“You never win anything playing with kids”.

[Jimmy Fleck]

Sunderland are doing alreyt

 

[Roygbiv]

Outside of Seriki it's gone exactly how I expected. Massive inconsistencies. Obvious potential and talent but can also be anonymous. Brooks had a great start but has struggled over the last few months, Peck started great then really struggled at Boro and Bristol City before coming back into form against Wednesday. I imagine it will be like this for most of the season. In an ideal world they'd be having these seasons elsewhere but we have such little depth that needs must and you hope that long term it will be the making of them

 

[Charlieblade]

Sunderland are doing alreyt

It was Hansen who said it, not me. Hansen changed his mind later. It is a different way of doing things, and we don’t have much choice! I’m loving it.
As Roy pointed out, it can sometimes bring out inconsistent performances in youth players.

Any fans who expect signings in JTW might be disappointed! We go with what we’ve got, and hope injury and suspensions are limited.

 

[Shadota]

Ronaldo and Rooney were both ready when the clubs gave them their head at very young ages

Unless you truly believe that any of our current crop of academy talent is as good as either of those two, this is a redundant statement. They were ready at such young ages, because they were generational talents. One of which is perhaps the most prolific goalscorer that football has ever seen at this point.

Look at Norwich for example

Norwich are in the midst of one of the most horrendous injury crises I've ever seen. Not a great example.

 

[YES Blade]

Hardly - in 1995 (ish) Millwall were top of Div 1 and travelled to Sunderland at the end of November for a top of the table clash.

They Lost.

The following May they were relegated.

Well yes and Leicester were 5000-1 to win the league, but I won’t be betting on another league win like that happening again.

I’ve seen enough this season to not go all doom and gloom and start predicting a mid table finish.

 

[Charlieblade]

Unless you truly believe that any of our current crop of academy talent is as good as either of those two, this is a redundant statement. They were ready at such young ages, because they were generational talents. One of which is perhaps the most prolific goalscorer that football has ever seen at this point.

Norwich are in the midst of one of the most horrendous injury crises I've ever seen. Not a great example.

Rooney and Ronaldo are just token examples. If a player is good enough, they are old enough.

Norwich were a yo yo team. Didn’t even try to stay in EPL. Now they have good training facilities, no money and even Delia has given up on them. They still managed a home draw against blades.

 

[Charlieblade]

Well yes and Leicester were 5000-1 to win the league, but I won’t be betting on another league win like that happening again.

I’ve seen enough this season to not go all doom and gloom and start predicting a mid table finish.

It’s not necessarily a prediction. It’s more like where I think they could finish up. Using academy players is dangerous,, but I find it exciting. It could go well or it could go badly for us? No one knows.

 

[Shadota]

If a player is good enough, they are old enough.

I've never cared for this phrase, as it doesn't really mean anything. Good enough for what? Old enough for what? It's just a quote people seem to fish out to justify throwing kids into the team willy-nilly.

Norwich were a yo yo team. Didn’t even try to stay in EPL. Now they have good training facilities, no money and even Delia has given up on them. They still managed a home draw against blades.

Considering your original mention of Norwich was in response to a comment regarding drop in form, I don't know what point you're trying to make here. Yes, we drew with Norwich. Since then, they've lost a startling number of players to injury, including the man who scored against us (Josh Sargent). It's the primary reason for their loss of form.

Them being a yo-yo club and such, I don't see why that is relevant either. Are you suggesting they should have invested in kids more? Should have spent more? That Delia should have sold more cookbooks to fund them or something?

 

[Keen Blade]

I think the main issue (if you can call it that) with Brooks is that out of all of the academy players this season (Arblaster, Brooks, Oné, Seriki and Peck), Brooks is the only one of them having to learn a completely new position.

Brooks & JRS are Lfooted players being asked to play as inverted RW.

I don't know how to research this but I wonder if JRS was mainly playing as a RW at Palace ?
He copes better than Brooks on the R.

I think Brooks has always played on the L for us until this season.
Apart from his Rfoot being a little weaker than JRS , he hasn't had much practice in matches on the R.

So I can sympathise with Brooks.
When he comes on , there is a dilemma for CW.
Either persist with him on the R or put him where he is naturally better (on the L) and shift O'Hare to the R.

I really like Brooks as a player and hope his development is not being hampered because he is part of our future , whereas JRS is probably not.

