28 Jan 2018 08:59:39
Apparently if Coleman or Garbutt come in or play on Wednesday, we will have played over 36 different players this season, a new record for the club. Not good, however I say let’s break the record and play them.
28 Jan 2018 09:12:32
Too many indeed. It always takes time for players to gel. As a club we have had so much change that the players are not showing their full capabilities. Players who obvioiusly have some talent are so low in confidence you can see it quite plainly on the pitch.
{Ed025's Note - thats right degs, no continuity and they are playing like strangers and thats the problem mate..
28 Jan 2018 10:28:45
I would be interested to see a comparison of results/ league position versus number of players used in past seasons.
I am sure we used to utilise a lot less players compared to other clubs and maintained an established side.
{Ed025's Note - i remember liverpool winning the league using just 14 players ST, chopping and changing has done us no favours at all mate and thats one of my biggest concerns mate..
28 Jan 2018 10:44:26
I think a start would be to play the same 11, two games in a row, and go from there.
28 Jan 2018 11:00:42
I agree with all the above. Add in playing players out of position. Do you remember Swan and me having heated debates on how our squad was ageing and we would need too much change in the next few years? . well at last we seem to have some sort of youth policy now, but we have relied on Moyes back line that he put in half way through his tenure. There should have been forward planning then. Certainly when Martinez came in, he made the astute signing of Lukaku, but he added age to the squad with Barry, Eto'o. then Koeman added Williams. and it was already ageing. Yes since Lookman DCL and other youngsters have been added but both our regular full backs are the same as 10 years ago. Jags still gets a game. I know I advocated Barry in another post so am slightly hypocritical, but where are the players in the 24 to 27 year old range? We should have signed at least a few in that peak age group. ie ones in their prime.
28 Jan 2018 11:05:08
One of Moyes strengths was to have a smaller tightly knit squad where a united team spirit was key in our performances.
28 Jan 2018 11:55:47
Moyes only started buying younger players towards the latter part of tenure.
Martinez revolutionised our youth policy and what we have now is because of him. Plenty wrong with Martinez but our youth academy is because he wanted this to be his legacy.
The right people are in the youth set up but Sam is only out for himself so will not risk bringing youth into the team which we are seeing already. Not blaming him because he's in a difficult situation but we need a different type of manager to get the best out of the youth setup.
28 Jan 2018 13:22:55
Well as usual BlueJohnUns. you and me are going to have to agree to disagree. Firstly Moyes brought in Baines at 21. He brought in Seamus Coleman at 21. He brought in Jags at 24/ 25. He brought Rooney at 16, and Osman at 18 into the team. He brought Pienaar at 25. He brought Rodwell in at 18. Stones at 21. Yobo at 22. McFadden at 23. Arteta at 22. I could go on and on also with players playing in the Championship now. Just off the top of my head that is 11 players blooded below the age of 25 by Moyes early on. Ok 2 of them were through the youth. But 3 are still first team regulars some 13/ 14 years later. Yes Martinez also was involved with the younger youth players coming in. but I was on about players who came straight into the squad/ team with wheels down and engines running. Which of Martinez youth players are in our first team now? Holgate, Calvert Lewin and Kenny. Seeing as Kenny is a local lad. he prob was brought in by the normal scouting method anyway. Besic, Mori, Niasse and Robles are the only Martinez signed players in current 1st team action. and I don't think Roble, Besic or Mori have played a full game this season. Seeing as Martinez was here for 4 years after Moyes. I think that is a pretty poor showing when judging his signings. Especially as 3 of Moyes signings from 10+ years ago are still regulars in defence. Moyes said when he arrived that he had an ageing squad and his 1st job (after saving us from relegation) was to bring the age of the first team down. The players listed above prove he did that I think.
28 Jan 2018 15:04:07
Yeah you're kind of agreeing with my point. I'm talking about how Moyes didn't use the youth set up but Martinez wanted to build the club through its youth setup. When I talk about younger players I mean for the youth setup and under 18/ 19. Not already first team players somewhere else.
Rooney, Osman and Hibbert, although already at the club, Rodwell and Barkley in 11 years.
When you talk about our youth setup now there is a huge amount of talent compared to what went before. They also seem better prepared for the step up. If you take Baningami for an example, he looks ready to be called a first team squad member than say what Barkley was like when he came on the scene.
28 Jan 2018 15:18:03
To add to that think about all those players that made it big when Moyes let them go from the youth system instead of using them!