Young players set to step up

, 12 July, 62comments  |  Jump to most recent
Roberto Martinez says a new raft of young players will get their chance at Everton this season. Martinez says there's more to come off the Goodison Park production line, with pre-season likely to offer up plenty of opportunities to impress.

"We want to bring in four more players," said Martinez. "But, if I'm honest with you, we have five young players whose programme we've been following closely since we set them out 12 months ago. We've been trying to develop them and they deserve an opportunity.

“We want to see how they react in the first team, how close they are to being ready - like John Stones and Ross Barkley were last season. And then we will make the final decisions.

“We've got Tyias Browning, we've got Luke Garbutt, Conor McAleny, John Lundstram, even Chris Long to an extent, and Matthew Kennedy. We need to see if they are ready to help the team and if they are ready to be a part of it."

Martinez added: “As a young player you need one opportunity. That's all you need and that's all you want. Sometimes in football you need to be in the right place at the right time.

“We want players to have the attitude that they are ready for their opportunity and I'm excited to see the fruition of many years work with these players.”

Quotes sourced from EvertonFC.com



Reader Comments (62)

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Dan McKie
1 Posted 12/07/2014 at 18:39:57
Nice in theory, but this ain't 1992. I don't like the way he says "we want 4 players, but we already have 5 coming through". All season, we have been told how we have decent cash, yet so far, only Gareth Barry to show for it.
Sam Hoare
2 Posted 12/07/2014 at 18:40:44
Any of them would do well to emulate the success of Barkley and Stones last season. Not sure how much game time they will get unless injuries come to the fore but perhaps if they really excel in pre-season and training then the gaffer will give them a shot. I suspect of the ones he names that Mcaleny would have the most shot at making an impression if he stays fit. Clever little player and able to score from long range as well.
Andy Codling
3 Posted 12/07/2014 at 18:46:12
So it will be Oviedo, Kone and Gibson will be like new signings, and a few loans, business over!

But at least Bill is a blue... etc, etc.

Phil Walling
4 Posted 12/07/2014 at 18:46:54
'Just like signing four new players' in other words.

Let's just hope he doesn't choose a wet windy night in Leeds for them to demonstrate just how far off first team quality they are. That experience did for a few young worthies a couple of years ago!

Colin Glassar
5 Posted 12/07/2014 at 18:52:12
Don't forget Pienaar, Andy. He missed the tail end of last season.
Dan McKie
6 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:04:54
Even when these players were loaned out at a much lower level than Premier League, only Garbutt really stood out in most games. The other players just blended in.
John Crawley
7 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:07:57
Good - nice to see Roberto is willing to give them an opportunity. If they grab it we can save some money and use what we have got to buy some real quality. Plus it gives great encouragement to the exciting crop of younger players we have which are a year to two behind the ones mentioned.
Steve Jones
8 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:12:07
Can't believe some of the twaddle on here! Do some of you actually want to see Martinez state that we are desperate to sign a striker? Or, maybe, you want to see it published how much we have to spend??

Either of those things will absolutely guarantee that we lose any ability to try and negotiate decent prices for the targets we do have!

If Martinez says "You know what... maybe we have a few kids we can bring through," maybe a few players' agents see a deal for their guy drifting away from them. Maybe that's a good thing?

Paul Andrews
9 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:27:02
Well said, Steve.

Nail on the head

Mike Allison
10 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:28:29
What you have to understand about ToffeeWeb, Steve, is that no matter what the OP is, the real issue is Bill Kenwright and the board and the demand that we must moan about them at all times.

You're simply not allowed to talk about anything else without some permanent whinger bringing it back to same thing we've read a million times before.

We get it guys, we get it, but this thread was about five young players who may be given an opportunity in the first team. That's usually considered a good thing.

James Stewart
11 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:36:01
I can't see any of that lot having the ability of Stones or Barkley but good to hear they will get a chance.
Joe O'Brien
12 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:29:54
On the ball, Steve, mate, I'd say. Martinez is a clever operator in transfers. I am confident that the squad is going to be very strong come the start of the season. Again, a lot of work being done in private, quietly. The way to get the best deals.
Paul Andrews
13 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:40:36
Mike Allison,

Only you and post 3 mention Kenwright?
Nobody else.

