Player Suggestion Tommy Watson

[jt64]

Given we're going to be in mid table mediocrity 90% of the time next season, why should we be using the loan market to develop other team's younger players at the expense of blocking the development of our own?

 

[NordicHarry]

Has he recently had a knee operation? If not, it's a non starter.

Then again he only played about 600 minutes last season so it's a possible starter again.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Du du du Watson is a...

 

[Bladesman]

Has he recently had a knee operation? If not, it's a non starter.

Then again he only played about 600 minutes last season so it's a possible starter again.

He is not crippled enough for us.

We need to wait on the likes of Marc Leonard instead.

 

[joe casey]

Given we're going to be in mid table mediocrity 90% of the time next season, why should we be using the loan market to develop other team's younger players at the expense of blocking the development of our own?

You only have to look at the derogatory nonsense spouted on here this season about Peck and Arblaster to know that a lot of our fans won't stand for developing youngsters in reality - and I mean actually developing them, letting them have bad games, learn the ins and outs, letting them make mistakes.
Both the aforementioned have been elite in their positions at youth level for us and done well in the first team but when they've had sticky patches of form have been lambasted and written off. Brooks and Seriki even now are inconsistent and they'll both be 23 when the season starts.

We have to accept that the majority of our academy graduates are nowhere near Championship ready players and never will be. The fact that Rochdale's success this season has been helped by the likes of Kyron Gordon, Harvey Gilmour and Tyler Smith - all lads who were great at youth level for us but ultimately are national league/League 2 footballers at best (which is no slight on them).

The only player I can see being in our first team next season from the academy is Ryan One - and even then I can just as likely see him being sold to cover the losses (like DCL, Osula and Lankshear before him). The only other stand out at the minute seems to be Jevan Beattie and he's a 19 year old kid with no experience of mens football.

In truth, whilst I understand the theory and feeling of it, if we did as you said and developed our own youngsters in the first team instead of ones from premier league sides, we'd more than likely be relegated.