brummie Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Of the five Academy products, I wouldn't say they don't have a future. It's just that so many of them have been thrown in together at the same time, partly because of injuries to more experienced players. Ideally you want to bring them in one or two at a time, with more experienced players to guide them. They haven't really had that, particularly in defence. Sides with bigger and better squads, like Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal etc, can afford to use them occasionally, such as in the Cups, or send those players out on loan. It was much easier for us to transition, say, Caulker, Walker, Naughton and Jake Livermore into the first team because of this. Bingo. The kids are not all world beaters, but they are not all "not good enough" either. Nathan Baker is a good example. He's looked really good at centre half for most of this season, and ideally, he'd have been the one playing alongside Vlaar for much of it, with Clark in midfield. He's been thrown into it, week after week, with a defence which usually consists of other kids or younger players. Yesterday, he was playing at left back. If you look at how they have done this season and judge them on that, you're totally missing the point, which is as Leffe said. Too often, we have been forced to field too many of them at the same time. They've had next to no time to learn, and had precious few more experienced players to turn to for help/ Pre the drubbing at Chelsea, they were doing ok, but after that 8-0 hiding and the two fixtures after that, their confidence dropped massively. When normally they'd have looked around the dressing room for a Petrov style character to lift their heads, there wasn't anyone, because the rest of them were also inexperienced. I expect that, at the start of the season, Lambert also thought he might have Dunne available at the back. Now, he's got his own faults, but he's at least a wiser head. Instead, he's been out all season. Several times this season, we have fielded our youngest starting 11 since 1992 when football was invented. In a few matches, our most experienced player in terms of PL appearances was Barry Bannan. Sometimes it was Ciaran Clark. Neither are exactly children, but they're 23, so relatively young, still. It's a bit ironic when someone points at us this season as evidence of the faults in young player development in this country, when actually, the thing that most indicates the problem with it is that they get written off in exactly that style, far too easily. FWIW, I think lots of clubs are going to have to get used to the idea of relying more on self-produced players in the near future, so this will be something we see more of. Interesting you mention Walker, Leffe. That's a great example. Spent the year before last on loan with QPR and then us, and did brilliantly for us. Would he have been a first team fixture for you without that experience? Quite probably not. Our kids have not really had that experience. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.R. Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Ba and Moses look toothless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 What's happened to Albrighton? I never really rated him that highly but he did seem to be on the end of a lot of hype at one point. Remember when he just broke through and we beat you at SJP in our relegation season in what was probably Jonas' best game for us and Enrique had him in his back pocket all night. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.R. Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Moses supposes his toeses are roses; but Moses he shoots, erroneously. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brummie Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 What's happened to Albrighton? I never really rated him that highly but he did seem to be on the end of a lot of hype at one point. Remember when he just broke through and we beat you at SJP in our relegation season in what was probably Jonas' best game for us and Enrique had him in his back pocket all night. Copped for a bad injury, not been the same since. He's a clear confidence player, and his is shot this season, can see it a mile off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Swift Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Vertonghen! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest palnese Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Wahey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiemag Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Come on Spurs! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbelievable Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Fantastic finish Vertonghen.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbelievable Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Damn, close to 3-1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brummie Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Fair play to lambert reassuring the lad after that fuck up. Can see why the villa fans still have his back. I've never really seen anything like it. I do think that much of it is to do with what we went through last season. A lot of people have spotted that there's a huge difference between this year and last. Last year, week in, week out, we were a humiliating defensive mess, playing in the only way our manager at the time knew. This year, the results have not improved, but in spells of matches over a decent period, we have played very well indeed. I think people genuinely realise there is a difference between not getting results because you're negative from the off (last year) and not getting results, but trying your best to play a bit (this year). Second goal yesterday was a good example. Twenty odd passes before a Reading player hacked it in the air, before we scored. We've seen lots of flashes of what might be this season, and by and large, people are supportive. The powers that be did the club a huge, huge amount of damage at the start of last season, though, and it'll take a while to turn that around, on and off the pitch. I also think that - going back to the other post I made above this - a lot of us realise that the kids have all been thrown into this far too quickly, far too often, and don't want to add to the crisis of confidence by getting on their backs ourselves. One other thing, that drives me nuts, is commentators talking about how quick we were to turn on McLeish. That is utter bollocks. None of us wanted him here, some of us made a show of ourselves on SSN, but the majority of us were prepared to give him a chance once he was here and there was nothing to do about it. There was barely even a whisper of dissent against him until well into the new year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beren Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Have Liverpool still got that "no wins against top half opposition" monkey on their back? Not counting Swansea who all but threw the game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest palnese Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 FFS Lloris. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbelievable Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Lloris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeletor Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Downing goal. How humiliating Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bimpy474 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Have Liverpool still got that "no wins against top half opposition" monkey on their back? Not counting Swansea who all but threw the game. They have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenham Mag Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 2-2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmonkey Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Lloris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bimpy474 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Kyle Walker was a thick fucker with that pass like. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dokko Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Fair play to lambert reassuring the lad after that fuck up. Can see why the villa fans still have his back. I've never really seen anything like it. I do think that much of it is to do with what we went through last season. A lot of people have spotted that there's a huge difference between this year and last. Last year, week in, week out, we were a humiliating defensive mess, playing in the only way our manager at the time knew. This year, the results have not improved, but in spells of matches over a decent period, we have played very well indeed. I think people genuinely realise there is a difference between not getting results because you're negative from the off (last year) and not getting results, but trying your best to play a bit (this year). Second goal yesterday was a good example. Twenty odd passes before a Reading player hacked it in the air, before we scored. We've seen lots of flashes of what might be this season, and by and large, people are supportive. The powers that be did the club a huge, huge amount of damage at the start of last season, though, and it'll take a while to turn that around, on and off the pitch. I also think that - going back to the other post I made above this - a lot of us realise that the kids have all been thrown into this far too quickly, far too often, and don't want to add to the crisis of confidence by getting on their backs ourselves. One other thing, that drives me nuts, is commentators talking about how quick we were to turn on McLeish. That is utter bollocks. None of us wanted him here, some of us made a show of ourselves on SSN, but the majority of us were prepared to give him a chance once he was here and there was nothing to do about it. There was barely even a whisper of dissent against him until well into the new year. The opposite is why a lot of sensible people on here are fed up with Pardew. Shite negative football, no threat in set pieces while talking a load of shit constantly to the media. Absolutely no progression, same mistakes over and over, playing his favourites and not making the most of a very good squad. Villa would be dead and buried under him already (this season) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdckelly Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 I wonder at the intellegence of those running the league of ireland at times, first weekend of the new season and the big live tv match is competing directly with Manchester United and Liverpool matchs bright idea lads really going to win that one, hell only reason I'm watching is because Cork City are playing Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest palnese Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Sturridge is such a diving cunt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Sturridge Absolutely pathetic and Rodgers can complain all he wants about his players getting demonised for diving but he clearly at least hasn't discouraged it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
54 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 "I somebody injured, he just booted it out of play". Yes Clive your face is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest palnese Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Suarez and Dembele Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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