Grapevine
Football Guru
- Joined
- May 16, 2018
- Messages
- 1,242
And on that note I'd be interested in your views on how best to utilise Isaac Hutchinson? I see him as most effective for now as a sub, coming on against tired legs once the game has opened up. I'd be looking at giving him 20-25 minute cameos most weeks.
The comparison with Dru is interesting. They've both experienced a similar amount of success at adult football - about half a season each (albeit Dru's was in the first team last season) and are now having to deal with football prehaps not being easy for maybe the first time in their lives. Hopefully both will learn and be prospering regularly in the first team before long.
I’m not sure if this was meant for me or @Exiled Shrimper ?
I’ve watched / followed Isaac more closely than would normally be the case, one because he’d come from a premier league club, two because he’d attracted offers from abroad which is always big news at the moment and three because I liked what I saw from day one pre season v Bishops Stortford....
Technically you can see he’s come from Cat 1. He’s ahead of all the other young players along with Klass in that respect. His touch and ability to use both feet is an obvious tell tale sign as his ability to deal with the ball in tight areas without panic or needing to just get rid of it....over the times I’ve seen him I’d also say a tell tale sign is he sometimes wants time on the ball (sometimes too much) and wants to be too perfect....a classic premier league academy stamp!!
He is gradually learning a bit more of the rough and tumble required and if he gets it, added to his technical ability I think he can still progress up the leagues.
For now, in the first team, I think he’s been unfortunate. He made several useful appearances from the bench before Gillingham where he was breath of fresh air but the team performance v Plymouth affected him more than anyone and I think he got over confident and tried to hard to make something happen...that’s creative players for you, sometimes you have to just suck it up.
Since then, Portsmouth I don’t think he contributed much but I watched Accrington on ifollow and I thought he showed real promise even further up the pitch where he’s not really best suited. To be missing completely since then is strange and a little unfair if it’s performance based?
I’d have him on the bench regularly. For one he can play left right and central midfield and can play as an attacking centre midfielder as well as a conventional one and although not his best position he showed at Accrington he can do a job as a forward.
If we can keep them, or we can be patient enough I see no reason why Southend don’t end up with a side featuring, Dru, Charlie, Michael, Elvis, Isaac, Lewis Gard (who is another talent not to be forgotten) Nathen.....etc etc etc and I’d very much like to still be watching if that happens!!!