoted to the first team. 

[Turnberry18 3,204]

I'm happy to be in the minority, I really rate this player. He will play at the very top.

[Prso's headband 35,569]

Nothing wrong with the kid. He's an exceptional talent and due to the kick and rush football in this country many people can't appreciate the kid plays actual football. 

He makes passing the ball in any direction at any distance effortless. His turns on the ball are also top drawer.

All at 18 eh. No bad. Arsenal's first time but RM has him put to the sword in the 2nd tier of Scottish football

[Prso's headband 35,569]

35 minutes ago, cushynumber said:

Its amazing when you think of the fanfare some of the loanees came in with - Zalelam, Ball,and oduwa, and the clubs they came from, that they have barely featured since xmas or been sent back as simply not up to it.

Oduwa probably got sent back for his own safety. 

Zelalem has been out injured/unwell

Ball has featured. Probably not super regularly but regular enough to be a part of the team

[cushynumber 25,178]

1 minute ago, Prso's headband said:

Oduwa probably got sent back for his own safety. 

Zelalem has been out injured/unwell

Ball has featured. Probably not super regularly but regular enough to be a part of the team

oduwa just didn't fancy it mate imho.

Zalalem has been on the bench plenty -- he just hasn't started and its the same with Ball.

I am not having a pop at them mate, i am just trying to show that at the start of the season many thought these guys had the potential to really shine int he Championship and that the team would be built round them - when in fact is Wallace, Miller, McKay etc and actual permanent signings who have started regularly. Even Billy King isn't a regular.

Additionally, I remember at the start of the season much of the talk from the opposition (cellic fans mostly looking for any negative they could) was that we might well gain promotion but half out team were loans and they would all go back when we hit the premiership and we would have to rebuild entirely again. It simply hasn't transpired that way.

 

 

[Prso's headband 35,569]

1 minute ago, cushynumber said:

oduwa just didn't fancy it mate imho.

Zalalem has been on the bench plenty -- he just hasn't started and its the same with Ball.

I am not having a pop at them mate, i am just trying to show that at the start of the season many thought these guys had the potential to really shine int he Championship and that the team would be built round them - when in fact is Wallace, Miller, McKay etc and actual permanent signings who have started regularly. Even Billy King isn't a regular.

Additionally, I remember at the start of the season much of the talk from the opposition (cellic fans mostly looking for any negative they could) was that we might well gain promotion but half out team were loans and they would all go back when we hit the premiership and we would have to rebuild entirely again. It simply hasn't transpired that way.

 

 

Maybe your right am not sure. I think Oduwa's confidence was shot after that Livi game. 

I'd have like to have seen more of Zelalem  yes but anytime hes played I think hes quality, just my opinion.

Ball I think probably blows hot and cold when hes on his game hes top drawer. 

Maybe MW had realised that starting them consistently meant he would need an extra 3 players to gel into the team so maybe that's why they haven't played as much. Who knows. I personally think Ball would and should come to us as our player. The potential is there for all to see IMO

[tayside 295]

No where near good enough for us never mind Arsenal , great news as had a terrible feeling MW might try and extend his loan , has contributed zero to us this season and better promoting one of our own .

[BigAmo'sThighs 848]

We've got a cracking team, no two ways about it, but we aren't Arsenal. Zelalem looks as good a player I've seen and is always looking for the give and go, except he either doesn't get the return pass from our players or he doesn't have the option in the first place.

He's a step or two ahead IMO, it'll come with time, but Holt/Halliday/Forrester/Law/Shiels etc etc etc, are all on a similar level and similar understanding, they find each other often. The one player who did look to be on the same wavelength as Zel was Oduwa.

 

Zel will slide into that Arsenal team and have Ozil to slip a pass to and get a return, Sanchez the same, or a Walcott, or a Welbeck, or a Bellerin from deep to slip balls into and behind defences on much larger pitches. Teams sit in against Arsenal but against us, they barley get out their box, coupled with a much smaller pitch, it's harder up here to get at teams.

 

4-3-3 isn't his forte either, he's tailor made for a 4-2-3-1 IMO

 

[onefootwillie 1,518]

He has potential but still has develop physically and in football terms be stronger in the tackle and present a goal threat. Don't know if he will but just can't see him playing in the Arsenal first team next season he just is not strong enough at the moment

[smartypants 4,441]

For someone with supposed exceptional talent and the amount of game time he's had, I'd expect him to have made more of an impact tbh. Much more. 

[TheBluebells 6,898]

I still don't see the hype.

[AlBear. 8,499]

I can see a lot of people on here looking very foolish in the future over their opinions of this boy.

Rated highly by Wenger and Warburton but what do they know.

[Turnberry18 3,204]

9 minutes ago, Rangers_no1 said:

For somebody so highly rated he's only started 4 games since the middle of December. Mark always talks highly of all his players is just what he does, Hardie for example - yet he made 4 sub appearances and was sent out on loan and we're stuck with Clark. I don't think Warburton rates the lad as highly as many on here think and wouldn't be surprised if he hardly features next season and would be even more surprised if Mark attempts to bring back Zelalem next summer.