Joe O'Brien
14 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:39:18
I agree with all you said as well, Mike. I'm sick of all the moaning about Bill and the board. Christ it's getting very boring.

Can we just be positive for a while and get behind the team? Bill is not leaving any time soon so what's the point in keeping moaning about him? Let's take a leaf out of Martinez's book and look forward with enthusiasm?

[Rant over.]

Terry Downes
15 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:50:52
No mention of Duffy then? Looks like it could be all over for him...
Mike Allison
16 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:59:09
So you read posts 1, 4 and 5 as being supportive of our board do you?

And I'm not really talking about this particular thread, I'm talking about pretty much every thread on ToffeeWeb.

A nice fluff piece about five young players having a chance this season and four of the first five comments have a dig at our transfer policy.

Peter Fearon
17 Posted 12/07/2014 at 19:59:59
Mike Allison, you are right. All roads lead to the same destination for some of these Blues. Coming off the best season for years, beautiful football, Europe and some cash to spend and you can hear some of them moaning half way down the M62. I want to see some of these youngsters too but I am hoping we sign an experienced striker for the sharp end of the line up.
Paul Andrews
18 Posted 12/07/2014 at 20:14:59
You are passing comment on something that's not there.

The chairman and board deserve all the criticism they get, by the way, for the way they have conducted transfer business over the years.

Mike Allison
19 Posted 12/07/2014 at 20:48:25
It's there. On every thread.

The phrase 'its like a new signing' itself is on almost every thread, certainly every one that mentions an injured player.

I'm not even debating the board or transfer policy, I'm just saying I'm bored of seeing the same stuff over and over again by people who seem to be under the illusion that they are either interesting, intelligent or amusing.

Patrick Murphy
20 Posted 12/07/2014 at 20:54:37
Self-reflection is usually a good way of ensuring that people aren't bored with the same old same old but I suppose moaning about other people's posts is as good as way as any to get a point across.
Paul Andrews
21 Posted 12/07/2014 at 20:57:11
Mike,

A friendly suggestion.

Don't read it.

Dennis Ng
22 Posted 12/07/2014 at 20:53:33
Mike, did it get mentioned THAT much? Surely we're used to the "we have no money to spend", and comments from the club saying we're investing more on youth, so it should come as no surprise people have resigned to that philosophy.

I do agree with your cautious view. This is the first time I read anything about players coming through ready, especially we have no chance of seeing them in action in our very competitive league until August.

Gavin Ramejkis
23 Posted 12/07/2014 at 20:59:54
Mike, the statement "like a new signing" came from the club itself. It's been used over and over by the club itself during many barren transfer windows. Seems we still have those of an over delicate nature who simply can't comprehend why there would ever be anything but gushing adulation and adoration of our chairman and board.
Wayne Smyth
24 Posted 12/07/2014 at 21:14:56
Why can people take something positive - that we have a manager finally willing to give our best local young players an opportunity - and turn it into something negative, to imply we have no money or aren't going to sign experienced players to complement them?

Why should we spend money on a foreigner when we might have the answer to our problem under our nose? It's basic common sense.

Phil(4) - I think you'll find that the game against Leeds said more about OFM and his lack of trust in young players, than it did about the ability of the players that played.

Thankfully Martinez to have far more willingness to let young players get experience, learn and improve, even if they sometimes do make mistakes. Its the only way we can compete with clubs that can spend £100m every transfer window.

Its like people moaning last season about us loaning players. Those loans got us £50M+ of talent we could not afford and pushed us to within a whisker of a CL place. I'm glad RM is manager of the club and not some of the people posting on this forum.

Trevor Lynes
25 Posted 12/07/2014 at 21:35:34
I don't think that fans are moaning at all. It is frustration due to our usual pathetic efforts in the transfer market. So far we have lost Deulofeu, Lukaku, Gueye and Vellios from our squad of last season and we have only signed Barry!

The season starts in August and Oviedo will not be fit until September which may actually be October. Gibson and Kone are both coming off long injuries and are unknowns as far as I am concerned, fitness-wise. Pienaar is another coming back from injury so our squad is seriously depleted and even weaker than last season.

