Ethan Wheatley

This lad will be in the Premier League in 2-3 years and will move for well into 7 figures at some point.

Once he clears that mental block around his finishing, he'll fly.

 

He seems to have a very weak shot similar to Tyler Smiths… get some power behind that shot and he’ll be on his way to being a top premier league player

 

He was getting good service last nIght v PV, something Mullins doesn’t get

 

Mullins wants it to head and a runner, Wheatley wants it on the deck and he is the “ runner” for himself?

 

Got to ask, on what basis have your drawn this conclusion? For me he had his first decent game in a City shirt on Wednesday, but that was against a knackered, bottom of the league Port Vale. They are a L2 side.

Orient - very poor and ineffective
Reading - cant comment as didnt see
Rotherham - came on, subbed back off. Poor.
Wimbledon - cant comment but a 27 minute cameo
Stockport - given clip at half time. Poor.
Peterborough - didnt really register as a short cameo
Luton - missed glorious opportunity to get us back in the game

Deserves his start against Wigan, hopefully he continues the Port Vale performance but ive not seen anything to suggest he will be a £10m player playing in the PL yet.

 

He's only just 20. He's very young, and still raw. He may well end up going nowhere, but I watch him and I've seen genuine potential. I wouldn't say he was poor against Rotherham, not Stockport. I can see him growing, he's got real pace and good close control - those are essentials for top level strikers. His movement his very, very good. I can see it. He's been a bit naive in some of his back to goal play, and he's clear inside his own head when it comes to finishing. But I think those are both very solvable through a bit of experience.

Judging any player is part data, part eye test. And with young players its easy to over-exagerate the potential, or indeed over-state the rawness factor.

I could be wrong but my instinct tells me he'll be a real player. An example I'd cite is Calum Wilson. At the same age, he played 11 games for Coventry, and got 1 goal. The next season, 27 in 31. I wouldn't be at all surprised if, with a bit of physical and mental development over the next 6-12 months, he breaks out in a similar way

Edit - some other examples, looking at the top end of the Championship scorers. At a similar age to Wheatley:

Haji Wright had 37 appearances and 1 goal in scandnavia
Oli McBurnie had 15 League One appearances and no goals and a very similar youth international record
Joe Gelhardt - 19 Championship games, 1 goal.

If the raw ingredients are there, things can just click. May happen, may not, but I see something in him.

 

He has a good turn of pace which is essential to play higher. Touch ain't too bad either. Doesn't know how to use his advantage in physicality yet but that may come with experience. That finishing though is league 2 level and thats being generous, doesn't look like a natural finisher at all and i've seen plenty at his age that do look it. Unless that improves markedly he ain't going anyhwhere.

 

Like Ballard at Orient - only 20 years old

 

Ballard looks a serious prospect this season. Finishing looks on point. Could be a one off, we've seen players do that before but i expect to see him in the championship next season.

 

Hie finishing does need to improve, granted. But I do think a lot of that is down to confidence, maturity and a bit of physical development. Put another way, if there's a deal where we can pick him up for a reasonable fee and weighted sell on clauses, it's a punt we should absolutely take

 

McBurnie was 17 and 18 when he played for City. He had a very decent loan spell at Barnsley in the Championship aged 20. Geldart was only 18 during his Wigan Championship days. He was also played all over the forward line, never a settled CF. He has started to find his feet aged 23.

Wheatley has time on his side but is currently around 2 years older than those you mentioned early in their careers.

Have City ever had a decent young loan CF that has gone on to have a Premier League or even top end Championship career? (Genuine question btw)

I can name 10-15 off the bat from the last decade or so that havent.

 

I can't see any serious bidders coming in for him at this stage, football is awash with academy players like this and he doesn't yet stand out. That said, if you were to ask me if i'd take a punt on him with what i'd seen, if it was similar to the Metcalfe deal where we are hedging our bets with no upfront but a large sell on fee i'd take a punt.

 

You didn’t watch Ballard last season either. Someone saw something in him much much lower than Man United’s fantastic Academy and scout network. With those type of back up I’d suggest they know of Wheatleys promise more than we ever will . I’d love to take him next season at the drop of a hat .

 

Fair comment, as much as I critical I possibly would...but there are still 10 games this season to make a more informed judgement. He may well score 5-6 goals in that time or continue wasting chances. Time will tell. What I do know is he will have to up his game because Jackson will be back in a few weeks and Swan has returned.

Forgive me but CF is a position that frustrates me the most, we really have had short change over the years - its by no coincidence we have had a proper goal scorer each time we have been promoted in recent years or at least come very close - see Wells, Wyke and Cook. Seems like this year is a point of difference!

Mellon, Sanderson, Afoka, Tulloch, Harrat, Costelleo, Nevers...I could probably go on.

 

All good comments mate, it's easy to make a rash decision on a player when in reality weve seen very little to rate him on. If he starts putting chance away the decision is made a lot easier, if he keeps rolling back passes to their keeper or fluffing one on ones it's a different matter.

 

The thing is even without scoring his value to the team is there his pace and strength for a youngster is evident, The lads doing well

 

I think Wheatley could benefit from some golf lessons. He's mastered the putting, now learn lobs, chips and drives.

 

He can learn from Sarcevic The big chance he missed came about after a brilliant run from midfield at the end of it he should have chipped the keeper as Sarcevic did for his second against Orient. That comes from experience

 

Or gone round him (which nobody seems to have the confidence to do any more).

 

I see more in this kid than any of those. Its just how I read his performances. A few things need to come together for him, but the raw ingredients are there.