Nathan Fraser

[JOSWolf]

Whatever the arguments on here, he will not be leaving unless we sign someone before the end of the window. Even then he may not leave. ONeil really impressed with him.

 

[Ironfistedmonk]

If you're on about Evan Ferguson, that kid is a unit and a complete freak of nature, someone who's developed physically way faster than the majority of people do and made his senior debut at 14. Fraser doesn't have the physical attributes to cope in the PL right now. Every time he managed to get ahead of a defender last night he didn't have the strength to hold on to it, the defender could basically just muscle him out. That will happen every week if he plays in the PL now

They are not the same situation

Yeah it's too soon for him, needs to go to Lge 1 or 2 and develop physically and gain experience, agree with your assessment there

 

[FJRWolf]

I think he's still lined up to go to Shrewsbury, providing we get a forward in.

 

[Fenrir_]

Sorry, but he's 6ft 2 and 85kg. I'm not expecting any more man strength to come from him. Everyone develops differently. He looks strong enough and sharp enough to me. Keep him here and see if he breaks through.

Well last night every time he had a battle with a defender he lost it, so I'd say he's nowhere near having his man strength yet regardless of his height and weight (which in no way determine it)

 

[hambaps]

Not bothered about losing battles with defenders. Plenty of strikers win the battle but miss the target - he hit it twice last night and would have had 2 goals without a great save from their keeper.

 

[OLDGOLD]

The only thing we really need to know is...is he a generational talent?...

 

[AndyY]

Yeah it's too soon for him, needs to go to Lge 1 or 2 and develop physically and gain experience, agree with your assessment there

Probably more likely to get clogged in L1 or 2. I thought he looked mobile, strong, competitive and had an eye for the goal last night, I was impressed.
That said, 18 is very young to be playing in the PL. Not sure what the answer is, but I would hate for him to go to a L1/2 club and be ruined by the less sophisticated players/ coaches/ methods there. Maybe we should keep him around the squad for the moment, play him in the u21s, give him minutes in the first team when opportunity allows and let him benefit from our coaching.

 

[AndyY]

The only thing we really need to know is...is he a generational talent?...

I am glad he came on last night and not Fabio. Sorry.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Not bothered about losing battles with defenders. Plenty of strikers win the battle but miss the target - he hit it twice last night and would have had 2 goals without a great save from their keeper.

Good interplay with Neto for the peno too. Didn't exactly lose the physical battle their either.

 

[OLDGOLD]

I am glad he came on last night and not Fabio. Sorry.

I agree. I was one who stuck by Fabio until recently, but now I think he will never cut it in the Premier league.

 

[Ditton Wolf]

At the game certainly won his fair share of aerial duels and holding the ball up.

 

[SuperGran]

I agree. I was one who stuck by Fabio until recently, but now I think he will never cut it in the Premier league.

Same. My heart would have sunk if we bought Fabio on last night.

 

[Sketchead]

Same. My heart would have sunk if we bought Fabio on last night.

Interesting that, I thought we were crying out for Fabio's legs up front in Extra Time until we got the dodgy pen!

On Fraser, well done young man. Great finish and only a superb save denied him a second. Not bad for a short cameo off the bench.

 

[brianm]

It's not nonsense, the level of fitness and strength of the modern day footballer is way above what is was then.

It's honestly hilarious watching matches from even the start of the century compared to now. The amount of space and running are just on different planets.

 

[sc91]

Exactly my point. He needs time to learn and grow into a player and being chucked into the first team could be really damaging for him. For all the talk of giving him a chance now, a few poor performances and people would be at him

Problem is, he doesn't set the world alight at lower levels and he could be cast aside.

Harry Kane did nothing at all till he fell into a chance at Spurs, now look at him.

 

[Ercall Wolves]

Robbie Keane had two years in the second tier nearly 30 years ago and went into a PL that still had a big drinking culture, he's completely irrelevant to this conversation. Lewis Miley is 6'2" and being a midfielder doesn't need the athleticism that a centre forward does

Comparing them because of age is just lazy. If he's good enough he's old enough is an outdated cliché. First and foremost now to succeed in the PL you've got to be fast enough and strong enough, and Fraser isn't yet

You are saying a midfielder doesn’t need to have as much athleticism as a forward
No disrespect but that is nonense
Compare the miles a midfielder runs to a forward along with the number of tackles and challenges

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Throw him in against Brighton and the Baggers if he scores then for me he’s already better than Fabio Silva who we threw our money away on…

3 first team appearances
2 goals, 1 assist
A goal contribution every 35 minutes

And some are saying he ain’t ready crazy!!

 

[SquaddieWolf]

He will be desperate to play against the baggies, I got a feeling he will come on and score again and become a club legend at 18

 

[SakosRightFoot]

Well last night every time he had a battle with a defender he lost it, so I'd say he's nowhere near having his man strength yet regardless of his height and weight (which in no way determine it)

This is proper nonsense he lost a few for sure but he also got a couple of good touches and his work rate looks class. Even the strongest forwards get outmuscled sometimes

 

[sedgwolf1980]

He will be desperate to play against the baggies, I got a feeling he will come on and score again and become a club legend at 18

The new Darren Roberts

 

[Darvo]

At the game certainly won his fair share of aerial duels and holding the ball up.

This. I thought he put himself about a fair bit. Well done Nathan. Great goal lad.

 

[Frank Lincoln]

Throw him in against Brighton and the Baggers if he scores then for me he’s already better than Fabio Silva who we threw our money away on…

3 first team appearances
2 goals, 1 assist
A goal contribution every 35 minutes

And some are saying he ain’t ready crazy!!

There is only one way to find out if he is ready, and that’s by playing him. He took his chance well last night and would have had another but for an excellent save by the Brentford goalkeeper.

