Quote Originally Posted by Blue in the Face View Post
You're making some very persuasive points here and I find myself agreeing with you're saying, specifically in regard to the player mentioned. If we are see him hold back all season then it certainly seems a mystifying choice. There is surely the spaces in the DVP to allow for the younger players to be promoted and perhaps, as you make the point very well, they should be promoted sooner rather than later. But it does seem to be a considered choice to hold back the brighter hopefuls at present. Could it be that perhaps someone like CB has requested to work with these lads a tad longer before they player in the higher age groups? Or perhaps a physical growth consideration with the player/s?

I just wonder if, for the short term, we have a bit of an issue with the DVP team in that it appears really disjointed at present and perhaps not the best environment to build confidence? Confidence building seems to be what a lot of coaches argue is the most important factor in developing youth players. The DVP side seems to be troublingly low on personel at present and I wonder if it might be a tad damaging to the likes of Coxe and Harris who might benefit from being in a more stable and balanced team? I just wonder how much they would be gaining this term when they seem to be playing with 5 or 6 new teammates every week. I'm starting to think we released too many DVP players and mess with the team a bit too much. I'm all for trialists and finding youth players to displace our own, but it seems quite problematic to have no permanent players to plug the gap.

This was the side Vs Southamption. Was Waite really our only sub!?

Ratcliffe, Coxe, Trialist, Trialist, Duffus, Young, Trialist, Trialist, Gounongbe, Harris, Trialist.

bench: Waite.
He was the only sub because of a host of injuries (three crocks were sitting next to me in the stand) and the fact that Academy players couldn't be used because of a game against the Wurzels the following morning.