Is rushing the kids through working?

[stan butler]

I had reservations when we started to throw kids in large numbers into the team and squad this season.

I questioned how an academy that produced nothing for many years could suddenly start producing kids by the bucketload to supplement our squad.

I also questioned how a competent Under 23 player could transform into a competent Championship player overnight. For some simply giving them game time would've seen this happen but I am not sure this is necessarily right.

In my opinion it has gone how I thought it might. Some showing some promise but are quite rough round the edges with others just basically looking like Under 23 kids in a fully pro league.

They need to be introduced more gradually into a squad that has more experience and are not getting beaten every week for me.

Many said it was fine throwing the kids in if we stayed up. As it is the only thing keeping us out of the bottom three is Derby's points deduction.

How do you lot think they've done?

Hard to tell due to the senior players not stepping up..

[Bald Barry Bastad]

Why are so many saying best crop of youngsters in years? My opinion is the quality is no different to previous years but this year we're being forced to use them. From what I've seen only Colwill and possibly Sang look good enough.

[City123]

Why are so many saying best crop of youngsters in years? My opinion is the quality is no different to previous years but this year we're being forced to use them. From what I've seen only Colwill and possibly Sang look good enough.

The u23s sweeping aside all before them despite some of the best of that crop being in the first team would suggest they're pretty decent

[the other bob wilson]

Why are so many saying best crop of youngsters in years? My opinion is the quality is no different to previous years but this year we're being forced to use them. From what I've seen only Colwill and possibly Sang look good enough.

In 2018/19 I think it was, we won the Under 18 league we were in for the only time since being given Academy status in 2004 and then reached the Final of end of season Play Offs before being beaten by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough 3-2 after being reduced to nine men. Ratcliffe, Bagan, Bowen, Patten, Evans and Isaak Davies we’re all regular members of that side while King and Colwill were more squad members - it clearly is the best crop of young players we’ve had at the club in years, but that doesn’t guarantee any of them becoming regular members of the first team with potential to be sold for the sort of fees that enable us to steer clear of financial worries.

[jon1959]

Why are so many saying best crop of youngsters in years? My opinion is the quality is no different to previous years but this year we're being forced to use them. From what I've seen only Colwill and possibly Sang look good enough.

It has been said about the current crop for the last 2-3 years - with coaches and supporters who watch the u18s and u23s describing them as a special group and looking forward to a time when they might get their chance. That time has come. We also appear to have made some very good additional signings into the academy in the past year or two (and strengthened the coaching and recruitment teams) to add to the home grown talent.

It would be wrong to put too much expectation and pressure on the younger players - the whole squad had to perform to its full capabilities - but at the same time to pretend that cost cutting is the only reason some of them have had a chance is nonsense.