Trouble is Wiz, there are some who expect our youngsters to be Messi immediately they step on the pitch and if they are not, they immediately worry about their mental fragility. I remember much arguing on old 606 about how making a mistake could destroy a youngster however, just like the rest of us, they will learn from them. What we SHOULD be doing, is to get behind and encourage our youngsters until such time as management decide that they can't cut it and lets them go rather than making snap judgements on a handful of games...
I couldn't agree more with you about how our youngsters should be given more time but I was trying to demonstrate how our club had moved forward on a much broader scale, this in turn will give confidence and help the development of our youth programme, you are correct it takes time..
Not sure how many games you have seen at the gate over the season,but BR is brushed of the ball very easily by the opposition. Even LJ has said he needs to get on the weights and beef up.
I watch City home and away (less). I see something different. Isn't mobility in central midfield more important than beefing up? Can you provided a link to Mr Johnsons remarks. It would be interesting to read the thoughts of a slight non combative short passing midfielder.
I agree that 'beefing up' isn't necessarily the answer - there have been plenty of players at the very top of the game that are comparatively tiny (Iniesta, Messi, blah, blah, blah). In some circumstances, it could actually be slightly detrimental - I'm thinking of Gabriel Agbonlahor who was in and around the England squad when he was young, quick and a bit flimsy, but has become less effective now that he's older and slower yet stronger. That's maybe over-simplifying things; I'm just trying to emphasize that there are many ways for players to prosper. In my view, both players have shown enough promise to suggest that they MIGHT have what it takes to push on and contribute well at this level (neither would be a passenger if in the starting line up now) and that contract extensions is pretty much a no-brainer. To suggest that if they aren't good enough now and therefore won't ever be is overly negative.
For me, Reid has one good game and then one or two poor or quiet ones- Not sure if its an attitude thing or not, but when he is on his game, he certainly has got the potential. Friend of mine goes Home and away to Plymouth and raved about him hen he was on loan. Same can be said for Burns, Fleetwood seem to be liking him right now- Burns can have a good game again, but more often doesn't do enough for me. maybe why he has never had a decent run in the team. Both certainly have potential, not sure if its at championship level week in week out though
I often sit here and think much the same, have a little giggle! .. the Blackpool game ... Quigley how big was he? or Crowe Derrick same birthday as me ... under 6ft and slight build..was always getting knocked off the ball anyway .. Best he was small .. GIGGS was small and Alan Ball even smaller... size doesn't matter... unless you are small!
I think of others that showed promise only to eventually be let go and see them play at a lower level- Ribero looked good for a while as did Clyst and Joe Burnell and was Craig Woodman, now at Exeter also academy?. Tom Doherty' s another who probably could have been more promising than he ever did. We have also let go (although not brought through academy) player who have gone on to much bigger things. Richard Keogh and Bolasie to name but two.
Cole's problem was not physical - he was living in a comfort zone at Bristol City, and would never have developed into the player he is now. It was HIS club, HE was captain and it was HIS town. I believe that is a management issue as much as anything. Its the manager's job to install fight into the young players, and that is what Mick McCarthy has done at Ipswich
Its both good and frustrating to see Skuse doing well at Ipswich- He was in a comfort zone I guess. For me he seemed to give a ball away cheaply with a misplaced pass, but then get a huge cheer from the crowd by going and winning it back- Would have also liked to see him score more goals. Going down to League 1 meant he had to re-consider. Its worked well for him.
His biggest bug was he was captain of the team,he had given city everything,but the club would not pay him the going rate on par with players that were coming in,and being there five minutes and being paid more.
