Squad Goldmine

[Zatara]

Its incredible that you think we have 8-10 players ready to make the step up.

The 1 thing I notice from them all is they all need to bulk up, Rooney made the break cos of his frame, same for Barkley, I appreciate they are all young lads and could bulk up with age, but its a concern for me.

If more than 1 of them makes the break I will be more than happy, the rest will certainly have a long and successful career in the lower leagues.

Not "ready to step up"....i said they have a "chsnce to come through". Unsworth i think said 5 or 6 could come through now....

Just looking at names for next season who "may" get gametime:

Pennington
connolly
galloway
kenny
davies
ledson
walsh
williams
holgate
dowell

Theres 10 possibilities off the top of my head and 6 of them could be decent squad players already.

I think we should be cautiously optimistic but also it does look like the ones who have had minutes havent been overawed by any stretch.

 

[Goat]

Not "ready to step up"....i said they have a "chsnce to come through". Unsworth i think said 5 or 6 could come through now....

Just looking at names for next season who "may" get gametime:

Pennington
connolly
galloway
kenny
davies
ledson
walsh
williams
holgate
dowell

Theres 10 possibilities off the top of my head and 6 of them could be decent squad players already.

I think we should be cautiously optimistic but also it does look like the ones who have had minutes havent been overawed by any stretch.

Pennington got pulled all over the park by Vardy.

Anyway, I wont continue, I will let you dream, but I stand by my words, not 1 of the players you name above will play more than 5 times next season, unless Unsworth is given the job.

 

[Zatara]

Who said "You can't win with Kids" well in my opinion this is a bigger and potentially better "the class of 92" we need 3 good signings max.
I am surprised by your doubts as you post regularly in a very positively way on the youth and loan threads.
Trying spend vast amounts on so-called super- stars fails for most clubs. Man u 300m Liverpool 300m prior to Klopp, Man City 49m for Sterling and 72m two dumpling center backs.
No the sensible approach to buying in order to take the team forward with a with our youngsters developed to come into the team.
There is plenty of young players here, without paying absorbent fees for players.

I think where we lack now is the spine of the team. We need a new spine of consistent quality performers to enable these young players to come into a settled team and develop gradually.

The money should be spent on top quality with the kids offering depth.

 

[bluestevon]

Who said "You can't win with Kids" well in my opinion this is a bigger and potentially better "the class of 92" we need 3 good signings max.
I am surprised by your doubts as you post regularly in a very positively way on the youth and loan threads.
Trying spend vast amounts on so-called super- stars fails for most clubs. Man u 300m Liverpool 300m prior to Klopp, Man City 49m for Sterling and 72m two dumpling center backs.
No the sensible approach to buying in order to take the team forward with a with our youngsters developed to come into the team.
There is plenty of young players here, without paying absorbent fees for players.

Are they good - damned right they are, but to think it is going to be better than the class that produced Beckham, G Neville, Butt, (cough) P Neville and Scholes and Giggs (who not of the same class of 92' both broke through around the same time give or take a season., is going a bit far mate

Looking at that United set of youngsters, you have arguably one of the best rb's in the past 20 years in the league, IMO anyway the best midfielder England have produced in 40 years in Scholes, Giggs who was truly a world class player and Beckham - who media hype aside was world class himself. Not to mention both Neville and Butt who where both very decent players - well one was anyways

If our academy produces half of that i'd be happy

 

[Goat]

Are they good - damned right they are, but to think it is going to be better than the class that produced Beckham, G Neville, Butt, (cough) P Neville and Scholes and Giggs (who not of the same class of 92' both broke through around the same time give or take a season., is going a bit far mate

Looking at that United set of youngsters, you have arguably one of the best rb's in the past 20 years in the league, IMO anyway the best midfielder England have produced in 40 years in Scholes, Giggs who was truly a world class player and Beckham - who media hype aside was world class himself. Not to mention both Neville and Butt who where both very decent players - well one was anyways

If our academy produces half of that i'd be happy

Much different era as well, most teams round that time were made up of British players.

Now a days the younger players not only have big money signings to compete with, but cheap punts from overseas.

You wont ever see it happen again.

 

[bluestevon]

And history tells me that in most age groups there is normally 1 lad who is good enough for the first team, the rest are good solid players which lack the required skill set to be Premiership players.

I just require a sense of realism, thats all.

Tom Davies looked good yesterday, the lad can play, but that Norwich team is a Championship team.

Everybodys heads have fallen off.

And ive always said that, I honestly dont rate youth players, if they are good enough they break through, but the Jose Baxters, the John Paul Kissocks, they keep me grounded.

Remember bumping into Holden in town one night bevvied mate and pestering him for ages about Everton - and he stated that theyb had a young lad coming through who was better than Rooney in their opinion - never did say the name to us, but in hindsight was obviously Vaughan he meant from what he said, look how that one turned out...

 

[Goat]

Remember bumping into Holden in town one night bevvied mate and pestering him for ages about Everton - and he stated that theyb had a young lad coming through who was better than Rooney in their opinion - never did say the name to us, but in hindsight was obviously Vaughan he meant from what he said, look how that one turned out...

