The small squad is definitely his doing, as you say he doesn't do well with ego's and a small squad doesn't get many banging on his door asking for game time, u23's, most will hang around for a year or 2 happy just to be part of the matchday squad, so all this suits him. My biggest worry tbh is who takes over when he does call it a day, he's got so much out of the squad, no one else will, plus, a few of them will be hitting 30plus, Phillips and Raph will be wanting CL football, it could well be a total rebuild when someone else comes in, which makes it all the more baffling why we haven't added a couple of more to the fold.
I dont see a total rebuild as Bielsa does ease out players gradually. Pablo, Berardi already gone, but you can see Ayling, Cooper, Klich and Dallas within a season or two. Not forgetting Forshaw if he makes it,I also believe a reason why the U23s is getting big investment is that some are expected to step up. 5 players named above and we know Bielsa has a vacancy for a midfielder now because Cuisance fell through last Summer and we still haven't added one. We can cover Ayling and Cooper now and we havent had Forshaw in reality, so do need to have real back up for Klich and Dallas now
I think the 4 you mention above Doc, with the exception of Dallas, could well be on the bench next season for a new manager, plus with the liklihood of Phillips, Rodrigo and Raph departing, that would leave the need for at least 6 new signings possibly more, when he fires off Costa and Roberts, no manager will put his faith in a bunch of u23's to replace them,plus most managers want more numbers in their squads than what we have now, to me that is quite a rebuild, obviously Phillips and Raph would bring in some serious wedge. More reason why we need to try Bate, Summerville Drahma Gelhardt sometime soon, to see how they cope with the step up, obviously it needs to be done gradually but no reason why Summerville can't start the ball rolling soon.
It would have been practically child abuse had Bielsa thrown our youngsters into the fray yesterday. Yes they will need to sink or swim one day but away at Burnley was not the right time and the result proved Bielsa right anyway. Not suggesting you were advocating yesterday in particular but we can't put points at risk to help integrate young players. The consensus on here seems to be they are ready but we've no real idea if that's the case or not.
Don’t worry about our u23’s Gessa, they’ll be awesome for us in the Championship next season (because that’s where we’re heading apparently)
No yesterday definitely wasn't the game and neither will be Liverpool our next opponents, but there will be games where they are going to get a chance and they should be given it, Costa or Roberts isn't working out, when it's time for them to come on then use someone else instead. Shackleton came on yesterday and the tempo was upped immediately as he's the type of player that loves to drive forward and had a big hand in the goal. I'm not advocating wholesale changes in favour of the u23's but just to be given a little more opportunity, after all a few injuries and suspensions and they may end up being thrown in at the deep end
I actually thought yesterday was perfect for Summerville to come on. A few of their lads were booked and tired. Stick Jimmy on with his pace and tell him to run at them for the last 10. He'd have scared them to death. These kids like Summerville, Gelhardt, Miller, McGurk have played games at senior level already. Yesterday might not have been one for Gelhardt but the wide men might have got some joy against a knackered defence.
