Risc
Alan Curtis
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2020
- Messages
- 3,206
- Reaction score
- 24
jasper_T said:One thing I have liked about Martin was how he's used Congreve. I didn't think Cam was ready, and he clearly wasn't, but having these experiences to build on can be so beneficial to development. Even that game where he was subbed off early I think was well-handled. Cam went through a rough period after that, went away with Wales and seemed like nothing was working for him, but he got through it.
Generally though we've never shown enough faith or patience with our own youngsters. Cabango had to fight tooth and nail past loanees to get minutes under Cooper as a teenager. The rest of our graduates have all had to wait until they were 20/21/22 to get a look in. Roberts was nowhere in the PL until Carvalhal asked Alan Curtis if there was anyone at the club to come in for a cup tie so Naughton could have a rest. DJ was promised minutes under Clement "when we were safe" which didn't happen for whatever reason. We're not a fashionable enough academy to expect other clubs to do the first step into senior football for us, as we have too-often done for others.
Watts, Cotterill, Lloyd, Congreve, Thomas and Morgan all look to have talent enough to make fantastic careers for themselves if opportunities arise. It's as good a group as we've ever had for quantity of quality coming through. Lissah, Dabrowski and Jenkins have had good progress stalled with injuries. Abdulai and McFayden can't learn anything more at u21s level.
I thought Russ could have done a bit more to be honest Jasp.
Cooper not getting a look in until Stoke away, I thought McFayden very unlucky to not get some minutes when we were struggling badly from wing back, this one in hindsight obviously as didn't know alot about him, but Joe Thomas too when Lati who is a centre half being persisted with from right back.