The Toddster

Apols for this. Probably pop psychology and all bollocks. But I worry he’s going to waz away a talent that almost all can only dream off.

Has been an outstanding player all the way through his development at the club. Remember seeing clips of him on YouTube doing extraordinary things as a little lad when he was being coached by Hucks. He has all the potential in the world.

I’m sure nobody will judge him on today’s performance dreadful as that undoubtedly was. Only have to cast your mind back a few months, or back to the last Prem season, to see evidence of what he can do.

Thing is, he’s 24 in a few months time. 24. Not a little lad breaking through. He is about to enter the peak years of his career. And at the moment he’s going rapidly backwards. You can only hope today is just a blip - he hasn’t been playing, understandably rusty. But based on today, pretty clear why he hasn’t been playing.

Seems to me he’s always had a kind of confidence that has bordered on arrogance, and has potential to rub people up the wrong way. Like he has always felt that people doubted him and gave him crap and said he wouldn’t make it, and that has always made him double down on the attitude. Seeking out grief, beating grudges because it’s so important for him to “show em”.

Who knows what’s going on, but this “you don’t believe in me like you should so I’m going to flounce” now seems to be starting to undermine his career. He’s like a teenager finding anything and everything to bicker over with his mum and dad, with the result being that nothing gets done. That may have been the force that drove him on to excel in the past, but now it just seems to be dragging him down.

Just stop fighting with everyone and knuckle down. We all believe in you. Let go of the baggage. You haven’t got to prove anything to anyone. Train hard, work hard, perform for the team first and foremost, and you’ve got the potential to go… well, if not to the very top, to a very high level. Forget all the s**t, that you need to stick it to people, just get out on the pitch and enjoy your football.

I hope he can turn it round, I really do. I’m sure Smiffy will invest in him, and hope he’s open to it.

Posted By: Under soil heating, Nov 20, 22:14:08