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Millers Banter: Unofficial Rotherham United Fans Forum / Message Board → Football / Sport / RUFC Related → Young Players
 

Topic: Young Players

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smiler
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Young Players
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What is our strategy with young players? 

The young players we have who belong to us don't seem to get a lot of game time.  Ajayi - he seems to have a mistake in him and Warne keeps selecting Wood instead because he trusts him more.  Purrington - even before his injury he was rated behind Mattock, which can't be a good thing.  Yates - perpetual bench warmer.  Bray - seen even less than Yates.  JCH - clearly Warne doesn't rate him.  Wiles - seems to have a future but not on the bench yet for any game of any consequence.  

It seems to me that when push comes to shove Warne will go for experience.  Wood, not Ajayi.  Mattock, not Purrington.  Ball, not Yates. etc.

The irony is that the young players who are given a run in the side are the ones who we don't actually own.

Is the pressure to win games so great that we can't put youngsters in and tolerate the fact that they will make mistakes?  If that is the case, does that come from supporter expectations, the Board or perhaps that Warne feels that his job might be on the line if we have a poor run of form?  And in the long run, how does this square with Tony Stewart's stated admiration for the Barnsley model of bringing young players in and turning them into better players who will become saleable assets down the line?  Maybe we aren't as good as them at spottting and nurturing the right young players, or maybe we just aren't brave enough to give them a go.



-- Edited by smiler on Sunday 5th of November 2017 04:19:00 PM

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BradtheMiller
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It is worrying to think that Warne doesn't trust our young players enough. For the Bradford nothing game on Tuesday I would start with young Bilboe in goal, Hinds at LB (surely he would have done better than Emmanuel at Crewe who was truly awful) & Wiles in midfield. If they do well put them in consideration for the first team as some of our first teamers are becoming complacent to say the least.
Thanks for posting smiler as this forum seems to be dying on it's a rse ATM.

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smiler
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Same Brad. It'll get busier if we keep losing!

I think Hinds was injured for yesterday but we can safely say he wouldn't have played. I hope if it does turn into a real mid-table season these younger lads will get a chance, but we do seem to be a long way behind many other clubs in terms of having confidence in youth. I wonder if our youth system is up to speed. We have resorted to bringing in young players from elsewhere to kick start us, but are they good enough to make it? Not sure they are tbh.





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Calypso
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I don't think promotion was ever on the cards this season, nor was it ever in the minds of those who run the club in my opinion, that being the case then this season would be ideal to experiment and blood the young uns. Experience is invaluable in any walk of life and our youth are clearly not benefiting at the moment. I remember how Paul Stancliffe developed when playing besides the experienced Jimmy Mullen.

The trouble is its a different game these days, all that matters is results and its so much easier to buy in talent and experience than develop our own. A policy that is reflected throughout the country in all our industries not just football, but we only have to look at our national team to see what that policy has done to the one time World Cup winning nation that we were.

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I think you're spot on Calypso. Short term pressures lead to fewer perceived risks being taken.

Even then though we are slow to bring players through. The best player for Crewe on Saturday was an 18 year old full back who they own and who has played about ten league games. Other teams seem to give players an earlier opportunity than we do. And its not just that they are a smaller club. McTominay at Man Utd, Brooks at Sheff Utd, Winks at Spurs. All proof that if you are good enough you are old enough.

Our 'young prospects' signed under our new policy of bringing young players through aren't actually that young. Bray and Purrington are 21 and have been signed but both look below par on performances so far. Ihiekwe is 24. Ajayi is 25. Even Moore is 25 (I know he is on loan but people still see him as younger than he is I think). Jerry Yates is 20 and hasn't managed to really make a breakthrough. Oniarise is 20, and we haven't seen him yet apart from a run in the Mickey Mouse Cup.

Why is it though that we are willing to get young players on loan from other clubs and throw them in? Why are Rodak and Emmanuel at 20 years old considered to be ready for the first team but our own players similar age are too young/inexperienced to be trusted? Is it that we are afraid to trust our young players or is it that they aren't really good enough?

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Calypso
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It may have something to do with young players on loan from bigger clubs can be sent back if they are not delivering. Likewise we can send out our own players on loan to lesser clubs, with said clubs taking the risk, if you follow my drift. I was sorry to see Tom Thorpe not given a decent chance during his period with us.

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smiler
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I do follow your drift and a very fair observation if I may say so.

Agree about Thorpe. He did ok at Bolton in this division. I think he suffered a bit through being versatile and never made a mark in any one position with us. He was also part of a struggling side which is never easy for a young player. Weirdly he has ended up in the Indian Super League early in his career.

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Exetermiller
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The mindset gotta change sooner than we think. With Brexit the FA could go to parliament and say hey those insane labour laws are killing our sport, we want to put restrictions on EU players. That would lead to the masses of mediocre EU players leaving our clubs being rightly replaced by our own. Even if that doesn't happen, eventually the fees of mediocre EU players will become too high, leading to more inward investment. And in honesty it's how it should be. Iceland can produce World Cup qualifying squads as their kids even at grass roots play in state of the art indoor 3G facilities. Think what we could do with the right infrastructure with a population of 70m - and kids football in this country is absolutely massive already.

Those who are forward thinking clubs (we don't apply by the looks), will have recognised this and are already putting things in place to make the most of it. Football in this country will eventually go back to the local players representing as it was 50-60yrs ago - its a gimme and I don't think that's a bad thing at all.



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