So far, other clubs in the Premier League have signed lots of 'name' players whilst we are supposedly considering bids or talking about them! Bojan is available from Barcelona on loan and our manager is supposedly well in with that clubs boardroom, but we are not in the frame for him. It is five weeks before our first league game and we continue to fanny about!!

This is not a moan – it is a genuine concern considering we are playing three of the top teams in the first 6 matches. Garbutt is impressive and that is a plus, but the lad is a left full back. I am getting pissed off yet again with this club's tardiness.

Scott Bosworth
26 Posted 12/07/2014 at 22:02:02
Not to distract from the INCREDIBLY INTERESTING debate about Teh Board and Teh Bill, but I personally found the most telling bit of the whole article to be one name that wasn't included--Shane Duffy.

I'd been hoping he'd get another chance, pulling for the kid, but it seems the writing may indeed be on the wall.

Karl Graham
27 Posted 12/07/2014 at 22:13:00
If we get a front line striker I would happily go with the squad we've got we have 2 players in every position, plus a third team of youngsters who give us depth. Too many players mean there will be a lot of unhappy players who are not getting a game.
Wayne Smyth
28 Posted 12/07/2014 at 22:09:15
Trevor, Spurs signed lots of 'name' players last season. Lot of use it did them. I'm sure most teams in the league would've given their right arm for our 'pathetic' efforts in the transfer market. Sometimes deals can only be realistically done at the 11th hour.

I'm sure Martinez has his targets this year and is aware of who he needs. I'd rather he wait to get the ones he's after rather than make rushed purchases or overpaying just to appease fans who lack patience.

Gueye and Vellios made no impact on our squad last season, they are not a loss, but deadwood off our wage bill. We're short of a winger and a striker and I've every confidence that Martinez will get the right players in.

We need to bear in mind that we're not flush with cash. I reckon we could afford to put in a £30M bid for Lukaku pay him a fortune and get him in, leaving nothing in the pot for other signings. I'm sure that would please some here because we'd done "something".

However I think Martinez is quite shrewd. There aren't actually that many more desirable destinations for Lukaku at the moment. Interest in him may stay cool and it's entirely likely we'll either sign him for closer to £20M or get him on a loan again.

Not only that, but other players will become available for much better value near the end of the transfer window, when players are more desperate to move and clubs more desperate to sell.

Kieran Kinsella
29 Posted 12/07/2014 at 22:24:38
Scott Bosworth/Terry Downs,

Duffy was mentioned in other publications that carried the full quote. RM said "and Shane Duffy although he's in a different category." Take that as you will but I assume he means Duffy has more experience than the others but has to prove he has a future at Everton. The others are neither assured of a professional career here on anywhere else -- yet. He did fail to mention Connor Grant who he took on the pre season US tour last year or Ledson who made the first team squad near the end of the season. George Green is 19 now too but seems to have slipped off the radar as does Hallam Hope who did better out on loan than Long.

Steve Jones
30 Posted 12/07/2014 at 22:20:40
Trevor, so fans have every right to vent their frustrations without bothering to actually think first? Martinez has said there is money in the po

t... that's all he needs to tell us and definitely all he should tell us.

Those who are whining about the pace of signings are unreal. You can make signings happen quickly... you throw boatloads of cash at them. We need to get the most out of the pot we have so that's not an option is it?

Bojan? Maybe we've left him for Stoke because Martinez doesn't think he'd improve us? Not because the club are somehow unable close a deal for him?

Really hate this time of year... out trot the idiot football journalists and the hordes of equally dense fans who lap up their crap.

Michael Kenrick
31 Posted 12/07/2014 at 23:08:56
Can't fault you one bit, Steve. Such abject nonsense posted on here at this time of year, by so many saying the same thing again and again and again.

● Lukaku must be given an ultimatum
● Barry is too old for a 3-year contract
● Kenwright is pocketing money from the club
● Why weren't we in for Bojan?
● Martinez should not have been 'moonlighting' for ESPN in Brazil

Complete twaddle... but there's no stopping it, it seems.

Dennis Ng
32 Posted 13/07/2014 at 01:01:19
LOL. Well, this is silly season time... Add World Cup hype and you have full blown hysteria!

