Well we don't look much like winning anything with all these stellar senior players. Will it really do any short term harm as it will surely have a long term benefit? Harriman, Furlong, Smithies, Gladwin, Chery, Luongo, Kpekawa, Doughty. Would they do worse than the players in their positions?
Admittedly he wasn't good when he had a chance but two games is no amount of time to judge a player and he's doing well again a league below. Seems to me he fits Hasselbaink's vision of the type of football he wants to play- high energy, physically demanding pressing football.
Since you decide to use that quote Watford I would just like to put it in context. It helps when those kids are Giggs, Scholes, Neville x 2, Beckham and Butt.
It's all relative. The players they replaced were established top flight players and internationals. The players our youth/reserves would replace are Karl Henry and James Perch.
And Paul Konchesky. I get your point and I'm not disagreeing with you. I just don't think our kids are very good unfortunately.
Only one way to find out. Some aren't even kids- Luongo is an international. Yun is 25 or so with plenty of caps. Chery has plenty of career games under his belt. Even if they're a bit worse than those in the team already, which I strongly doubt, it would do the club good and we'd be an easier team to get behind.
I don't consider those mentioned kids. Luongo and Chery should defintiely play more, either one instead of Fer for instance. And I'd like to see Harriman/Furlong for Perch and Kpekawa for Konchesky on a regular basis. Doughty and Petrasso can easily play instead of Henry. I feel the club doesn't know what they're trying to do, it's like were stuck with not enough good players to push for promotion and not enough potential/talent to try and mould a new side for the future.
Kpekwa is getting games at League One so leave him be for now. YSY should be playing ahead of ageing Konchesky who surely wont be able to play 2 in 3 days. Harriman hasn't even made the step up to League One after all this time. So that must be telling. Furlong maybe but Jimmy is more conservative than the president of the Margaret Thatcher fan club so won't take a risk. Same goes for Smithies who to be fair has been pony whenever he has had a Rangers shirt on. Luongo should be starting ahead of Henry and Chery ahead of Fer at the moment. But at 23 and 27 they're hardly kids. Gladwin slowness and lack of stamina are issues and Doughty just ain't good enough and would probably get beat by Hill over 30 yards.
Actually, Harriman has played a fair amount at League One for Gillingham (unless he gained promotion with them). I gather then, that you are quite happy to see us stay in 12th place playing the "experienced" men rather than risk dropping to 16th place by seeing if less experienced players can make the step up? It may be that most of them are not good enough to raise our level. It may be that some of them will struggle to maintain our level. However, you will never know if tou don't give them a chance! Seriously, what do we have to lose by playing them?
Disagree about Smithies and Gladwin. Both have had virtually no games to base anything on for us but have done well elsewhere. I doubt Doughty is ever going to be brilliant but I think he's looked perfectly adequate when played. Doesn't look slow to me.
With Gladwin going on what I've been told by Swindon season ticket holder and the little I've seen of him Smithies, with Green's form could also make a case. But just don't want to be naiive and go down the same stupid path with emphasising youth for the sake of it despite having a **** youth team and chucking players in before they are ready. That's the naivety that got us lumbered with Ramsey and put nails in coffin for last year and potentially promotion hopes this year Agree Luongo and Chery should start. YSY in at left back but when it comes to our real 'kids' out of the youth system the majority are going to be working somewhere like foot locker in a year or two's time. For the few exceptions getting regular games and experience at a lower level aint a bad thing
----------Smithies-------- Harriman - Ned - Hall -Yun ------Doughty--Faurlin--- Phillips----Chery---Hoilett ----------Austin-----------
The other thing to consider if going to play players who haven't been regular first teamers - is that hopefully, it will be the kick up the backside for the regular first teamers and show them that they are not guaranteed anything. Maybe, a good performance or from the youngsters will give encouragement to the other youngsters that a first team place is possible if you put the effort in.
