Under-21 players balling in European competition this season

I know we’ve got a few proper football junkies reading the newsletter, but most of you have “jobs” or “kids” or “school” or “hobbies.” I know you don’t necessarily have time to watch the Europa League, and definitely not the Conference League.

But I do, so I’d like to catch you up on some of the best young performers in Europe this season that you probably haven’t gotten a chance to watch. Also, this features a couple of bonus players that even I haven’t had time to catch yet, but whose excellent stats have them firmly on my watch list for the next round of games.

Abdulay Juma Bah, Nice

We start with a Manchester City loanee that you might see win a place in his parent club’s squad next season, or sold for a heck of a lot more than they paid for him. The 6’5” (195cm) defender is dominant in the air, and he’s starting to add a lot more confident play on the ball to his game as well.

Bah is about the most impressive-looking athlete I’ve ever watched, and it’s very cool to see him become more of a well-rounded footballer. I can’t wait to see him get added to a team with elite set piece design and delivery.

Alex Toth, Ferencvaros

This is a player that I have to admit I’ve never watched before, but his statistical profile is extremely intriguing. I love how he’s no defense, all playmaking against weaker domestic opposition, but turns on the work rate when his team is under pressure in Europe.

And the clips match up with the stats. This is one of the sickest sizzle reels I’ve watched in a while. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this guy until this week.

Again, I have never watched a full 90 minute match of Toth, so I can’t confidently tell you that he should be making a move to a big club anytime soon. But I am beyond intrigued, and I’m going to make a point of watching Ferencvaros soon.

Colby Donovan, Celtic

Celtic just lost their top of the table clash with Hearts over the weekend, leading new manager Wilfried Nancy to change his Twitter avi to some SuccessWin motivational gibberish, then lock his account after he got abuse for it. Things are going great in Glasgow.

Looking on the bright side, Colby Donovan appears to be a very talented young player.

Donovan has turned some impressive performances for Celtic B and Scotland U-19 into a professional debut this season and a place in the Scotland U-21s. He’s a pretty big and strong dude for a fullback, has shown some great energy going forward, and has some high quality shot assists in the Europa League this year.

Johan Manzambi, Freiburg

If you love all-action box-to-box midfielders, you’re going to love this guy. Manzambi is just everywhere, all the time, doing everything.

I also love the audacity of a central midfielder who wears No. 9 for his country, but he’s earned it with 3 goals in his first 8 appearances for Switzerland.

Manzambi’s physical and technical talent is obviously bonkers within 30 seconds of watching him, but if there’s a downside for any rich clubs looking into signing him, it’s how risky his style of play can be in every way. He’s never scared of trying to dribble past someone or lunging into a tackle, which means he has a lot of unnecessary turnovers and fouls. But I’d much rather try to get a talented young player to dial it back a bit than try to get a risk averse player to start trying shit.

Konstantinos Karetsas, Genk

Genk is a factory. Sell Bilal El Khannouss to Leicester, simply produce a regen.

Greece currently play two 18-year-old attackers with names that start with K, so I often confuse this guy with Brighton’s large shooty boy Charalampos Kostoulas. His countryman is a much different style of player, an old school pure playmaking 10.

Much like his predecessor in Genk’s No. 10 role, Karetsas’ long-term success likely depends on finding the right tactical fit. He’s a good dribbler, but probably not fast or strong enough to beat people regularly down the wing in stronger leagues. He’s not much of a shooter. He’ll either need to learn to play deeper as he gets older, or have a team completely built around accentuating his strengths while masking his deficiencies.

God, I miss Riquelme and Rui Costa. What happened to the game I love?

Kees Smit, AZ Alkmaar

The best player at the UEFA Under-19 Championship has stepped into a leading role with AZ Alkmaar this season, and he’s taking the responsibility on nicely.

You’re going to be hearing a lot about Kees Smit next summer.

There’s no doubt about Smit being a generational talent as a ball progressor from a deeper midfield position. He’s got Kroos-like ball skills and vision. But the question is whether or not he’s physically robust enough to compete at the highest level.

Smit does not do a ton of pressing work, and he’s had quite a few injuries already for such a young player. The Eredivisie is notorious for being friendly to technically gifted, but physically limited central midfielders. His excellent performance against Crystal Palace will assuage some concerns in that department, but anyone paying big money for a player without elite physical tools in this era of football is taking on significant risk.

Bonus: Jack Henry-Francis, Shelbourne

I do not think that former Arsenal academy player Jack Henry-Francis will be making a move to a big club from Shelbourne this summer. He might be an excellent signing for a League One team. But I picked him out because I found the difference in level from the Irish league to the Conference League to be very funny.

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