Squad quality / depth exposed

[ozleeds]

Number 8 in the under 23s goes alright probably another we will never see. Gosh, all that money we threw away on the 2 Spaniards could have bought half a decent local team sighhh.
The thing Hope a lot looks good in the under 23s but when they get a chance look very ordinary. How can we have a team on top and we cant have 2 or 3 make the grade or even hold their own?
Hope our injuries get sorted cause with one or 2 more long ones we will be doomed.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Number 8 in the under 23s goes alright probably another we will never see. Gosh, all that money we threw away on the 2 Spaniards could have bought half a decent local team sighhh.
The thing Hope a lot looks good in the under 23s but when they get a chance look very ordinary. How can we have a team on top and we cant have 2 or 3 make the grade or even hold their own?
Hope our injuries get sorted cause with one or 2 more long ones we will be doomed.

Very limited chances though Oz - it will take several games to get used to the step up - at first team levels they need to concentrate all the time whereas in the u23 suspect they can have periods where they can switch off.

Definitely think we have a good crop of young lads they just need a clearer route to the first team.

Very few if any 18 to 21 year olds are ready - they are the superstar exceptions - look at how Ayling, Cooper, Dallas, Phillips have all come on as they mature. Ayling and Cooper were let go by prem clubs but found a way back. They need time but we need them now which does not help their development.

[ozleeds]

Very limited chances though Oz - it will take several games to get used to the step up - at first team levels they need to concentrate all the time whereas in the u23 suspect they can have periods where they can switch off.

Definitely think we have a good crop of young lads they just need a clearer route to the first team.

Very few if any 18 to 21 year olds are ready - they are the superstar exceptions - look at how Ayling, Cooper, Dallas, Phillips have all come on as they mature. Ayling and Cooper were let go by prem clubs but found a way back. They need time but we need them now which does not help their development.

Well, I'm sorry but if they are not ready to play against a team 2 lower divisions well they will never be. I agree some need time to get adjusted but if you are good enough it just flows. Davis has had a few chances but hasn't really impressed Shack been good as a sub but when he plays full games is just so and so. I agree they should not all be brought in at the same time eg bring one in and keep them in the squad for 5 games see what they have and move on but sometimes fate doesn't allow that eg with all the injuries you can't do that. When I played the kids around me played first-team football at 18 and you know half of them ended up representing Australia and played around the globe. Again sorry but at 20 if you are not ready you never will be.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Sometimes think it is harder to come in against the lower divisions as the games are less technical and a lot more physical and intimidating.

Evidence of Ayling and Cooper and Phillips suggests otherwise on the if you are 20 point but again will agree to disagree. A lot of people wrote Struijk off after his debut last year and he has been solid in a lot of games this year.

The u23 level is nowhere near as competitive or hard as the lower leagues so any first team game is hard. Part of the process is the player thinking deep down that they belong and can do it.

[ozleeds]

That is why I can't understand the comp there. Here you have the first team and the second called reserves. The league consists of the same teams in both comps.
So if say we are playing man city so does the reserves team. Hence the players not getting a game end up playing there and also playing against better players and improve within. Your comp consists of the under 23s playing teams from lower divisions hence very hard to judge as some may look world beaters but in fact are just so and so. People were saying where is Summerfield well he got 3 but if you look closely all 3 were gifted even Bamf surely couldn't miss.
I give Mb grief but in fairness to him he is known to bring up the younger brigade and for him not to be doing so. well like the poster said he doesn't think they are good enough hence he doesn't play them and we all whinge why he doesn't.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Think most people who remember far enough back would welcome proper reserve team football back.

The pattern for the bigger clubs seems to be to loan out players to lower leagues otherwise they don’t get the level of competition needed.

Look at Chelski- Abraham, Zouma, Mount, Abraham, Tomori, Gilmour etc - all loaned out to get the necessary experience and all doing (bar Tomori) pretty well in the prem now.

Same with some of the Liverpool youngsters too. Ditto Arsenal.

[ozleeds]

Yes but if you had your own reserves you don't need to do that and you can view their progression more properly. Name one player we have loaned out that has come back and is playing the first team? Just one.
Remember the loanee from Arsenal we all raved about where is he now?

[WTF11]

Yes but if you had your own reserves you don't need to do that and you can view their progression more properly. Name one player we have loaned out that has come back and is playing the first team? Just one.
Remember the loanee from Arsenal we all raved about where is he now?

You mean Nketiah? Playing for Arsenal 1st team (not all the time for sure, but more often than any of ours who have gone out in loan and returned).

All the discussion in the world regarding are they good enough or not is irrelevant if they never get the opportunity to show it (as opposed to being assessed on the basis of U23/reserve performances), and we have a coach who either doesn't think any/many are, or doesn't want to change the squad playing regular 1st team games. In either of the above situations, the young players are unlikely to get adequate game time.

[ozleeds]

If he brings in Roberts and costa again I'll give up on the season.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

You mean Nketiah? Playing for Arsenal 1st team (not all the time for sure, but more often than any of ours who have gone out in loan and returned).

All the discussion in the world regarding are they good enough or not is irrelevant if they never get the opportunity to show it (as opposed to being assessed on the basis of U23/reserve performances), and we have a coach who either doesn't think any/many are, or doesn't want to change the squad playing regular 1st team games. In either of the above situations, the young players are unlikely to get adequate game time.

Exactly