The four academy players

blueblue · May 14, 2015

That will be on tour with the first team squad in pre season(as per RM) , who do posters think they will be ?

I am not sure if Browning and Garbutt(if he is still with us) are currently regarded as part of the first team squad or part of the academy.

Coffee and TV · May 14, 2015

If we're talking players that are currently in the academy (as in not Garbutt or Browning) I would guess Long, Pennington, Henen and maybe McAleny? If we don't take McAleny then surely we'll be selling him. I don't think Martinez will take the younger players that haven't been out on loan like Ledson or Kenny but he might take Galloway instead of McAleny.

Sapie88 · May 14, 2015

Moomin · May 14, 2015

McAleny is older than Lakaku.

kithnou · May 15, 2015

Moomin said:
McAleny is older than Lakaku.

and not good enough as #2 striker...as a 3rd option then fine

LinekersLegs · May 15, 2015

Coffee and TV said:
If we're talking players that are currently in the academy (as in not Garbutt or Browning) I would guess Long, Pennington, Henen and maybe McAleny? If we don't take McAleny then surely we'll be selling him. I don't think Martinez will take the younger players that haven't been out on loan like Ledson or Kenny but he might take Galloway instead of McAleny.

Agree with your list although Gethin Jones might be another possibility.

SingBlue · May 15, 2015

So someone still listens to what RM utters...

Eggs · May 15, 2015

......could be none if we qualify for Europa. RM apparently saying he won't even manage the team in the qualifying rounds as he'll be involved in pre-season.

catcherintherye · May 15, 2015

Well I was considering this earlier on. I suspect Browning and Garbutt are now considered first team players so I can't see it being them. In order of likelihood I have listed below who I think it could be.

Pennington
Ledson
Galloway
Long
McCaleny
Jones
Green
Dowell
Walsh.

I think Pennington is quite nailed on, Martinez has intimated as much recently, that if he wasn't injured he'd have been involved.
Ledson because Martinez is clearly a fan. Galloway as Martinez bought him and we will probably need centre backs at that point.

As for the rest it's a bit open for question. I don't really think McCaleny will make it and has done very little at Cardiff. Long has done ok at Brentford, but not played enough, but may be given a chance. Left field selection is Jones, he's gone out on loan and seems to have done well.

Dowell and Walsh are still a couple of years away from being in the reckoning I imagine.

davids · May 15, 2015

LinekersLegs said:
Agree with your list although Gethin Jones might be another possibility.

The fact that Jones can't get on the pitch for Argyle is not a good sign.

mightymoyes · May 15, 2015

catcherintherye said:
Well I was considering this earlier on. I suspect Browning and Garbutt are now considered first team players so I can't see it being them. In order of likelihood I have listed below who I think it could be.

Pennington
Ledson
Galloway
Long
McCaleny
Jones
Green
Dowell
Walsh.

I think Pennington is quite nailed on, Martinez has intimated as much recently, that if he wasn't injured he'd have been involved.
Ledson because Martinez is clearly a fan. Galloway as Martinez bought him and we will probably need centre backs at that point.

As for the rest it's a bit open for question. I don't really think McCaleny will make it and has done very little at Cardiff. Long has done ok at Brentford, but not played enough, but may be given a chance. Left field selection is Jones, he's gone out on loan and seems to have done well.

Dowell and Walsh are still a couple of years away from being in the reckoning I imagine.

he hasnt done that well to be honest, hardly started and didnt even get on the pitch last night.

Saint Domingo · May 15, 2015

I never understand how academy kids are managed. One minute Ledson is on the bench apparently close to breaking into the first team, the next minute he's not making any of the match day squads and Browning is coming on in the first team, does really well then isn't seen for the rest of the season.

Reminds me of the day's Baxter and Forshaw would get these odd run outs in the first team despite seemingly being nowhere near good enough yet Barkley was nowhere near the team.

I know players develop at different rates but does anyone honestly know who is next in line for a first team berth? Is it Ledson or are McAleny and Long (again, where did he go?) ahead of him on the curve?

blueblue · May 15, 2015

SD. I have often wondered the same thing myself. I can only imagine that it has to do with the inconsistencies in youngsters play.
Ledson seems to be a star of the future and earlier in the season seemed to beplaying out of his skin. More recently I see that he has been left out of teams and I think that a long hard season has caught up with him and he is being rested to avoid burnout.

I think that with young players it is the burnout factor that coaches are most worried about. When players are jaded and lose the spark that makes them as good as they are.

COYBL25 · May 15, 2015

Saint Domingo said:
I never understand how academy kids are managed. One minute Ledson is on the bench apparently close to breaking into the first team, the next minute he's not making any of the match day squads and Browning is coming on in the first team, does really well then isn't seen for the rest of the season.

Reminds me of the day's Baxter and Forshaw would get these odd run outs in the first team despite seemingly being nowhere near good enough yet Barkley was nowhere near the team.

I know players develop at different rates but does anyone honestly know who is next in line for a first team berth? Is it Ledson or are McAleny and Long (again, where did he go?) ahead of him on the curve?

blueblue said:
SD. I have often wondered the same thing myself. I can only imagine that it has to do with the inconsistencies in youngsters play.
Ledson seems to be a star of the future and earlier in the season seemed to beplaying out of his skin. More recently I see that he has been left out of teams and I think that a long hard season has caught up with him and he is being rested to avoid burnout.

I think that with young players it is the burnout factor that coaches are most worried about. When players are jaded and lose the spark that makes them as good as they are.

With the youngsters it's as much about attitude and application as to what they're doing on the pitch. Also youngsters can and often plateau at any age. In simple terms they're are investment by the club and they're monitored all the time with regards to progression. Think of the all the lads that have been let go recently, how many of them have gone on to better things ?. The only ones that I can think of are Eric Dier and Mustafi ( I never understood him going as he looked class ).
The rest are knocking around the lower leagues as that's their level in reality. The step up to the first team is incredible and
not many make it - it's the same for others clubs too.

Coffee and TV · May 15, 2015

blueblue said:
SD. I have often wondered the same thing myself. I can only imagine that it has to do with the inconsistencies in youngsters play.
Ledson seems to be a star of the future and earlier in the season seemed to beplaying out of his skin. More recently I see that he has been left out of teams and I think that a long hard season has caught up with him and he is being rested to avoid burnout.

I think that with young players it is the burnout factor that coaches are most worried about. When players are jaded and lose the spark that makes them as good as they are.

I think it might have been the echo that said recently that Martinez is concerned Ledson might be suffering from burnout after playing so many games and that's why he's not been starting as many for the U21s.