Lloyd Humphries ... ?

[Des Parrot]

I went to watch a pre-season game between Cinderford & Weston S.M. this evening (WSM won 2-0) it was a decent game, dominated by one player whose midfield skills, range, pick and quality of passing (outside of the foot in particular) was exceptional. On numerous occasions the words too good for this level & should be playing league football were uttered by members of the crowd including myself.

I thought that he must be an ex-league player, wonder who he played for, so I'll Google him.

Very surprised when the search came back released by Cardiff City August 2020!

I can only say wow because I haven't seen anyone in our current first with that vision & quality of pass except Tomlin.

Dear Academy & Development watchers, where did it all go wrong for him?

[the other bob wilson]

I went to watch a pre-season game between Cinderford & Weston S.M. this evening (WSM won 2-0) it was a decent game, dominated by one player whose midfield skills, range, pick and quality of passing (outside of the foot in particular) was exceptional. On numerous occasions the words too good for this level & should be playing league football were uttered by members of the crowd including myself.

I thought that he must be an ex-league player, wonder who he played for, so I'll Google him.

Very surprised when the search came back released by Cardiff City August 2020!

I can only say wow because I haven't seen anyone in our current first with that vision & quality of pass except Tomlin.

Dear Academy & Development watchers, where did it all go wrong for him?

I could say he signed for Cardiff City's Academy. The first look I had of Humphries he scored a brilliant scissors kick volley for the Under 18s and that set a trend - he didn't score many, but when he did, they tended to be memorable.

There have been times when he has shown all of those assets you describe, but he just became another one caught up in the general malaise which, somehow, sees good young teenage players loaned out below their level to non league Welsh clubs, Weston Super Mare or Hereford and, before you know it, they have reached twenty and are up for a second or third pro contract.

Humphries was on the bench for the first team for the FA Cup tie at Gillingham, but didn't get on - I barely saw him play after that and it's the same for another equally talented youngster James Waite. Has he been featuring for the Under 23s this season? I've not seen him in the videos on the club website.

[the other bob wilson]

On the subject of James Waite, I've just watched Neil Harris' post match interview yesterday and he said he's not played for the Under 23s because he's injured - glad to hear he's still with us, because, technically, he's good enough to play in the first team.

Our manager also said that Mark Harris is part of the first team squad now, so that seems to mean that we won't be looking for another striker - he also rated Tom Sang as having given the best performance out of the various youngsters used yesterday.

[sneggyblubird]

Tavio d'Almeidawas the one that caught my eye yesterday when he came on.Early days yet but when people see a released youngster and wonder why he was let go just look at this fella as we may well profit from Auxerre letting this gem go.

[NYCBlue]

How many levels below us are WSM? Maybe he is too good for that level. Are they even full-time pros?

[Des Parrot]

How many levels below us are WSM? Maybe he is too good for that level. Are they even full-time pros?

I deliberately kept that out of my post from that reason. The vision & quality of pass is regardless of opposition, his ability to ride rough challenges and keep the ball was noticeable.

I accept that the quality of pressing and closing of space is different higher up the leagues but this lad impressed with his ability to look and play a quality pace into space with ease.

There are 3 type of players at that level ex-pros, ex-academy & the local lad who hasn't made it.

[Rjk]

How many levels below us are WSM? Maybe he is too good for that level. Are they even full-time pros?

They are in the 7th tier and are not fully professional

[Rjk]

Apparently he was an unused substitute in a FA cup third round tie against Gillingham during our premier league season.

We had quite a strong team out and lost 1-0

[City123]

They're in the 7th tier

Begs the question why we sent so many out on loan to Weston considering the level they're at? Is 7th tier football really a worthwhile loan for a club from the second tier?

[J R Hartley]

They're in the 7th tier

Begs the question why we sent so many out on loan to Weston considering the level they're at? Is 7th tier football really a worthwhile loan for a club from the second tier?

No, absolutely not.

