Holgate played a lot last season. Tom Davies was given a good run.
Calvert-Lewin was given a go as well.
But sure, yeah, he's not interested in youth, despite loaning out Dowell to develop him a bit more.
But like you keep saying, it's all about opinions.
Can only ultimately judge a managers policy with younger players after a 2-3 years and seeing any pattern, one season can be a blip.
Not playing any for a year can be a case of just not having any decent ones at the club at the right time.
What i hope we don't see - is a case of the loan system just being entirely used to drive the price up on younger players we then go and sell on without them ever getting a chance regardless of how they perform away on that loan (Chelsea arguably do that - doesn't matter how they play - once they are perma loaned they tend to be sold ultimately without featuring hardly at all).
I also hope we don't get into the model of buying effectively journeyman at best type players who then slot in ahead of talented younger players and block their path to the first team when ready.
Dowell - loads on here have long said a loan would be the best thing for him - so now people saying differently is a bit double standards in my opinion.
Davies - Holgate and weirdly to DCL all seem to be in and around the first team squad, couple of others have been given a go and have now been loaned out (deemed not to be ready i would imagine), Kenny is the paradox, seems ready, we have nothing really ahead of him at right back more than VERY average, so that situation will shed a lot of light on Koemans opinions on playing youth when he has those 'journeyman' options at the team now.
My negative pessimism fears we will see Martina basically become an ever present in that position though until Coleman comes back and Kenny either being loaned out or simply never getting any minutes...