Cadden back playing!

[texaco cup]

Chris Cadden made his comeback after injury today in a reserve game against St.Mirren, with the Well winning 4-1 with Cadden on the scoresheet. The outstanding play for Motherwell was Jamie Semple involved in all four goals definitely one for the future and someone we need to get signed up on an extended contract.

[Wellup4it]

Yes, good to see Cads back playing although it'll take him a few weeks to get back up to a reasonable level of fitness. Semple is definitely one for the future, but of although we can try we can't make him sign.

[Handsome_Devil]

Semple is an interesting one and seemingly a real life counter to all those critical for Hastie not being signed up well in advance.

A few years ago he was considered one of, if not, the bluest of chips in our youth system, trained with the first team aged 14, ridiculously early U20 debut, trials at all sorts of Premier clubs in England. Should we have tied him down to as long a contract we could then? Would he have signed? Who knows.

Anyway, fast forward until now and suddenly - while he's still progressing very nicely, Scotland age-grouper etc - not only is he still here rather than the Premiership, he hasn't even had a sniff of the first team. And while that's not a disaster, he'll be 18 in a couple of months - it would not be entirely unexpected for him, with his previous potential, to have been in a squad or two by now.

So, dilemma time...he's out of contract in summer. From the build of him, he's doing the work in the gym so it doesn't look like he's an idiot distracted by booze and mates etc although you never know. Does he get a three, four-year contract in the hope he delivers? Do we play it safe and give him a year or two but risk losing him? What about his wages - some sort of bonus or incentive plan would seem fair but would he take that and play in our youths if he could go to a senior squad in the championship, get paid a 'proper' wage immediately and then move up again if he scores tonnes of goals for a year or two?

We could, having 'missed' Hastie, trust someone's judgement in the youth system that he is indeed worth it and give him a full senior deal and discover he's rubbish. Or we trust their judgement that a 14-year-old wonderkid may just have developed early and hasn't progressed since so we cut him loose (which is only hypothetical, I don't think that's an option). Bear in mind that while token wages, if he will take them, won't kill us, we still have to have a place for him somewhere. If he's not good enough for the first team bench, he needs to play U20s which then stops the next 15-year-old playing.

No real morale to the tale here, just a reminder it's much easier to say we should have signed up Hastie than decide what to do with every talented kid we see.

[wellin]

Hastie was on loan at Alloa, I don't think anyone at the club thought that he would cone back from Alloa and make such an impression on the first team, not even Hastie himself. Yes, the lad should have been signed on a long term deal sooner but his form has alerted other teams to his availability. If he was still at Alloa I din't think the likes of Rangers would have shown so much interest. That's why any young player with ability should be put on a contract. With more money as the years go on depending on appearances etc. The club has made a pigs ear of Hastie's contract. I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss the boat again.

[Handsome_Devil]

... That's why any young player with ability should be put on a contract ...

But that's just not possible, is it? To paraphrase Nick Hornby's Gus Caeser chapter, you just don't get to the verge of top-flight professional football without having ability. We will always have to pick and choose.

I agree completely that Hastie's impact was a massive surprise, I suspect 9 times from 10 he'd have returned, done reasonably and signed a new deal with little fuss. Ho hum.