This happen in the next 12 months, maybe.

[1973_Blade]

Having finished with 5 academy players on the pitch yesterday and with others having played this season could we see a team that looks like this soon?

Long
RB
Maguire
Kennedy
RB
McFadzean
Harriott
Whitehouse
Chappell
Ironside
De Girolamo

If only we could ever produce some quality full backs!

In all seriousness this could be the basis of our squad listening to KMc which of the current squad would you keep to supplement it? Or maybe which would you get rid of?

 

[shorehamview]

This RB fella must be good, he's there twice.

 

[1973_Blade]

Bugger.

 

[Pinchy]

The problem you have is that team bears a decent resemblance to our U-21s who have, by and large, struggled to impress. Chappell and Harriott, for example, have given ample reason to believe they may not be good enough.

I know (hope) it's only a flight of fancy but I don't think that team would do very well at all. Contrary to the average Blade's bizarre ambition to see us field a team of fetuses, a bit of experience and know-how is essential. It was the likes of Kitson, McMahon, Porter and Doyle who won the game yesterday, not the kids.

 

[SwissBlade]

The problem you have is that team bears a decent resemblance to our U-21s who have, by and large, struggled to impress. Chappell and Harriott, for example, have given ample reason to believe they may not be good enough.

I know (hope) it's only a flight of fancy but I don't think that team would do very well at all. Contrary to the average Blade's bizarre ambition to see us field a team of fetuses, a bit of experience and know-how is essential. It was the likes of Kitson, McMahon, Porter and Doyle who won the game yesterday, not the kids.

I think ultimately we want to see a team that plays for the shirt, all the better and perhaps easier to relate to if the lads are home grown.

Players need time to develop, some do so more slowly than others, but it'd be great to see a team of players who've come through the ranks.

We've had so many expensive journeymen over the years, ironically the four that you mentioned as the game winners of yesterday have also had their fair share of critics this season. Their below par performances have perhaps been the difference between play off and automatic slots.

Personally I'd like to see some experience retained through the middle of the park, but if there are kids that can nudge out the Kitson's, Collins' and doyle's then all the better.

Whatever happens in the next few games, there are players who've not really done what their job description states this year. If that's the players around them not being good enough or their own performances being crap, it needs sorting out.

 

[bladeinspaceandtime]

In all seriousness this could be the basis of our squad listening to KMc which of the current squad would you keep to supplement it? Or maybe which would you get rid of?

McCabe has said exactly the same before about using academy players and reducing the use of loan players. Using loan players in itself isn't the problem, the problem we've had is loaning in some utter dross. I also don't think it is realistic to expect the academy to produce players of suitable quality for the first team on a continual basis.

 

[Selly]

The problem you have is that team bears a decent resemblance to our U-21s who have, by and large, struggled to impress. Chappell and Harriott, for example, have given ample reason to believe they may not be good enough.

I know (hope) it's only a flight of fancy but I don't think that team would do very well at all. Contrary to the average Blade's bizarre ambition to see us field a team of fetuses, a bit of experience and know-how is essential. It was the likes of Kitson, McMahon, Porter and Doyle who won the game yesterday, not the kids.

From all accounts because the style of play suited them, out to the wings and plenty of crosses into the box.

Tippy tappy probing worked last year because we had a striker making very good runs up front and were facing back fours who, pretty much, weren't sure how to combat him.

This year, not so much.

More of the same on Tuesday Blades...

 

[1973_Blade]

If we rely on the younger players to take on the role on loanees we should have more budget to play with when it comes to permanent signings. I'm not advocating playing the team above, just stating that we could have a large part of the first team squad that have come through the ranks. Which is the whole idea of the academy isn't it? If we get rid of Robson, Williams, Forte, Coyne, Porter and/or Kitson it means we should be able to get more players similar to Miller in as much as they are good!

