Thread by @nonewthing

Honestly, if there was anything our rivals ought to be jealous of, it's the quality of the youngsters coming out of Hale End.

Look at Saka for instance, a boy born ready for the limelight.

Emile Smith-Rowe puts most 10s in the league to shame with his raw profile alone.

Folarin Balogun is another 6ft, silky legged spider who has an adult's body and the presence of a superstar. His mental, physical and technical profile honestly recalls Henry.

Miguel Azeez has freak genetics and reminds me of other genetic freaks like Jules Kounde and Mbappe.

Joe Willock is already a proven line-breaker and true EPL goal threat from midfield. Physically indomitable.

Then there's the likes of Nelson, Maitland-Niles as squad fodder and 20M assets who have excelled in the hardest of EPL matches.

New generation also coming up.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have Curtis Jones, whom I really like but in comparison to our youngsters, looks so limited.

Curtis Jones is a good player but he is a limited spectrum player. He can't play on the forward line nor too deep. Best he can do outside of being an 8 is a 10.

And that's stretching it as it will take him seasons to get ready as an effective 10 in the EPL. Tactically, compared to someone like ESR, he's like breadcrumbs. Jones is like the best mobile phone from 10 years ago while ESR is a new-gen flagship device. A world of difference.

Even United's superweapon in Greenwood is not even at the same levels. Yes, he's got unusual ballstriking and a great deal of gravity, but he hasn't physically matured and won't for a few years unless it's somehow accelerated. This makes it close to impossible to play him as a 9.

The EPL is the true estimate of talent. Greenwood won't hack it as a 9 for several years in the Premier League but Folarin Balogun is already ready. Folarin has the burst, pace and hip mobility of a pure winger to add to the mix. All effective at a Premier League level.

Mason has to be shifted about to help him find space. Opponents have to be distracted with other threats for Mason Greenwood to excel in the Premier League. He can't be the focal point, precisely because of his superweapon. EPL opponents will never give him a sniff of light.

Greenwood needs Rashford, Bruno, Cavani etc to take the spotlights off him or he'll never be allowed by the opposition to use his incredible ballstriking. He won't get the smallest chance to do what he does best. Lucky for him, he's at United where he can be afforded the cast.

(none of my tweets is about impact per se. Raw impact in terms of G/A performances does not equal a better profile. Impact can be a mirage achieved by careful tactical calibrations and does not make for a better raw profile at the same level of play. Please, no stupid arguments).

(understand it like this: Balogun and Greenwood have different profiles, right, in terms of summarizing their raw attributes/abilities? Now, if you could use a computer to calibrate both of them to Champions League knock-outs level of quality. Same level but different types).

Cobham products come close and that's only because of Mount and Hudson-Odoi who are new gen in terms of their profiles, too. Odoi is a unique, unique winger. Gotta give it to him. But Saka and ESR simply exceed them both marginally.

Saka vs Odoi for instance.

Both of them are very complete as wingers but what makes Saka more suitable to playing in midfield? What makes Saka a potential world class LCM in a way that Odoi can't even begin to dream of?

Of course, we won't talk about Saka as a pure fullback because that'd be unfair.

Even though Odoi is one of the most unique profiles for a winger I know (up there with Dembele and Foden), Saka matches him almost step-for-step on the wings (in terms of profile) and exceeds him elsewhere. That's what I'm talking about.

Same thing with Mount and ESR.

Emile Smith-Rowe is genuinely one of the world's most exciting midfield prospects. You don't need him to have a blowout season before you realize it. That would mean you are behind the curve.

In fact, as good as Curtis Jones is, it's laughable to compare him with ESR.

Emile Smith-Rowe is a technical dream, for starters. I honestly don't see any technical limits for him on a general level. Tight space commando and has given passes in the EPL that a De Bruyne-level passer (Ozil, Pedri) would be proud of.

But that's just where it starts for ESR.

Because Emile Smith-Rowe does not yet have a gigantic public profile, let me give you some background; Barcelona, Leipzig and Monaco have notedly pursued ESR before he played for the first team. In fact, RB Leipzig were willing to sanction a swap deal with Upamencano for him.

