Since the 2009 thread was somewhat popular, I will continue posting the players from IMScouting's 'Player To Watch' list. If anyone has seen a player listed below playing, please do not hesitate to make some comments. Everyone will be interested in hearing how these guys look in real matches and also suggestions for a spot on Inter's team should also be voiced.
I think it would be really interesting to discuss players hear and then see them in our team in the near future.
JANUARY 2010
01/07/10 - Jack Collison
Team: West Ham United (England)
Shirt Number: 31
Nationality: Wales
Position: Central Midfielder
Secondary: Left Midfielder, Right Midfielder
Age: 21
Height: 1.83 m / 6 ft
Weight: 87 kg / 191 lbs
Report: The Next Carrick Or Lampard
West Ham’s famous youth academy continues to churn out quality youngsters who look set to make a major name for themselves in English football. With the Hammers in financial strife and battling relegation, the likes of James Tomkins , Junior Stanislas and Zavon Hines have given the Upton Park faithful belief that 2009/2010 could have a happy ending.
Of all the young players emerging under Gianfranco Zola at West Ham, Jack Collison appears to be the hottest prospect and looks set for a major career at the highest level. Displaying the ability to both pass from deep and get on the end of attacks from a midfield position, it is easy to find comparisons with former Hammers, Michael Carrick and Frank Lampard .
In a short top flight career, Collison has also had to deal with a serious injury on the pitch and the death of his father off it. Throughout this period, Collison’s talent for mixing it up in the middle of the park in the high octane environment of Premier League football and his ability to make and score goals has shone through.
After originally breaking into the West Ham first team in 2007/2008, Collison came to the fore last season, scoring three goals and providing three assists. Although he was a teenager at the time, Collison showed his confidence on the ball straight away and he has not gone missing when the Hammers have struggled.
The 6ft midfielder has clearly benefitted from his spell as captain of the West Ham reserve team where he developed his leadership skills. Collison also showed good character to come back from dislocating his knee cap in a match against Wigan last March. He only started two games following this injury at the back end of 2008/2009, but chipped in with an assist in the final day win over Middlesbrough and his eye for a pass has also been evident this season.
One of Collison’s best performances for West Ham to date came in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland in October where he proved his eye for a pass, setting up goals for Guillermo Franco and Carlton Cole . In particular, the assist for the second goal, scored by Cole, showed Collison’s eye for a through ball and a hugely promising football brain.
Already in 2009/2010, Collison has equaled the number of assists he picked up last season in less matches and has also had to contend with the death of his father who passed away in a motor cycle accident travelling to see his son play against Spurs in August. The 21-year-old has continued to illustrate that he has a mature head on young shoulders whilst the Hammers have battled against relegation.
Comparisons with Frank Lampard will likely continue if Collison keeps providing goals from midfield. He announced his Premier League arrival with a cracking finish against Everton last season and Collison seems able to make lung bursting runs from midfield and then compose himself to beat the opposition keeper. Being 6ft tall, he is also decent in the air and seems to have the all round game to become a major star in the Premier League.
Despite being English born, Collison chose to play for Wales through his grandfather and after producing a fine partnership with Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey in the Under-21s, looks like being a major player for the Welsh in the coming years alongside the Gunner and Tottenham’s Gareth Bale .
Like many great players that have come through the West Ham youth system (e.g. Carrick, Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole as well as legends such as Bobby Moore and Trevor Brooking), Collison has immediately proved his quality on the ball and excellent football brain. Whilst the Hammers have struggled, Collison appears to be improving with every game and is a major asset for the club.
It may be a little early to predict a move away from Upton Park and the Welsh international is contracted to the Hammers until the end of season 2012/2013. But, Collison looks destined to play in the Champions League and at the top end of the Premier League just like many of those who have come off the conveyor belt of talent that is the West Ham Academy.
01/14/10 - Nassim Ben Khalifa
Team: Grasshoppers Zurich (Switzerland)
Shirt Number: 13
Nationality: Switzerland
Position: Striker
Secondary: Attacking Midfielder (C), Left Forward, Right Forward
Age: 18
Height: 1.83 m / 6 ft
Weight: 78 kg / 171 lbs
Report: A Potential Swiss World Cup Star
In November 2009 the Switzerland Under-17 national team won the FIFA Under-17 World cup played in Nigeria. Among a group of young and talented Swiss players who guided the team to glory, one stood above all - Nassim Ben khalifa.
Nassim Ben Khalifa was born to Tunisian parents on January 13, 1992 in a small town called Prangins in the Swiss canton of Waadt and he holds both Swiss and Tunisian nationalities. For now it is not certain for which senior national team he will play for, as the Tunisians are trying to lure him, but it seems likely that he will continue to represent the Swiss side and that his debut will take place in the coming months.
