I get a bit bored of the "look at Lucas" comparissons. For every player given years to develop who eventually come good I could point to ten who are given time and never make the grade. Maybe when we throw £15 million at a player we should expect a certain level of performance and that level IMO is higher than Allen delivered last year.
We all know the impact not qualifying for CL has on the club right? So when we go out and spend £26 mill on two players who make absolutely no impact on last seasons chase for fourth it hurts us not just for that season but also (potentially) for the season after too. So two expensive young players have "a years more experience"....but your best players want to leave for a higher level of footy. What use is that? Might as well just rebrand as the Arsenal of the North (except without top 4).
The youth team/Academy/reserves are where we should be developing players to a certain level and the first team is where they play when they reach that level. If they underperform they are replaced and sent back to work on their game. We have to stop treating the first team as some sort of creche for players who might be useful in 3 years time.
As for those backing BRs judgement on this one, time will tell but let's not forget he wanted to swap Hendo for Dempsey last summer.
We all know the impact not qualifying for CL has on the club right? So when we go out and spend £26 mill on two players who make absolutely no impact on last seasons chase for fourth it hurts us not just for that season but also (potentially) for the season after too. So two expensive young players have "a years more experience"....but your best players want to leave for a higher level of footy. What use is that? Might as well just rebrand as the Arsenal of the North (except without top 4).
The youth team/Academy/reserves are where we should be developing players to a certain level and the first team is where they play when they reach that level. If they underperform they are replaced and sent back to work on their game. We have to stop treating the first team as some sort of creche for players who might be useful in 3 years time.
As for those backing BRs judgement on this one, time will tell but let's not forget he wanted to swap Hendo for Dempsey last summer.