Thomas Frank - Former Head Coach

[Raziel]

By the way, what a mockery this current situation makes of our loan system. Right now, we have two players in Devine and Donley who have had regular match experience and carry with them some talent, fight and hunger, not to mention versatility. Lankshear has managed to gain some valuable time. Moore is doing really well. I’d even argue that Abbott (not sure if he is injured right now?) would’ve made a good addition?
ALL players who are ready to drop in for emergencies, all players who would help. A player like Donley yesterday off the bench at least gives you energy, engine and some vision.
Yet between the manager and our brilliant sporting director, we decided we needed none of them (Moore is the only one I understand as his tactics would’ve killed the kid).
Pathetic all round.

Disagree mate, we killed two generations of academy players by having them hang around the squad and never get game time. Let me make you think for a second, Winks took till moving to Leicester to have a season with as much game time as Skipp had on his loan with Norwich, getting 45+ games in a season at 19 vs. 27 is a major factor in your development (regardless of individual ceilings).

I'd actually argue the next manager needs to have a plan for Gray/Bergvall/Odobert development/play time or I would loan some of them out too (no Europe next season). I'd leave Vuskovic out on another year loan (new contract, raise and extension required), I'd give Moore another season out as well. And LWB needs to play, his loan next season better be right.

The reason we were so light on the week-end is because we failed to act in January appropriately, not because we should have had a few more kids on the bench.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Disagree mate, we killed two generations of academy players by having them hang around the squad and never get game time. Let me make you think for a second, Winks took till moving to Leicester to have a season with as much game time as Skipp had on his loan with Norwich, getting 45+ games in a season at 19 vs. 27 is a major factor in your development (regardless of individual ceilings).

I'd actually argue the next manager needs to have a plan for Gray/Bergvall/Odobert development/play time or I would loan some of them out too (no Europe next season). I'd leave Vuskovic out on another year loan (new contract, raise and extension required), I'd give Moore another season out as well. And LWB needs to play, his loan next season better be right.

The reason we were so light on the week-end is because we failed to act in January appropriately, not because we should have had a few more kids on the bench.

It’s not kids on the bench that’s the issue
It’s kids with minutes as you say earlier in your post
Having kids because we’re done to bare bones can’t be the answer
But no manager seems to trust the home grown kids to give them even 10 minutes here and there and the what other managers do imo

 

[Ace Face]

Having players who have come through the academy provides an extra level of pride in playing for the shirt though. I’ll wager a training session with a few Academy graduates pushing for a first XI place will be more intense than one without.

 

[thfcsteff]

Disagree mate, we killed two generations of academy players by having them hang around the squad and never get game time. Let me make you think for a second, Winks took till moving to Leicester to have a season with as much game time as Skipp had on his loan with Norwich, getting 45+ games in a season at 19 vs. 27 is a major factor in your development (regardless of individual ceilings).

I'd actually argue the next manager needs to have a plan for Gray/Bergvall/Odobert development/play time or I would loan some of them out too (no Europe next season). I'd leave Vuskovic out on another year loan (new contract, raise and extension required), I'd give Moore another season out as well. And LWB needs to play, his loan next season better be right.

The reason we were so light on the week-end is because we failed to act in January appropriately, not because we should have had a few more kids on the bench.

No need to make me think mate, I am all for us developing youth.
I was speaking short-term.
And in the short-term, knowing how we were going to fudge two managers in one bricky window and with a treatement table overburdened, I stand by my assertion that in the SHORT-TERM, two or three of those players recalled for the immediate rest of the season was the call to make.
I am ALL for loan development (in fact, I would not have included Mikey Moore in this scenario precisely for that reason) however in this short-term moment we are simply not making the best use of our assets.
The alternative appears to be maybe throwing a Luca Williams Barnett into a fray which could really do him damage.

P.S. take a look at how comprehensively we seem unable to get the right loans for players such as Donley, Devine and even Dorrington. Lankshear's has turned out OK, but the only true success recently has been Moore. Tell me short-term that Donley and/or Devine wouldn't have fared any worse off being back with us for the rest of the season?