Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

 

2018/19 Mason Holgate

Status
Not open for further replies.
Barnfred 55 said:
We have 8 players in our first team squad aged 21 or younger. With the exception of Richarlison, none of them would probably be included in many people's best XI. That's because they are still young and are playing for a premier league club that has aspirations to break into the top 6. In other words, they currently aren't good enough to do what we want them to do. Fact.

What is also a fact is that there are very few players in world football aged 21 or younger, who are currently holding down regular starting roles at clubs with similar ambitions in the top 4/5 leagues. Without actually doing any research, I would say maybe 20/30 in total. maybe 4/5 of these, perhaps less, in the premier league.

The reason for this is, apart from the exceptional few, players this age have not developed enough, physically, mentally or ability wise, to play at this level. That doesn't mean that they never will. Players continue to learn and develop until they're 25 or more provided they are in the right environment and playing at the required level.

Our young players are currently in the right environment and playing at the right level under a manager seemingly prepared to give them game time to develop them. The only ingredient missing is the fans patience and support.

Sadly, I could have made this post in any one of half a dozen threads and it would still be applicable. These young players are not ready to be regular starters at this level, but they do need regular game time if they are to learn and develop. They will make mistakes. They will have good games and poor games, otherwise known as inconsistency. They need to be able to be introduced from the bench and start the odd games without having every bad pass, mistimed tackled or missed chance dissected and vilified. I've seen some absolute belting comments on here about 19 year old midfielders being incapable of controlling football matches in arguably the hardest league in the world, and 20 year old defenders being out muscled by world class strikers like Ibra.

People on here just need to accept that our young players are what they are, a work in progress. They are amongst the best in the country in their age group, as evidenced by the number we have in the U21 squad, and that the only way they are going to learn is through managed game time. They may not all reach the required standard, but any that do will save us many millions in the transfer market further down the line. People also need to realise that they don't all need to become first choice in their positions. If we get in Europe every year which is our aim, we're going to need a squad of 30 to cope with the number of games.

We all need to learn to cut them some slack. The rhetoric in these young player threads has become all too familiar and repetitive lately and I just can't understand why so many on here expect so much from them. I haven't even looked at the threads for Davies, DCL, Kenny, Lookman and Dowell today because I just know what's going to be in there. I did swing into the Pickford thread for a moment and that was a mistake too.

Madness.
Click to expand...

Get this on a banner in the Lower G.

Summed it up perfectly
 

Barnfred 55 said:
We have 8 players in our first team squad aged 21 or younger. With the exception of Richarlison, none of them would probably be included in many people's best XI. That's because they are still young and are playing for a premier league club that has aspirations to break into the top 6. In other words, they currently aren't good enough to do what we want them to do. Fact.

What is also a fact is that there are very few players in world football aged 21 or younger, who are currently holding down regular starting roles at clubs with similar ambitions in the top 4/5 leagues. Without actually doing any research, I would say maybe 20/30 in total. maybe 4/5 of these, perhaps less, in the premier league.

The reason for this is, apart from the exceptional few, players this age have not developed enough, physically, mentally or ability wise, to play at this level. That doesn't mean that they never will. Players continue to learn and develop until they're 25 or more provided they are in the right environment and playing at the required level.

Our young players are currently in the right environment and playing at the right level under a manager seemingly prepared to give them game time to develop them. The only ingredient missing is the fans patience and support.

Sadly, I could have made this post in any one of half a dozen threads and it would still be applicable. These young players are not ready to be regular starters at this level, but they do need regular game time if they are to learn and develop. They will make mistakes. They will have good games and poor games, otherwise known as inconsistency. They need to be able to be introduced from the bench and start the odd games without having every bad pass, mistimed tackled or missed chance dissected and vilified. I've seen some absolute belting comments on here about 19 year old midfielders being incapable of controlling football matches in arguably the hardest league in the world, and 20 year old defenders being out muscled by world class strikers like Ibra.

People on here just need to accept that our young players are what they are, a work in progress. They are amongst the best in the country in their age group, as evidenced by the number we have in the U21 squad, and that the only way they are going to learn is through managed game time. They may not all reach the required standard, but any that do will save us many millions in the transfer market further down the line. People also need to realise that they don't all need to become first choice in their positions. If we get in Europe every year which is our aim, we're going to need a squad of 30 to cope with the number of games.

We all need to learn to cut them some slack. The rhetoric in these young player threads has become all too familiar and repetitive lately and I just can't understand why so many on here expect so much from them. I haven't even looked at the threads for Davies, DCL, Kenny, Lookman and Dowell today because I just know what's going to be in there. I did swing into the Pickford thread for a moment and that was a mistake too.

Madness.
Click to expand...
Wayne Rooney ruined our perception of young players.

Too many of us seem to believe that they should be complete footballers or budding megastars at 18 years of age or they're "not good enough, lad"

More patience is needed from some parts of our fan base.

Great post!
 

LostLegend said:
Wayne Rooney ruined our perception of young players.

Too many of us seem to believe that they should be complete footballers or budding megastars at 18 years of age or they're "not good enough, lad"

More patience is needed from some parts of our fan base.

Great post!
Click to expand...
Yeah I kind of agree, but it's not just Rooney.

With Holgate for example, it's very difficult not to compare him to Stones, because their stories are so similar. Both at Barnsley, both signed for us aged 18, both came after about 20 senior games, both played a bit at right back before moving into the centre. Holgate's way behind where Stones was at the same age though. Stones had already moved to City for £50m at this point, while Holgate looks like he's probably our 4th/5th choice if everyone's fit.

He's got loads of time to get better, but you're right that it's difficult to see a player who just looks decent at 21/22 and think they're going to be superb, when you've seen what players can be like at that age.
 

Status
Not open for further replies.

Welcome to GrandOldTeam

Get involved. Registration is simple and free.

Register
Back
Top