The young guns strike!

Yesterday, three players in the EPL scored that previous to this season were virtual unknowns: Derbyshire for Blackburn, Vaughan for Everton and Gardner for Aston Villa. But who has the highest potential?

Matt Derbyshire

Hadn't heard of the guy before the start of the season. His development has been very Italian in style though. born in 1986, he's now 21 - so a relative late starter by English standards. Last season he went on loan to Wrexham and scored 10 goals in 16 games, which got a few alarm bells ringing and this season he's been given an opportunity for Blackburn. And he's made an impression. 5 goals in 8 starts and 15 subs appearances and 4 goals in 6 in the FA cup. Not a bad start.

What I find most promising about Derbyshire is his natural eye for goal combined with his finishing - he's like a less refined version of Robbie Fowler, yet he's still a very good player and IMO with a run in the team, he could easily score 15 goals a season, maybe more.

Craig Gardner

Know a lot less about this guy. Yet again he's 21 and a bit of a late developer and another player to role off the Villa youth academy set up - which is begining to churn out some real talents. He's only scored 2 goals in 21 appearances this season (mostly as a sub) but his finish yesterday shows that the guy has potential - great technique for the goal and O'neill seems to have some faith in the guy.

Seems a very hard working player, also has a low centre of gavity which makes him reasonable with the ball at his feet.

James Vaughan

James is much younger than the other two just 18. Also had a great game yesterday, getting on the scoresheet and also making a great acrobatic effort drawing Cech into a good save. Vaughan has made 13 appearances this season (again mostly as a cub) and has scored 4 goals - so the best strike rate of the three. He's not the most technically gifted of strikers but physically he is superior to the other two, with more strength, height and pace - he looks like in the future, if he can harness these assets he should be able to cause some real problems for defences.

James previous to this season was the most well known of the three, having scored at the age of 16 in the EPL, making him the youngest ever scorer. On paper he possibly has more potential than the ohter two, though personally at present I think Derbyshire is maybe slightly more 'complete' in that he has great off the ball movement and is a better finisher.

What's everyone elses view on these three? obviously I don't think they'll ever be England quality, or at least I doubt it, but they seem to have made positive roads to becoming a decent future EPL striker

I vote Matt Derbyshire. I've been really impressed by him every time he's played this season, and he looks like he could become a great premiership forward.

I'd heard of Vaughan as being the next Wayne Rooney, but he doesn't seem that brilliant, yet. He played well on sunday, but in some of the games I've seen he's looked out of his depth...but then again, he's only 18.

I've made it a poll.

Yeh, I've probably seen the most of Derbyshire and to me he looks a very good player - like I said a real natural finisher, somethnig we haven't really seen in England for a hell of a long time.

Vaughan looks decent enough but technically he's nothing special

Derbyshire, I just like that name!! Good goal as well!!

Is Craig Gardener a midfielder?

I go with Derbyshire. Everytime i've seen him play he seems to look more accomplished and lest wastefull than Mccarthy and Roberts. He is also very mobile snd comfortable on the right wing.

Vaughan have been injury prone , go for Derbyshire but if you are asking about the young English strikers then i think Luke Moore is going to be something.

CT wrote:Is Craig Gardener a midfielder?

Yes you're right - but he seems to like to get in the box a lot. Not really a stiker at all - more of an attacking midfielder/forward

Dark Savante wrote:Vaughan have been injury prone , go for Derbyshire but if you are asking about the young English strikers then i think Luke Moore is going to be something.

He was better last season than he's been this season.

Not sure how good he is technically still. he has the physical attributes but not much in the way of finesse or a footballing brain.

Tweedle wrote:

CT wrote:Is Craig Gardener a midfielder?

Yes you're right - but he seems to like to get in the box a lot. Not really a stiker at all - more of an attacking midfielder/forward

He looks very good, so thats why i voted for him.

Technically English strikers lack it ,Derbyshire isnt technically very great either neither is Vaughan ,Agbonlahor , D Bent etc ,out of these (leaving Bent) I think Luke is going to be better.

And he's been out injured , Aston Villa started very well but found it difficult when he got injured.

Dark Savante wrote:Technically English strikers lack it ,Derbyshire isnt technically very great either neither is Vaughan ,Agbonlahor , D Bent etc ,out of these (leaving Bent) I think Luke is going to be better.

Derbyshire is a great finisher though - it depends what you regard as 'technique'.

If its purely skill on the ball and flair, then I'd agree but striking the ball the way I've seen Derbyshire do it requires great technique, he always works the keeper and plays the shots in such a way that they're a challenge to save.

Like I said, most natural finisher I've seen come through for a long time

His finishing is good but I think he lack other things like awareness,movement , reaction etc what makes a great goal scorer like Ruud (though Ruud was technically a very good player).

Dark Savante wrote:His finishing is good but I think he lack other things like awareness,movement , reaction etc what makes a great goal scorer like Ruud (though Ruud was technically a very good player).

Really?

His movement is one of his best assets as is his anticipation IMO.

The difference between Ruud and derbyshire is that Ruud took anticipation to another level, he is also a let more physically developed than Derbyshire

Sorry Tweed but not really seen great movement from him across the line may be I was not concentrating on him when watching BB.

And a younger Ruud also had pace(decent) , he could take freekicks and score all sort of goals.

hard to compare gardner with the other two. he's more of a box-to-box midfielder, if anything, but he's a bit of a utility player. certainly got potential & he seems to have the right attitude, o'neill definitely favours him to davis.

good to see the shout-out for moore. was great to see him score yesterday. i genuinely think he could be a 20 goal player if he gets a good run in the team. i'd compare to defoe as a striker. fast, natural finisher, but doesn't always take the best option.


vaughan looks good from what little i've seen. derbyshire, i know even less....

the three are new to my eyes. so very hard for me to make a choice.
i keep my reservation untill i see their matches.

Isiah Osbourne looks decent too for you debaser , he's physically well built so thats one aspect covered , what do you think about him.
I think Davis is a better player then Gardner.

i think vaughan does have the potential to play for england in the future, i think you are underestimating his technical ability tweeds.

Dark Savante wrote:Isiah Osbourne looks decent too for you debaser , he's physically well built so thats one aspect covered , what do you think about him.
I think Davis is a better player then Gardner.

osbourne looked good in spells, definitely has the physical attributes & he could run all day, but he was a bit naiive at times, gave the ball away a fair bit. i think he'd benefit from a loan spell in the championship or league 1, but he has potential.