Due to our lack of strikers and the fact that we aren't close to signing anyone (as per Brucey on Saturday), why not give Karim Rossi a chance? Here is a a video I found from his time up at Stoke, he looks big, strong, can hold the ball up; has a slight turn of pace; and can finish. (A goal he scored for us against Elche in the summer) I know YouTube videos are not the best way to judge a player, however if we don't give any of our youth team a chance even on the bench, then why are they at the club at all?! Hopefully in the future when we achieve the category 2 for our youth academy things will improve, but at the moment it seems that the young players are only ever given a chance coming off the bench in pre season against North Ferriby/Winterton.
Of all the youth players we should be giving a chance given our injuries, the one that should be at least on the bench is currently scoring for Gainsborough in the conference north.
Johnny Margetts? He's scoring goals in the conference north yes, at one point he got 10 in 12 games which is good, don't get me wrong but it is probably not enough to get into the squad. Whereas Rossi may not score as many goals, but he is probably the closest player we have that can play as a target man, without putting Maguire upfront.
Well Rossi has never actually played a competitive first team game anywhere for us, or for Stoke, so I can't see how he's any further along in development than Margetts. I've seen him in the stiffs and he looks alright, but it's a big ask to just plonk him in. If anybody was going to jump in, it'd be either Luer or ter Horst. But I think Brucey is of the opinion that he'd rather play with Brady or Ince than stick a youth player in the squad. In fact I think we have at one point in recent times just had six people on the bench.
Not sure Ter Horst has actually even scored for the reserves yet, think he was out injured for a while.
He hasn't and he was injured, yeah. But he was scoring goals in a senior team despite his age and size.
No need to be fecicious, we'll have signed the player having looked at his all round game, not just how many goals he's scored. Your mate probably doesn't have the required skills to be a full time footballer. How else are they to be judged if not on what they've already done? If our scouts thought they were good enough to join City then they obviously are. We're lucky that this injury crisis has come during the transfer window and not in March.
Posted as much about Rossi last week. He should have been on the bench at least @ Arsenal in the fac. He may well get that chance @ West Ham and deserves his chance. Unlike Sagbo he will at least give it a go.
If Rossi doesn't even make the bench on Sunday I will be fuming, he came off the bench to win the game for the U21's, the kid deserves a chance, stick him in there while we don't have any other strikers!!!! http://www.hullcitytigers.com/news/article/second-half-fightback-sees-u21s-to-victory-2204337.aspx
I don't think he's ready, but it'd be worth putting the question to RH to ask at the Presser, just to see what Brucey says.
At 20, if he isn't ready now, will he ever be ready? Last chance saloon? I don't know, but he looks a talent to me. We never know until we give them a chance, somewhere down the line all of our players were given a chance to impress by their club when at youth level. The likes of Huddlestone (Derby), Robertson (Queens Park & Dundee), Rosenior (Fulham), Livermore (When he had a run in the Spurs team a few years back and was in the England squad), Hernandez (Palermo), and many more were given chances at their clubs and took them, but we seem unable to give our youth a chance? The last youngster I remember that was anywhere near our squad was Dougie Wilson in a cup game last season or the season before? After being released by us he is now with an Northern Irish club, he was meant to be our next best youngster coming through, but didn't really get a chance in the first team at all.
But then doesn't that tell you something about how good our youngsters actually are? When they get released, they rarely head to another league club, most drop into non-league or go abroad. It's a massive ask to plonk one in a PL game and expect him to well, just because he put two past Hartlepool reserves. I suspect Brucey has considered it, but it's a massive amount of pressure on the young lad. Were we in the Championship, I suspect we'd have seen him by now, but to put him in a PL game is just to big a risk. The last decent talent we had was Tom Cairney (although I think Danny James was going to be our best prospect, he'd have got into the first team no problem, Brucey said so himself), but none of the others have made much of a name for themselves, bar maybe Cooper and Bradley.
It frustrates me that it's always too early for these players, next thing you know they're 23 and haven't made a senior squad. Why is it considered too sudden to put them in the squad? Whats the logical next step for these players if it's not first team football.
I've never seen Rossi so I can't comment on how good or not he might be, but wasn't it Matt Busby who said 'if you're good enough you're old enough'? Perhaps SB doesn't go along with that, or maybe he thinks he's just not good enough.
I suppose that is true, our academy isn't good enough. Hence why we have made signings like: Ter Horst, Luer, Bowen, and even Rossi himself. It is a huge ask for him to lead the line for us against West Ham United away from home, but surely we have no alternative? Unless we play without strikers, which is an even bigger ask as we aren't Spain ffs. Danny James, according to TransferMarkt he signed for Cardiff? I know he was linked with Swansea, and was set to sign for them last summer, but it obviously never happened. http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/daniel-james/profil/spieler/319301
No, trust me, he plays for Swansea, I'm mates with his Dad. There's a pic of him holding the shirt. http://www.swanseacity.net/news/article/maric-and-james-join-swans-1811826.aspx As for our striking predicament, if we don't get Gestede in by Saturday, then we might well see him on the bench. But I honestly think Brucey would play without a recognised striker or rush back one of our injured players than put a youth player up front.
Rossi has never played so much as a competitive league game at any level, for his debut to be a PL game for a relegation threatened side away at a team who are currently 7th in the league is madness. The fact that we've not put any youth players (Watson aside) on our bench this season suggests Bruce just has no faith in them. It's just not going to happen.
