Playing the Kids

[CG Blade]

Reading the Star last night, it seems that KM, has decided that we need to play the Kids much more next seasom, and it is one way of cutting costs. I do think this is a dangerous game, how many off the current youth team will make the grade. How many from previous youth teams have made the grade in the first team. Because we have got a good crop of youngsters at the moment does not naturally bring about they will become first team players. If McCabe insists with his new appointment that the team is going to be based on youth with somne proffesionals thrown in, then we have the next problem. As I understand 80/85% of youth teams never make the step up to becoming regular first team players, why will ours be different.

 

[super_pig]

ajax of amsterdam seem to manage ok and so did the busby babes.. fergie won the league with 5 new youngsters .. and put it this way .. they can't be any worse than the crap that we've been served up for the last couple of years.. give them a go.. it's the only way to find out.. a mix of promising youngsters with a few wise old heads will tear this division up.. there is one caveat though .. to play lots of youngsters you need a really good manager.. over to you kevin maccabe

 

[sheffielder]

There has to be a mixture of kids with experienced players. This thing about 80/85% of youth players, are those for teams like Manure, arsenal etc; where they have to sit behind experienced pro's, get loaned out etc; We are a club with good yongsters in a total different position

If our lot are as good as they say they are then starting life in the third level of english football should be something they with a bit of time and right management be able to handle. yes it will be a huge learning curve for them but a great challenge. I am not expecting to see them all but there should be 7/8 around the matchday 18

I don't want to see the Nosworthy's of this world anymore. I want this club to be the example to others. We will probably end up selling out the 1st leg of the youth cup final. That just shows we are willing to get behind this..

Look at Watford,they seem to have done quiet well in the championship with quite a few youngsters. Why can't that be us?

 

[Torrix1889]

We have the same youth squad (largely) that we had at the start of the season, no-one was really sparkling and looking like they were going to make the grade anytime soon. in fact, many were wondering where our next home-grown talent was..........

........then along came Pembo.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

They aren't all ready yet, and none of them are ready for a season of 50 odd games.

I can't see this being the case, Pembo agrees with the above which is surely where McCabe will get his ideas from regarding the youth setup.

 

[Tuns]

If United manage to produce two or three first teamers from the current youth team then that will be an excellent job done all round and well above the average success rate.

That leaves another 15 or so first team squad positions to fill next season. The idea we can suddenly have a team full of cheap youth players may be turning McCabe on but he needs to keep reality in mind or the new manager has no chance.

And let's hope the couple we produce that might make the first team are more of a Lowton than a Kyle or it's pointless as they'll be gone in the January window anyway and the cash will go into the black hole.

I'm all for youth and having local lads in the team. Indeed McCabe's decision to sell both Kyles was one of the main reasons why I gave up my ST after 30 odd years.

 

[beechblade]

This thing about 80/85% of youth players, are those for teams like Manure, arsenal etc; where they have to sit behind experienced pro's, get loaned out etc; We are a club with good yongsters in a total different position

No thats generally through the full 92 clubs. 92 clubs with thousands of kids trying to earn a contract. Slim odds for any of the youngsters even the ones not sat behind the great pros at Man U or Arsenal, and something I feel needs to change if this country is ever going to progress in football.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I think, for a change, the Star are way off the mark.

I think sacking Adams might very well mean there is some money to spend, and McCabe didn't trust him with it.

 

[travellingblade]

I must agree Bob, that was my take on it also.

I don't get this witch-hunt that McCabe is taking the club down.

Yes, he's made some bad mistakes, but he's PAYING for it.

The cheap option would have been to keep Micky.

 

[Revolution]

I think sacking Adams might very well mean there is some money to spend, and McCabe didn't trust him with it.

I hope you're right. I can certainly understand McCabe not trusting him after seeing what Adams did with the transfer window money, meagre though that was.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

McCabe may be a numpty, he may be out entirely for himself, he might be about making as much as he can out of the club.
However by taking us futher down he is losing money hand over fist.

Logically these attacks don't add up.

 

[beechblade]

McCabe may be a numpty, he may be out entirely for himself, he might be just about making as much as he can out of the club.
However by taking us futher down he is losing money hand over fist.

Logically these attacks don't add up.

Probably because people don't trust his decisions or what he says anymore. His appointments in the managerial sense haven't be all inspiring, him saying that the club will not rely on loans but still doing that, when they had the oppportunity to rebuild last season but failed to do so. His decisions and the boards are probably the top reason he's losing money.