Fortunately for me Michael, I've not said any of the 4 points you mentioned :)

Paul Ferry
33 Posted 13/07/2014 at 01:29:55
Great post that Wayne - 28.

I assume on the basis of what Bobby says in the OP that we get this twaddle from Bill Gall on the Besic thread - 76:

After watching this player in the World Cup and taking in his age the fee of £4m does not seem overly expensive so I take it that Mr Martinez is going to prefer as he states young players at the club’.

Unbelievable isn’t it! Talk about journos twisting words and making them mean something they were never meant to mean!

Bobby has never once said that his preference is for young players over incoming yet eagle-eyed Gall tells us all that he has actually ’stated’ it!

Words from the gaffer’s mouth meant to encourage youngsters that in the same set of observations clearly ’states’ in Gall’s words that ’he wants to bring in four players’.

Unbelievable codswallop from our Gally and it sort of leaves you wondering how and why on earth would he serve up this hogwash in the first place? My Bobby radar is pinging and we might have another one of those curmudgeons on board.

Anyway, a straight question to Gally: Gally can you please show me one place anywhere where our gaffer ’states’ that he ’prefers’ home-grown talent to bringing in new players? Just one, that’s all I ask.

Mark Andersson
34 Posted 13/07/2014 at 02:11:56
Well I for one enjoy the deluded debates. The moaning fans with their glass half-empty are just as entitled to those of us with a glass half-full.

Football is a mirror of life, whether your a fan, player, coach or chairman. You can plan all you want, but you still have to take what is meant to be.

Should be another interesting season, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Harold Matthews
35 Posted 13/07/2014 at 05:43:35
I've had a bit of a break from TW but Trevor's reminder that the season is only 5 weeks away was a jolt to the system. Especially as Roberto and the fans spent half of last season moaning about the 3 early draws which should have been wins. Lack of real firepower in those first few weeks cost us dearly. Can't imagine Roberto will allow it to happen again.

Also, as the pundits kept pointing out, too many touches when going forward doesn't work any more. Will Roberto return with a new strategy?

Mike Allison
36 Posted 13/07/2014 at 09:20:51
Gavin, I think you get an award for spectacularly missing the point of what I was saying there.

Did you really read my "I'm bored of seeing the same old comments" as "We must silence dissent and stand behind our glorious chairman?"

Please read Wayne's opening paragraph (#24). That's what I was saying, I thought I spelt it out pretty clearly in #16. Actually, Wayne's post #28 is an excellent summation of my own position here.

Kieran, I've only just done a brief check but aren't the other players you mention a year or two younger than the ones on the original list? The list in the OP are about 20-21 and the others 18-20, and I think are/were in different 'years' in the academy.

Andy Meighan
37 Posted 13/07/2014 at 09:34:16
Trevor (#25) – brilliant post. I couldn’t have put it better myself. You’re right what you say the start we’ve got is really hard. So, in my view, we need quality in ASAP – not continue as you put it fanny round. It’s frustrating, it really is.
Phil Walling
38 Posted 13/07/2014 at 09:56:41
Harold, picking up your point about 'too many touches going forward' the ticca tacci style has certainly not been much in evidence at the World Cup.

Are you suggesting that Roberto will see his observation of this fact as a reason to change the style he took all last season to indoctrinate into his players' minds and mode of play?

Mike Allison
39 Posted 13/07/2014 at 10:13:31
Phil, I don't think he did quite indoctrinate them into 'Tikki Takka'. He certainly made possession the default priority, but said all season that we needed to be adaptable to different situations. I for one was frustrated with our lack of 'transition' or counter-attacking threat, especially whilst games were level, and from these pages I know many others were as well.

However, I think the possession game is a foundation, and can be built on. For example, when his Wigan hammered us 3-0, they did it with quick incisive moves from when they gained possession, not by passing it around for five minutes first.

Roberto knows this, and I think our game will develop a bit with players expected to make decisions about when to strike early and when to settle in and control the game.

Richard Reeves
40 Posted 13/07/2014 at 11:11:05
Martinez is working to a budget and IÂ’m loving his thinking. He strikes me as someone who wants real quality at the club, someone who wants footballers and not just athletes.

