Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
Based on yesterday, you would say that Kadeem Harris might, only might, be able to do a job for the first team, but there was no one else on show who looked worthy of consideration. With all of the defensive problems we have been having lately, you would have thought Matt Connolly would have been a possibility, but he wasn't very good yesterday and I wouldn't be surprised if he was having, understandable, problems in motivating himself to play on Monday afternoons in front about 50 people. Loic Damour did some good things, but I would say he did his first team chances a lot of harm against Norwich and I can't see matches against Millwall reserves overcoming the damage he did to his cause that night.

Although they've lost their last two games, the contrast between the Academy team and the Under 23s is a stark one this season and it's a concern that what looks to be a good crop of 16 to 18 year olds we have coming through will have nowhere to go to continue their development in a couple of years time unless there is a radical change in thinking at the club when it comes to considering young players as possible first teamers.
Which, I'm sure, is exactly the point that Bellamy has been making to the club over and over again. To be fair, I think (hope?) the under-23 set-up is starting to move in the right direction now. There seems to be a settled squad of around 16 contracted players at last and the more they train and play together the more things should improve.

As I said, the balance of that squad isn't great but at least we seem to be moving away from the endless changes & trials that have dogged that age group this year. Most of the lads are only on short term contracts, I think, so there's every incentive for them to impress quickly. Those that don't will presumably make way for the Academy lads coming up next year. Now we've just got to hope they won't be expected to play the kind of parks football that they were moving towards last season. How's the style of play been this season so far?