It’s alright looking like Pirlo at that level but Championship football is a different kettle of fish.

Surely we should by having a word with the likes of Newport and B.Rovers if we think we’ve got youngsters who we think of got a real chance of making the grade in the next couple of years.

[Rjk]

They're in the 7th tier

Begs the question why we sent so many out on loan to Weston considering the level they're at? Is 7th tier football really a worthwhile loan for a club from the second tier?

Yeah, but I guess we can only send people where we have offers from.
Other clubs have "loans managers" to oversee where players are being sent to ensure they get the best development.

I doubt that's something we have

[NYCBlue]

No, absolutely not.

It’s alright looking like Pirlo at that level but Championship football is a different kettle of fish.

Surely we should by having a word with the likes of Newport and B.Rovers if we think we’ve got youngsters who we think of got a real chance of making the grade in the next couple of years.

This.

Any half-decent footballer with a brain can look good at that level.

[Rjk]

They're in the 7th tier

Begs the question why we sent so many out on loan to Weston considering the level they're at? Is 7th tier football really a worthwhile loan for a club from the second tier?

same division as merthyr, if we were sending players to that level I wonder why it wasnt to them?

[J R Hartley]

same division as merthyr, if we were sending players to that level I wonder why it wasnt to them?

Merthyr probably couldn’t afford their wages

[J R Hartley]

This.

Any half-decent footballer with a brain can look good at that level.

Merthyr picked up this lad released by Swansea when he was 20, Owain Jones, he sprays the ball around the pitch and whenever I’ve watched him I think “He could do it at a higher level” NQAT but when I looked him up he’s had opportunities at Yeovil
and Nuneaton and ended up back at Merthyr. He left in the summer to sign for Aberystwyth in the WPL.

I think most players find their level in the end. That’s not to say some players don’t drop down to that level and find their way back to become a league player, I’m sure some do but I’d say it’s rare and if I was at a championship club and I’m being loaned out to Barry Town or Weston Super Mare then alarm bells would be ringing.

I think sometimes we forget we’re a top end championship club who has recently been in the Premier League and trying to get back there, so as much as we all want to see young lads being given a chance it’s going to take a very, very good player to force his way into the first team picture when we are competing at this level.

[AfricanBluebird]

Merthyr picked up this lad released by Swansea when he was 20, Owain Jones, he sprays the ball around the pitch and whenever I’ve watched him I think “He could do it at a higher level” NQAT but when I looked him up he’s had opportunities at Yeovil
and Nuneaton and ended up back at Merthyr. He left in the summer to sign for Aberystwyth in the WPL.

I think most players find their level in the end. That’s not to say some players don’t drop down to that level and find their way back to become a league player, I’m sure some do but I’d say it’s rare and if I was at a championship club and I’m being loaned out to Barry Town or Weston Super Mare then alarm bells would be ringing.

I think sometimes we forget we’re a top end championship club who has recently been in the Premier League and trying to get back there, so as much as we all want to see young lads being given a chance it’s going to take a very, very good player to force his way into the first team picture when we are competing at this level.

Good post. It's a tricky balance for a club like ours. Limited resources means we can't carry too many players in the hope that a few may make it, but at the same time need players coming through for the first team and as future transfers. In terms of the latter, our standards for players coming through is very high due to the level we are playing at, making it tough for players to come through. Just proves we haven't had the youth and academy systems set-up right and have fallen behind.

I must be honest it really hurts seeing a Cardiff boy, Ben Cabango, getting a Welsh call-up while playing for the Jacks.

[Loramski]

Good thread this, some decent points made. To be fair to Humphries (and City), he's suffered from injuries for the last few years which stopped all his momentum here. The club obviously rated him and gave him as much time as possible to fully recover but finally released him this year. It's not the first promising player this has happened to in recent years, I'm not sure if we've just been unlucky or if we haven't handled injuries as well as we could but lads like Robbie Patten, Sion Spence, Tyrone Duffus, Ryan Reynolds and Aaron Bolger have picked up injuries that ruled them out for extended periods at a key time for them here.

