http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Lewi...tory-18334417-detail/story.html#axzz2MljaSZVD Lewis Hall and Jack Batten, Both Bristolians, Sign professional contracts. Yet again more great news on the development front. I would imagine all those who haven't been offered a contract will now be working there socks off to earn one.
Thats good news, also my brother-in-law works with the academy told me a couple of weeks a go that Jon Lansdown was showing Brian Tinnion around and he's going to join the staff.
Apart from our league position and the AV shambles, everything else I hear about the City and their youngsters makes me feel good. Best wishes to Lewis and Jack in their careers with us.
We are getting very close now to an Under 21 team that on the surface, appears to be full of talent. I know that traditionally only a small percentage of these will make it as fully fledged senior professionals but this time we may just be going to have a much higher return on our investment. Is this list complete or have I missed any? L Carey keeper J Bryan LB / LW Jack Batten and Jones CB Amadi-Holloway CB/Striker ? Lewis Hall, Dobie, Reid, Ajala MF Burns, Krans, Strikers That is near enough one player for each position - square pegs in square holes. Just what any First team manager would want. Add about 17 senior pros to these next season and enjoy the ride, whichever league we're in.
Following on from my previous post. In the "good old bad old days" when pre-season meant lots of long runs for players and pre-season friendlies with other clubs were not allowed, the big pre-season game was at City, the First team playing in red against the reserves playing in white. Thank goodness that stupid rule was rescinded many years ago. But as an exercise to show more of our fans than would normally attend an Under 21 game, what we have in reserve, why not reinstigate this as one of our regular pre-season matches at Ashton Gate. First team v Under 21 in the first half. In the second half, swap five "attack minded" first teamers to the Under 21's who repay with five of their "attackers" to see how the younsgters cope with a different scenario. Young attackers now supported by senior defence and holding midfield and vice versa for the young defenders facing senior attackers again but supported by senior midfield and attackers. As I have posted elsewhere, I expect that SO'D will want all our teams to be playing similar versions of his "organised" football sooner rather than later. So lets add integration to our philosophy for the future.
Jack played footy with my youngest son, at yate utd ,they were both defenders back then,not much got past them at the time. Jack was a very good player as a 5-6-7 year old,i really am pleased for him. He intially had trials with the gas,but wanted to play for city,he saw the light. All the best jack in your city carear.
I would like to see it but what whould it say if our under 21s beat the professionals Would be a bit awkward.
No, not at all. It would be good competition for allbecause the first team would try hard not to be beaten by the U 21's. and oh boy I bet the U21's would really go for it to get bragging rights over the seniors.
Only one slight problem if the U 21's got carried away going for it we might lose a player or two to injury before the season started.
I hate to be a downer, but this all means nothing when we're not playing these players. All we've done is give youngsters that will probably leave for free better contracts. I'm glad to see more great youngsters signed up to our U21 team, especially when we're apparently doing really well on that front, but a part of me feels bad that we're effectively wasting the time of these lads by signing them for a team that will never play them. If we do end up in League 1 then I really hope that SOD starts dropping players that don't perform and starts playing U21 players that would probably give their left nut to play in the first-team.
The problem we have and I stressed this when Del McUseless was here, when everyone was going on about how Del was doing such a good job with the Academy, if we go down, these youngsters will look beyond Bristol City and will probably move on....that's why it was so important to stay in the championship. At least we have some hope now with SOD in charge..
Interesting then that nearly half of the players involved in todays game were "DelMcUseless" signings. You keep on hammerng him but he is responsible for probably 50% or more of our 1st team going forward for years to come... I can't telly you why it didn't click for DM (no not "inexperience") but he signed some damm good players for us...
I believe you were one of those that said it was all down to the players and not the manager and I think I said, if we had a decent manager in charge we wouldn't be in the position we were in...... Is that right or wrong? The only thing he was responsible for, was getting us in the relegation situation we find ourselves in. Maybe, just maybe with everything crossed, "the decent manager" can save us.
He could clearly see a player... I am still pretty angry about how Fontaine (for example ) can go from most reviled player to "MOTM" today I don't need someone to tell me how to do my job, or "organise" me, I know what is expected of me, and the playesr should too - thats why they have professional contracts (because they are "professional"). I don't believe this organisation business, still don't believe they were playing for him
Del signed players that made us the ****test team in the league. SOD took on players that made us a decent team. McInnes wasn't good enough. Its no good signing 5 or 6 good players and making them **** by playing them in the wrong positions on not playing them at all. O'Driscoll is 10000000000000000000000x the manager McInnes was and will ever be. Its also very odd how under McInnes DAVIES couldn't start 2 games on the trot, and you would see him one month then not again. Somehow under SOD weve seen him very regularly and started about 6-7 games it think.