 

[Rustyblade]

I don't think anyone is saying that he deliberately set out to fuck up, but fuck up he did. He'll get people a little back on side when he actually gets some decisions right for once. He might induce them even further if he cut out the smoke and mirrors, stopped spinning and told us the truth. Judging by the statement the club put out, I wouldn't hold my breath regarding the latter.

 

[Revolution]

McCabe may be a numpty, he may be out entirely for himself, he might be just about making as much as he can out of the club.
However by taking us futher down he is losing money hand over fist.

Logically these attacks don't add up.

Yes Bob, but that all applied in the last 2 seasons as well, and we still got rid of good players and replaced them with bad ones, ensuring relegation.

Actually, I have no evidence of this, but what I think happened last year was that McCabe decided that the club was to "live within its means" i.e without any significant injection of funding, but only then did he learn that you can only do that and hope to avoid relegation if you have very good players and/or a very good manager to bail you out, and we had neither. He may now have learned that, unfortunately, you have to run at a loss just to stand still.

 

[Tuns]

McCabe may be a numpty, he may be out entirely for himself, he might be about making as much as he can out of the club.
However by taking us futher down he is losing money hand over fist.

Logically these attacks don't add up.

McCabe wanted to make us a self-sufficient championship club so we could bob along until the cyclical nature of football saw us scrape a promotion or an investor came in.

He now wants to make us a self-sufficient League 1 club. If he can - and a I appreciate it's a big if - then what has he lost compared to Plan A?

I doubt the value of buying United as a Champ club is actually that much different from buying us as a League 1 club with potential. In both scenarios I suspect we are pretty much worthless in the current market. He knows that we are likely to get back up from League 1 in the next couple of years anyway and if he has made us self-sufficient will it really have hit his finances that much more?

Of course that's not say he is happy to take us down but I'm not sure it's the big crisis for him that people seem to believe, especially if he has no immediate pressure to sell us. Bit like owning a house in the downturn, if you can wait till the values pick back up again what have you lost?

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

"Mickey, we're skint, brassick! Gotta run with the kids and development squad next season. How do you see it working?"

"Can't do owt with kids, boss. Get one or two in but need some experience. I've got a list of signings I'd like to make!"

"But Mickey, we're out of shekels. We're laying off not taking on. Back to the kids....."

"I've only got two players in the squad I signed, boss. If I get the backing and sign a few more we can mount a serious challenge"

"More like the two you signed, rather than the kids?"

"Yes boss"

"OK, Mickey. Leave it with me and I'll be in touch."

(Mickey exits the office)

(McC picks up the phone)

"Trevor? Did you get thos P45s? Good cos we need 'em!"

 

[diplomat]

But was it meagre?

Mickey got Lowry, Mattock, Riise, Bent, Vokes, on loan whilst buying two others. (Anyone else?) that's got to be a fair extension of a wage bill with no doubt some loan fees to boot.

The issue isn't that there was no budget it's how those trusted to spend it have done so.

 

[FirthParkBlade]

McCabe want's us to play the kids so he can try and offload a few more and not have to put his hand in his pocket through the summer. We need lots of experience if we are to play the kids. Players with experience in L1 as well not over paid golden oldies from the Prem & Championship.

 

[Foxy]

We have the same youth squad (largely) that we had at the start of the season, no-one was really sparkling and looking like they were going to make the grade anytime soon. in fact, many were wondering where our next home-grown talent was..........

........then along came Pembo.

Whilst he's done really well... That's mainly due to the increased coverage I think.

I've been saying for a couple of years that Maguire should get a chance. Pembo hasn't suddenly given him skills from nowhere

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Maguire might well get to being a first teamer at the lane, but Kennedy is the one to get excited about.
Harrys career level will be decided by his ability to read the game, something thats difficult with a eighteen year old.

Still I wouldn't expect any of the kids to play through the entire season next year.

 

[Foxy]

Maguire might well get to being a first teamer at the lane, but Kennedy is the one to get excited about.

Indeed, but he doesn't stand out in terms of build like Maguire does

 

[FirthParkBlade]

Indeed, but he doesn't stand out in terms of build like Maguire does

Maguire looks a tad over weight for a footballer. Saying that wouldn't like him to clatter in to me if I was the opposition's striker.

 

[alcoblade]

. to play lots of youngsters you need a really good manager..

And lots of good youngsters.

UTB