Any chance of someone making their first team debut before the end of the season?

With all of the predictions of a nerve shredding end to our season with our fate being uncertain until the last whistle is blown on the final day of the regular campaign, there seems no chance of anyone at City getting a first team debut in the next couple of months.

However, there are other scenarios. For example, we could continue our run of fine results to a stage where, just as in 2012/13, automatic promotion is achieved with a few games left. Probably more likely is that we don't get great results in the series of top of the table clashes we have coming up soon and so drop out of the battle for the top two, but get enough points to comfortably qualify for the Play Offs with matches to spare and, of course, there is the nightmare situation where we completely lose form and finish some way outside the top six.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that, if we do find ourselves in that situation where there is little at stake in our closing matches, I reckon Ciaron Brown, the defender we signed in January from Wealdstone will get some first team game time - other possibilities for me would be Rhys Abbruzzese, Paul McKay and Sion Spence.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

With all of the predictions of a nerve shredding end to our season with our fate being uncertain until the last whistle is blown on the final day of the regular campaign, there seems no chance of anyone at City getting a first team debut in the next couple of months.

However, there are other scenarios. For example, we could continue our run of fine results to a stage where, just as in 2012/13, automatic promotion is achieved with a few games left. Probably more likely is that we don't get great results in the series of top of the table clashes we have coming up soon and so drop out of the battle for the top two, but get enough points to comfortably qualify for the Play Offs with matches to spare and, of course, there is the nightmare situation where we completely lose form and finish some way outside the top six.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that, if we do find ourselves in that situation where there is little at stake in our closing matches, I reckon Ciaron Brown, the defender we signed in January from Wealdstone will get some first team game time - other possibilities for me would be Rhys Abbruzzese, Paul McKay and Sion Spence.

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Bob anyone u think could come in and do a job now if needed.?

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

With all of the predictions of a nerve shredding end to our season with our fate being uncertain until the last whistle is blown on the final day of the regular campaign, there seems no chance of anyone at City getting a first team debut in the next couple of months.

However, there are other scenarios. For example, we could continue our run of fine results to a stage where, just as in 2012/13, automatic promotion is achieved with a few games left. Probably more likely is that we don't get great results in the series of top of the table clashes we have coming up soon and so drop out of the battle for the top two, but get enough points to comfortably qualify for the Play Offs with matches to spare and, of course, there is the nightmare situation where we completely lose form and finish some way outside the top six.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that, if we do find ourselves in that situation where there is little at stake in our closing matches, I reckon Ciaron Brown, the defender we signed in January from Wealdstone will get some first team game time - other possibilities for me would be Rhys Abbruzzese, Paul McKay and Sion Spence.

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I think the point I was trying to make about Spence in the other thread was that if we were bringing him into the under-23s with a view to getting him into the first team then why was he the one pushed out wide in the 2nd half on Thursday instead of the trialist Rowe? Surely it would've made sense to play him in the attacking midfield /number 10 position that hopefully will be his in the first team one day?

As you say, there are a couple of circumstances that could lead to youngsters playing so I won't rule it out but it would be a surprise. I'd have McKay ahead of Brown for now (what on earth happened to his brother by the way? Yet another long term injury) but the fact that our best four defenders at that level were down to play 90 minutes on Thursday despite all the injury problems we have at first team level just shows that Warnock doesn't intend to bring any of them in at this stage.

I can't see any of the youngsters getting a game. Mark Harris seemed to be in favour last season and played a couple of times, and I think was on the bench earlier this season, but seems to have faded out of the picture now.

We have such a big squad, including six loanees, that we have a to of strength in depth. With the importance of every game from now on I think only experienced players will be used unless we have even more injuries.

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Originally Posted by Hilts

Bob anyone u think could come in and do a job now if needed.?

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Connolly is supposed to be injured as well now, so, if Paterson doesn't play either, I'm struggling to see who plays right back (Halford I suppose?). In those circumstances, I was surprised that Cameron Coxe, who did pretty well against Burton in the League Cup, played in the Development team on Thursday - he's often singled out for praise when he plays for Wales Under 21s and I believe he could do a decent short term job in the first team.

