Gavin Whyte

[Citizen's Nephew]

We’re in fight to stay in the Championship, logic suggests we need players of Championship quality to win that fight. I see nothing in Gavin Whyte’s career since he moved to his first EFL career to indicate that, in his mid twenties, he’s anything better than a good League One player. That’s the level he was at in his first spell at Oxford, he then couldn’t keep his place at Cardiff and was loaned to another League One club that won promotion while he was there, but, although I’m guessing they definitely could have him on loan this season as well, they chose not to do so for the higher level they are now at, so he finds himself back in League One with Oxford - we need better than that.

OK, I get that and certainly respect your analysis but how is 'championship quality' measured? Wintle, most would say, is passing the test but what of Watters, say, who's not playing at that level? Also, isn't the only true measure of championship quality one where a player has been successful over a season and has been part of a successful (as in non-relegated) side? How does that square with our youth policy? I get that you don't rate Whyte and that's cool. But surely we have to be careful that we don't allow our own bias and wishful thinking (I'm not talking about you here BTW) to objectively assess our dogfight capabilities. We've a terrible record of prematurely or inappropriately writing players off at Cardiff so I guess I'm just playing devils advocate in order to understand why this happens.

[Citizen's Nephew]

OK, I get that and certainly respect your analysis but how is 'championship quality' measured? Wintle, most would say, is passing the test but what of Watters, say, who's not playing at that level? Also, isn't the only true measure of championship quality one where a player has been successful over a season and has been part of a successful (as in non-relegated) side? How does that square with our youth policy? I get that you don't rate Whyte and that's cool. But surely we have to be careful that we don't allow our own bias and wishful thinking (I'm not talking about you here BTW) to objectively assess our dogfight capabilities. We've a terrible record of prematurely or inappropriately writing players off at Cardiff so I guess I'm just playing devils advocate in order to understand why this happens.

I worded that badly at the end...I meant to write 'But surely we have to be careful that we don't allow our own bias and wishful thinking (I'm not talking about you here BTW) to get in the way of objectively assessing our dogfight capabilities

[the other bob wilson]

OK, I get that and certainly respect your analysis but how is 'championship quality' measured? Wintle, most would say, is passing the test but what of Watters, say, who's not playing at that level? Also, isn't the only true measure of championship quality one where a player has been successful over a season and has been part of a successful (as in non-relegated) side? How does that square with our youth policy? I get that you don't rate Whyte and that's cool. But surely we have to be careful that we don't allow our own bias and wishful thinking (I'm not talking about you here BTW) to objectively assess our dogfight capabilities. We've a terrible record of prematurely or inappropriately writing players off at Cardiff so I guess I'm just playing devils advocate in order to understand why this happens.

Players tend to find their natural level, or have it found for them - at twenty six in two months time, Whyte is not in the promising youngster category any more and he's still being signed for League One clubs.