Mellon gone and Hughes incoming

[darrenshedtastic]

The emphasis on young players is strange.

Surely anyone who knows anything about football knows that you can't just chuck a big group of young players and expect to be competing at the top end of the table. You need experienced players capable of guiding these young players through when there form drops.

The McNamara 2014 team had a good group of young players in it but only 2 of those had been plucked out of nowhere really. Gauld and Souttar (who only properly broke into the 1st team the season before) and they were eased in and out of the team due to the other players we had in the squad. Guys like Armstrong, Dow and Gms had at least 2/3 years within the first team in a good team before they were ready to be the key players. Russell and Goodwillie were the same before them. We very rarely just through young players in and expect them to compete. McNamara in 2016 decided Spittal, Fraser, Connolly, Telfer, Zwick, Donaldson etc were all ready to be key players when they clearly weren't. They needed another season at least of being back up to better players.

I am all for young players getting their chance but 1. if they are good enough and 2. if we develop them correctly. Don't just chuck them in because we want to look good. That normally backfires.

[JamesMcClean]

The emphasis on young players is strange.

Surely anyone who knows anything about football knows that you can't just chuck a big group of young players and expect to be competing at the top end of the table. You need experienced players capable of guiding these young players through when there form drops.

The McNamara 2014 team had a good group of young players in it but only 2 of those had been plucked out of nowhere really. Gauld and Souttar (who only properly broke into the 1st team the season before) and they were eased in and out of the team due to the other players we had in the squad. Guys like Armstrong, Dow and Gms had at least 2/3 years within the first team in a good team before they were ready to be the key players. Russell and Goodwillie were the same before them. We very rarely just through young players in and expect them to compete. McNamara in 2016 decided Spittal, Fraser, Connolly, Telfer, Zwick, Donaldson etc were all ready to be key players when they clearly weren't. They needed another season at least of being back up to better players.

I am all for young players getting their chance but 1. if they are good enough and 2. if we develop them correctly. Don't just chuck them in because we want to look good. That normally backfires.

BTW I’m not disagreeing with you. Manchester United were the exception that proves the rule.

[cybershed]

The emphasis on young players is strange.

Surely anyone who knows anything about football knows that you can't just chuck a big group of young players and expect to be competing at the top end of the table. You need experienced players capable of guiding these young players through when there form drops.

The McNamara 2014 team had a good group of young players in it but only 2 of those had been plucked out of nowhere really. Gauld and Souttar (who only properly broke into the 1st team the season before) and they were eased in and out of the team due to the other players we had in the squad. Guys like Armstrong, Dow and Gms had at least 2/3 years within the first team in a good team before they were ready to be the key players. Russell and Goodwillie were the same before them. We very rarely just through young players in and expect them to compete. McNamara in 2016 decided Spittal, Fraser, Connolly, Telfer, Zwick, Donaldson etc were all ready to be key players when they clearly weren't. They needed another season at least of being back up to better players.

I am all for young players getting their chance but 1. if they are good enough and 2. if we develop them correctly. Don't just chuck them in because we want to look good. That normally backfires.

Abso-feckin-lutely.

[BackRowArab]

The emphasis on young players is strange.

Surely anyone who knows anything about football knows that you can't just chuck a big group of young players and expect to be competing at the top end of the table. You need experienced players capable of guiding these young players through when there form drops.

The McNamara 2014 team had a good group of young players in it but only 2 of those had been plucked out of nowhere really. Gauld and Souttar (who only properly broke into the 1st team the season before) and they were eased in and out of the team due to the other players we had in the squad. Guys like Armstrong, Dow and Gms had at least 2/3 years within the first team in a good team before they were ready to be the key players. Russell and Goodwillie were the same before them. We very rarely just through young players in and expect them to compete. McNamara in 2016 decided Spittal, Fraser, Connolly, Telfer, Zwick, Donaldson etc were all ready to be key players when they clearly weren't. They needed another season at least of being back up to better players.

