Reserves - now the Fonz debate

[Phil from the upper holte]

Not an easy game for him yesterday up front on his own.
But it seemed his confidence was low-particularly that chance in the 2nd half.

He should have burried at least one of those headers but I'm hoping he'll take the chance he's going to have over the next couple of weeks

[villanois]

Surely GH is giving them a run for one simple reason, experience !
Promising debuts/early form don't always = great careers and poor debuts/form don't = bad careers.
I agree with Mazrim that Delfonsou has great qualities but he's still learning his trade and adjusting to the premier league. Whether we have great hopes for a youngster or not, nobody really knows how they're going to develop until they have that experience under their belt. The most fashionable examples of that would be Gareth Bale and Andy Carroll, neither of which were highly rated by even their own fans a year or 2 ago

[Rigadon]

Young kids suffer from indifferent form.  For that reason I think it's a good idea to reserve judgement on Delfoneso.  Based on the game on the weekend, he's way off making the grade. Let's hope that was an anomaly in a long and illustrious Villa career.

[villajk]

I think Delfouneso was outshone yesterday by the three other 'youngsters'. 

I'll give me more time to see what he can do in the first team.  I hope he can make the grade as I've enjoyed watching him in the reserves.  Time will tell.

[olaftab]

I don't see the kid making it in the PL just now. However whilst he is not  another Brian Little, Gary Shaw or Andy Gray he may develop and get better  given time. He has  the next two games to  light up Villa park if he can...

[BannedUserIAT]

What concerned me even more than his awful attempts at goal - and yes, regardless of his age and experience, they were awful - was the look on his face. Especially in the last 15 minutes he looked shell-shocked. He doesn't have that arrogant cock-sure swagger that top flight strikers seem to have. His eyes weren't saying 'so what if i missed that one, i'll score a hat-trick in the last 5 mins', they were searching the horizon for some vision of a premiership future and weren't seeing one.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love this lad to be the next Drogba, I'd love to see him be the highest goal-scorer of all time. But i'm pretty sure he won't get anywhere near it.

If you'd heard, let's say, Everton fans, banging on about the next big thing and he put in a show like Fonz at Fulham,  would we be talking about how we'd love to sign him up? No.
 
I'm sorry to say that I just don't see him making it.
 

[mozza]

I've watched Nathan for possibly the last 3 seasons and one of the
criticisms I have is that he doesn't get his head up and see other
players in possibly better positions.

As a striker this isn't necessarily a bad thing and he can finish -
whether it's good enough for the Premier or lower leagues is
still to become apparent.

As for yesterday against Fulham - yes he could and should of
scored a hat-trick but didn't, but it wasn't for the lack of trying
and let's give the lad credit for getting into those positions.

He played a loan striker role, and let's be honest didn't get
much suport from Young7 & Downing who are more senior players.

Obviously he needs the boost of a goal for the 1st team and I hope
and pray it will come against Blackpool, because three days later
he could be facing two experienced centre backs from that club up the M6   
 

[brontebilly]

All it takes is a goal though fellas. Id say he couldnt believe the first didnt go in, he put it less than a foot wide, the next one hit the top of the crossbar and went over. Keep the faith - I thought his hold up play in the first half was pretty decent but he lost a bit of belief in the second half. I still think he is a natural forward. Heskey would never have got in those positions yesterday and if he did would I have been any more confident in him scoring - no.

[Mazrim]

His record at all levels is excellent. Club and international. Although he is yet to be played consistently in the first team at Villa, true.
Whatever makes people believe he wont make it, its not based on his ability. I cant accept that argument anyway, sorry.

I am a believer in youth but not blind. There are four players I have championed for some time. Clark, Albrighton, Gardner and Delfouneso. Nothing I have seen has changed my mind yet. I dont know why he isnt being used more but whatever the reason, I think he's capable and ready.
If he doesnt make it, its not because he isnt good enough and I've seen nothing to suggest a bad attitude.

He's quick, tall, increasingly powerful, clever, enigmatic, brings others in, holds it up and is a natural finisher. He's also very, very young.
I find the notion of writing him off already as a complete joke to be honest.

of those f Maz do you think they will all establish themselves in the first x1, i have not seen Gardener at all

I do. And a few others have a better than decent chance. That's not even including Delph.

[pablopicasso_10]

as i wrote in the match thread, yes, delfouneso was nowhere near his premium against fulham, but he showed signs of what he can do, in what is an unfamiliar role to him, playing up top on his own... he is not, nor is he ever going to be, a lone striker... its a shame that the chance he gets is trying to perform that role... i thought he did reasonably well considering... and at 19, he has time to grow into different roles, and being thrown into the deep end will help his development and give him experience of a different role to what he is used to... (for the record, he is the classic number 10 striker, if ever i saw one)... have to say though, his hold up play at one point where he used his quick feet, rather than bulk, was superb, and while his overall performance was not fantastico, he certainly showed promise and got into some good positions for his chances... (and again, for the record, his heading, is certainly not his strongest area of shooting, as he will readily admit himself)... so i am enthused, without going overboard over his performance, he was certainly a plus point for me from the game, as he got into good positions, worked hard, had chances etc... and that was without being anywhere near as good as he can be, and in an unfamiliar role that doesnt suit his natural game...

[PeterWithesShin]

To write a 19 year old off after 1 start is as ridiculous as claiming a 20 year old is the new Milner etc after a couple of games.

[Concrete John]

To write a 19 year old off after 1 start is as ridiculous as claiming a 20 year old is the new Milner etc after a couple of games.

What was that F word we were described as by an ex-manager again?

[Caiphus]

fannies?

[peter w]

I thought he did all right on Saturday. He held the ball up a lot better than I have seen before and I thought in that respect he did look the part. This isn't a judgement about performances because great players can have a bad day, and average (comparatively) players can have days of being top quality. So, form isn't a good indicator of a players talent.

A couple of things stood out negatively though both in the second-half. The first was teh shot when he had acres of room between Hangeland and Hughes. Not only did he not get the ball under control to have a free run at goal, but he never looked comfortable enough to have the ball and have the hunger and belief to go through and bury the chance.

The other chance was more worrying for me. When Downing put the ball across teh face of the goal it only took a split second but Delfouneso hadn't gambled, or used a natural instinct to burst forward and be in the right place at the right time. He was waiting to see what happened and where the ball was going and in that split second he actually cost us what would probably have been a second goal.

That isn't a lack of ability but a lack of belief. Delfouneso could, and probably shoul, have walked away with 3 goals on Saturday but only forced the keeper into one save, and that was a weak effort when he could have scored as the first example above highlights.

But, encouragingly he did look the part despite not scoring and that should give him more belief that he belongs in that company. He held up the ball well against Hangeland and did use it well at times. he tried to link up with Ash and at times it did work well. I think Pauline is right when she says that he was overshone by Bannan, Clark, and Albrighton (who, to be fair, was more involved than Delfouneso, scored a great goal, but also wasted a great chance and conceded a stupid free-kick that lead to the goal, but by no means played better than Delfouneso in terms of overall contribution).

I'm still not saying he'll make it but on that performance he has a shout. Needs to do the same on Wednesday though, and score when he gets a good opportunity, because for all our periods of scoring 0, or 1 on Sat, we have had plenty of chances to score 3 or 4 in each game.

[Simon Ward]

He needs encouragement and to start a few games.