Bruce has insisted that his two young strikers were for the future and that he would protect them and bring them on slowly. Well, he's done exactly the ****ing opposite! He's been bringing them on with 15-20 minutes to go when we are already losing and expecting them to save us. He could hardly have put more pressure on them. He should have started them and taken them off if need be. We would all have been much happier with that, wouldn't we? I have a whole list of his failings but this one pisses me off the most at the moment. What a twat!
The thing is, most commentators said at the time we signed Connor that it was the wrong cub for him right now. They argued that he would be chucked in at the deep end and then turned on by an impatient crowd up here. I disagree with that statement totally, as even if the message boards are full of fire and brimstone, at the matches Bruce has received nothing but support and that includes me as well. Connor and Ji would be supported if they played but it still wouldn't be fair to them imo. So, in this I actually agree with not chucking him and Ji into the lions den of the EPL, especially when the team are struggling and it is better to slowly let them get their feet and is the right thing to do imo. However, the one area I was stotting about was the Cup game at Brighton against lower league opposition. Bruce made a massive error of judgement imo in not playing the both of them for that one right form the start and the full 90 mins. Both needed game time and both would have been comfortable away from the EPL and against opposition Conner especially would have been used to playing against for the previous 2 years. Maybe one or both would have scored had they played the whole game and that confidence could have been taken into the league games. Who knows eh? Its the same for young Laird. He doesnt deserve to be thrown to the wolves this weekend in a do or doe atmosphere and game. WBA will be scraping for points as well after a poor start and one mistake form the kid and all hell would break loose around him. I think Mig has suffered from too much expectation on a young lad coming into the team so quickly. Our situation may be a little desperate but the managers policy with new young players shouldn't be and to be fair isn't. There, I bet none of you expected that from me did you? Lol
I agree that ji and Connor have been let down but it's not bruces fault entirely, gyan is the one who left us massively in the ****, Bruce can't be blamed for that
I definately believe they would have been under less pressure to be started than to be brought on at 0-2 with 15 mins to go.
The problem now is we have one recognized and seasoned striker - Bendtner - and Bruce's one-up-front has failed twice over (with Bent and then with Gyan). We've also seen that Sess is not at his best in that role. So what else can Bruce do but bring on one of the young lads? He's made a rod for his own back here. He's damned if he brings them on, and forced into a failed system if he doesn't ! Mind you, I agree that they should be brought on at the start when the game's even, and let them express themselves. Putting young lads on when we're facing an uphill struggle is putting extra pressure on them.
Met up with Smithy NL, at Beilefeldt, whickham looked ok to me, why play him in a friendly, because friendlys they aint, it was a full blood game, fair but still both teams needed the win, if he played for Ipswich full time why not us?