I absolutely detest this attitude that because managers rate players, it means they can't be wrong or you can't question a player's hype. Managers never make mistakes....it's not like SAF rated players like Anderson, Cleverley, Mikel and said Jones will be the best United player ever. 

You expect him to play with an injury? By all means use stats, but at least use them properly. I always think we fans know about football more than we are given credit for, but that so many people can't see how good this player is baffles me. 

[AlBear. 8,499]

14 minutes ago, Rangers_no1 said:

For somebody so highly rated he's only started 4 games since the middle of December. Mark always talks highly of all his players is just what he does, Hardie for example - yet he made 4 sub appearances and was sent out on loan and we're stuck with Clark. I don't think Warburton rates the lad as highly as many on here think and wouldn't be surprised if he hardly features next season and would be even more surprised if Mark attempts to bring back Zelalem next summer.

I absolutely detest this attitude that because managers rate players, it means they can't be wrong or you can't question a player's hype. Managers never make mistakes....it's not like SAF rated players like Anderson, Cleverley, Mikel and said Jones will be the best United player ever. 

Of course professional managers can be wrong, but to be brutally honest I'd rate the judgement of Wenger and Warburton over yourself or anyone else on an internet forum.

As for Zelalem, MW has specifically picked him out for praise about his ability and character numerous times. I'm not sure why people want to ignore that.

As for this line that managers always talk up their own players, of course they do. They brought them in, the play them so it's obvious they rate them. People writing that off just to suit their own perceptions is tiresome. Where does that thinking end?

'The manager is only saying it as a token gesture', so what are we supposed to believe? What he does say or what he doesn't say?

[The Godfather 72,040]

He was sent out on loan to make his mistakes, learn from it and return a more mature player.

Sometimes players go out on loan to a lower division don’t impress (Harry Kane) then take their chance at the higher level. It does happen albeit not often.

I see a talented player but one who still has heaps to learn, he IMO won’t be starting for Arsenal anytime soon or maybe at all but playing for a team who expect to win every game and who are the ones taking the game to the opposition will only benefit him long term.

[Inigo 32,534]

He'll be loaned out again next season.

[Gaz52 11,837]

There's no doubting he's a good footballer but he doesn't do enough in games to merit a starting spot 

[AlBear. 8,499]

@Rangers_no1

He is 19. I'd suggest any evidence you have is limited and to write off a 19 year old because of it is silly.

As for MW not seeing much of Zelalem before signing him. Really? Come on. MW constantly talks about the work he and his staff put in to recruiting players and getting a proper insight not just their ability but their character too. It looks like what I said, people will ignore what a man we all respect says just to suit their own views.

[AlBear. 8,499]

35 minutes ago, Rangers_no1 said:

Second part is nonsense, the point I made was true, many mangers sign players without watching them regularly. One of the greatest managers off all time with a similar outlook in that regard to Warburton spent £7 million on Bebe without even seeing a video of him. It happens, just because Mark and the team put effort into identifying players doesn't mean he watched Zelalem regularly especially as the team wasn't set up fully at the beginning of the season, if you remember. 

It's not nonsense, IMO, because signing a player without doing the research and due diligence you have implied goes completely against everything MW has said.

But, I'm being repeatedly told on here not to believe what MW says so you may be right.

[siddiqi_drinker 14,635]

3 hours ago, cushynumber said:

Its amazing when you think of the fanfare some of the loanees came in with - Zalelam, Ball,and oduwa, and the clubs they came from, that they have barely featured since xmas or been sent back as simply not up to it.

Oduwa went back to Spurs in mid-January so hardly surprising he 'hasn't featured since Xmas'.  Gy was entertaining and fell victim to Scottish thuggery.

Ball has played in an increasing number of games and performed well.

Zelalem hasnt featured much but there is a player in there, doubt we will see him though except on the telly. 

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

Aye!

Arsenal Ladies!

[Ryju84 3,170]

Some of the Arsenal (and Man City) kids last night in the FA Youth Cup looked like they could walk into their respective first teams. 

Not all of them, obviously, but a few.

Annoying thing was that not one of the Arsenal players last night bottled out of any challenge or strode about like they couldnt be arsed. 

 

[pcbear 10,924]

4 minutes ago, Ryju84 said:

Some of the Arsenal (and Man City) kids last night in the FA Youth Cup looked like they could walk into their respective first teams. 

Not all of them, obviously, but a few.

Annoying thing was that not one of the Arsenal players last night bottled out of any challenge or strode about like they couldnt be arsed. 

 

As good as they are the finished article will be bought in for silly millions of pounds, leaving no route to the first team, sad but true.

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,602]

Its no surprise our attacking form picked up when he was dropped late last year, in a quick tempo, one touch pass and move team that Warburton installed, a guy who wants half an hour on the ball to pass it 5 yards is woefully out of place

[.Williamson. 82,533]

He's fucking pish