 

[sheffielder]

As a club I believe we should bring in experienced players to supplement the youth and not vise versa. I include McDonald, Murphy, long, Flynn, Maguire as youth as they are not over 24 so have not hit the prime of their career.

If we don't go up next year those players should count as veterans as all 3rd year players do in the NFL. There will be no need to bring in players like kitson, Robson or higginbottom and to make it worse we can't even afford them.

This summer I would release LSF, Howard, Higginbottom, Robson, Westlake, kitson and promote Kennedy, Chappell and Willis. We then can use the money to sign a striker to compliment Porter(cheap) Ironside and miller when fit.

Some of you might not like it but I don't see any other way this club can progress with no money. Paying over the odds for journeymen will kill us

 

[Kev Gee]

If we win promotion will the manager dare to use the academy players?
If we stay in League 1 i see that being more possible.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

McCabe has said exactly the same before about using academy players and reducing the use of loan players. Using loan players in itself isn't the problem, the problem we've had is loaning in some utter dross. I also don't think it is realistic to expect the academy to produce players of suitable quality for the first team on a continual basis.

Over the years our 'youths' could be turning out thus:

GK Long
RB Walker
CH Jags
CH Maguire
LB Naughton
LM Lowton
CM Tonge
CM Quinn
RM Mellis
S Sharp
S


No doubt others will add to this.

The academy works we just can't afford to keep em. Get back to the top and then its different.

 

[Silent Blade]

I think the last time we fielded 11 home grown players in a match was in the away game to Spurs at the end of the 1966-67 season

 

[JohnDenver]

If we win promotion will the manager dare to use the academy players?
If we stay in League 1 i see that being more possible.

McCabe's recent pronouncements suggest he'll be sacking managers who don't use the academy enough. So perhaps the question should be, will the new manager dare not?

Which raises another question.... When we're struggling because the young'uns are off-form or simply NGE, then will McCabe tolerate poor results? This is where his lack of consistency and strategic planning will be found out.

 

[louthblade]

I reckon the essence of all this is where we are we should be able to use our younger players supplemented by a couple of old heads to get us out of this division.

The next problem is the championship there are now many players there who were it not for the influx of foreign players to the prem that would be playing for top prem clubs.

It will therefore be more difficult to do more more than survive with a team made up of young players.

Then the prem ,when we do, our own home grown players will be an even smaller part of the team if we are to prosper at all.

We can do it, if the likes of West Brom, Spam, Stoke, Fulham,Swansea, Southampton et al can then we should be able to.

Just need, as others have said some form of strategic plan to get there.

There is really no reason why with our infrastructure and fan base that we shouldn't be competitive with the above

 

[sheffielder]

McCabe's recent pronouncements suggest he'll be sacking managers who don't use the academy enough. So perhaps the question should be, will the new manager dare not?

Which raises another question.... When we're struggling because the young'uns are off-form or simply NGE, then will McCabe tolerate poor results? This is where his lack of consistency and strategic planning will be found out.

Why is that any different when the older players are struggling for consistency and strategic planning? We have been found out since February with exactly that, whilst only Maguire and Long have been the only youngsters playing.

Personally I think McCabe is right to do so or what is the point.

 

[JohnDenver]

Personally I think McCabe is right to do so or what is the point.

It's the lack of continuity that I'm referring to. We have an academy producing promising players pretty regularly. The trick is to have a consistent approach to both how we play the game (at all levels), and how the young players are blooded into the first team.

Yet in recent times we've had a series of managers who have been alternating in terms of favouring direct football and then favouring a passing game. If McCabe is serious he needs to sort these things out. If he must sack a manager then he needs to be ensuring continuity in the next appointment.

We've been the antithesis of Swansea and West Brom in that respect. And our respective league placements are no coincidence.

 

[puppet]

anybody who believes anything comes out of mccabes mouth anymore needs to have a word with themselves

 

[sheffielder]

It's the lack of continuity that I'm referring to. We have an academy producing promising players pretty regularly. The trick is to have a consistent approach to both how we play the game (at all levels), and how the young players are blooded into the first team.