Ben Khalifa started his career with the Stade Nyonnais club and later moved to the youth team of FC Gland and FC Lausanne-Sport. In July 2008 he was transferred to Grasshopper Zurich where he made his debut as a professional player on March 7, 2009 in a game against FC Sion and he scored his first goal, also against FC Sion, on July 19, 2009.
Ben Khalifa has been a regular member of the young Swiss national teams. In 2007 he played for the Swiss Under-15s and later on for the Under-16s and the Under-17 teams. In 2008 and 2009, he played in the Under-17 European Championship in Turkey and Germany.
In November 2009 he played at the Under-17 World cup, leading his team to win the tournament with four goals and a few more assists. His brilliant performance also earned him the "Silver Ball" trophy for the second best player of the tournament. His heroic performance also drew the attention of the Swiss national team coach Ottmar Hitzfeld who said that he will be watching Ben Khalifa during the 2009/2010 season and will consider bringing him into the squad for the 2010 World Cup.
It seems that these words were not just "thrown in the air" in order to make some news because Ben Khalifa has the potential to become a world class player and it's not for nothing that his name has already been linked with giant clubs from all around Europe.
Clubs like FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Arsenal, Inter Milan and AC Milan were all mentioned as potential buyers for the young prospect and the fact that his current team, Grasshopper Club Zurich, are suffering from financial problems, will probably make the estimated four million euro transaction easier to complete.
Ben Khalifa himself has expressed his wish to join a big club but prefer to stays focused on improving until a move will happen. "I have seen the rumors, but now I prefer to stay focused on my club, although my dream is to play in a big league," said the player to SkySports.com.
For the moment Ben Khalifa is still a rough diamond and has a long way to go as a player. Despite his massive talent, it is not always certain what his real role on the field is. Ben Khalifa who usually plays as a striker is not exactly a classic striker with lethal finishing and he tends to go back toward the middle of the field and also to the flanks.
But he is also not a natural midfielder who comes from deep and can dictate the game. And like many players of his age he is not always as dominant as he could be. Yet, Ben Khalifa is still very young so he can still shape his game and has a very strong character which can help him do that.
Ben Khalifa is also a very enthusiastic player who never gives up on a ball; he has good leadership skills and is not afraid to take responsibility. He also has excellent technique and his size and speed makes him strong enough to deal well with strong and fast defenders.
There is no doubt that under the right guidance and with more game experience, Ben Khalifa’s breakthrough is only a matter of time. If he will continue to develop there is no doubt that he will be able to play at the highest levels of football and one day be the leader of the Swiss national team. His name is definitely worth remembering.
He's from Prangins en Suisse but the canton is Vaud...There's certainly some potential there but he's not ready for a big European club yet, IMHO...Strikers do take longer to mature, for one, and he's nowhere near the finished article.
That Suisse side that won the U-17 FIFA WC, however, is chalk full of some up & coming talents
Last edited by FCBarca; 20 Jan 10 at 21:35.
Never heard of this Khalifa guy, but Jack Collison is one hell of a talent, a Star in the Making. :-)
GRANDE INTER, Amore Mio!
Dear Santa, the past year, you took my favorite singer, Michael Jackson and my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze.
I want you to know for the next year, that Milan is my favorite oldie, and Juventus is my favorite bitch.
vito can you do one on wilson who plays for rangers squad number 66 i hear he is quite good of some people
Fuck this Gone
Wonderkid i FM for me. Not that that matters though.Originally Posted by intermilanista5
Not played much this season
david mcgoldrick
I get these from IMScouting. They provide a list of up and coming players and I just pass the information down to you guys.
Thanks vito
Fuck this Gone
01/21/10 - David de Gea
Team: Atletico Madrid (Spain)
Shirt Number: 43
Nationality: Spain
Position: Goalkeeper
Secondary: N/A
Age: 19
Height: 1.92 m / 6.3 ft
Weight: 82 kg / 180 lbs
Report: The New Edwin van der Sar
Nicknamed Van der Gea by his teammates at Atletico Madrid , 19-year-old David De Gea is fast becoming one of the greatest goalkeeping prospects in Europe. The 1.92m tall keeper has earned his nickname for his similarity to Manchester United's custodian Edwin van der Sar – both for his outer appearance and his goalkeeping style.
De Gea who has been at Atletico since the age of 10 was first exposed to the world in 2007, playing for the Spanish Under-17 national team in the World Cup and helped them reach the final. Just like Pepe Reina and Andres Palop have earned widespread praise for their penalty-saving expertise in recent years, their young compatriot did the same. His impressive reflexes and penalty saves made him the best goalkeeper in the tournament.
