Anis Mehmeti
Anis Mehmeti as developed into an outstanding young footballer and much of the credit must go down to our coaching/management team who have nurtured him superbly over the past 2-3 years or so.
When Anis first came on the scene you could see the raw talent. He was able to run at people but more often than not picked the wrong pass or didn’t know when to get involved in his defensive responsibilities.
Over the time we have had him with us our brilliant coaching staff have made him into a much more confident and mature player who now knows not only how to maximise his own skills but he now brings other players into the game, knows how to take defenders away to create chances for others and knows his duties as part of the team.
Anis will drive at defences and now knows how to finish. He is not the finished article just yet but we can all see that he is capable of playing at a higher level. As long as he keeps grounded and I am sure Gareth will insist on that, he will go far in the game.
Comments
I will never forget the Twitter meltdown when the club got the yellow BREAKING TRANSFER NEWS gif out for 'only' development signings - one of which was Mehmessi. Some people made themselves look really rather stupid that day.
And to think we also have Forino, Pattenden and Leathers to come. All of whom could also have a big future once they go through the sausage machine.
I'm sure you were probably one of them like many others . credit where credit it due , Anis is an outstanding find and no doubt will be in the prem in the future and we have a few more who may follow....
In fairness to anyone (I’m sure I wasn’t one) looking at his CV you wouldn’t be rushing to get a shirt printed. That’s the joy of the development squad. For some reason these gems slip through the net at bigger clubs.
Anyone watching the Crystal Palace ‘documentary’ on C4 can get a glimpse of the reasons these excellent technical players don’t make it. Too short, too slow, too many players in that position, not confident enough, etc. That’s why our loving home can see the successes we are seeing. Every development signing should be greeted with the same excitement. You never know.
No, I wasn't actually. Most fans don't expect development signings to be treated as 'lesser' signings.
What's this Palace thing called? Hadn't seen that.
easy to say now , I'm sorry but development signings are lesser signings as they are not expected to play 1st team football in the short term
I was more impressed with him yesterday than ever before. Playing out of position, using his strength to hold off much bigger players, tirelessly running for the benefit of the team, and of course that moment of brilliance when he scored. As @Blue_since_1990 says he’s so much more than just ayoungster with talent now, he’s a real team player.
I can’t see him still being here come February. And why isn’t he in the Albania squad?
I could be wrong but it seems the only faintly positive thing I have seen @Quartersman80 say about Wycombe is Mehmeti is too good for us.
You have to have a much more rounded approach to these things and our development structure is the most affordable way to do produce and nurture young talent.
Mehmeti is the most exciting player we have developed since Jordan Ibe who came through our old style academy. I have confidence in the people we have employed to find and then develop these gems and long may it last.
Seen 'Football Dreams: The Academy'? Watch it here on All 4:
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/football-dreams-the-academy?cntsrc=social_share_ios_football_dreams_the_academy
Its done a little for entertainment but does show the pressure these kids are under from 9 onwards. Uplifting and tragic.
Will give that a watch, cheers
Ah. But WDAS?
(What does @aloysius say?)
I watched some of the documentary and wondered just how parents could put their kids through all that. I know the kids wanted it too but those cast aside must feel awful at a very vulnerable;e time of life, You got the impression, and not uncommon in sport, that the parents wanted to live through their children.
In fairness to Palace, they did recently launch a comprehensive aftercare package for released youngsters - not sure how many other Prem clubs provide such a thing (it should be mandatory). https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/club/crystal-palace-enhances-after-care-programme-for-released-academy-players/2022-01-29/
It’s hard to criticise Palace or the system. The over investment by parents is understandable but shocking. A nine year old acutely aware that they are the family’s one shot at a better life is tragic.
The cause of all this? Of course it’s money the chasm between the haves and have nots in football continues to grow.
See also Netflix’s brilliant Last Chance U series.
One of the great pleasures of supporting Wycombe is following our younger players journeys. I greatly miss our youth team but at least we have the development squad.