Yet in recent times we've had a series of managers who have been alternating in terms of favouring direct football and then favouring a passing game. If McCabe is serious he needs to sort these things out. If he must sack a manager then he needs to be ensuring continuity in the next appointment.

We've been the antithesis of Swansea and West Brom in that respect. And our respective league placements are no coincidence.

He has just got rid of the manager who never gave them a chance. I totally agree with you so this time he can't make the same mistake again. If you have the same ethos in the club like Swansea and West Brom you can continue your work, but I see a same ethos as Barcelona where we bring the manager through the ranks because Guardiola and the new chap had never been managers so it can work.

I have wanted Morgan for sometime and hopefully we can bring Pembo back to help at some point. I have been mocked all year for wanting this

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

i was ecstatic when i heard danny had got the sack. he was unlucky to a degree, he had an impossible job with the rug pulled from under him. mccabe saying he backed him was truly hilarious. the guys a buffoon. but it was our only chance sacking danny and trying something different. everybody with eyes could see we had absolutely no chance in the play offs the way we were playing.

then i was crestfallen when i read that morgan got the job.
i really think we should have got a proper manager in, plenty of time really seeing as our last few games are largely irrelevant. were gonna be in the play offs anyway. get somebody permanent in for next season and the play offs to give us a boost going in to them. would have loved us getting someone like di matteo or coyle, or at a push a gamble on someone like karl robinson or phil parkinson. warnock? thanks, but no thanks.

nothing against morgs, but it would have shown we had a modicum of ambition. by putting in a rookie were basically saying were out of ideas but just hoping for a miracle. which is what weve been doing all season.

mccabes interview was a nightmare. if he thinks we can just sell our better players every season, then replace them with kids from the academy, the guys in cloud cuckoo land. this theory we waste money on loans is on very dodgy ground. first, we waste money on loans because we dont sign players. that is at the crux of the matter.

second, we make terrible loan signings. getting in other teams youngsters is largely pointless. if they were good enough, theyd be playing for their club. if they come here and do well, they get recalled and do us little good anyway.

players like cofie and poleon are pointless. they probably arent good enough and if they are they arent gonna sign for us in a million years anyway. so whats the bloody point? the only effective way to use the loan system is by loaning players with a view to making the deal permanent.

with mccabe we are doomed. he says he wont rest easy until were back in the premier, well kev if we arent going to sign players youre going to be long dead before that is even a remote possibility. this policy of "it doesnt matter if we sell our better players and dont sign replacements, its all down to luck anyway" is the mindset of someone who is totally out of touch with reality. there are no guarantees, but the only way to success is by doing the right things. you do them, then keep doing them, until it pays off. like huddersfield did. you dont just say oh its not working lets just never buy players, stick in a rookie manager and kids and hope for the best.

all that said, yesterday was fantastic. no exaggeration we could have been 5-0 up inside about 20 minutes. the tempo was incredible, obviously we couldnt keep that up for 90 minutes but once we got at swindon they were rattled. porter was immense. kitson actually played as a striker. we played some great balls into the box. much less fannying about getting the ball forward. perfect way to play it home.

the sad thing is its almost certainly too late for a top 2 chance. unless we win all 4 games its not going to happen, and its unrealistic to expect to do that. if only we had a few more points in the bag. but we look in much better shape for the ****-****. hope in continues. i despair for next season though with mccabe in charge. oops, i mean some anonymous mild suit who nobody knows anything about and cant get a word in edgeways.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

i was ecstatic when i heard danny had got the sack. he was unlucky to a degree, he had an impossible job with the rug pulled from under him. mccabe saying he backed him was truly hilarious. the guys a buffoon. but it was our only chance sacking danny and trying something different. everybody with eyes could see we had absolutely no chance in the play offs the way we were playing.

