The youth team do play direct at times but this is part of there education the majority have spent most of there football life's playing out from the back and playing through the thirds.
The players at this stage are or should be comfortable receiving the ball in all areas as that's all they have worked on.
The problem is the clubs some of these lads will be playing for on loan or hopefully our first team will have different styles and its the coaches job to prepare the lads for all eventuality s
To help them make a career for themselves hopefully with us or another league club if not.
As an example Mark Cullen for the last few games at Youth level was only playing the last 20 mins or so.
This was something he hadn't experienced too often but the coaches knew when he got his chance with the first team it would probably be as sub coming on late hoping to affect the game so gave him a taste of what was to come.
You will see how the lads play through the academy any Sunday down at Ideal we've some cracking players coming through.
Thats just wrong. Their education should be on the floor, play it from the back always. Take theLiverpool game. Liverpool's back four were comfortable playing it around constantly tiring our two strikers out. We lumped it long constantly. Thats poor coaching. Russell should have been screaming at them to do it properly ad stretch their forwards.
Barmby got his lad out now Harry's got his lad out.

