The kids are all right

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Bubbles Fortuna
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by Bubbles Fortuna »

mushy wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:25 am Or ruin their confidence completely?
It's a massive gamble chucking these kids in, the point being it should never have come to this.
Over the years I've seen the constant clamour for playing kids but rarely does it pay dividends.
Where are Quina, Ngakia and even Grady these days?
We've made our bed now.
To be fair Ngakia is doing alright at Watford.

You're right, we shouldn't be chucking kid upon kid into the line up.

The reason other clubs get so much money for their youth players is that they can play them off the bench and make them look better because they're surrounded by quality, not by chucking them in at the deep end because of squad depth.

Tottenham and Liverpool are the masters of it.
mushy
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by mushy »

Ngakia has started 5 times this season and been subbed off 3 of those times, this is a very poor Watford side.
All I am saying is that there was a clamour on here to keep him as he would be our future right back and was already miles above the likes of Ben Johnson.
There was also complete meltdown when Grady left, and I do get that as it seemed at the time we were selling off our crown jewels.
But what's happened to him in the last two years?
To be honest he was the type of player we'd be looking to step up around now if he had remained.
The future doesn't look good really for any of them.
Really hope am wrong.
My point still stands though, we overrate the kids all the time.
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paulhs1
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by paulhs1 »

mushy wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:25 am Or ruin their confidence completely?
It's a massive gamble chucking these kids in, the point being it should never have come to this.
Over the years I've seen the constant clamour for playing kids but rarely does it pay dividends.
Where are Quina, Ngakia and even Grady these days?
We've made our bed now.
I think we bring them in individually as opposed to playing both Alese and Baptiste against Kidderminster for example.
And you bring them in alongside experienced senior players.
Alese is now 21, if his not ready for the step up soon then his never going to be ready at this level, he should be bow seen as a squad player ready to come off the bench if needed, same for Perkins.
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paulhs1
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by paulhs1 »

Ngakia is a championship level player at best.

We was right to let him go
Last edited by paulhs1 on Tue Feb 01, 2022 12:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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OohAahButler
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by OohAahButler »

We put 2-3 of them into the match day squad and introduce them one at a time, initially for 20 mins or so off the bench, as and when we can. They’ll either sink or swim - sometimes playing alongside top players gives them the opportunity to shine.

We have no choice.
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funky chicken
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by funky chicken »

Alese, Baptiste and Perkins certainly have to be within a shout considering they all play in positions we are light in. You could argue Longelo too. But the fact we allegedly tried to shift him in the window isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

Ashby, Okoflex and Chesters have all looked good when I’ve seen the u23s play. But they are competing for a position we have enough numbers in, for now. Ashby could change in the summer if Fredericks isn’t offered a new contract.

Seeing as Moyes doesn’t seem to trust Kral, are either Ekwah and Forson good enough to step up to the bench?
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Liam
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by Liam »

Would love to see one of the kids be given the responsibility up front against Kidderminster (as long as they are supported with senior pros around them).
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Chrissieboy
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by Chrissieboy »

funky chicken wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 1:28 pm Alese, Baptiste and Perkins certainly have to be within a shout considering they all play in positions we are light in. You could argue Longelo too. But the fact we allegedly tried to shift him in the window isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

Ashby, Okoflex and Chesters have all looked good when I’ve seen the u23s play. But they are competing for a position we have enough numbers in, for now. Ashby could change in the summer if Fredericks isn’t offered a new contract.

Seeing as Moyes doesn’t seem to trust Kral, are either Ekwah and Forson good enough to step up to the bench?
Did we try to shift him or did Forest just fancy him?
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by Chrissieboy »

Liam wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 1:32 pm Would love to see one of the kids be given the responsibility up front against Kidderminster (as long as they are supported with senior pros around them).
I'd like to see Perkins and Okoflex against them with Fornals and Bowen. Noble and Kral to back them up. Noble to have a word during the game especially.
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by honkytonk »

Be interesting to see if any are involved on Sat. The U23s have a big game against Man U that day (kicking off 30 mins later). Apart from Antonio, everyone has had a week off. Im not sure we will see any tbh. Noble, Kral, Yammie, Fred, Arthur, Vlasic to all start.
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by honkytonk »

funky chicken wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 1:28 pm Alese, Baptiste and Perkins certainly have to be within a shout considering they all play in positions we are light in. You could argue Longelo too. But the fact we allegedly tried to shift him in the window isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

Ashby, Okoflex and Chesters have all looked good when I’ve seen the u23s play. But they are competing for a position we have enough numbers in, for now. Ashby could change in the summer if Fredericks isn’t offered a new contract.

Seeing as Moyes doesn’t seem to trust Kral, are either Ekwah and Forson good enough to step up to the bench?
For how well the u23s have been playing, CM is the one area im not sure there could be any potential first team back up. Ashby, Alese and Baptiste options for defence, Perkins and Okoflex for attack (im not saying they are ready to play every week, but in a disaster, Id fancy them to do a job). Ekwah is promising but not sure he is ready for first team just yet
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by LeonRivers »

mushy wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:25 am Or ruin their confidence completely?
It's a massive gamble chucking these kids in, the point being it should never have come to this.
It’s important to know the difference between “chucking the kids in because we’re desperate” and “not signing anyone because we’ve got a kid that is ready to step in”.

More important than ignoring all of this and running with the supposition that reflects badly on your own club, anyway.
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Bubbles Fortuna
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by Bubbles Fortuna »

paulhs1 wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:42 am Ngakia is a championship level player at best.

We was right to let him go
I agree, though Tottenham would have had him sign a new deal and then sold him to Southampton for £15 million.
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by PrinceHisback »

Didn’t they change the game time for our u23’s? We shouldn’t have allowed them to play at the same time as the FA-cup-game. Stupid. The game against ManU is pretty important - with the chance to go top. So don’t expect to see any “kids” against Kidderminster. Pity.
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by honkytonk »

PrinceHisback wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 5:32 pm Didn’t they change the game time for our u23’s? We shouldn’t have allowed them to play at the same time as the FA-cup-game. Stupid. The game against ManU is pretty important - with the chance to go top. So don’t expect to see any “kids” against Kidderminster. Pity.
They did, they changed it as the game clashed with Man U cup game!!!
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by PrinceHisback »

honkytonk wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 5:48 pm They did, they changed it as the game clashed with Man U cup game!!!
:think: How can we let them… not the first time…
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by mushy »

:kumb:
paulhs1 wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:42 am Ngakia is a championship level player at best.

We was right to let him go
Which is my point.
Ngakia looked good in the cameos he played for us.
Better then some of the names on the list anyway.
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by RaddyKovac »

paulhs1 wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:41 am
Alese is now 21, if his not ready for the step up soon then his never going to be ready at this level, he should be bow seen as a squad player ready to come off the bench if needed, same for Perkins.
"He's"and "his" are two different words.
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Vic_Watson
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by Vic_Watson »

RaddyKovac wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 12:21 am "He's"and "his" are two different words.
There should also be a space between "He's" and "and".

:asleep:
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Re: The kids are all right

Post by kitthehammer »

i saw a call on hammers news to replace coufal with Johnson because apparently his form has dipped, although i've seen nothing of it.
I'm still not actually convinced by johnson as a right back, certainly not as a left back and even still wonder of right back is the best position for him.
I still wonder if being as he isn't a crosser and seems to not attack but pass the ball onto someone else asap, and seems to be more two footed than many in our squad, whether he should be tried in central defensive midfield, being as he can defend ok.
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