Have we got the best youngsters in the League?

[Mister E]

                                       Siegrist
                   Lichaj            Clark              Baker

    Albrighton        Herd    Bannan      Gardner       Delph

                         Weimann             Agbonlahor

With Carruthers, Johnson, Williams, Delfouneso (perhaps) and others to back this up, this could make a useful side; playing wingbacks against teams that generally these days line up with one central striker and wingers.

Probably far too optimistic, but in these dark days it's good to look ahead with some positivity.

[kipeye]

I like your thinking EfDee. Somehow part of me thinks this wouldn't be the disaster most people would expect.

[Matt Collins]

that team now would definitely get relegated. Very hard to predict how all of those players will push on and 3-4 being established premier league top 6 players would be wonderful.

I reckon Clark, Gardner, Weimann have got the best chance, and I still think there just has to be a player in Delph somewhere.

[Mister E]

that team now would definitely get relegated.

I was looking ahead.

[Shoody]

Lichaj, Weimann, Herd have looked good in a lot of their appearances this season.

Albrighton - was fairly good defensively yesterday in fairness to him but his final ball was awful. Which is depressing because if you asked me what I thought of him January last year it would have been 'Fantastic final ball. Awful defensively'. Hopefully he can find that pinpoint cross again. As a person he seems great, a villa fan just needs to find some confidence and bulk up abit i hope.

Bannan - Think he'll do a lot better under a different manager. Was a shining light at start of the season, for club and country, one of the few players talked about around the league - linked with Liverpool and United. Drink Driving ruined his season. Dont think the abuse he gets on twitter is doing him any good. It seems to bother him (and Marc) more than most. Dont think him and McLeish see eye-to-eye. Needs a new manager, or failing that a new club. Hope he stays.

Weimann - Our best player at the minute. Needs to learn when to shoot, his gut instinct is good (a la that goal the other week) needs to learn to listen to it more often but his workrate is fantastic. If he can improve his decision making he could be a top forward, a goal scorer and more involved in the game than Bent.

Herd - Wrote him off last season, thought he should be sold to a Championship or League 1 team along with Hogg. Oh how wrong I was.

Gardner - Eck. Please let him run our midfield like you were trying to get Petrov to, this lad can actually do it. He looks like he wants to be the midfield engine but has been told to sit in midfield and let Herd do the legwork. Future Captain.

Clark - Feel bad for Clark because he deserves a spot in the team and cant find one unless Baker or Herd get injured, worried he will go backwards and leave to become the next Cahill.

Carruthers deserves a start. Think he'd play well with NZogbia too behind Weimann.

Baker, Did well at the U21's and could be a good CB in the future but he's making a few mistakes (thought he did well yesterday though). Not sure why Clark hasnt been given a game at CB in a while. Hopefully Baker will be good enough and they can be our new pairing in the centre in a couple of years?

We certainly have the best output of players in the PL at the moment, we just need to do the one thing we've always been shite at and nurture them into proper PL players and hopefully find some top class ones in the long run.

[Dave Clark Five]

Albrighton can cross a ball , but needs a run in the team

Just based on my eyes and without looking at any stats, I think that Marc's crossing is the worst part of his game which is a bit of a problem for a winger.

Plenty of evidence of that yesterday. I hope he can improve that aspect of his game as it would lead to many goals.

[Mister E]

Lichaj, Weimann, Herd have looked good in a lot of their appearances this season ... into proper PL players and hopefully find some top class ones in the long run.

Shoody: I'm sure that Clark will not be sidelined regardless of who is managing the side next season. His class is clear.
Baker: after his poor play against Chelsea I think he's been a revelation. Reads the game, strong in the tackle and likes to get forward.
Lichaj was excellent yesterday, I thought, and showed to Hutton what cover-defending is all about.

That's why - above - I suggest that these three could become a very effective back three against sides that play one up front.