 

[StaffordWolf]

Give him a chance I say, we can do without a new striker until the summer when better choice of targets will be available.

 

[Flump]

Throw him in against Brighton and the Baggers if he scores then for me he’s already better than Fabio Silva who we threw our money away on…

3 first team appearances
2 goals, 1 assist
A goal contribution every 35 minutes

And some are saying he ain’t ready crazy!!

It's nice to have faith, but weren't you saying Corbeanu was the next big thing a year or two ago?

 

[sc91]

It's nice to have faith, but weren't you saying Corbeanu was the next big thing a year or two ago?

And that was a rather unfortunate loan that derailed him.

 

[Flump]

And that was a rather unfortunate loan that derailed him.

Or he was robbish all along!

It's as easy to make a list of people who've developed hugely via loans as it is to make a list of people who've stagnated. Very few players are ready to play in the PL at 18, and a lot of those that are tend to be physical freaks. It's obviously promising and pleasing to see him do well, but I wouldn't get too excited from a couple of decent cameos - I remember thinking David Davis was going to be fantastic for us after some of his early games in his breakthrough!

 

[sc91]

Or he was robbish all along!

It's as easy to make a list of people who've developed hugely via loans as it is to make a list of people who've stagnated. Very few players are ready to play in the PL at 18, and a lot of those that are tend to be physical freaks. It's obviously promising and pleasing to see him do well, but I wouldn't get too excited from a couple of decent cameos - I remember thinking David Davis was going to be fantastic for us after some of his early games in his breakthrough!

And some players sink on a loan when the best scenarios for them is to stay with the parent club. I do hate to always bring up Kane but he is the ultimate example of a player just getting it right at the right time.

We have the opportunity now given we are in no immediate danger to get a young player in sync with his potential team mates and blood him enough so he develops into that Premier League player.

For all the talk of loaning him, I actually think he's a player that would be much more motivated and challenged with the prospect of breaking into Wolves seniors than any loan.

 

[Olivergoldblack]

The only thing we really need to know is...is he a generational talent?...

What you thinking, we sell him to Porto for £35m?

 

[Andywolf74]

Brighton seem to be managing their young Irish striker Ferguson pretty well. Hopefully we’ll do similar with Nathan, with a gradual introduction into the first team.
I actually think we did pretty well trying to transition Fabio into the first team but he’s never really looked like there’s anything to build on, unfortunately.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

It's nice to have faith, but weren't you saying Corbeanu was the next big thing a year or two ago?

He looked good on loan, but Fraser is different gravy…

 

[brianm]

If he's willing to run himself into the ground and follow instructions for 10 or 15 minutes every game or two, I say give him this half season with the group and then loan him next season to see if he can't kick on. Come back around 20 years old and see what the club have.

At some point he needs to get real live games under his belt, but it doesn't have to be at the first opportunity. I also think the atmosphere around the club is exceptionally good right now, and that kind of thing matters for development on a human level at that age.

That said, I don't think the club should consider the squad sorted at that position just because Fraser is coming through! Need more competition there surely either now if the deal is right or in the summer.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Problem is, he doesn't set the world alight at lower levels and he could be cast aside.

Harry Kane did nothing at all till he fell into a chance at Spurs, now look at him.

Kanes a good example to my point, he was 23 when he got his chance at spurs and physically completely different than he was at 18 and his loan moves helped him integrate

 

[Werewolf of Wombourne]

fraser should have gone on loan regular minutes in senior football would be better for him.

As other have said, loans can be useful but only at the right club. You have to be sure the club you’re sending your young player to has a good set of coaches and senior pros they will learn from. There’s no point sending a young player to a club where the standard of player is lower than the talent level of the young player or where they will used as cover and not play regularly. What will they learn from that?

In Fraser’s case, will he learn more from being involved in 1st team coaching sessions with GON and learning from Hwang. Cunha and Neto or playing in the lower reaches of the Championship with lower half Championship players and coaches?

 

[WW1963]

Flipin eck!! Only 18..

Thought he was 20. A really exciting prospect. Good physically already.

This is him signing up to Wolves aged 8

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

This is him signing up to Wolves aged 8

Look at that grin, as happy as Larry.

 

[SuperGran]

As other have said, loans can be useful but only at the right club. You have to be sure the club you’re sending your young player to has a good set of coaches and senior pros they will learn from. There’s no point sending a young player to a club where the standard of player is lower than the talent level of the young player or where they will used as cover and not play regularly. What will they learn from that?

In Fraser’s case, will he learn more from being involved in 1st team coaching sessions with GON and learning from Hwang. Cunha and Neto or playing in the lower reaches of the Championship with lower half Championship players and coaches?

To be fair I wrote that back in October I’d rather he stayed now and was given minutes.

 

[Southdownswolf]

So far he's played 107 minutes for the senior side, scored 2 and 1 assist.
Not bad for someone that isn't ready.

 

[sc91]

Kanes a good example to my point, he was 23 when he got his chance at spurs and physically completely different than he was at 18 and his loan moves helped him integrate

I also think he's a good point that loans don't work out. If it wasn't for injuries then Spurs were going to release him as his loans spells had been fine at best. Got forced to play and the rest is history, sometimes staying with the parent club is the best move.

 

[Ned]

We still need a number 9. Fraser was quality last night but I’d be happy to keep him as an enthusiastic, energetic goal threat from the bench. I’d be very wary of sending him down to league one to the wrong club and it killing his confidence. Keep him around the squad and give him minutes when needed, I wouldn’t be tempted to start him if I was GON.

 

[StaffordWolf]

We are a team who are currently creating quite a lot of chances most games, it's a great place for a young talented player to hone his craft. We've seen he can finish.

Does Fabio put that away? We gave Fabio a good number of chances at the start of the season.