then i was crestfallen when i read that morgan got the job.
i really think we should have got a proper manager in, plenty of time really seeing as our last few games are largely irrelevant. were gonna be in the play offs anyway. get somebody permanent in for next season and the play offs to give us a boost going in to them. would have loved us getting someone like di matteo or coyle, or at a push a gamble on someone like karl robinson or phil parkinson. warnock? thanks, but no thanks.

nothing against morgs, but it would have shown we had a modicum of ambition. by putting in a rookie were basically saying were out of ideas but just hoping for a miracle. which is what weve been doing all season.

mccabes interview was a nightmare. if he thinks we can just sell our better players every season, then replace them with kids from the academy, the guys in cloud cuckoo land. this theory we waste money on loans is on very dodgy ground. first, we waste money on loans because we dont sign players. that is at the crux of the matter.

second, we make terrible loan signings. getting in other teams youngsters is largely pointless. if they were good enough, theyd be playing for their club. if they come here and do well, they get recalled and do us little good anyway.

players like cofie and poleon are pointless. they probably arent good enough and if they are they arent gonna sign for us in a million years anyway. so whats the bloody point? the only effective way to use the loan system is by loaning players with a view to making the deal permanent.

with mccabe we are doomed. he says he wont rest easy until were back in the premier, well kev if we arent going to sign players youre going to be long dead before that is even a remote possibility. this policy of "it doesnt matter if we sell our better players and dont sign replacements, its all down to luck anyway" is the mindset of someone who is totally out of touch with reality. there are no guarantees, but the only way to success is by doing the right things. you do them, then keep doing them, until it pays off. like huddersfield did. you dont just say oh its not working lets just never buy players, stick in a rookie manager and kids and hope for the best.

all that said, yesterday was fantastic. no exaggeration we could have been 5-0 up inside about 20 minutes. the tempo was incredible, obviously we couldnt keep that up for 90 minutes but once we got at swindon they were rattled. porter was immense. kitson actually played as a striker. we played some great balls into the box. much less fannying about getting the ball forward. perfect way to play it home.

the sad thing is its almost certainly too late for a top 2 chance. unless we win all 4 games its not going to happen, and its unrealistic to expect to do that. if only we had a few more points in the bag. but we look in much better shape for the ****-****. hope in continues. i despair for next season though with mccabe in charge. oops, i mean some anonymous mild suit who nobody knows anything about and cant get a word in edgeways.

Forgeting yesterdays result I think Morgs was the right thing but only for 5 games [8?] as a new guy would have to compromise either his wish of how to play [no time to change things] or compromise the players by dictating chane too quickly.

It might smack of desperation but we were/are desperate.

Next season is another story and we need to get it right [have we said that before?].
Has anyone got any confidence in getting it right [have we said that before?].

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Over the years our 'youths' could be turning out thus:

GK Long
RB Walker
CH Jags
CH Maguire
LB Naughton
LM Lowton
CM Tonge
CM Quinn
RM Mellis
S Sharp
S


No doubt others will add to this.

The academy works we just can't afford to keep em. Get back to the top and then its different.

Kevin Davies for the blank S?

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

you cant just say every year we replace our better players with kids. thats what mccabe seems to be saying.that worries me a lot. obviously the fact mccabe talks a load of old bollocks, then does exactly the opposite, most of the time dampens the concern a little.

people quote the man utd kids thing but how many kids do they have coming through in recent years? their current squad is almost entirely made up from signings. the team with kids was maybe a once in 50 years occurrence. you cant use that as a policy. if theyre good enough theyre old enough yes, but most of the time they arent good enough. plus clubs like that have the ability to cherry pick the best youngsters in europe. plus they dont need to sell the kids, they can keep them for 20 years once they make the first team.

very very rare you have 2 or 3 youngsters coming through in a year. otherwise in a few years, you would have an entire first team xi all under 25! we sell them virtually straight away too. you cant have a policy of youth and then sell them after a year, how the hell does that work?