Danny-did he use the youth enough last term?

[raul]

Has anyone signed as part of the "development squad" become a first team regular? McAllister seems to have played the most, but he's not played for the first team for months.

I do wonder whether the cash is better spent elsewhere: if we have budget constraints we are better spending the money on people who are actually going to play...

Or, maybe the idea doesn't go far enough. Imagine a global network of development squads producing a steady stream of quality first team pl....

Oh.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Not always (Ian Wright was still playing non league at 21) although I think I agree with your thinking on it all overall.
Sometimes its not just down to ability but mental attitude and confidence - maybe a small run in the first team would give them that however the last few games of the season maybe isn't the right time to do it.

Dw did use 'youth' last season but only when it was to the teams advantage- if players are good enough then they are old enough!

Our line up at home against Salisbury in the cup was:

Simonsen
Ertl Maguire Collins JFL
Williamson McDonald Doyle Flynn
Porter Evans

When we made two early second half subs, it was veterans Beattie and Cresswell that came on. Then, to be fair, Jordan Chappell was given ten minutes at the end.

I think it's an example of where our priority was this season. We had lost against Carlisle in the match before and Wilson wanted us to bounce back with a win as soon as possible. Blooding youngsters was less important. It is understandable.

But let's be honest about it. Bringing youngsters through was not something that we were prepared to prioritise last season. If it was, a different team would have started against Salisbury.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Gary Speed was our manager when those players mentioned were signed. He thought the Development squad was a good idea.

I agree that the current manager must be keen on these players for the scheme to work. Bear in mind also that the likes of Løkberg weren't on much more than the academy kids.

In addition to wages, I seem to remember that Tonne and Lokberg both cost £40K each.
McAllister and Conneely weren't free transfers either.
This was being spent on reserves, while the first team were fighting relegation.
Vokes got sent back to save his wages and we played an unfit Henderson instead.
He and £80K spent elsewhere could have kept us in The Championship and still above Wednesday.

 

[JohnDenver]

You may be right that we may well have released Lowton and signed another Sun Jihai for 20k a week.

Having read your posts for a few years Darren I know that it is a bugbear of yours. But I think you should be careful that it doesn't become an automatic reaction from you where you don't even give the player in question a fair evaluation before dismissing them. In this instance you're being more harsh than the manager who have given both players new deals.

It's a funny business is a footballer's development. Do players only get one chance to maximise their potential? Miss it and never recover?

I doubt Lowton would ever have been given the time and space to become the player he is now if we had released him. Not to mention the support of manager who plays to his strengths.

It's all rather imponderable.

 

[Bergen Blade]

In addition to wages, I seem to remember that Tonne and Lokberg both cost £40K each.
McAllister and Conneely weren't free transfers either.
This was being spent on reserves, while the first team were fighting relegation.
Vokes got sent back to save his wages and we played an unfit Henderson instead.
He and £80K spent elsewhere could have kept us in The Championship and still above Wednesday.

I really think we should look elsewhere when it comes our money waste prior to relegation.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

I really think we should look elsewhere when it comes our money waste prior to relegation.

I think we need to look at both and this thread was about the "youth" like McAllister not about ageing loan players like Nosworthy. Even if the Development squad is a good idea in theory, it's been poorly executed in practice and contributed virtually nothing to the First team (so far).