Loved James Vaughan me, on reflection he was probably the 1 that "broke" me regarding youth players, him and young Jack, I had high hopes for both of them, injuries robbed both of them the careers they could have had, but after them and then Victor, I think I lost hope.

 

[bluestevon]

Much different era as well, most teams round that time were made up of British players.

Now a days the younger players not only have big money signings to compete with, but cheap punts from overseas.

You wont ever see it happen again.

100% this mate

Nowadays wpould G Neville have been given a chance when Parker got injured or would they just have had some 26yo international their stepping in
Same when they sold Hughes and Scholes stepped up to the role, nowadays they would have 2-3 internationals ahead of him

Only Giggs out that team would have been nailed on to break through no matter what at the age he did, the others who knows what would have happened ha dthey come around the way football is now. but can feel pretty sure that their is no way that Beckham, Scholes, G Neville and Giggs and Butt would have all broken into the team anywhere close to the age they did at

 

[Zatara]

Just looking at the United 'golden generation' of youngsters mate

Beckham - made his United debut a month shy of his 20th (brief loan spell prior at PNE)
G Neville - Got his chance when Parker got injured mid way through the season - so basically a lucky break saw him in the team at 20
Scholes - debut a month before his 20th, wasnt until Hughes moved on though the following year he really broke through into the starting team
Butt - same as the above, got his chance at 20 covering for Keane int he United side

that was a remarkable group of young players, and was back in the day when the squads sizes and depth wasn't massive like now, and most of them had fortune with players ahead of them getting crocked to give them their chances, it is massively difficult to bring in several young players at once into this league

The interesting thing with our squad is that we have 2 waves of youth now...

Deulofeu, Stones,Besic,Barkley,Lukaku

These are the 1st wave like Giggs was the first young player to come through in that group at UTD. Of course 4 of ours are bought in but they are all 21-23 years old.

The next wave of course are 17-21 and theres perhaps 10 of them of which 5 or 6 have had minutes and all done fine.

If we can have a few Nicky Butt /Phil Neville types to beef up the squad ad a couple of outstanding players as well i will be very happy.

 

[bluestevon]

Loved James Vaughan me, on reflection he was probably the 1 that "broke" me regarding youth players, him and young Jack, I had high hopes for both of them, injuries robbed both of them the careers they could have had, but after them and then Victor, I think I lost hope.

Holden absolutely lit up when he talked about him mate, could see that HE was the player that got him over the loss of Rooney, he said a few things about that as well - can't really share it though but he wasn't over the moon to say the least lol. Remember though for a few years after was massively looking forward to this young lad when he arrived - Vaughan was the one that did for me with going to earyl with players though, shows that no matter what talent you have if luck goes against you then it means nowt

 

[bluestevon]

The interesting thing with our squad is that we have 2 waves of youth now...

Deulofeu, Stones,Besic,Barkley,Lukaku

These are the 1st wave like Giggs was the first young player to come through in that group at UTD. Of course 4 of ours are bought in but they are all 21-23 years old.

The next wave of course are 17-21 and theres perhaps 10 of them of which 5 or 6 have had minutes and all done fine.

If we can have a few Nicky Butt /Phil Neville types to beef up the squad ad a couple of outstanding players as well i will be very happy.

Interesting curio, United nicked Giggs from Cities academy when he was 14/15

 

[coollino]

 

[coollino]

Do you have a saved template for your threads?

Still chuckling at this

 

[Logans run]

And history tells me that in most age groups there is normally 1 lad who is good enough for the first team, the rest are good solid players which lack the required skill set to be Premiership players.

I just require a sense of realism, thats all.

Tom Davies looked good yesterday, the lad can play, but that Norwich team is a Championship team.

Everybodys heads have fallen off.

And ive always said that, I honestly dont rate youth players, if they are good enough they break through, but the Jose Baxters, the John Paul Kissocks, they keep me grounded.

Not so I have followed our young player for a long time, I cannot remember such a large number of quality players, you have to remember so many of these players, are still their teens, your point about size is well founded and being grounded with regards to those who disappoint.
However, there is something different about this batch of youngsters, something special.

 

[Zatara]

@MoutsGoat @bluestevon

I think if we look at the squad as it is now theres not a position where we are covered for the next 2 seasons with quality depth bar right wing with Deulofeu and Lennon.

The 3 major needs we have are at GK LW and FW where we really have no competition for Robles or Lukaku and have seen random players at LW. Ironically none of the young players coming through play in any of these positions which is a shame (although Dowell could play on the LW position it seems).

What we DO have are a number of players who can play at full back. Coleman has had zero competition and really neither has baines (bar an injury prone oviedo) so there is an opportunity here for 2 squad places to be filled. We also have Jagielka who has one or two seasons left and thats possibly another position open for a 3rd or 4th choice to come through and push for a start.

We seem to have plenty of DMs and CMs coming through which is timely as barry is now 35 and we only have Besic and McCarthy there for the centre (if barkley stays further up) so possibly 2 more squad places to open up.

I'm not saying these guys will take the first 11 by storm BUT could prove to be hungry squad players such as UTD had with Butt and Neville which would be a massive asset to us over the course of many seasons.

There will be money spent but hopefully thats on starting superstars and there are spaces for the kids to compete with them and develop alongside top players.