Marley Watkins on trial

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Originally Posted by Pedro de la Rosa

Can't say I'm too excited about this one!

https://www.footballinsider247.com/s...-bristol-city/

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Poor sod might get 4 years.

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Originally Posted by dembethewarrior

The youth talk is because we are cutting our cloth. It's amazing how people are fooled by it, the timing is suspicious too, like we're all of a sudden focused on bringing through youth players. Are we ****. We're skint, adn that's the only reason we'll see kids in the team.

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Originally Posted by City123

I know

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Originally Posted by dembethewarrior

I mentioned it because reading this board it seems not everyone does. Plenty on here seemed excited by the direction the club were going in, without realising why.

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I don't doubt cost reduction in both fees and wages is a major factor in the way the club is going, but I don't share your cynicism that it is the only reason for bringing more u23 players into the first team squad and match-day team.

The excitement about the current generation of youth players has been reported for 2-3 years, and some of them have finally matured into potential first team members. First Harris and then McCarthy have shown a willingness to give them a chance. Not consistently I grant you, and the expansion of the bench to deal with Covid pressures has made it easier to include younger players on a match-day, but I think the break through of Bagan, Harris, Sang, Brown and Colwill is down to their ability as much as their price tag. The same is probably true of the next 4-5 to come off the conveyor belt: Evans, Patten, Bowen, Davies or whoever finally makes it.

All clubs would prefer to grow their own talent rather than rely just on buying it in (need to do both). Unless you think the lads now making the step up are not good enough (and all of them will have to learn on the job) then it is something we should celebrate. It is a strength for the club not a weakness.

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Originally Posted by jon1959

I don't doubt cost reduction in both fees and wages is a major factor in the way the club is going, but I don't share your cynicism that it is the only reason for bringing more u23 players into the first team squad and match-day team.

The excitement about the current generation of youth players has been reported for 2-3 years, and some of them have finally matured into potential first team members. First Harris and then McCarthy have shown a willingness to give them a chance. Not consistently I grant you, and the expansion of the bench to deal with Covid pressures has made it easier to include younger players on a match-day, but I think the break through of Bagan, Harris, Sang, Brown and Colwill is down to their ability as much as their price tag. The same is probably true of the next 4-5 to come off the conveyor belt: Evans, Patten, Bowen, Davies or whoever finally makes it.

All clubs would prefer to grow their own talent rather than rely just on buying it in (need to do both). Unless you think the lads now making the step up are not good enough (and all of them will have to learn on the job) then it is something we should celebrate. It is a strength for the club not a weakness.

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Its all about opinions bruv

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Originally Posted by dembethewarrior

The youth talk is because we are cutting our cloth. It's amazing how people are fooled by it, the timing is suspicious too, like we're all of a sudden focused on bringing through youth players. Are we ****. We're skint, adn that's the only reason we'll see kids in the team.

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For whatever reason the focus will be on youth and i for one will be happy uf we can get three or four in and around the starting eleven if it means managing our debt not increasing it and operating within our means.

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Originally Posted by stan butler

For whatever reason the focus will be on youth and i for one will be happy uf we can get three or four in and around the starting eleven if it means managing our debt not increasing it and operating within our means.

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I'm happy to see youth get a chance, I'm also happy if we can be more sustainable, my point was that it has only really come about because we have a decreased budget due to parachute payments and other reasons.

That's not me slating it or being negative, it's just seeing it for what it is. I don't think it's a bad thing, I'm just not fooled by the clubs spin on it.

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Originally Posted by Former Labour leader

Was Watkins the trialist who played 2nd half?

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The 'boss' has confirmed on the match thread that the trialist was Marley Watkins.
Unfortunately he came on in the 2nd half, playing in a weaker team. He did very little that I could see.