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What happened to loan watch? That was legitimately an excellent feature on here. far better than threads about a man child having a tantrum because his favourite player didn't come to his birthday party; and some look-at-me drivel from the boards most prolific bore.
+1, yes bring back Loramski.Originally Posted by Optimistic Nick
I never went away. Loan Watch got shut down though, I thought I'd mentioned it on here. Velikonja House was being redeveloped and we had to share an office with an online sex toys firm. It was an accident waiting to happen to be honest and when a young lad got sent a game of anal hoopla instead of a signed photo of Rhys Healey our goose was cooked.
That's a decent article that Lawnmower has put up. I didn't realise Dan Martin was at Weston, him and Connor Davies are indefatigable full backs who get up and down their touchlines all game. There's more to full back play that, as Declan John found out, but they're great fun to watch. Dan Griffiths was a Velikonjaesque goalscorer for our Academy last season, it will be interesting to see how he gets on. George Ratcliffe already seems to be impressing in goal at Barry.
It's not a great level that those lads are playing at but they're only young and any regular first team football has to be better than being involved with our under-23s at present, especially if TOBW's horror stories about the 'football' they're playing this season are correct.
I agree that competitive football is better than the friendlies that the u23s play even if it is Welsh Premier. I watched a few U23 highlights the other day, not a conclusive representation, granted, but the games look like exhibition matches. They don't look up to speed and lack intensity, by that i mean on the ball. There's no zip or controlled aggression. It's all a bot pretty. When there used to be a traditional reserve team then most of the players starting had a real chance of getting into the first team. If you didn't play on the saturday then you played for the reserves, if you were performing in the youth side then you played in the reserves, a massive boost for a young player in the youth team as it was seen as a big jump up in standard against seasoned professionals and players had to learn quickly. Imagine playing at fullback as a sixteen year old with george wood in goal and Terry boyle on the inside and you're marking a 20 year old trialist who hadn't quite made the mark at West Brom or Norwich etc and he's effectively playing for his career. Unforgiving.
I'd probably agree with you there, we are where we are for now though. The u-23 games aren't friendlies by the way but I take your point about the competitiveness involved sometimes, it can be hit or miss. I think the youngsters are much better off getting regular first team football out on loan, I assume they're still spending a certain amount of time each week training here too.
The big problem, that we go round and round in circles with on the Academy thread, is how the youngsters should be playing if the first team is managed by a Malky/Slade/Warnock type manager. From a young age we're trying to produce technically good footballers who can play possession based stuff with their eyes closed but what's the point if the first team manager wants something completely different? It's like spending ten years training kids to be classical musicians then expecting them to join a punk band at the end of it.
It's all very well saying they should be able to adapt to a different style but I don't think it's that simple. James Waite can't suddenly grow a foot for example. What happens to the full backs who've been brought up to bomb on and provide the width, the centre halves who've been brought up to be comfortable on the ball and retain possession, the poachers (like Griffiths) who can help link up play and are there to put away the numerous gilt-edged chances that come his way? You're not just asking these guys to adapt, you're expecting them to reinvent themselves. I don't know what the answer is but we don't seem to be getting any closer to finding one.
It seems the excellent author of Loan Watch has been poached.
Look, I just want to know where Etien is now? We need him!
Etien is larging it in Dutch second tier with NEC
Go get him Neil! (Well in January).
There'll be a giant Bring Etien Home banner being passed around the stands before the Middlesbrough game. We may only create one more chance this season, we need to make sure we've got someone here who can bury it.
I've only seen the one match at Under 18 and Under 23 level this season. From memory, the Under 23s didn't utilise the new rule where defenders don't need to be outside the area for a goal kick once, whereas the Under 18s took about a minute to do it and continued to do so throughout the game. I know for a fact though that the Under 23s had both full backs (Coxe and Brown) hurling long throws into the opponent's penalty area whenever they could and, in fact, we scored from one of them. That goal is one of three the team has scored in their trio of league matches (which have all been lost with a total of ten conceded), with the other two coming from a penalty and another set piece.
Jarred Harvey, who seemed to be in charge at Under 23 level last season, seems to have disappeared without trace and Leggy is now running things - they're down to play Bolton at home on Monday, but, given what's been happening with that club this season, there has to be a doubt whether the match will take place (Bolton's under 23s haven't played a game yet in 19/20).
Between them, the Academy and Development sides have played seven competitive matches this season and are still awaiting their first win.
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