Some of these lads in the youth set-up could be very good players so by hopefully bringing back Lukaku and signing two or three other quality players of similar age but around the £2-4M price mark and a loan like the player being linked from Barça then these lads will get chances.

Martinez doesnÂ’t want players to make up the numbers if theyÂ’re not as good as the reserves. I think he is focussing on fewer who can make the difference at a certain age so they progress together and build for a great future.

Darryl Ritchie
41 Posted 13/07/2014 at 13:41:27
Good post, Mike. Roberto's plan for his first season was to get the players accustomed to a possession type game. That it was as successful as it was, surprised even RM. The team that finished the season was far better, more fluid, than the team that started it.

Not being local, I've not had the opportunity to watch any of the young players actually play, apart from 30 second highlights of the U21s on the club site. I've not a clue about the talent level of any of the young lads mentioned above.

I read a lot about the rebirth of the School of Science. Surely that must mean development and promotion from within the club. Along with intelligent use of the transfer window, it can only make us stronger.

Kieran Kinsella
42 Posted 13/07/2014 at 15:55:21
Harold, yeah they are younger but I just thought it was interesting that they were ahead of these lads last year in terms of first-team involvement but they've slipped back down the pecking order.

With regard to the ongoing row on here, my interpretation was this: RM has money to spend but wants to give the youngsters a chance to impress before he spends. Why buy if you don't need to? Unless you're Alan Hansen and believe you can win nothing with kids.

The Lukaku situation seems to be in the player's court as both he and RM have said. The Bosnian guy? Well that doesn't bode well for Lundstram as we'd be overloaded with defensive midfielders but if he'll improve us then it's good news. Traore? Seemed like we had a deal in place to bring him back but could have been disrupted when Monaco sacked Ranieri seeing as he wasn't a Traore fan. Most of the other transfer rumors seem like nonsense.

With regard to style, we did the tica taca at Arsenal but in the return game at Goodison we adapted to a more direct, powerful German style approach. RM is no muppet. He does adapt and learn. He's not going to impose one game plan and stick to it for 10 years.

Mike Allison
43 Posted 13/07/2014 at 16:06:57
Kieran, despite calling me Harold, I think you were responding to my post. You say that last year the younger lads were ahead in terms of first team opportunities, but I think that's slightly false.

They were only ahead because the older lads were out on loan playing actual first team football, as opposed to sitting on our bench and 'getting the feel' for match-day in the first team. It seems Martinez has a development plan which involves at around 18-19 you may be involved with our squad, but you won't play, around 20-21 you go and play regular first team football for someone else, and the five in the OP have now done that, so are at a 'make or break' stage.

If I'm reading this right, then loans for the older five would be a backward step, and they should expect to be involved with us if they're good enough, or leave permanently if they're not (Duffy is another year older by the way, but Martinez wasn't here when he would have done the first loaning bit).

The younger players you've mentioned are now at the age when Martinez wants them to play League One or Championship football for a season before coming back to be involved with us next season. I'm only going off one season here, so it's hard to know if this is a pattern, but it makes sense to me.

Interesting to note that the older youngsters (so to speak) are roughly the same age as Lukaku.

Kevin Tully
44 Posted 13/07/2014 at 16:15:27
Nice to see you back, Harold.
Derek Knox
45 Posted 13/07/2014 at 16:19:50
I can only second what KT #44 has said, Harold's input has been greatly missed (during the World Cup).

Welcome back to TW, Harold!

Chris James
46 Posted 13/07/2014 at 21:21:44
I second all the criticism of the whingers. Yes we need to make more signings (something which Roberto has actually included in his quote - another 4 in his words) but he's also suggesting that we have a talented crop if youngsters who he thinks are good enough to get that chance.

Even if this is just PR fluff it's good fluff that makes the youngsters feel good, suggests to the world we might not be so desperate to sign others and gives the club a bit of a fillip.

If it's not (as I hope) PR fluff then we can look forward to seeing a generation of homegrown lads who we've invested in and who already know/are known by the club coming through together and setting us up for a bright future.

