If you find one of the lads isn't quite ready yet you've got something to work on at the start of next season. And if they are ready then hey hey hey! It's one of those rare occasions in life where even the negatives are positive. We've got the chance in a competitive environment to experiment and learn. In an environment where usually every result is vital that's a valuable commodity.
Seems to me that English football in general does well with young players up to about 17. We tend to compete with any other nation. We lose it in the transition to the adult game. One of the problems is the big clubs expect players to develop to suit their time scale rather than vice versa. Bit short of the mark at 17 - you're cut. Not come on as expected when loaned out - that's the end. It's like bed-time in the Old Folk's Home - if you don't want to go at 9.30 fkuyew! Development deadlines are for the benefit of the organisation and its employees. They can afford the natural wastage it causes.
Small clubs like us tend to adopt the same model, but we don't need to be as rigid in our development structures. We can give a quickly-developing 16 year old first team experience and we could equally choose to recognise a slower-burning talent that won't really be there till the boy's a man. AND if we were smart we could pick up the talent the mechanical harvesting at big clubs will always discard. I suppose we'll soon find out whether Mr Branston is smarter than the average bear, or just bigger than the average bear.
By the way I liked Matt's post because it was such an English use of understatement. I nearly died twenty minutes into Final Score when it was still 0-0.
According to Laurence Maguire we played 5 at the back.
Seems to me that English football in general does well with young players up to about 17. We tend to compete with any other nation. We lose it in the transition to the adult game. One of the problems is the big clubs expect players to develop to suit their time scale rather than vice versa. Bit short of the mark at 17 - you're cut. Not come on as expected when loaned out - that's the end. It's like bed-time in the Old Folk's Home - if you don't want to go at 9.30 fkuyew! Development deadlines are for the benefit of the organisation and its employees. They can afford the natural wastage it causes.
Small clubs like us tend to adopt the same model, but we don't need to be as rigid in our development structures. We can give a quickly-developing 16 year old first team experience and we could equally choose to recognise a slower-burning talent that won't really be there till the boy's a man. AND if we were smart we could pick up the talent the mechanical harvesting at big clubs will always discard. I suppose we'll soon find out whether Mr Branston is smarter than the average bear, or just bigger than the average bear.
By the way I liked Matt's post because it was such an English use of understatement. I nearly died twenty minutes into Final Score when it was still 0-0.
According to Laurence Maguire we played 5 at the back.