anjado wrote:But it is negative to think like that surely if Jack Collison is captain of reserve grade and Tony Stokes is like what 20 or 21 now ? It sends out the wrong message that even if we are knackered for central midfielder's we would rather play someone who is out of position. rather then pick a youngster who is a central midfielder. Surely one of them should of at least been on the bench.
Even if it isn't for Mullins, Bowyer rarely lasts 90 minutes and Solano is 33 years old. So if you play a youth playeron the bench at least they can be surrounded by expieriance. I just can't believe that we don't have a better young Midfielder then Jonathan Spector or John Paintsil.
The last 3 times we have thrown youth players in it has worked brilliantly. Noble last season,Ward play off season and Glen Johnson. They have all had a positive affect on the team.
Your only picking them for a few games i just feel the benefits of having a young player in and around the first team are huge compared to worrying about experiance we have so many exprerianced players now anyway.
Anyways in my eyes i would rather us take a risk on a young player then pick someone like Spector. I don't dislike Spector but he is a back up defender not a back up midfielder. Give a young kid a chance to make his mark in the team when everyone is out injured.
Collison was in and around the first team... hence being in the squad! If they didnt rate him at all, why was he in the squad?
How does he perform in training?
What is his attitude like?
How has he been performing in the reserves?
I can answer these questions with any certainty, neither can many people outside of the club... all these factors have an impact on whether a player is selected or not... its not always just a punt
He is not being told he will never be in the first team, just that he is not ready yet...
Who would you have had him on the bench in place of... our only defensive back-ups? (because if we had lost 1 or 2 defenders we know curbs would have got stick for not having the backup there) another youngster who has been making more of an impression and impact on the reserves (reid)? our only striker?