 

[Silent Blade]

Brooks & JRS are Lfooted players being asked to play as inverted RW.

I don't know how to research this but I wonder if JRS was mainly playing as a RW at Palace ?
He copes better than Brooks on the R.

 

[Keen Blade]

Yep , seems he played on RW

 

[Pollingtonblade]

If tekova doesn't go through will we have to sell any of the younger ones to enable a couple of signings in Jan?

 

[YES Blade]

It’s not necessarily a prediction. It’s more like where I think they could finish up. Using academy players is dangerous,, but I find it exciting. It could go well or it could go badly for us? No one knows.

Maybe the use of academy players was a choice by Wilder?

Peck’s performances this season suggest to me that Wilder made a choice to include him in the first team squad rather than signing someone more experienced.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

He's 22. For context, 2 years older than Gilchrist.

Seriki is 21. Gilchrist is 21 next Thursday.

 

[Charlieblade]

I've never cared for this phrase, as it doesn't really mean anything. Good enough for what? Old enough for what? It's just a quote people seem to fish out to justify throwing kids into the team willy-nilly.


Considering your original mention of Norwich was in response to a comment regarding drop in form, I don't know what point you're trying to make here. Yes, we drew with Norwich. Since then, they've lost a startling number of players to injury, including the man who scored against us (Josh Sargent). It's the primary reason for their loss of form.

Them being a yo-yo club and such, I don't see why that is relevant either. Are you suggesting they should have invested in kids more? Should have spent more? That Delia should have sold more cookbooks to fund them or something?

Thank you for your opinions. Mine have not changed. My vocabulary is obviously not to your liking - can’t please everyone all the time

 

[Charlieblade]

Maybe the use of academy players was a choice by Wilder?

Peck’s performances this season suggest to me that Wilder made a choice to include him in the first team squad rather than signing someone more experienced.

It is obvious that our thought processes and opinions are different.

 

[Houston_Blade]

You’ll see Coventrys bench and it will be incredibly strong with some great players on there.

Another Coventry infiltrator!

 

[KeyffSmyff]

We have had a few games where we had Hamer and Brewster on the bench. Which has been commented on by opposition fans in view from. Academy prospects have been great, they have taken their chances, Seriki hasn't yet had the same amount of chances. Good luck and well done to them and coaches.

 

[Bladezz]

But in 2024 are "championship hardened players" the way forward? Or is youth, energy, athleticism in a well coached system a better way of getting results?

We are going with a youth team well coached

 

[Guesty]

We are over performing at the moment and thank the lord Wilder has fixed Heckys injury issues otherwise the table would look totally different.

You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?

 

[Bladezz]

You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?

If we had the running theme of Hamstring injuries of the previous regime. We would be towards the bottom of the table. What’s the issue with saying that?

 

[Guesty]

If we had the running theme of Hamstring injuries of the previous regime. We would be towards the bottom of the table. What’s the issue with saying that?

I just mean that since you posted this, seemingly half the side have gone down with injuries...

 

[Sheffsteel]

We are over performing at the moment and thank the lord Wilder has fixed Heckys injury issues otherwise the table would look totally different.

Before the season started everyone else looked at our squad and had us down as a play-off team.

Our starting 11 is on paper easily one of the best in the league. We’re paying out wages very few Championship can even get near. It’s the back up players that were a concern but thankfully they and our Academy players have all been decent.

Overall we’re slightly over performing.

Agree it’s weird how Heckys unbelievably bad luck with injuries seems to have stopped. Makes you wonder if it was more than just bad luck.

 

[wadblade]

“You never win anything playing with kids”
Like we have a choice

 

[Charlieblade]

“You never win anything playing with kids”
Like we have a choice

That the whole point of the thread. The rebuild is only half completed. Arblaster was an unexpected bonus, and the form of Anel and Souza was unpredictable. Wilder picked two loans who all worked out very well.
The rest is made up with youngsters. Exciting and invigorating yes , but also inconsistent and dangerous.
Peck played a blinder in the Derby. Brooks showed promise but dropped inform. Seriki as a sub was ace when we needed him. One has done what we expected of him, but no more.

We will find out soon enough, if Wider got it right or not. Defence teetering a bit. Midfield in bits or injured. Few attacking options? No chance to rest Souttar?

It will be ok or maybe it won’t. How many players need a break, and how many are carrying injuries?
Is Peck due another top game? Exciting but frustrating. No we don’t have much choice.