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ITK Thread

I think my biggest problem has been about the 20 man match day squads and the way we have used the subs bench. I think we all know that you're damned if you don't loan players out and you're damned if you do. However, once you've made your decisions you need to commit to using the younger players in your squad. You need to be strong enough as a manager and tell the 29/30 year old that they're 21st man this week and that the 20 year old is on the bench. Also, you need to make sure the younger players on the bench get the cameos they deserve from the bench. If you're taking the easy way out and just playing your seniors, then hold yourself accountable. Multiple managers at Spurs haven't done that.

Ange didn't optimise for me. He would use 5 subs if we were winning. If we were drawing or losing, not a chance. Also, when we were winning, it was the senior players getting the sub time. Jose was way worse. He would put lesser players in the match day squad at the expense of the younger talent. I wouldn't be tough on Poch or Jose though as we had no young talent under them. I can perhaps be tough on both for the KWP treatment but can only really remember Dele and Onomah who the club gave him to use as U21s. KWP was also overrated as well. I can't really remember Jose with too many kids either. We all remember the Devine FA Cup goal I guess at 16 years old.

I think we had a way bigger issue at the time with the dearth of talent in the academy. That's not on Poch or Jose. Since then we've been buying kids like crazy and nurturing the kids that we had from a young age. Mason Melia is the most recent one I remember. It definitely feels different now.

Right now, we all could write an entire team and bench of kids that at least have a chance. It's how we manage the next stage is important. As you say, loans are fantastic preparation but when do we create the space in the first tram squad and remove the older pros?
Well Guest from Leeds is even more recent and we brought in keepers too
I agree the talent may not have been there
But when some don’t was… we haven’t managed it since Sherwood
 
Seems like we've done a good job with loans recently. But yeah, needs to be a path there.

Loans are the route, and we have only got that (more consistently) right recently.

Sarr, Udogie, Bergvall (loan back model), Yang, Keeley, Donley, Phillips, Vuskovich, list goes on.

We have also understood wonder kids that have game time (Gray, Bergvall, Tel) will likely make that step up easier than those who haven't (just hung around first team)
 
Well Guest from Leeds is even more recent
Boast from Leeds.

Speaking of youth and pathway into the actual team; I just clicked on the Real Madrid team vs Juventus tonight; they have some 20 year old playing centre back who they nabbed off lowly Bournemouth (Huijsen of course) and some 21 year old youth striker I've never heard of.

Other teams do play 18 19 20 year olds.
 
Boast from Leeds.

Speaking of youth and pathway into the actual team; I just clicked on the Real Madrid team vs Juventus tonight; they have some 20 year old playing centre back who they nabbed off lowly Bournemouth (Huijsen of course) and some 21 year old youth striker I've never heard of.

Other teams do play 18 19 20 year olds.
They do for sure
huijsen came via that well trodden path from Italy to sunny Bournemouth
 
This fella said he was gonna stop posting his 'ITK' last week as he didn't need all the brick he gets...

Fast forward a few days and he's still posting lol

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