Appreciate Anis while we have him. Use the broken top flight youth system to our advantage and hopefully he will be the first of many.
Just like Aladdin's genie, all I need is a vigorous rub and I'm summoned.
I give great credit to Gareth and Richard for polishing up a rough diamond and turning it into a gem that would grace the anatomy of a decent Championship side, with potential for more. Truly they are the great lapidarists of League One.
I also give @aloysius great credit for spotting that early Mehmeti had issues with selfish play - not releasing the ball when teammates were in better positions, getting caught in possession - and a tendency to on-pitch frustration, including occasional aggressive outbursts at teammates, that could hold him back from fulfilling his potential. Suggesting that he was dropped at the start of last season to work on those proved the making of the man, not least after he punched O'Nien and left the club with limited other options. He came back a better, more mature player without losing any of his creative threat and trickery. Combined with the fitness work over the summer (I think I was ridiculed for suggesting he'd bulked up in that swimming pool shot though Phil Catchpole has also mentioned it regularly since) and he's a very hot prospect indeed. I expect his goal tally to be on double figures by January when the bids will inevitably rain down.
In future, when you see that we’ve signed another development player, just comment “another potential star”. Of course they are lesser by your definition. But derogatory comments are completely unnecessary.
If Mehmeti leaves in the January window for big money, no doubt @aloysius will be claiming that the Couhig's are trousering the windfall!
He seems to be claiming credit for his development, will probably want a percentage of the transfer fee for acknowledging that red cards aren't Ideal and posting that on a forum.
Think that a significant, and overlooked part of his developement is that he wasn't overplayed as he was breaking into the first team. It's tempting, when you've got such an obviously prodigious talent, to want to start them every week for 40+ games a year. It's very hard for a young player to maintain consistency, but because fans often demand instant success they want them to play every week. He started fewer than 25 games last year, and Ainsworth and Dobbo's patience and expertise is now being rewarded (see also Forino).
One of the things I absoultely love about this club is that they are capable of taking the long view (it's a trait replicated in our more sensible supporters, and many who post on here). Knowing that you can have a few bad results and not have to worry about losing your job allows the management to develop talent over time, and makes having a development squad even more valuable.
The dismissing of up and coming talent is one of the most depressing aspects of online football discussions.
I think it’s part of the ‘first with the news’ behaviour of the ‘speak your brains’ generation.
‘I MUST MAKE SURE IT IS ME THAT HAS IDENTIFIED HIM AS SHIT FIRST!!!’
That’s a very good point that I’d not really considered about (relative) job security giving management the time to invest and develop raw talent.
It will be a privilege to follow this young man's career. It is bittersweet watching him, knowing we found him but cannot keep him for ever. That being said, he truly is destined for the PL at his current trajectory.
It is easy to imagine the AP faithful going nuts as the veteran Anis, fresh off hauling Albania to WC qualification and winning a trophy with Major Club X, waves from the pitchside on a visit back to the club who gave him his professional launch pad.
Are we gonna rule him out of playing for England?
You'd imagine when he does get back up to the championship, be it with us, or being sold, Albania would be particularly lax to not very quickly upgrade him to a full cap.
Exactly your first line.
Let's not all pretend it was always obvious Mehmeti was a huge signing for us on that initial announcement!
When we make a development signing I tend to think "oh, ok, wonder what they'll be like".
We've done very well to convert two to fairly regular squad players so far.
Sometimes, the development squad signings really excite me. There’s just something about the idea of potentially discovering a gem who will go on to bigger and better things. I had that feeling when we signed Parsons and I had that feeling recently with Jasper.
Back to Anis, I’ve had this one in the bank ready for when he plays in the top flight.
Mr Hairy is a Norwich fan who didn’t believe that Anis had the potential. I’m glad that Gaz didn’t listen to Ken!
I know he was signed for the development squad but in reality he was pretty much immediately put in the first team squad when it became obvious how good he was wasn't he?