Quote Originally Posted by ozleeds View Post
that's just 17 you mentioned under 23s but there is more crystal palace have the Chelsea lad on loan playing and another they bought Southampton think it's the right-back bought from Chelsea playing and other clubs have more. Shak if Ayling was alive he wouldn't get a game and Pat neither if Koch was alive lol. And our academy wasn't so bad as it was producing players like a roller coaster but our greedy owners kept selling them.
Not sure I really agree with the loan thing, they can do that because they've hoovered up and pillaged academies for these kids that they're treating as commodities to sell on.

We don't have that luxury as the youngsters we have that are good are staying to try be a part of our first team. We can't send say Gelhardt out on loan because he will come back without the understanding of how we play, probably not fit enough and have to train him up all over again, these lads are better with us playing U23s, training with the first team and being coached by Bielsa not someone like bloody Warnock or Pulis in the Championship.

We may have produced a few but I'm talking in comparisons with the clubs your're talking about. Chelsea have hoovered up talent and can now churn out all these kids, we've produced 1 every now and then not 10 or 12 that we can loan out like they're doing.

And yes you're right if Ayling was fit Shackleton wouldn't play but that is because we are a better team with Ayling than Shackleton.