This is FAR preferable to me a whole host of reasons (economic, patriotic and ethical) than simply buying in expensive external talent. I'd love to see them all given a proper chance.

Jay Harris
47 Posted 13/07/2014 at 23:31:05
For the record we did not develop Stones, McCarthy or Coleman from our youth system.

The only breakthrough we have had from the academy recently is Barkley who was identified from a very young age as an outstanding player.

Yes it is good to develop our own players but very few of them ever make it because there is a chasm between youth levels and the Premiership which is a bridge too far for so many.

Until the structure in football changes to allow youngsters to progress to Prem levels we will only ever see the outstanding youngsters make it.

If anyone seriously thinks any of the 5 players mentioned will help us next season they are in for a rude awakening.

Phil Sammon
48 Posted 14/07/2014 at 01:58:13
I disagree, Jay. I think McAleny is good enough to play a part for us next year.
Jay Harris
49 Posted 14/07/2014 at 02:24:16
Phil
I had high hopes for Mcaleny when he made a cameo appearance in 2012 but he has since had 2 serious injuries including a broken leg last year.The only one of the group I feel has developed in the last year is Ty Browning but its still too much of a leap of faith to expect him to break into the first team squad this season.
David Ellis
50 Posted 14/07/2014 at 02:40:01
Mike Allison you have posted several times on this thread and I agree with every word. Your analysis of Martinez's way of developing the youngsters looks accurate and it will be interesting to see if this pattern of loaning out the middle aged youngsters continues.

I am also bored by so many threads turning into "we'll never get anywhere without a new owner" mantra. It may be true but it's dull (and depressing) and does not add to my total sum of knowledge (or anyone else's).

Adding to the list of euphemisms for this point are comments like "All we need now is for the board to back Roberto"..."We just need the board to get their finger out..." But we know and understand our financial constraints right? So does Roberto. This is not going to change anytime soon. Accept it or not – it's up to each individual but please don't bore us witless by keeping on about it. What next... it's cold and wet in the winter?

Phil Sammon
52 Posted 14/07/2014 at 04:10:05
You know what's more boring, David? People attempting to set constraints as to what we are allowed to discuss. As a forum, this site is bound to go over the same topics... if it bores you then go read another thread.
Paul Ferry
53 Posted 14/07/2014 at 04:59:21
David Ellis - 50: Â’middle-aged youngstersÂ’?

Spot on Phil - 52 - and can I echo new romantic Kev Tully - 44 - in welcoming good old Harold Matthews back with warn open arms! Looking forward to many more Matthewsians in months and years to come.

Only 33 days to go and counting.

Gavin Ramejkis
54 Posted 14/07/2014 at 07:12:35
Mike #36 How about this to make it easier for you

"I'm not even debating the board or transfer policy, I'm just saying I'm bored of seeing the same stuff over and over again by people who seem to be under the illusion that they are either interesting, intelligent or amusing."

My Response to that - "Mike, the statement "like a new signing" came from the club itself. It's been used over and over by the club itself during many barren transfer windows."

The Board and Club created the statement not the fans you seem to be so disgruntled with

Your quotation of "We must silence dissent and stand behind our glorious chairman?" - you simply can't have it both ways Mike, you blame folk coming on here using that phrase as if it garners a chuckle or shows some higher level of wit they have created themselves - exhibit 1 again your honour - The Board and Club created that very phrase you are so upset about seeing.

Your post claimed the moral high ground and subsequent hissy fits don't regain that high ground for you.

Gavin Ramejkis
55 Posted 14/07/2014 at 07:27:50
I genuinely don't think any of our supporters would begrudge the youngsters getting a shot at developing at the club, if not even more so seeing Mustafi, a young player our previous clown of a manager discarded, not only go to the world cup but was part of the team that won the thing.

As long as those kids introduced aren't en masse at the risk of doing a Villa with too many youth at once with no older players to help and guide them and when they make mistakes as all players do they are managed and not discarded Gollum style to rot in the reserves or lower leagues a la Barkley (more so when senior players made equally as bad mistakes and stayed in the squad)

Derek Knox
56 Posted 14/07/2014 at 11:54:20
Before anyone jumps on me like a ton of bricks! I think the promotion of young players to the first team squad, is a very good and economical policy, but would be wary of including too many in one foul swoop!

