Originally Posted by
LittleSquirt
Evans over anyone else taking the job isn't going to have that much effect on the long term planning, certainly not developing youth. Its not really his job. Yes, Evans doesn't really go for playing kids. But there is a difference between not choosing to play any and not having any to play. We don't have a conveyor belt of talent coming through. Why not? That's the issue. Someone needs to be given that job to improve that, but it isn't the 1st team managers job.
Richardson could have given kids a chance in the last few games, or earlier given we desperately needed a wide forward to create space and chances. And because we couldn't fill a bench. He didn't. Was it because he didn't want to or because we didn't have anyone to throw in and try? Plenty of other teams give 18, 19 year old a chance. We didn't really ever give ours a chance in the Johnsons paint trophy or whatever its called these days.
And we only seem to train our kids to be non league players. They youth team play in a league against L2 youth teams. So they don't grow up playing against Championship or league 1 youth prospects. And then when they reach an age and standard to go out on loan its not even to L2 or national League its to pub leagues playing for playing for Gainsbourgh, Frickley or Scarboro. And then wonder why they haven't developed into Championship or League 1 players!
A few years ago someone in junior football told me that RUFC scouts were mainly looking at the big lads for their age, whereas other Yorkshire based scouts were looking for skill, positional sense etc, and they'd take a punt on them physically maturing. He was a Rotherham fan and had reluctantly come to terms that his lad would be better off signing for Barnsley than RUFC.
If thats still true then it has to change. What chance have we got if our own fans see they have a better chance of making it at another, yet similar, club.
Financially we might be a well run club, not running up massive debts on first team costs. But the business model for infrastructure, player development, player contracts so assets don't leave for free or on the cheap etc is non league and amateur. We don't generate the money yet moan we can't compete or don't have the money that other teams have.
Incidentally can someone explain what the COO is responsible for?