Raheem Sterling
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agreed.
There just seems to be way too many of our players going through the motions and picking up their adsorbent wage cheque at the end of the week.
Kenny needs to stop failing where his predecessors did. I don't see the point in being stubborn in support of signings that are clearly failing (and have done for most of the season). The most important thing is the results. You can't bemoan a lack of depth when you've got a first team that cost in excess of £100m and a £35m forward on the bench, That's just insulting our intelligence.
He keeps saying he's prepared to give players a chance, well if his team is so fucking tired, why wait until the game is dead and buried to in introduce a youngster with just minutes on the clock? It's pointless.
He keeps saying he's prepared to give players a chance, well if his team is so fucking tired, why wait until the game is dead and buried to in introduce a youngster with just minutes on the clock? It's pointless.
As per usual, I was more impressed by the 15 minute cameo from Shelvey than I have been with almost anything that Henderson has done this season. The boy is a great talent, you can see it - his comfort on the ball, and desire to make things happen is ahead of any other midfielder we have, other than Gerrard. Start him for the next 8 games, and watch him prove how he's better than both Adam and Henderson.
I think Kenny's brought Sterling along very well. He's introduced him to first team training, he's got him involved in match day warm ups, he's prepared him in a really sensible way. It was obvious he was hoping to introduce him into matches when we were in a comfortable position, rather than trying to rescue a match with the crowd on the players' backs. Compared to how previous managers reluctantly bunged a young player on with no real care at all I think Kenny's approach makes great sense and is particularly important bearing in mind the plan to gradually bring through far more young talents than ever before. It has to be done with sensitivity and prudence, not just out of boredom and frustration when things aren't going well. Most fans calling for these players will not hesitate to destroy them if they start weakly.
Yes, I agree.
Young players who are not playing are always heralded as World beaters but young players who come into the side are understandably struggle are instantly written off as not good enough. Its important to have some patience, and IMO it is better to see promising young players given game time gradually in league games.
There was nothing that irritated me more than having young players all thrown in together, along with some of the reserve/squad players in league cup games and expected to look good in such circumstances.
I couldn't agree more. That drove me crazy. Rafa and then Hodgson would basically play the ressies in place of the first team and claim they were getting first team experience. No they weren't - they were the ressies getting the flak for failing to do well in place of the first team!
I agree lads, but the issue is fairly simple, they need a chance to prove themselves, at least we'll know one way or another, and as things stand, having already qualified for Europa and having practically zero chances of qualifying for the CL, while watching Kenny's signings painfully plod through game after game, what is there to lose really?
I also think it's harsh to say we'd rip into them, a few numpties might but a few numpties do alot of things after most games, win or lose.
There's only one way to find out if they're good enough.
I also think it's harsh to say we'd rip into them, a few numpties might but a few numpties do alot of things after most games, win or lose.
There's only one way to find out if they're good enough.
Well, there isn't only one way to find out, in a practical sense: do you start with them or do you bring them on as subs? Do you play them against the strongest teams or the weaker teams? Do you play them when the team is doing well or doing badly? Do you play them regardless of the opposition or do you try to choose teams that have weaknesses suited to the young player's strengths? I don't disgree with the need to blood them and get them some experience, but it always has to be mutually beneficial - the first team match should never be a glorified pratice game for a young player and a young player should never be just chucked on regardless. So it's never quite so easy as just saying 'play them'. And I disagree about only a few fans are likely to attack them if they don't arrive and thrive - I've lost all faith in forums to show any patience about anything. Far too many will dismiss a young player after one bad match.
We've got just as much to lose by continuing with a clearly flawed approach.
I didn't mean to come across all cavalier but I'd most certainly suggest based on that 8 minute performance, that he offers raw pace and trickery and for opponents is a completely unquantified talent, therefore: What have we got to lose by giving a failing Stewart Downing a boot up the arse by replacing him with someone 10 years his Junior.
The Messi's, Rooney's and Ronaldo's of the world did not become the talents they are by being drip fed opportunities. I agree that it's ideal for a player like Sterling to introduced when a match isn't be chased and when we're playing well but there are plenty of arguments to suggest that he should absolutely be given a chance to impress in a failing side.
There's always something to lose. It's always a gamble, with the player as well as the match, but as I said above I'm very pleased to see Sterling get some chances. He's not banged loudly on the door this season in terms of performances (although his advisors have banged loudly enough in the tabloids), but he's got pace and cockiness, and that's always worth a try in such circumstances - same goes for Eccleston. It's just a pity, thanks to all the stage-managed media reports, it now looks as though we've been pressured into playing him. That leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.
I'd agree with that, especially the media hounding.
I'm not suggesting he get thrown in the deep end merely kept involved with the first team and given a few more opportunities.
Great first post - uninformed, inaccurate and arrogant. Well done!
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