Like all our competitors in the Premier League we have a squad of 25 players nominated to play in PL matches. From those 25 come the starting eleven and substitutes, a maximum of 18 players per game, of which two are goalkeepers. Up until last year, there was also a Reserve League, so players who were not featuring in the first team were in regular, competitive action, though not of a comparable standard and intensity. This season the Reserve League has been replaced by the Development League, an Under-21 competition. A maximum of three "over-age" players can be selected for each match. My contention is that this is detrimental to our first team and has made things more difficult for CH and his 25-man squad. Unless the 25-man squad is packed with players of roughly equal capabilities, who can be seamlessly rotated week by week or regularly brought on as substitutes during games, only about half the squad are able to play regularly. The rest are restricted to the odd appearance due to injury or the occasional appearance as substitute. Otherwise their "competitive" match practice is limited to playing in the Development League which is aimed at bringing on the younger players, not battle hardening the over-age ones. Of course, the entire 25-man squad train assiduously, but no-one can tell me that training is an adequate substitute for match day time on the field. When Chris Martin arrived on loan at Swindon he was overweight and well short of match fitness (according to di Canio). No wonder he made zero appearances for us. Though the likes of Tierney, Morison, Lappin, Jackson, R Bennett, Surman, Howson et.al. can no doubt be trusted to train hard, my feeling is that, when called upon to make first team appearances, they are unlikely to perform at their best. Might this account in part for CH's reluctance to change the team, unless forced to do so by injuries, and his sparse use of substitutes except if injury, obvious tiredness or the risk of a red card forces his hand?
I don't really see the point of this 'development league'. If you've got U21's you think are close to the first team, then they should be ready for reserve team football. The current system is of lower quality and less benefit to both the reserve players and the U21's.