The young players should be encouraged and given the chances in pre-season to see if they can adapt to the harder regime of the Premiership, and bring something to the table.

The other concern I have, and I know most of it is probably journalistic twaddle, which has little or no substance, is that we only seem to be getting 'linked' with midfielders.

It is glaringly obvious we do need a striker or two, and some defensive reinforcements!

Paul Withe
57 Posted 14/07/2014 at 12:03:17
I'm with Mike A on this – there are some moaning bastards on here who are unable to comment anything positive on any comment. Thank God RM isn't so pessimistic. The lack of investment/transfer funds issue is separate and should not be allowed to overshadow some positive views from RM – did Moyes ever come out so glowingly in terms of our youngsters?

And people saying "don't read it" in response to Mike's reply aren't worth replying to – I think we are entitled to read threads that were originally not supposed to be anything with the usual Board moans.

Anthony Jones
58 Posted 14/07/2014 at 12:05:17
We would of course celebrate the sucessful integration of club-developed players into the senior squad and first team. This kind of article is worrying though, as we all want to see our club matching if not bettering last year's strong performance.

This simply will not happen if we do not adequately replace Lukaku and Deulofeu, whilst the clubs around us are snapping up talent that will at the very least give them more options in the new season. Roberto is a great man-manager but he is not a wizard.

David Ellis
59 Posted 14/07/2014 at 12:56:11
Phil Sammon 52 - if the thread was about the lack of investment by the board then at least I could decide whether to bother with the thread or not. This thread is about promising youngsters.
Mike Allison
60 Posted 14/07/2014 at 17:53:01
Gavin the statement 'like a new signing' has been around in football for years, it didn't come from our board, every club uses it whenever a player comes back from long term injury. Type it into Google.

I wasn't particularly trying to gain any moral high ground, I'd call it the bored ground. I can't read a different thread, because the same stuff gets said on every thread no matter what it starts off being about. In some cases you can see why, as the issue in the OP may be linked to a lack of investment in the team which comes back to the board. Kevin Tully has started just such a thread comparing our squad to others in the top 4/5 of the league.

However I really don't think that was the case on this thread, which is about our youth development. So to crowbar in yet more criticism/whinging about the same old thing even here just seems ridiculous to me.

Ant Dwyer
61 Posted 14/07/2014 at 23:25:04
I think this debate has gone a little wayward!! I must say I agree with Mike to a degree: lots of negativity of late... on the other hand, I can see why.

On the matter in hand, I'm not of the opinion that any of the five lads mentioned will be a Stones or a Barkley but I'm sure they can perform in the lesser games in the Europa League.

Browning and Garbutt will probably feature in full back areas in some games and McAleny may be an option off the bench.

Also, a lad who has not been mentioned is Hallum Hope and I'd say he's the most likely of the youngsters to come through although he has not been mentioned. Hope is quick and has a decent knack of scoring goals; he's also able to play in a number of positions around the front line. We lack pace in our first team so he may be the one to watch.

Harold Matthews
62 Posted 14/07/2014 at 23:34:15
Cheers lads. It's hard to stay away from TW, a second home to many. Can't say I've ever found it boring. The vast array of different opinions, though sometimes repeated, are written in a manner which sparks interest.

As for the youngsters: unless we are hit by another hamstring crisis, it's difficult to see where they will get a chance. We'll just have to wait and see.
Dave Whelan reckons that the most important thing about going after a player, especially a goalscorer, is to keep your mouth tightly shut. This, I believe is what Roberto is doing right now. False trails and smokescreens with the real fishing net being hauled in out of view. Loans maybe, but if they perform as well as Lukaku, Barry and Deulofeu I won't complain.

As for signing someone on a permanent contract, that's a hard one. Looking at the Wigan lads and McGeady, he's not too keen on giving long contracts to strangers.

David Ellis
63 Posted 15/07/2014 at 03:04:28
Harold
I had to laugh about Dave Whelan's comments about keeping his mouth tightly shut when buying players. It's clearly not something that comes naturally to him! Did I tell you about the time I played in the FA Cup final with a broken leg............

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