[Dave Clark Five]

Those young players will all click together soon. As each one is brought in, people are wary but now, with all the experience they have had, they are part of the fixtures and fittings. It gave us plenty of options on the bench yesterday. Don't be surprised if we put four past Bolton.

[Risso]

Don't be surprised if we put four past Bolton.

Blimey.  I put your posts last night down to a heavy drinking session.  Looks like it was an all-nighter.

[PeterWithe]

If we'd have won against S'land I'd have fancied us to throw the shackles off and give Bolton a bit of a pasting....but we didn't, so we wont.

[Clampy]

Those young players will all click together soon. As each one is brought in, people are wary but now, with all the experience they have had, they are part of the fixtures and fittings. It gave us plenty of options on the bench yesterday. Don't be surprised if we put four past Bolton.

I agree, there's some great kids down there and in a year or two's time they could gel. As for them giving us options on the bench, that's not much use when the manger puts a centre midfielder on the wing.

[andyh]

In answer to the actual question, yes we have some great youngsters.
But, unless they are developed properly and nurtured by a manager and coaching staff who know what they are doing, these boys will be ruined.

[Dante Lavelli]

Albrighton can cross a ball , but needs a run in the team

Just based on my eyes and without looking at any stats, I think that Marc's crossing is the worst part of his game which is a bit of a problem for a winger.

Plenty of evidence of that yesterday. I hope he can improve that aspect of his game as it would lead to many goals.

I’m not going to judge Albrighton too harshly until he gets a run on the right.  Some wingers like to cut in onto their better foot but I don’t think that’s the case with Albrighton.  His inclination is to hit the line and whip in crosses.

The same goes for Bannan, Gardner (played wide), Licaj (played as left back) and to a lesser extent Clark.  They’ve all been asked to play out of position which is a tough ask.

[KevinGage]

For all the criticism of the coaching set up at BH under Pubehead (and a fair amount of criticism was justified I reckon)  it must have been some benefit to our wingers to have John Roberston to call upon. 

A feature of Albrighton's play when he first burst on the scene was the accuracy of his crossing-  and how he didn't fanny about before whipping the ball in. 

Golfers need constant practice, even when they reach a decent standard. Ditto batsmen.   Sometimes it's a case of making slight alterations to the swing, late foot movement and so on. For specific skills in football (free kicks and crosses from wide)  there might be a parallel.  A fellow winger may know and appreciate this. The attention to detail. Coaching staff of the calibre of McLeish and Grant probably don't place much weight behind such things.   

If that sounds unfair, our weakness at both defending and attacking set pieces, our inability to create chances from open play and all the various other deficiencies in our game seem to illustrate that learning and preparation aren't the name of the game under the current managerial dreamteam Monday - Friday.   It increasingly seems like they are a pair of blaggers, hand gestures and going through the motions on the touchline on a Saturday seem to be all they bring to the party.

In Albrighton's specific case, I don't think playing wide left has helped matters either.   A player like Downing benefited from switching flanks and cutting in on his stronger foot because he could be more direct and either have a shot at goal or create mayhem.  Albrighton is more an old style winger - go on the outside, get near the by-line and whipping balls in is (or should be)  his game.

[Rick_avfc]

I think we have some really good youngsters and with the right development and right amount of senior pros with them, a number of the could be future avfc stars.

At present i feel sorry for them for being in the situation that they are in but this could be very good experience for them. 

Also on twitter, I am absolutely amazed and get very annoyed by the number of so called "fans" directly tweeting the younger players and calling them 5h1t and slating their performances.  I really do not know what these so called fans are expecting from the inexperienced younger players.  Some idiots on there are evening laying into Gary Gardner!  I mean come on!!  The guy is hardly an established premier league player at the moment and still learning his trade at the top level.  He is slowly progressing and it will take him time to develop into a very very good player.  There is also a lot of abuse aimed at Barry Bannan which I think is uncalled for especially if he is still an avfc player.  Ok, his performances might not be great but sometimes, these players need confidence at a time when the club is at an all time low.