I'm not sure of the benefits of sending players on loan to Weston or Welsh League clubs but I haven't got a particular problem with it. I've always assumed that these lads will still be based, and do most of their training, here but get to play regular first team football once or twice a week elsewhere. I'd have thought it's a decent experience for the youngsters and it frees up places in our u-23 team so more players get game time overall. Ollie Watkins spent half a season on loan at Weston as a 19-year-old and he's doing ok for himself now.

It's obvious to say it would be better for these lads to have loan spells at a higher level but, even when these are available, they don't always work out. Mark Harris has had two spells at league clubs and one at Wrexham, made little impression at any of them but is now on the edge of our first team squad. Youngsters develop in different ways, what works for one might not for another. I'm encouraged by what Neil Harris is doing here, let's see if him and Steve Morison can turn things around and bring some youngsters through.

[LeningradCowboy]

Good thread this, some decent points made. To be fair to Humphries (and City), he's suffered from injuries for the last few years which stopped all his momentum here. The club obviously rated him and gave him as much time as possible to fully recover but finally released him this year. It's not the first promising player this has happened to in recent years, I'm not sure if we've just been unlucky or if we haven't handled injuries as well as we could but lads like Robbie Patten, Sion Spence, Tyrone Duffus, Ryan Reynolds and Aaron Bolger have picked up injuries that ruled them out for extended periods at a key time for them here.

I'm not sure of the benefits of sending players on loan to Weston or Welsh League clubs but I haven't got a particular problem with it. I've always assumed that these lads will still be based, and do most of their training, here but get to play regular first team football once or twice a week elsewhere. I'd have thought it's a decent experience for the youngsters and it frees up places in our u-23 team so more players get game time overall. Ollie Watkins spent half a season on loan at Weston as a 19-year-old and he's doing ok for himself now.

It's obvious to say it would be better for these lads to have loan spells at a higher level but, even when these are available, they don't always work out. Mark Harris has had two spells at league clubs and one at Wrexham, made little impression at any of them but is now on the edge of our first team squad. Youngsters develop in different ways, what works for one might not for another. I'm encouraged by what Neil Harris is doing here, let's see if him and Steve Morison can turn things around and bring some youngsters through.

I don't have a problem with loaning 19/20-year-old players to non-league clubs, but anyone older than that really needs to be playing at a higher level if they are ever going to play first-team football for us.

[jon1959]

Good post. It's a tricky balance for a club like ours. Limited resources means we can't carry too many players in the hope that a few may make it, but at the same time need players coming through for the first team and as future transfers. In terms of the latter, our standards for players coming through is very high due to the level we are playing at, making it tough for players to come through. Just proves we haven't had the youth and academy systems set-up right and have fallen behind.

I must be honest it really hurts seeing a Cardiff boy, Ben Cabango, getting a Welsh call-up while playing for the Jacks.

He might be playing for Leeds next season!

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...-sign-18870602

[dembethewarrior]

Merthyr picked up this lad released by Swansea when he was 20, Owain Jones, he sprays the ball around the pitch and whenever I’ve watched him I think “He could do it at a higher level” NQAT but when I looked him up he’s had opportunities at Yeovil
and Nuneaton and ended up back at Merthyr. He left in the summer to sign for Aberystwyth in the WPL.

I think most players find their level in the end. That’s not to say some players don’t drop down to that level and find their way back to become a league player, I’m sure some do but I’d say it’s rare and if I was at a championship club and I’m being loaned out to Barry Town or Weston Super Mare then alarm bells would be ringing.

I think sometimes we forget we’re a top end championship club who has recently been in the Premier League and trying to get back there, so as much as we all want to see young lads being given a chance it’s going to take a very, very good player to force his way into the first team picture when we are competing at this level.

Sense as always it seems.