My post did say ' in his position' and in any squad there are specialist players and utility players who can play one or sometimes two or three positions. Brooks can play better further upfield than Whiteman or Reed and he has the ability to stride past a player as though he isn't there.
Reed and Brooks complement each other well when they play in the same team but they need a Whiteman there doing the tough, physical work to help them to play. These days Reed does the hard yards and has a tackle in him, plays with discipline and is a lovely passer of the ball. Whiteman is a wholehearted, genuine all round player who gobbles the hard yards and dominates the opposition; he does score goals by arriving into position rather than creating the chance necessarily.
Let's embrace all three of them. If Brooks is a superstar then let's hope the club can benefit more than they have in the past, why not a 30% sell-on clause if Everton think they want him. Let's not forget you can only judge a player when he has found his level after maybe 40 first team games. In that time a lot can happen. Look at Reed, his mentor was sacked and subsequent managers don't appreciate him as much.
I hope Brooks has the character and resilience needed to grow. This past week he has played two part games and scored a great goal and a late winner in one game. In the other game he presented the opposition with their easiest chance late in the game. It's how he responds to those big moments that will forge his future.
Last night Reed had half a game. My Chesterfield mate rang me last night to talk about the game and said he was delighted with Reed's half a game, his lovely touches on the ball and how he "put himself about for a young 'un". Obviously he cast an eye at Brooks' goal with some regrets but he was happy with Reed.
Three really good prospects. I'd love to see them all in our team playing together within two year and for years to come. Can't happen I know but let's hope it can and does in the future with other similar players.
