Quote Originally Posted by hopelesslyoptimistic View Post
Pleased with our recruitment strategy - get and develop the best youngsters we can whilst adding quality to the first team squad.

The young keeper has already played for England schoolboys I believe and was identified by scouts at lots of clubs his progress at Bradford confirms that.

Firpo was excellent at Real Betis so Barca signed him. Shows they rated him but he could force his way past Alba who happens to be one of the worlds best. Showed ambition in moving to get 1st team football.

He is young , fast, fit and athletic. He is supposed to have already impressed with his fitness levels so he could end up being a super athlete. He seems to have good skills too and fills one of the big holes in the squad.

CM or wide player look like the next ones we are trying to recruit so all good.

Look at Struijk and how he has progressed too. If three of Gelhardt, McGurk, Greenwood, Drameh, Summerville, Allen and Miller progress as well then happy days.
Even Struijk was a forced introduction to the 1st team, brought about by injuries to current 1st team players.

Not a single newcomer to the Academy over the last 3 seasons has been used in the 1st team without it being forced on Bielsa, even when we had the clown between the sticks.

If you were Gelhardt, as a 1st team player brought in from another Championship side (as the situation was at the time), and then weren't even included in subs line-ups, how would you feel playing in a team winning handsomely week in week out, in front of handful of spectators? And he won't be the only one.