This season De Gea received his first chance as a senior player. As first choice Sergio Asenjo (another huge prospect) was away with the Under-20 national team in the World Cup in Egypt De Gea got his call-up to the senior squad. In September he replaced the injured second choice goalie Roberto during a Champions League match at Porto and showed good ability despite the 2-0 loss. Three days later he made his league debut at home against Real Zaragoza, giving away a penalty in the 19th minute only to save the ensuing attempt. So far he has recorded two league appearances this season.
So what makes De Gea such a special talent, that we at IMScouting decided to choose him as a player to watch over the much more famous Asenjo?
Well, the answer lies in the key to the creation of a top-calibre goalkeeper: While a goalkeeper’s performance involves physical elements such as height, speed and power, it is often the psychological component which determines success. At every level, there are goalkeepers with exceptional agility and great jumping ability, keepers with good size and flexibility, and those who can make a great save.
Goalkeeping, though, demands more than physical prowess. Supreme confidence, concentration and ability to deal with pressure are the critical parameters that propel an interesting goalkeeping prospect into a world-class player.
That's where De Gea is a true gem. His concentration level is extremely rare for goalkeepers of his age and he has already proven his ability to handle pressure with the Spanish youth sides and during his matches as a senior player this season. His confidence in himself is also very high, and it derives from his enormous presence which builds this kind of confidence. All of these characteristics derive first and foremost from the young keeper's intelligence and character. In Spain De Gea is known as a humble young guy, who works extremely hard in training and is always smiling. He just has the perfect mentality for a goalkeeper – calm, intelligent, a natural leader and yet full of confidence.
De Gea is of course not only mentally ready to play at the highest level. He is also on the way to become a complete keeper in professional terms. This lanky keeper is extremely agile and has the reflexes of a cat. He is very fast in comparison to most keepers of his height and sometimes he reaches balls that seem totally out of reach due to his speed. His positioning, aerial ability, communication and decision making – often parameters in which young goalies fail to impress – are already excellent. As said, he is an expert at stopping penalty kicks while his kicking, punching and throwing technique are all excellent as well.
The one parameter in which De Gea must work extensively on is rushing out of his goal line. He does have a very good one-on-one ability as he knows how to spread his body and until when to stand on his feet; however he sometimes rushes too fast to the coming attacker which may result in a foul or the oncoming attacker taking the pall round him.
As a youngster De Gea has overcame a year-long knee cap injury to progress through the ranks. He also had to travel 50 km in each direction from his home in the small town of Illescas to Atletico's training ground. Now, with five senior games under his belt (including two Copa Del Rey matches) De Gea is eligible for a professional contract which will run until 2013. His current deal expires on 2011.
Manchester United have been rumored to be sniffing around him, as well as a host of other Premier League clubs. It is now time for De Gea to decide whether to stay at the Vicente Calderon and fight for his place in the team or move elsewhere where he will receive the chance to showcase his amazing abilities to the world. One way or the other, De Gea is set for a truly bright future in the game.
Skill rating (in comparison with the Spanish top tier):
Aerial ability 7/10
Command of area 7/10
Communication 7/10
Handling technique 8/10
Kicking 9/10
One on one 7/10
Reflexes 8/10
Rushing out 5/10
Punching 7/10
Throwing 7/10
Positioning 8/10
Bravery 8/10
Concentration 9/10
Decision making 7/10
Determination 7/10
Teamwork 8/10
Jumping 9/10
Consistency 7/10
Foot technique 7/10
Penalty stopping 8/10
Agility 9/10
01/28/10 - Javier Hernandez
Team: Chivas Guadalajara (Mexico)
Shirt Number: 14
Nationality: Mexico
Position: Striker
Secondary: N/A
Age: 21
Height: 1.73 m / 5.68 ft
Weight: 62 kg / 136 lbs
Report: Mexico's New Striking Sensation
Javier Hernandez Balcazar, also known as "Chicarito Hernandez" is fast becoming the next big Mexican striking prospect and could make an impact sooner rather than later.
Up until the beginning of the 2009/10 season, Javier Hernandez was mostly known in Mexico thanks to his father, Javier "Chicharo" Hernandez, who was part of the Mexican national team during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. In addition, his grandfather was also a well known professional player and an icon at Chivas Guadalajara , having scored over 50 goals for them including the 500th goal in the club's history.