I am all for young players getting their chance but 1. if they are good enough and 2. if we develop them correctly. Don't just chuck them in because we want to look good. That normally backfires.

Got to remember that we do have an experienced group at the club. Its not going to be eleven 18 year olds playing every week next year. There is a group of youngsters that are ready to play in the first 11 (Smith, Chalmers, Appere, Mochrie), but most of the others will be squad players at best, if not out on loan for the majority of the season.

[tHeArAb]

Whats worrying me is the constant talk of youth and developing for what would be a financial return. Too much pressure there from the off to find a Gauld, Robertson, Armstrong type.

We've been here before and it went all to f uck with guys who we couldnt give away i.e Spittal, Durnan, Donaldson young Scottish players bought to improve and sell on and we couldnt as they weren't good enough in the first place.

The owner is not mentioning competing for top 6, europe or trophies the whole emphasis is on youth and ultimately selling on which worries the life out of me

Said as much last week. Its worrying as ****.

[darrenshedtastic]

Got to remember that we do have an experienced group at the club. Its not going to be eleven 18 year olds playing every week next year. There is a group of youngsters that are ready to play in the first 11 (Smith, Chalmers, Appere, Mochrie), but most of the others will be squad players at best, if not out on loan for the majority of the season.

I know that but the amount of stuff that comes out about how great our Academy is and then the sudden emphasis on wanting to bring through more young players is concerning as this is 2016 all over again. Throwing young players with good potential in an average squad. There's only 2 of the young players who should be looking to be key players for next season. Appere and Chalmers. Those two have been in and around the squad for a few seasons and should be ready to push on and make a bigger impact within the squad.

Guys like Mochrie, Graham, Neilson, K Smith, Meekison etc all very good players by the looks of it. If they are squad players then great, get them involved but if we are trying to force these guys into the first team it will end badly. Allow them time to develop.

[tHeArAb]

I know that but the amount of stuff that comes out about how great our Academy is and then the sudden emphasis on wanting to bring through more young players is concerning as this is 2016 all over again. Throwing young players with good potential in an average squad. There's only 2 of the young players who should be looking to be key players for next season. Appere and Chalmers. Those two have been in and around the squad for a few seasons and should be ready to push on and make a bigger impact within the squad.

Guys like Mochrie, Graham, Neilson, K Smith, Meekison etc all very good players by the looks of it. If they are squad players then great, get them involved but if we are trying to force these guys into the first team it will end badly. Allow them time to develop.

Agree with all of this.

[BackRowArab]

I know that but the amount of stuff that comes out about how great our Academy is and then the sudden emphasis on wanting to bring through more young players is concerning as this is 2016 all over again. Throwing young players with good potential in an average squad. There's only 2 of the young players who should be looking to be key players for next season. Appere and Chalmers. Those two have been in and around the squad for a few seasons and should be ready to push on and make a bigger impact within the squad.

Guys like Mochrie, Graham, Neilson, K Smith, Meekison etc all very good players by the looks of it. If they are squad players then great, get them involved but if we are trying to force these guys into the first team it will end badly. Allow them time to develop.

100% agree with you. But nothing has been said that every one of these players needs to be playing next season and sold in the summer of 2022. While I'm sure the Ogren's are not in for the long haul (20+ years), I'm sure they are smart enough to not be in for the short term.

If they have covered our losses again this year, you are looking at a £6-7m investment. For them to get this money back, never mind make a profit, you are looking at a 5-10 year timeline.

[tHeArAb]

"Dundee United will look for experienced assistant to back Tam Courts – IF academy man gets top Tannadice job"

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.the...adice-job/amp/

[BackRowArab]

"Dundee United will look for experienced assistant to back Tam Courts – IF academy man gets top Tannadice job"

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.the...adice-job/amp/

IF

Also like that the article is written without any comment or source to back it up. Journalism is getting lazier and lazier every day