30 Nov 2016 05:39:20
I hope we do improve the team in January but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for youngsters to be given a chance. As Ed025 says, Ronnie doesn't have a track record of bringing academy players into the first team. Southampton beat us the other day with 3 of their academy players on the pitch at the final whistle and another 2 on the bench. RK said he didn't even know the young lad who scored and he left the club a few months ago saying they didn't have any young players coming through. Southampton have been for years the best club in the country for developing top quality young players and they didn't really come on enough under RK. I like the look of a few of our young prospects and as many have said, they should be given a chance given how things are at the moment. Can't see it happening in the big games we've got coming up, though.
30 Nov 2016 08:27:26
If we want to compete at the highest level going forward, how many opportunities for youngsters will there realistically be?
When we lacked funds that's how we developed the squad, but clubs like Chelsea Utd and city rarely built round youngsters in the last few years.
30 Nov 2016 09:46:01
Whatever his philosophy towards youngsters is, he needs to roll the dice a bit before January the way we are playing.
30 Nov 2016 13:44:54
While it was nice to see the youngsters get a chance in the last game last season we have still got to get some new blood in. the squad we have now is not good enough for any manager.
30 Nov 2016 15:07:16
COYB, I'm not sure where you heard RK say he'd never heard of the young goal scorer against us. But surely RK has heard of Charlie Austin and he's no youngster.
30 Nov 2016 15:17:04
I would hope RK is at least looking at changing the centre half pairing and the central midfield. Gueye showed a few glimpses driving forward against saints and twice found himself in scoring positions which was more than our supposed attacking midfielder in Ross. I would bring Davies in for Barry, put Holgate in for Jags and play Calvert-Lewin up top with Rom in a 4-4-2. Also bring iron lung in for Lennon sorry i meant Del Boy. And let's actually start the game on Sunday on the front foot.
30 Nov 2016 16:03:05
I would have thought (hope) that RK has a plan and strategy in mind for the future - beginning January - We have in modern football terms an aging first Team but it would appear RK is reluctant to put in younger blood and talent even though I am sure Unsy is giving him the heads up.
30 Nov 2016 17:26:20
Premier league football is a results drive business these days, all to quickly you have a bad run and your heads on the block as with Bilic and Pardew (who was touted as an England manager not so long ago) RK does not have the time to blood and bring on to many youngsters in the first team, it is more likely they will develop and have to impress on loan in lower leagues.
Lets face it although we are not entirely happy with the current squads showing of late, that could also have a detrimental effect on a young players confidence.
If you look at our brighter stars of late how many have really stepped up and looked that good?
30 Nov 2016 18:40:14
I don't wish to be confrontational but I remember watching match of the day and Alan Hansen saying that Man Uniteds team with about 6 home developed youngsters would never win anything because kids don't win things. Within that team was the 2 Nevilles, Beckham, Giggs, Scholes and Nicky Butt. Whilst I accept we are 20 years on, the following is an actual statistic: The average number of U23s playing regularly in a title-winning squad since 1992 stands at just 2.5. I am not sure what playing regularly means, but I know if that is the average and some teams only have an average of say 1 or even no under 23's then others have had maybe a slightly higher average than the 2.5 quoted. I also know that most title winning teams rely on any supply of players they can get their hands on. That includes players who come from their own youth system, signings from their own league, signings from leagues below them, signings from foreign leagues and players already established within their own squads. I suggest Mr Koeman will have to source his players from all of these places too.
{Ed001's Note - if you go back and look at that United team, it was not a team of kids at all. They had a spine of Schmeichel, Pallister, Bruce, Irwin, Keane, I think they might still have had Ince as well that season though I am not sure on that, Cantona. They also had a lot of experience in the squad, other than that 'Class of 92'. Without that experience around kids, you get too much inconsistency, as consistency is developed through experience. Don't get me wrong, they did integrate the youngsters well, but it was far from a team of kids as seems to have become popular myth. Even the likes of McClair, who came off the bench a lot to see out games back then, were experienced players to guide the kids through.}
30 Nov 2016 18:42:23
Oh and one thing is for sure. we don't needto worry about Barcelona stealing our manager for a while!
30 Nov 2016 19:50:49
Ed001: You're right that they weren't all kids, but they had several players - Neville G., Scholes, Beckham, Giggs - plus Neville P. And Butt - who came through their youth system and played plenty of first-team games for them. There aren't many Premier League clubs who've had that many youngsters actually make it at the same time at the same club.
{Ed001's Note - I was just trying to say, you can't just throw a bunch of kids together and expect it to work. Giggs had been in the team a while, for starters, before that season, and obviously there was the experience around them I listed previously. It was a freak occurrence that so many came through at once though, you have to say well done to Atkinson for the changes he made, which led to it.}
30 Nov 2016 20:23:05
That team st Utd was a different era you cannot compare to today when clubs financial resources are in a different league.
30 Nov 2016 21:59:21
Spot on Wakka. You didn't have mid table clubs spending 40 or 50 mil. Also our league at that time was utter rubbish and had little quality compared to Italy, Spain and even Holland and France.
30 Nov 2016 22:39:51
You are right with what you say ed, that team also had a lot of experience not just kids dominating the first team. I'm not sure Atkinson can take any credit though, I'm sure Fergie came in and put the foundations in place for the youth system, he did the same at Aberdeen I believe. I could be wrong, just remember reading about it many years ago.
01 Dec 2016 09:59:19
Ed001 I totally agree about it being a myth about it being a team of kids. but I was responding to the post above that stated that the top 4 clubs rarely build around kids. I was pointing out that all successful teams have a blend of youth and experience. The average premier winning teams have had an average of 2.5 players playing regularly aged under 23. That's 25% of the outfield players on the pitch. But yes 75% are over that age. Never the less, to discount kids would be stupid. They are an integral part of winning teams usually.
{Ed001's Note - I was not disagreeing with you mate, just giving more info for your point.}