Javier Hernandez arrived on the scene in style, scoring a goal 5 minutes after he came on as a substitute during his debut back in 2006. Despite showing some glimpses of his talent during his first 3 years as a professional player, it was far from clear whether Hernandez would be able to deal with the expectation on his shoulders as part of such a rich footballing family. The challenge for Hernandez was to become a well known player in his own right, thanks to his own strengths and ability rather than his family background.
From the start, Hernandez showed that he has an excellent attitude towards the game and has every chance of becoming a decent player but no one was prepared for what was to come. Since the beginning of the 2009/10 season, Hernandez has absolutely been on fire and it doesn’t appear that his form will dry up any time soon. He scored 11 goals in 17 matches during the Apertura tournament (the first half of the season), leading his club to the playoffs and was also named as a candidate for "Striker of the tournament". As the Clausura (second half of the season) got underway he continued just where he left off and has already scored 4 goals in 2 matches.
Hernandez has shown great striking instincts this past year. He is very dangerous inside the box, which is where he scores most of his goals, and is always a threat to the defense. He demonstrates tremendous movement and anticipation and as a result reads the game very well and is able to move into space to receive the ball and shoot on goal. Even though he is not very tall he is very good in the air and only needs a split second of freedom inside the box to score. Hernandez has great composure and concentration in front of goal. Combined with excellent finishing skills he has all the tools to be a lethal striker.
Hernandez is currently best known inside of Mexico and made his debut for the Mexico national team back in September 2009. As long as 'Chicarito' continues to display high caliber performances during the season, he is likely to be included in the Mexican World Cup squad. If so, IMScouting believes there is a very good chance that Hernandez will be one of the discoveries of the tournament, developing an international reputation.
One thing is for sure, it won't be long until Hernandez is noticed by clubs around the world and will find himself playing in a prestigious league. Hernandez has all the skills that a striker needs in order to succeed in any league around the world. He is very quick, strong and has the ability to score with both feet as well as with his head. But perhaps more importantly he has the natural instincts and mentality of a top class striker.
Hernandez is step by step becoming one of the best strikers in Mexico and it seems that the little "Chicarito" is actually going to be a big star.
FEBRUARY 2010
02/04/10 - Vassilis Torosidis
Team: Olympiakos Piraeus (Greece)
Shirt Number: 35
Nationality: Greece
Position: Right Defender
Secondary: Left Defender, Central Defender, Defensive Midfielder, Left Midfielder, Right Midfielder, Central Midfielder, Attacking Midfielder (C)
Age: 24
Height: 1.85 m / 6.07 ft
Weight: 80 kg / 176 lbs
Report: One Of The Most Versatile Players In World Football
Vassilis Torosidis is a phenomenon of Greek football. The 24-year-old is hugely versatile and regularly plays in different positions both for his club and country. Boasting great energy, a willingness to get forward and strong heading ability, the Olympiakos star is a manager’s dream as he can fill in all over the park.
Predominantly an attacking minded right back, Torosidis has exclusively played on the left side of defence for the Greek national team. Although predominantly right footed he has a strong left peg and as a result can cover any position along the backline and in midfield.
In midfield his strongest position is as a defensive or central midfielder and he has also been used far higher up the pitch, most notably this season under Brazilian coach Zico when he was played behind the strikers.
This versatility could be problematic for Torosidis in the coming years but thanks to his stubborn and fearless play he cannot be left out of the starting XI for either club or country. With Greece in a tough looking World Cup group against Argentina, Nigeria and South Korea, the Olympiakos star will be a crucial member of Otto Rehhagel’s squad in South Africa.
Torosidis started his career at Skoda Xanthi and quickly became one of the most promising players of the club. He was transferred to Olympiakos in January 2007 and managed to take over the right back position with solid performances. He's one of the most consistent and reliable players in the team.
The 24-year-old relishes the physical battle, in which he usually triumphs. Torosidis is well built, 6.1ft tall and very strong, he has an aggressive playing style and he rarely loses physical battles in defence. When he plays at the back he is a threat not only running from a deep position but also at set-pieces where he displays remarkable heading ability.
Running at the opposition, Torosidis also displays great technique on the ball. He is a good passer of the ball with both feet and the quality of his attacking play was demonstrated most notably by a glorious chip against AEK Athens in September, he scored a brace in a 2-1 win with his other goal scored with his head.
As can be expected of such a quality player who would boost any manager’s options, Torosidis has been scouted by a large amount of top European clubs and a transfer to another Champions League side is inevitable. He is contracted to Olympiakos until the end of the 2012/2013 season and currently has a release clause of seven million euros.
The list of clubs linked is long and includes: Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Bologna, Celtic, Marseille and Parma. During the most recent transfer window, Torosidis was said to be on his way to Liverpool and a move to the Premier League would suit his bustling playing style and strength in the air.
