And So It Begins (6 Viewers)

[Grendel]

But surely MR will wait until we know if we are going up or not. That’d be the sensible thing to do, right?

Now, Sonny Bradley is the Luton captain and a bit of a terrace hero etc. It’s been announced (the other day) that he’s leaving at the end of the season. Sensible? I’ll state that I think that that’s a silly move. MR would be mad to say to Kelly: “any dream of you getting a chance of an extension of a year and having the odd game in the Prem - nah”. MR was pressed a bit in the pre match presser about Kelly and kept his cards close to his chest. That’s one of the great things about MR - keeps things professional.

“Rise together”

Releases are announced 7 days after the end of the season

 

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[Deleted member 9744]

...our youth set up is clearly not good enough. Has not been for ages. Nee and Burroughs were supposed to be two of the best prospects but they are clearly not up to scratch. Youth set ups are a long haul - look at the time these boys have been with us. If it is sorted out now, we will not see the benefit for another decade.

We also seem to have given up on 'development' as a source of talent - that generated Hyam and MacCallum (and also Westbrooke). There has been nobody of that ilk for a while.

Eccles is a first team regular and Jack Burroughs and Ryan Howley look good prospects.

 

[Ashdown]

Can’t say my heart bleeds too much over footballers, it’s a shame for the individuals who miss out but ordinary folk suffer the same fates at all walks of life and in a myriad of professions .

 

[fernandopartridge]

...our youth set up is clearly not good enough. Has not been for ages. Nee and Burroughs were supposed to be two of the best prospects but they are clearly not up to scratch. Youth set ups are a long haul - look at the time these boys have been with us. If it is sorted out now, we will not see the benefit for another decade.

We also seem to have given up on 'development' as a source of talent - that generated Hyam and MacCallum (and also Westbrooke). There has been nobody of that ilk for a while.

Give it a rest

 

[clint van damme]

Good luck to them for the future. Hope it works out for them somewhere.

 

[PVA]

...our youth set up is clearly not good enough. Has not been for ages. Nee and Burroughs were supposed to be two of the best prospects but they are clearly not up to scratch. Youth set ups are a long haul - look at the time these boys have been with us. If it is sorted out now, we will not see the benefit for another decade.

We also seem to have given up on 'development' as a source of talent - that generated Hyam and MacCallum (and also Westbrooke). There has been nobody of that ilk for a while.

But you have to remember that we as a club are much higher up the football league, and so it's more difficult for youngsters to break through.

If we were still in League One or even Two then who knows the likes of Nee, Bapaga and Burroughs might be in and around the first team, and we'd be saying the youth setup was doing a good job.

Plus there's the inevitable lag that comes with signing youth team players as kids. When you sign a first team player you sign him ready to play at whatever level you're at. If you sign a kid at 12 years old or something while in League Two, all the better talents are getting signed by Villa or Leicester etc. Then by the time he gets to professional age the club are a league or two higher then he might not be at the level. Whereas we can sign better youth prospects now, but obviously aren't going to see the benefits of it for years.

I've probably explained that last bit terribly, but I know what I mean!

 

[Gibbo]

Eccles and Jack Burroughs both been in the first team this season

I mentioned eccles as the only one in 5 years, and they are only in because of injury other players. It also looked as tho Robins had little faith in Burroughs.

 

[Gibbo]

Plus Howley

Yes I forgot him. But again only because of an injury crisis and he did not impress. Anyway that is just 'whataboutery'. Can anyone seriously argue that our youth programme has produced much in 5 years. The key measure is the number of players coming through to the first team - winning Youth cups means bugger all.

And in Robins' six years it goes -

Bayliss & Shipley
None
None
None
None
Eccles (plus Burroughs and Howley because of injury)

Cracking record eh! There should be a steady stream

 

[Gibbo]

But you have to remember that we as a club are much higher up the football league, and so it's more difficult for youngsters to break through.

If we were still in League One or even Two then who knows the likes of Nee, Bapaga and Burroughs might be in and around the first team, and we'd be saying the youth setup was doing a good job.

