05-05-2017, 18:52
By the way, did St Charles Owl's post disturb anyone when he said........
"decent crop of youngsters we have coming through, they won the U23 league they are in this season, and if we are successful in the playoffs then I do not see any chance of any of them getting to the first team"
In a a ridiculously short career for players, big clubs do operate at U-23 level. Despite Wednesday's success at this level St Charles thinks few of the team can reach the first team now and promotion would actually be a career-negative for all but one (and he's probably the youngest in the side!) Yet when players reach 30 we worry they may be over the hill. I'm wondering at what point you're actually meant to fit in a career, if at 22 you won't make the first team and by 30 you're done .........
When Ajax played Schalke the other week in the Europa they had 8 players of 21 or under. At Ajax you get first team experience when it looks as though you'd handle it. Players aren't simply stuck in some pecking order behind older heads.
My solution would be not to loan out these players willy-nilly as at present, but to offer them as free-transfers, so long as the club they go to adds a clause into the player's contract that after one season the original club only has the option of buying him back for £250,000. So if a borderline player who has been let-go makes a huge leap forward he has a chance back at the big-time and his original club needn't fear making a huge error. Both smaller club and bigger club profit. Why do this? To promote the movement of players and allow them to get real experience and feel part of the new club they sign for. Otherwise you get the ridiculous situation of a Tom Anderson eternally hoping to get a first-team berth at Burnley, but always out on loan. Careers are short enough without spending years waiting for them to start. Look how much quicker Dele Alli developed in MKD's first team than the other young players at Spurs who are left trying to snatch a spot in a very good first team.
And look at Wednesday. Their lads won their U-23 league. The club has to make a decision. Do they keep these players hanging on in the hope they DO make the first team, or do they kick a smiling league winner in the teeth, "you're a free agent, join the scramble!" Or do they make it worse, loan the lad out for a season, dangle a career that never seems to start and then kick him in the teeth if he gets marooned in GC's three-at-the-back repeat relegation bid?
"decent crop of youngsters we have coming through, they won the U23 league they are in this season, and if we are successful in the playoffs then I do not see any chance of any of them getting to the first team"
In a a ridiculously short career for players, big clubs do operate at U-23 level. Despite Wednesday's success at this level St Charles thinks few of the team can reach the first team now and promotion would actually be a career-negative for all but one (and he's probably the youngest in the side!) Yet when players reach 30 we worry they may be over the hill. I'm wondering at what point you're actually meant to fit in a career, if at 22 you won't make the first team and by 30 you're done .........
When Ajax played Schalke the other week in the Europa they had 8 players of 21 or under. At Ajax you get first team experience when it looks as though you'd handle it. Players aren't simply stuck in some pecking order behind older heads.
My solution would be not to loan out these players willy-nilly as at present, but to offer them as free-transfers, so long as the club they go to adds a clause into the player's contract that after one season the original club only has the option of buying him back for £250,000. So if a borderline player who has been let-go makes a huge leap forward he has a chance back at the big-time and his original club needn't fear making a huge error. Both smaller club and bigger club profit. Why do this? To promote the movement of players and allow them to get real experience and feel part of the new club they sign for. Otherwise you get the ridiculous situation of a Tom Anderson eternally hoping to get a first-team berth at Burnley, but always out on loan. Careers are short enough without spending years waiting for them to start. Look how much quicker Dele Alli developed in MKD's first team than the other young players at Spurs who are left trying to snatch a spot in a very good first team.
And look at Wednesday. Their lads won their U-23 league. The club has to make a decision. Do they keep these players hanging on in the hope they DO make the first team, or do they kick a smiling league winner in the teeth, "you're a free agent, join the scramble!" Or do they make it worse, loan the lad out for a season, dangle a career that never seems to start and then kick him in the teeth if he gets marooned in GC's three-at-the-back repeat relegation bid?