Other than the obvious, i.e Carson, Hyam and Smith, do we have any other youngsters that could be ready to step up to the first team squad? I have to hold my hand up and say that i'm not familiar with any of the youth players, but do we have more lurking that could be chucked into the deep end.
Smith still isn't remotely ready but I get the sentiment ! Byron Lawrence is meant to be an outstanding prospect. CM.
I agree Westie...Smith is absolutely awful. I honestly think that if i was fitter, and ten years younger, i could do as good a job as he's currently doing. He needs to get into the gym, get on the old nutrament, and beef himself up a bit.
Don't think I've ever seen Smith make a challenge, just runs alongside players. I'm sure I remember him being decent at the World Cup!
New Zealand had Nelson as stated and he was part of a back 3, not a back 2 if my memory is correct. He is way out of his depth with us. I said the same 2 years back and was slated, I think due to him being one of our youngsters, being 19. 2 years on if anything he's gone backwards. A terrible loan spell at Colchester hasn't done a lot to help either..... As for other youngsters we're yet to see in the first team, who else is rated !?!? Am I right in Lawrence ?
At the moment I feel as though we are about as good as New Zealand. Maybe we should start playing with three at the back until we can get some confidence back. We have three poor CB's that as a whole would be about as good as having two decent ones. We also have two full backs with enough energy to operate as wing backs so why not give it a go? The first thing we need to do as a team is stop conceding so many goals. If you don't let a goal in, you can't lose a match, and that would be a start.
Jewell himself is reported to have said White and Lawrence will feature in the first team this season (White’s been playing as centre back as often as not just lately). Right winger Cormac Burke was given a pro deal at the start of the season but we’ve seen neither hide nor hair of him near the first team. Then there’s Cropper, who might have at least been on the bench had he not knackered his leg and is now recovering from an operation. Our other youth keeper, Connor O’Donnel, plays for Ireland at the appropriate level and looks very promising. I don’t get to watch all that much of the U18s, but from what I have I’ve always been impressed with defensive midfielder Aaron Jones, central defender Jide Madauko (from London – wouldn’t get him at a Cat 2 club… and we’re supposed to have two very handy young strikers in Jack Marriott and Jack Simmons. I’ve never seen Thor play.
Given who we have as full backs this would be great – if only we had sufficient centre backs of merchantable quality! If we can’t muster two decent centre backs drafting in an even worse one could result in some real Barnumesque stuff. When managers opt for a three centre back plus wing backs formation it’s usually because he lacks confidence in the full back’s defensive abilities. A flat back four should always have three at the back, though who those three might be depends on who’s gone gallivanting up the pitch. With a wing back/three central defender set up those three staying back should be “proper” defenders (not something you can currently say about our CDs!!). A point in its favour is that four at the back requires more coaching to cope with purely defensive situations that five – and coaching clearly isn’t Jewell and his merry men’s forte. Then there’s our full backs: Edwards who’s a right winger and Cressie who’s much better going forward than defending. Three centre backs might well be a good idea if only we had them!