Plus there's the inevitable lag that comes with signing youth team players as kids. When you sign a first team player you sign him ready to play at whatever level you're at. If you sign a kid at 12 years old or something while in League Two, all the better talents are getting signed by Villa or Leicester etc. Then by the time he gets to professional age the club are a league or two higher then he might not be at the level. Whereas we can sign better youth prospects now, but obviously aren't going to see the benefits of it for years.

I've probably explained that last bit terribly, but I know what I mean!

"But you have to remember that we as a club are much higher up the football league, and so it's more difficult for youngsters to break through"

That is a platitude and anyway did not apply in league 1 nor to other clubs whose youth players do come through

 

[torchomatic]

I can’t look good for Bapaga either

You don't look good to any of us.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

Yes I forgot him. But again only because of an injury crisis and he did not impress. Anyway that is just 'whataboutery'. Can anyone seriously argue that our youth programme has produced much in 5 years. The key measure is the number of players coming through to the first team - winning Youth cups means bugger all.

And in Robins' six years it goes -

Bayliss & Shipley
None
None
None
None
Eccles (plus Burroughs and Howley because of injury)

Cracking record eh! There should be a steady stream

I'd be very surprised if we don't see more of Burroughs next season if we don't get promoted. Howley was only 17 wasn't he? I think it was clear he has plenty of ability.

 

[Offhegoes]

...our youth set up is clearly not good enough. Has not been for ages. Nee and Burroughs were supposed to be two of the best prospects but they are clearly not up to scratch. Youth set ups are a long haul - look at the time these boys have been with us. If it is sorted out now, we will not see the benefit for another decade.

We also seem to have given up on 'development' as a source of talent - that generated Hyam and MacCallum (and also Westbrooke). There has been nobody of that ilk for a while.

Tavares the last I would say. However, League 1 & 2 gave us more chance to give these players first team minutes. We can’t be throwing in a Development CB into 10 games in The Championship

 

[Blind-Faith]

I suppose Eccles has now become a first team regular after an impressive season.

hopefully we see more of Burroughs next season, with Howley making a few more fleeting appearances.

The year after that would then hopefully see Eccles and Burroughs as first team regulars with Howley then getting a lot more game time aswell.

the year after that we then have Eccles , Burroughs and Howley all as first team regulars.

I love seeing academy kids coming through as much as the next person , but on the basis above and with it being slightly hypothetical I know, 1 per season is decent return I would say.

Especially as we are now higher up the leagues than previous years.

 

[PVA]

"But you have to remember that we as a club are much higher up the football league, and so it's more difficult for youngsters to break through"

That is a platitude and anyway did not apply in league 1 nor to other clubs whose youth players do come through

Well I think I addressed that in the second part of my post.

And it's incredibly difficult for players to break through at any level. I'm sure it's something like 99% of Premier League academy players never play a single minute in the Premier League. Academy players making it is the exception, not the norm.

 

[slyblue57]

It's only fair they're given the max time possible to find a new club. Wish them both well. Née was banging them in at age levels above his. Goes to show we know very little about the youth setup. Just because they stand out doesn't mean they're good enough. I hope they prove the club wrong though

Why on earth would you want the club to be wrong, I hope the Club are 100% right

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

It's only fair they're given the max time possible to find a new club. Wish them both well. Née was banging them in at age levels above his. Goes to show we know very little about the youth setup. Just because they stand out doesn't mean they're good enough. I hope they prove the club wrong though

David Bremang says hi

 

[pipkin73]

Why on earth would you want the club to be wrong, I hope the Club are 100% right

I hope the club are wrong so that these 2 players get to have a career even if lower down the leagues.
Do you want them just finished as we said no!
We have progressed through the divisions, these are KIDS that have been with us for most of their lives,
dam right i want them to do well in the rest of their carers.
If we had stayed in league 2 these could have been the players we relied on to keep us going.
It's not those players fault we have progressed above their level.