Last year Torosidis admitted: "To tell you the truth, I grow tired of this noise, I have been listening to it from the first six months after I joined Olympiakos." To further fuel the rumors he added: "I believe there isn’t a Greek who doesn’t want to play abroad. Whoever doesn’t admit it is lying."
In 2009/2010, Torosidis has continued to improve, scoring three goals and providing two assists in 15 appearances. His campaign was cut short by around six weeks due to a knee injury but he is closing in on his best goal scoring season since arriving at Olympiakos.
Torosidis is improving season by season and with his versatility could be both a star at the World Cup and then one of the most sought after players in Europe next summer.
Last edited by vitomins; 08 Mar 10 at 15:39.
That last one was for you Yuko...please comment!
I would love to get De gea
Fuck this Gone
In bold, the positions he has played in(doesn't mean he had same success)
02/04/10 - Vassilis Torosidis
Team: Olympiakos Piraeus (Greece)
Shirt Number: 35
Nationality: Greece
Position: Right Defender
Secondary: Left Defender, Central Defender, Defensive Midfielder, Left Midfielder, Right Midfielder, Central Midfielder, Attacking Midfielder (C)
Age: 24
Height: 1.85 m / 6.07 ft
Weight: 80 kg / 176 lbs
He's very good for Greek football, but if you want a 'player-to-watch' from the Greek national team there's Sotiris Ninis(if he actually gets called up), Kostas Katsouranis(though he's around 30) and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
Torosidis started off as a right back and occasionally played as center back, as his team had a tendency of playing with 8 central defenders and two wide midfielders for most games
At Olympiakos, he became a fan favourite and he just couldn't be left out of the line up. He's not a good holding midfielder, or central midfielder, but he has a tendency to move forward, so he was quite a useful box-to-box midfielder against ridiculously bad sides in Greece.
His versatility is quite a myth, as if we use Eto'o at left back or holding midfielder against Como and Treviso in cup games and he performs above average, we won't call him versatile, if you get my point.
So the positions he can play are: (in order)
Right back
Left back
Right midfielder
Center back
He would only have luck in Germany, where apparently average Greek players have great spells! He's one of the 20 best active Greek players, but that's about it.
If you have something on Ninis or Papastathopoulos, then you have something worthwhile
P.S: He's a moron as well. Even his own aunt publicly said that she didn't speak to him for months after he made comments about Olympiakos not getting favoured etc when the whole of Greece saw what happened
In bold, the positions he has played in(doesn't mean he had same success)
He's very good for Greek football, but if you want a 'player-to-watch' from the Greek national team there's Sotiris Ninis(if he actually gets called up), Kostas Katsouranis(though he's around 30) and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
Torosidis started off as a right back and occasionally played as center back, as his team had a tendency of playing with 8 central defenders and two wide midfielders for most games
At Olympiakos, he became a fan favourite and he just couldn't be left out of the line up. He's not a good holding midfielder, or central midfielder, but he has a tendency to move forward, so he was quite a useful box-to-box midfielder against ridiculously bad sides in Greece.
His versatility is quite a myth, as if we use Eto'o at left back or holding midfielder against Como and Treviso in cup games and he performs above average, we won't call him versatile, if you get my point.
So the positions he can play are: (in order)
Right back
Left back
Right midfielder
Center back
He would only have luck in Germany, where apparently average Greek players have great spells! He's one of the 20 best active Greek players, but that's about it.
If you have something on Ninis or Papastathopoulos, then you have something worthwhile
P.S: He's a moron as well. Even his own aunt publicly said that she didn't speak to him for months after he made comments about Olympiakos not getting favoured etc when the whole of Greece saw what happened
I guess your hatred for Olympiakos has no effect on your analysis, huh Yuko?
Seriously, no. And besides, he hardly played this season and Olympiakos is a wreck. He combined well with Luciano Galetti, but now the latter is having serious health disorders and might even die if he continues to play, and Torosidis is just, well average really, if we compare him with the other players in the World Cup.
how about Vladimir Weiss? Manchester City's loan to Bolton
I agree, I think you're been too harsh on him Yuko. He's impressed me everytime I've seen him play. I think Liverpool are rumored to be after him. I agree with Ninis being a huge talent, but Mitroglou also looks like he could be a hit for Greece.I guess your hatred for Olympiakos has no effect on your analysis, huh Yuko?
Ps: Top thread Vito, keep it up
Ever heard of Jay O'Shea?
Sorry it's James. Played for my hometown now at Birmingham City.
He was a different class to the Eircom League
david mcgoldrick
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