At the academy level, he was recognized as the best talent of his age group. By 18, he was in the first team picture, scoring 6 goals for Arsenal and then sustaining an injury. Despite the injury, RB Leipzig were desperate enough to still sign him on loan.

Because of the injury, he didn't get to play much for Leipzig. Around this time, Arsenal developed an interest in Dayot Upamencano and Leipzig wanted Emile Smith-Rowe + some money in exchange. The Arsenal hierarchy flatly refused this deal, though they wanted Upamencano.

His second season was besotted with injuries again and when he recovered, he was sent on loan to Huddersfield in the Championship where their manager, Dan Cowley called him Premier League level and described him as someone who could speed up games at will.

Emile Smith-Rowe delivered top performances for Huddersfield, including scoring the goal that literally saved them from relegation. Cowley called him a dream of a player who could find space in a telephone box. It was a smashing loan.

Came back to Arsenal, was injured again and

you know the rest of his story from there. Arsenal were in relegation form until he got back from injury, was introduced to the first team in the surprise 3-1 win over Chelsea in December and went into top-of-the-league form with him, earning more points than everyone but City.

He is now the subject of heavy interest from Aston Villa as a potential Jack Grealish replacement. Villa have tested the waters with bids around £35,000,000 which have all been rejected by Arsenal. Safe to say that he is a top talent at 20.

Background story over.

Emile Smith-Rowe is not just a technical dream, he is also a physical dream.

He is around 6ft tall and has the hip mobility and general grace of a diminutive playmaker. It makes him very easy to watch as he glides past midfielders. However, that's not all.

Emile Smith-Rowe is FAST. Like, no, genuinely FAST!

He skips past opponents like it's nothing. And I'm talking about Premier League opposition.

Already, this makes him a line-breaker from midfield.

Now, let's look at when last you have seen a 6ft tall elegant playmaker with the speed of a true winger.

No, seriously, mention one player like that in European football.

You can understand the Barcelona interest from here.

On top of all these qualities, ESR can play as an 8!

ESR also has the ability and profile of a true 8. He works his socks off every time, understands central occupation and wide overloads.

How did Hale-End produce a player like this?

I think it's down to identifying him from a young age as 'tall and technical midfielder'.

Nobody could know at the time that he could develop into being a PnP demon like some true wing prospect.

But that's what he is now: a genuine 8, 10 and wing prospect.

When last have you seen a player fully capable of excelling in all 3 roles at a full Premier League level?

Compare him with someone like Carney Chukwuemeka of Aston Villa for instance to see the difference in levels.

CC is someone I expect to go on to be one of the best 8s in the game. But despite having more pace than someone like Curtis Jones, he is no ESR. He is not a wing talent.

Now, him and Mason Mount. Mason Mount is a genuine prospect at 8 and a proven one at 10 in the Premier League. He is also capable of playing from the wings. ESR matches that.

Ballstriking as a Mason Mount superweapon? Lol, would you know it? ESR also has great ballstriking!

Then add the fact that he is 6ft tall and much faster than Mason Mount and you begin to see the difference in their profiles. That physical profile alone puts him on another level.

Depending on his positional progression, I expect Emile Smith-Rowe to match Mason Mount's progress

You will see a similar breakout season for Emile Smith-Rowe as with Mason Mount, circumstances depending.

Mentally, Maso Mason Mount is ideal. He is incredible. ESR is also mentally great but I will be honest: he does not have the same killer instinct as Mount does.

ESR also has not developed full durability. Physically, he can't yet handle the level of physical intensity that Mason Mount or Bukayo Saka can handle, game in game out.

He's prone to injuries, a fair exchange for the amount of incredible talent contained in his body.

Durability is also part of talent, on a physical grade.

But it can come with time. You can't have everything, I guess. ESR, when he gains the ability to play a lot of minutes at a high volume and level, will be one of the most wonderful players around.

His physical load will have to be carefully managed for now but the talent remains.

He hasn't even yet developed strength in his legs so much that he can ride tackles on the stride. He goes through players with his sheer technique and speed. But a Saka can absorb tackles, too.

The ability to absorb or ride through tackles is important for a forward. That's part of what makes Zaha look unstoppable at times.

I call it "strength in the legs".

Jadon Sancho does not have the sheer bust of a PnP monster but once he gets going, he keeps going.