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Originally Posted by Loramski

I think the point I was trying to make about Spence in the other thread was that if we were bringing him into the under-23s with a view to getting him into the first team then why was he the one pushed out wide in the 2nd half on Thursday instead of the trialist Rowe? Surely it would've made sense to play him in the attacking midfield /number 10 position that hopefully will be his in the first team one day?

As you say, there are a couple of circumstances that could lead to youngsters playing so I won't rule it out but it would be a surprise. I'd have McKay ahead of Brown for now (what on earth happened to his brother by the way? Yet another long term injury) but the fact that our best four defenders at that level were down to play 90 minutes on Thursday despite all the injury problems we have at first team level just shows that Warnock doesn't intend to bring any of them in at this stage.

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Jack McKay was injured about five minutes into his first game for us (must have been before Christmas I reckon) and was substituted virtually straight away. I'm sure I saw him come on as a sub for the Under 23s fairly soon after that, but nothing since then - I think he's joined the long list of players who have got injured, come back and played a game or two and then dropped out again. He and his brother are, like Ciaron Brown, on a two and a half year contract, so there's plenty of time for him to make an impact yet.

Spence was played as a defensive midfielder in one of the first Development team matches he featured in last season and I got the impression that he was being given experience of midfield positions different to what he was playing in for the Under 18s. There's been little evidence of such plans this season and I wasn't really surprised to see him shunted about on Thursday considering the injuries that were picked up. I thought he was, maybe, our most creative player in the first half, but didn't make much impact after that - judging by the way he was praising him in the second half, Leggy seemed pleased with what he was doing mind.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Connolly is supposed to be injured as well now, so, if Paterson doesn't play either, I'm struggling to see who plays right back (Halford I suppose?). In those circumstances, I was surprised that Cameron Coxe, who did pretty well against Burton in the League Cup, played in the Development team on Thursday - he's often singled out for praise when he plays for Wales Under 21s and I believe he could do a decent short term job in the first team.

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Agree with you there. Coxe has shown consistently good form for the 23's and is also looking more physically mature lately. With our right back problems I'm as surprised as you that there is never a mention of him.

The good thing about having good youth ranks is that they're always a bit of a secret.

I mean that in the sense that the only ones who know their ability is the club, so opposition teams don't know anything about their game. This can make the youth unpredictable, and therefore a threat.

The negative possibility however is that they may bottle it when coming on, in a Boys vs Men situation.

I felt absolutely gutted for Rhys Healey last season when he went down with that injury. I'd like to see him on the bench before the season ends. Who knows, maybe he'll make an appearance today?....

:thumbup:

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Originally Posted by B. Oddie

The good thing about having good youth ranks is that they're always a bit of a secret.

I mean that in the sense that the only ones who know their ability is the club, so opposition teams don't know anything about their game. This can make the youth unpredictable, and therefore a threat.

The negative possibility however is that they may bottle it when coming on, in a Boys vs Men situation.

I felt absolutely gutted for Rhys Healey last season when he went down with that injury. I'd like to see him on the bench before the season ends. Who knows, maybe he'll make an appearance today?....

:thumbup:

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If Rhys had buried one of those chances against Mansfield then he'd have been up and running but Pilkington has got ahead of him now and he's back in no man's land again. I'm gutted for him too, horrible last 12 months.

A few more injuries and we'll probably have to

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Originally Posted by Loramski

If Rhys had buried one of those chances against Mansfield then he'd have been up and running but Pilkington has got ahead of him now and he's back in no man's land again. I'm gutted for him too, horrible last 12 months.

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I know. I can't imagine Pilks will be here (or in the Champ) next season.

Do you think he'll get a look-in if we make the Premiership? I'm not sure he would due the the fact he's had very little game time. I'd imagine that he'd be loaned out to develop and never come back.

That's the revolving door that is football I suppose. :shrug:

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Originally Posted by B. Oddie

I know. I can't imagine Pilks will be here (or in the Champ) next season.

Do you think he'll get a look-in if we make the Premiership? I'm not sure he would due the the fact he's had very little game time. I'd imagine that he'd be loaned out to develop and never come back.

That's the revolving door that is football I suppose. :shrug:

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I can't quite see him making it, no. He's been unlucky with injuries at key points in his career so far, if he could get a good run of games in and build up his confidence then who knows how far that would take him. It's a big if though. He's always had an eye for goal and his all-round game has improved over the years but I've never seen him as a Premiership player, I'd love to be proved wrong though.