Yep, nobody at say Leeds at 17 was getting big game time…
Yeah and Gareth Bale played at 16 so let's play more 16 year olds when we get the chance.
Yep, nobody at say Leeds at 17 was getting big game time…
All I can say is Meghoma looked vastly better than our regular left back last season in those 4 appearances he did get to make. And the point is not that he should have been starting but that he deserved more chances off the bench.Meghoma’s not exactly looked like a 30m+ player on the cusp of a move to a European club though. Indeed he was so far from contention at the club that the Leeds player ended up at that he left to join us for game time that he STILL wasn’t good enough for. So they aren’t exactly equal comparisons
I'd have Stephens at LB over a 17 year old all day. Let's not be daft.
Meghoma started 4 cup games. Probably not many lads his age get that amount of game time.
All I can say is Meghoma looked vastly better than our regular left back last season in those 4 appearances he did get to make. And the point is not that he should have been starting but that he deserved more chances off the bench.
I suspect our young players suffered the most that we could not kill off any game.
Bale and Shaw were both playing at 17, the lad was decent in the cup games and deserved a chance.
One of the games where we watched Stephen’s being absolute pony at left back was when we lost at home to Millwall.
The situation was perfect for RM to play him and give him a chance until suspensions or injuries allowed the more seasoned full backs to come back in.
We really don’t help ourselves and then feel like victims when players like Miles, JJ Morgan, Doyle & Gomes leave at the first opportunity.
Just to play devil's advocate, it may not be as much about current playing time as it is about a route into the team. If he joined us in the expectation of getting more game time and found himself behind Manning, then saw Bree and Stephens played ahead of him as well he may have been concerned about that. Then this summer the club have signed another LB in Charlie Taylor and Wellington from Brazil is also supposed to be signing (although to be fair it sounds as though he may go out on loan). But you can easily see why Meghoma might feel he's now even further away from the first team - possibly 6th choice LB - so there's no prospect of playing much at all here. In that scenario if he got offers from overseas clubs who will play him he might want to go.And how many games did JJ Morgan and Doyle play last season?
And Gomes and Miles have both literally just turned 16. They should be expecting first team football already? Do me a favour.
It's not about playing time. Come off it.
Just to play devil's advocate, it may not be as much about current playing time as it is about a route into the team. If he joined us in the expectation of getting more game time and found himself behind Manning, then saw Bree and Stephens played ahead of him as well he may have been concerned about that. Then this summer the club have signed another LB in Charlie Taylor and Wellington from Brazil is also supposed to be signing (although to be fair it sounds as though he may go out on loan). But you can easily see why Meghoma might feel he's now even further away from the first team - possibly 6th choice LB - so there's no prospect of playing much at all here. In that scenario if he got offers from overseas clubs who will play him he might want to go.
Of course. That's why I say devil's advocate. I have no real clue how good he is and to be fair to Saints I don't think there are too many world beaters that we've let go at an early age. If anything I feel we're more prone to hanging on to youngsters too long.Maybe he just isn't good enough or ready yet. He held his own in those cup games, sure. But if he was really as good as people on here believe, then he would have featured more.
RM and the coaching staff watch these players every day in training.
Maybe he just isn't good enough or ready yet. He held his own in those cup games, sure. But if he was really as good as people on here believe, then he would have featured more.
RM and the coaching staff watch these players every day in training.
“Played him all the time”. The exact thing nobody has said. Bravo.Nonono, he couldn’t have done a worse job than Manning or Mara or Sulemana last season so we should’ve played him all the time
Villas owners are absolutely minted. They have the foundations in place to be a contender at the top for a while.
onana is a fantastic signing - one of many. Villa keep smashing it out of the park recently
And how many games did JJ Morgan and Doyle play last season?
And Gomes and Miles have both literally just turned 16. They should be expecting first team football already? Do me a favour.
It's not about playing time. Come off it.
Yeah but having mega rich owners isn't even half the battle with FFP. Otherwise Newcastle would be the dominant force by now. I don't keep that close an eye on goings on at other clubs to have an accurate view of it tbf, because they are obviously selling players too for big money which I've missed. It's just whenever I've seen spending tables over the last 5 or so years they are always in the top 5. Pretty sure they were even like 7th in the world. Just feels like they must have been using every loophole in the books to get around FFP. They just seem to keep on spending big and I never seem to hear about them struggling with FFP.
That would have been a grave error, it would have made people cross.Well done, Che. Got this move sorted all out in the open. It was not Turin Shrouded in mystery.