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Not poster on here in a long long time.
But i must say, Naughton looks a quality player, and at just 19(?) too! He looks very comfortable on the ball, and can get forward too. Could become a very good player in my opinion, well done the academy!
pace
a brain
he can tackle
not just tackle, come out of tackles with the ball at his feet
balls over the top perfect
can run with the ball
can cross the ball
can split defences with balls through
has a long throw
can shoot
can read the game
can use the inside or outside of his boot
is only 19 and will get better and better
awesome
He will play for England one day.
Couldn't agree more, took the words right out of my mouth.
The lad has definitely got an old head on young shoulders. He will play for England one day.
Yeah i said it to my mate after the Bristol game as well.I said this to butchaboy tonight at the match, also mentioned it to my girlfriend after the Bristol City match.
Sheffield United right-back Kyle Naughton, 19, is attracting the attention of Manchester City and Arsenal. (Sunday Express)
Its a very big compliment to be linked with Arsenal. Wenger knows a good young player when he sees one, but all this England talk is nonsense hes only played about 6/7 proffessional games. What if he has an injury or makes a very uncharacteristic mistake, thats when he will be tested mentally.
So far, against championship wingers, he has shone consistently. Lets see how he goes when up against the top teams in the division and after 20+ games.
Lets not go over the top though Blades, just remember Woodhouse, Morris and Wayne Quinn.
Wenger knows a good young player when he sees one.
Steve Claridge talks about Kyle...............
I killed two birds with one stone here, as I had always wanted to sample the atmosphere of the Steel City derby and took in Kyle Naughton of Sheffield United into the bargain. I certainly wasn't let down by either experience.
Naughton, a right-back, was up against a tricky winger in Jermaine Johnson but showed immediately that he had the pace to match him - which is always a comforting thought for a defender. Naughton's game remained reasonably cautious because of the threat posed down his side and rightly so - he was disciplined as his side weathered early pressure.
His positioning was good, particularly when he was left facing two players. He did what every good defender does and closed down the man on the ball but made sure not to over-commit himself. As the pass was released he made up ground very quickly and put pressure on the man about to shoot, doing enough to make him hit the ball wide.
He did release himself once early on when he came late and fast around the back of everyone for a deep corner which he hit on the volley only for his shot to be blocked. From the resulting throw-in I simply wrote down "Wow" due to the distance he propelled the ball into the Wednesday box. He was also very good at picking players out from these throws which are clearly a potent weapon in United's armoury.
On the flipside he did need his right winger to bail him out and when the winger was then beaten he failed to get close enough to pressure the ball. I would have liked to see him being more demanding of the ball from his team-mates but this is understandable in someone so young.
He also needs to show the winger down the line when defending in deep areas around his own penalty area as on one occasion an opposing player came inside and shot on goal. But in the main his defending was excellent, such as when he made a brilliantly timed challenge on the run when he not only stopped a dangerous attack but then proceeded to set his own team-mates up for a chance.
Three bits of play showed me that this is no ordinary right-back. First, he played the ball inside his opposite full-back with the outside of his foot, brilliantly curling the ball around the man into the path of his team-mate. He then hit a cross-cum-half-volley, also with the outside of his foot, which fizzed across goal, and finally he received the ball just outside the box and flicked the ball to his winger in mid-air - skill you don't associate with a defender.
As you would imagine he struck the ball very cleanly - particularly with long diagonal passes which rarely missed their target - and on the odd occasion he used his left foot he looked more than capable.
Despite playing just 18 games on loan at Gretna last season and eight so far for Sheffield United, he is clearly getting the hang of things, and as a boyhood Blades fan he has already fulfilled a lifelong ambition shared by so many, playing for the club he supports. However, this is a player who has the talent to set his ambitions far higher.
Age 19
Born Sheffield
Position Defender
Height 5ft 11in
Weight 11st 7lb
From Youth team
Pace 9/10
Attacking 9/10
Passing 9/10
Heading 8/10
Team responsibility 8/10
Valuation £1m
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/oct/28/championship-sheffieldunited
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