I listened to that too. Now that's how things are. Clubs don't treat these players well they will move on. This 40K thing at Liverpool simply can't happen because players will just leave. If you are a top 1% player at u18 level you can leave to pretty much whoever you want. They pay 500k compo and everythings good.
You learn different things from people like those on that Radio Show. I want to see young players play. I like to see them in the first team. But what does the club need to do to help development It was something that made me think last night about players that me and you have seen over the last couple of seasons. I thought about Stones, Holgate, Fletcher and Bree. Now holgate and Stones played a good number of games before moving on and then going through that development process once again and topping up on things that they maybe weren't good enough. The double sessions and the extra's after training but they had already learnt the match craft and the art of getting three points. Nasty comments from fans at the ground when they took throw in's...... . Mason Holgate even getting sent off at Keepmoaet infront of i'd imagine friends and family. Fletcher had it the other way round but at a bigger club first and maybe he was tested more in training than the players are at oakwell? He said himself and it mentioned it on Fletchers profile on the manutd website that he was developing part of Fletchers game. One of these things was pace I beleive amongst others. Than he came to oakwell and went through a pormotion chase which he would have learnt a lot. Now what does Bree need to devleop. How much one on one coaching does he get? Rest time?
In summation, different individuals learn and develop at different speeds. To be over prescriptive in this arena is to fail those who fall outside the narrow parameters. A good club will bring on youngsters who have natural ability that shows early and can learn and adapt - but will also give opportunities to those who may develop a little later. Just because John Stones (for example) looked outstanding at 18 and took that forward is no reason to write off a 22 year old from the lower leagues.
I don't write off anyone and maybe it's naive of me to mention Stones in this because of the natural talent that hes got. We've seen with Hourihane that he can learn whilst playing. For me he's learnt a lot of off the ball positioning and also that disapline whilst the teams got the ball whilst been at the club. Now apparenly that was visual and going to watch Football games with Lee Johnson from the stand. How much can they learn actually training?
Depends who's in charge of the training, and also the fact that some people learn by 'doing' rather than just being instructed. Glad you're coming round to the view that experience counts too - ie players learn by playing - which is a pleasant contrast to the occasions when you've been critical of slightly older lads from lower down the leagues because they weren't as advanced as Stones was at a comparative age.
Did you ever see this? (apologies, not really into starting a new thread for the sake of it) http://www.squawka.com/news/champio...nts-good-enough-for-the-premier-league/807276
Some very nice footballers in that list. I can see it with Hourihane. He's got a lot of positive that i've typed about before on here. He's a talent but more important he's got attitude and mental strength that's for all to admire in our squad. He's very demanding of others and inturn he's got to talk that back. Roberts, If he's ever going to become that he needs to improve on the ball. He's improved a lot since joining the club. To be fair to whoevers done that list. Some very good players. Baltley the goalkeeper, Christie and Cairney are some of my favourite non Barnsley players.
Just seen this and I really cant agree The whole purpose of being a footballer is to play in competative games. Lets face it thats 1.5 hours or possible 3 hours in a week of actual competative games it leaves plenty of time for training. You need them both - some training to learn the skills and matches to put them in to practice and to learn how the game itself works and which skills to use in different situations as has been said by many a pundit - if you are good enough you are old enough. Pele played in a world cup final at 17 and he developed into a decent player. But not everyone develops at the same rate. we have mentioned Holgate and Stones. but before your time we had players like Mick McCarthy - he was thrown in to the first team at 18 and soon was an ever present - and you could see him improve with experience. I doubt he would have progressed as quickly if he had only played youth football for another 2 years. Of course that only works if you are good enough though - if you are not ready to play in a first team it is more likely to cause harm than good if a player is out of his depth. Then training preferably combined with playing at a lower level is probably the best idea
Infact having thought about it without first team football against men in real games not just poncy u23 games neither stone holgate or mawson would be at a top flight club. If theu were at a big club getting pampered they would have stifled in their development and dropped through the leagues like a stone. Spurs are playing tonight... some lads are 20 year old and only just getting close to the first team. At 20 lampard had about 50 games at the same level. Limit squad sizes including x number of youth players. Ban clubs loaning out more than five players a season. Get playing proper footy sometimes at a lower level and watch the improvements...
They'll be other sports celebrities with totally opposite views , have a listen to them before you form an opinion.