Development squad question

Is it because we're taking a punt on slightly older ones hoping they come off?

I'm hoping we get a bit better quality than Pybus, Barr et al this year now that there will be an awareness that they can get game time if they're good enough.

 

It's mainly the coaching and infrastructure I reckon.

 

Coaching is more dedicated to improving them whereas before they would have just been training with the first team with training focused match preparation where the reserves make up the numbers. Also we are bringing in players from the 18-22 age category (mainly 18-20) with the view of improving them and them getting into the first team later in the season or the season after whereas before any player over 18 was brought in and expected to fit straight into the 1st team. If we didn't have the development squad then it would be highly unlikely we would ever have take a punt on the likes of Robinson and Gibson as they won't have been deemed 1st team ready so not worth the gamble.

 

It's hard to believe that after over 100 years we haven't worked out a good way of sourcing and developing players. It's like we're starting from scratch.

 

The main difference is that our first team is worse so there’s less of a gap between it and the development team.

 

The main difference is, we're bringing in older players and crossing our fingers that they're better than their previous club's thought.

When it turns out they're not, they're gone.

That's obviously not actually development-focused, but rather just a revolving door for players that failed elsewhere.

If 'elsewhere' was Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal (Robinson), you could kinda see it - but it seems to be Barnsley (Patrick, Clare), Huddersfield (Hanson), and Sheffield United (Hawkes).

One wonders quite why we feel those Championship/League One sides (their status at the time these players failed to graduate) will be good enough to be top end League One, but then, are we really trying to be top end League One anymore, or sustainable League One?

 

Never thought of it like that @Faithful Bantam, keep the first team squad short of investment then as they are crap introduce the development lads and it's not such a big step up for them to look World beaters, f*****g genius that Edin.

 

I thought that on many occasions. My way or the highway. Do not have a full squad of experienced professionals keep it short, and force the manager to play the young uns!

 

Some good points Jon but if you are getting players between 18-22 from clubs in a higher division you would have thought that they would be a better quality of player and would have had good experience at playing with good quality players and coaches.

I think it's good to try catch these players at this age who have been released (for whatever reason). I'm surprised that more isn't done to capture these players, maybe there is and we don't know about it. Talking at work the other day about it, if there is a released list of development age players why not have an open day and invite x amount down for a weeks trials, tell them they will stay between 3-4 days and gradually by the 4th day we will pick out the players that we want to retain or see again. These kids should be desperate to get a contract somewhere and I'm sure you'd pick out a few decent players that just need a new challenge, direction, coach or just a last chance saloon situation before having to find 'real' work.

 

Young players who have been with a club at a higher league level are not necessarily particularly good. They dredge all the kids up who show any sort of spark and work with them, but it doesn’t mean they will be particularly talented. You might be lucky, but my guess is they will keep those that have made progress and dump the rest. Sorry to be brutal but our chances of finding the one that got away are limited. However, I do like the idea of the having them with us for a few days to see how they get on.

 

Yes I get that with younger players, blimey the amount of kids that go to Man City, Barnsley, Leeds etc at the age of 8/9 is ridiculous (imo) but at the age of 18-22 there must be something in a player for them to stay at a higher level club until then.

But yes the chances of finding a Vardy, Ian Wright are very slim but to find a player for our level I would have thought would be more realistic. There has to be 00's of Robinson's that get released every summer that want to progress and develop, surely.