Enda Stevens - what impact do you think he will make?

[Irish villain]

Indeed Ger, isn't it great!Can't wait to talk to my work colleague tomorrow, he knows Enda quite well and I will relay the mostly positive comments from here.

[E I Adio]

It's hard to see why some are writing him off after one league game. I thought he did very well yesterday.

[DrGonzo]

I thought he did far better than the poor Gooner against Valencia last week.  I know he was caught out positionally twice but he played solidly, and didn't give away Warnockesque freekicks.  For a baptism of fire he came out only slightly scalded

[fredm]

It's hard to see why some are writing him off after one league game. I thought he did very well yesterday.

Agree 100%.  Bloody hell, it was his first start and he was facing Valencia who, although he isn't one of the big names for Utd, is always in the team for their big matches and is one of the best wide players in the league.  I thought he did ok.  People are raving about Westwood, he was fortunate enough to have a relatively easy start away from home at the lower table team.  Enda is stuck in at home, in front of the biggest crowd of the season and the TV cameras.  If he can continue in the same vein against lesser opposition then he will be ok.  At the least he will ensure Bennett is on top of his game if he regains the shirt.

[eastie]

I don't think anyone is writing him off but at swindon he was given a torrid time and ripped apart by the Swindon wide man, I thought he did well against utd and will be a useful squad member , I was worried about cover for Bennett but now I am not so worried.

[E I Adio]

I don't think anyone is writing him off but at swindon he was given a torrid time and ripped apart by the Swindon wide man, I thought he did well against utd and will be a useful squad member , I was worried about cover for Bennett but now I am not so worried.

In my defence, (see what I did there?) several posters have offered the view that they don't believe he will ever make a Premier League footballer.

Rightly, or wrongly, I construed those remarks as writing him off.

[arnie66]

I can't begin to imagine how nervous he must have been on Saturday, to be starting against Man Utd with a 40k plus crowd.  I thought he did well, especially first half.

The thing is with all the kids they will grow in to their roles and also the club as they get experience.  It's a big step up playing in the premier league from Sheff Utd, Crewe and Shamrock Rovers.

I can see the beginnings of a really good side coming together at Villa Park and hopefully one with some longevity.

[eamonn]

Maybe he could be our new Deacy.

[Toronto Villa]

He did a solid job against a very talented winger on Saturday, but you just feel that he will always be a back up at this level. To me he'd make a very good Championship player; solid, reliable yet completely unspectacular. At the PL level, and especially how PL wants to play he'll never be a quick attacking overlapping full back. To me he's a poor man's Freddy Bouma who will ably support and cover for the player in front of him.

[UK Redsox]

He did a solid job against a very talented winger on Saturday, but you just feel that he will always be a back up at this level. To me he'd make a very good Championship player; solid, reliable yet completely unspectacular. At the PL level, and especially how PL wants to play he'll never be a quick attacking overlapping full back. To me he's a poor man's Freddy Bouma who will ably support and cover for the player in front of him.

Some one has to be the backup. The likes of Chelsea (ie with Cole & Bertrand) etc can have two top quality internationals for each position. Villa are not in that situation, so a Championship calibre player as backup seems reasonable to me.

[pauliewalnuts]

Before the match, I was worried he'd have a horrible time of it, but I thought, in the end, he did very well.

He's an inexperienced, young player. Just because he's not shown much sign yet of being the next Ashley Cole, it seems a bit harsh to be writing him off. Give him a chance.

I've seen enough in the little play he's had to suggest he may well have a decent career in the PL.

[Toronto Villa]

He did a solid job against a very talented winger on Saturday, but you just feel that he will always be a back up at this level. To me he'd make a very good Championship player; solid, reliable yet completely unspectacular. At the PL level, and especially how PL wants to play he'll never be a quick attacking overlapping full back. To me he's a poor man's Freddy Bouma who will ably support and cover for the player in front of him.

Some one has to be the backup. The likes of Chelsea (ie with Cole & Bertrand) etc can have two top quality internationals for each position. Villa are not in that situation, so a Championship calibre player as backup seems reasonable to me.

Absolutely, and if that's where he ends up at this level I think he'll have had a decent career. I just get the impression that after a while he'll want to play on a regular basis and will end up one level down to get it. Nothing wrong with that.

[tomd2103]

He could probably do with going on loan and getting some regular first team football.  Obviously he can't do that at the minute because we haven't got many other options, but maybe he could go in January and get some games under his belt.

[E I Adio]

Before the match, I was worried he'd have a horrible time of it, but I thought, in the end, he did very well.

He's an inexperienced, young player. Just because he's not shown much sign yet of being the next Ashley Cole, it seems a bit harsh to be writing him off. Give him a chance.

I've seen enough in the little play he's had to suggest he may well have a decent career in the PL.

My thoughts entirely.

Why are people writing him off before he's had the opportunity to show what he can do? I seem to remember some people saying something similar about Benteke just a few weeks ago.

[PeterWithesShin]

Before the match, I was worried he'd have a horrible time of it, but I thought, in the end, he did very well.

He's an inexperienced, young player. Just because he's not shown much sign yet of being the next Ashley Cole, it seems a bit harsh to be writing him off. Give him a chance.

I've seen enough in the little play he's had to suggest he may well have a decent career in the PL.

My thoughts entirely.

Why are people writing him off before he's had the opportunity to show what he can do? I seem to remember some people saying something similar about Benteke just a few weeks ago.

There's a difference in not thinking a player will make it at the top level but will probably have a Byfield/Murray type career, i.e. have a good career in the lower leagues and some of the comments aimed at Benteke. He's shit, the new Heskey, a donkey, will never make it etc.

If people were writing Stevens off they'd be saying things like "he won't make it" rather than "I doubt, don't think he will" etc.  If that makes sense.