Ched & Taylor = Development Players?

[Linz]

Blades bring young generation in early

SHEFFIELD United manager Kevin Blackwell has revealed how the club's recent injury crisis forced him to tear up a development plan designed to help groom Bramall Lane's next generation of players.
Talented youngsters such as Ched Evans and Andrew Taylor had initially been earmarked for peripheral roles during the early stages of their United careers as coaching staff looked to acclimatise them to the rigors of Championship competition.

The technique mirrored the one Blackwell employed when Jamie Ward arrived from Chesterfield midway through last season and is credited with helping transform him into one of the division's most-sought after wingers.

Blackwell has been effusive in his praise of Evans' contribution during a six-match unbeaten run which means United travel to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday eighth in the table and just a point behind Swansea City, who occupy the final play-off berth.

Taylor has also impressed since recovering from a thigh problem.

Blackwell said: "The way you'd ideally want to bring these lads on is the same way we did with Wardy.

"We brought him off the bench, played him and then rested him for a bit before giving him his first real run.

"Just so he could get used to the way things are at this level. That's not been the case with Ched in particular.

"He's been thrown straight in at the deep end because of the situation here.

"He's been having to learn his trade on the job which is never an easy thing to do."

 

[Santos]

I don't think that argument really holds much water Mr B. Taylor was signed after we'd sold Naughton & Walker and months after Naysmith was injured. He was quite simply our only option at LB going into the opening game of the season. I doubt if Naysmith was fit we'd have signed him.

Similiar with Ched really, at time of signing we only had Henderson & Ward so it was inevitable he was going to be one of the main guys.

Nowt wrong with trying to deflect expectation off his players though.

 

[Micalijo]

This is just hilarious stuff. Why didn't he say this at the start of the season?

 

[LouTheBlade]

I also think its KB's attempt to take a little pressure off the two of them. Ive been a little disappointed with the form of these two players in particular. Mainly with Ched because I know what he's capable of. Ive watched him for Wales and for Norwich - he looked a different player.

At the time we signed him £3 million pounds seemed possibly a little over the odds but just about worth it because he had scored goals in the Championship before. At the end of the day, his age doesnt matter - at that sort of price you expect him to play every game and score at least 1 in every 3 games (probably more often than that at 3 mill).

As for Taylor I think he was a bit of a panic buy because we didnt have a left back. He was cheap and had a good season at Tranmere. Ive watched him every time he's played and I see a League 1 player struggling to make the grade in the league above. I hope he proves me wrong because the lad tries but I don't think he is ever going to be good enough.