Donyell Malen (Gone)

[eamonn]

Must be a bit shit for his kids. Sure Rome is almost as nice as Brum but they would have made pals from Sutton Coldfield and Solihull whom they'll never see again.

[fredm]

We do seem to have a problem bringing players through our youth system. We seem to advertise what a great system we have, with brilliant coaches etc., but who has actually come through into a regular first team squad member except Bogarde? Yesterday we sold a player who reportedly has been having a good season at Swindon but has never been seen near a first team occurrence.

[TheToffnar]

Part and parcel of being in our position.

We need the best 11+ bench options firing on all cylinders for a full 90 every game. There's no room in first team to bed in interesting possibilities unless we go 2+ goals clear, which rarely happens.

[Villan For Life]

We do seem to have a problem bringing players through our youth system. We seem to advertise what a great system we have, with brilliant coaches etc., but who has actually come through into a regular first team squad member except Bogarde? Yesterday we sold a player who reportedly has been having a good season at Swindon but has never been seen near a first team occurrence.

It’s always been like that. An 18 year old showing promise is no guarantee that they will progress to a squad player at the top end of the premier league. Most of them will earn a very good living playing lower division football, they’re just not quite good enough for where we are now.

[brontebilly]

Monchi scouting. That guy was bad.

His bigger issue was letting the wage bill go out of control. That's what got us into this financial straightjacket to start with. Emery seems to get the credit for the signings that worked out like Rogers and Monchi the blame for ones that didn't like Elliot.

On Malen, it was an odd signing as the article outlines with the CL squad business. At least he showed some decent form this season including in our last game so we are selling from a reasonably strong position. Best of luck to him.

[Drummond]

Must be a bit shit for his kids. Sure Rome is almost as nice as Brum but they would have made pals from Sutton Coldfield and Solihull whom they'll never see again.

Such is the life of a footballer's family. And money doesn't replace that .

[Dick Edwards]

We do seem to have a problem bringing players through our youth system. We seem to advertise what a great system we have, with brilliant coaches etc., but who has actually come through into a regular first team squad member except Bogarde? Yesterday we sold a player who reportedly has been having a good season at Swindon but has never been seen near a first team occurrence.

It’s always been like that. An 18 year old showing promise is no guarantee that they will progress to a squad player at the top end of the premier league. Most of them will earn a very good living playing lower division football, they’re just not quite good enough for where we are now.

And home grown players had more opportunities being blooded in our first team when we were mid table mediocrity with nothing to play for. The stakes are a lot higher now with a Champions League place the objective.

[Behind Bluenose Lines]

Best of luck, Don & thanks for the goals! X

Fuck PSR...

[Chip Butty 111]

Best of luck, Don & thanks for the goals! X

Fuck PSR...

..yes, good luck to the lad. The way he conducted himself here was first class...tbh if I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to live in Rome for a while I'd take it, a wonderful place. Hope it works out for him.

[Brend'Watkins]

We do seem to have a problem bringing players through our youth system. We seem to advertise what a great system we have, with brilliant coaches etc., but who has actually come through into a regular first team squad member except Bogarde? Yesterday we sold a player who reportedly has been having a good season at Swindon but has never been seen near a first team occurrence.

This situation is not unique to us. Gone are the days when a player can just do a job for us. They have to be at a level that they can fill a role without a drop off in the team’s performance and so only the exceptionally talented make the grade. Bogarde has, a host of others haven’t and are moved on. A good season for Swindon, Stockport, or whoever is no endorsement that they’ll make it in the Premiership. Besides, these loaned out players are all monitored to check on their progress so that decisions can be made.

[HolteLower]

We do seem to have a problem bringing players through our youth system. We seem to advertise what a great system we have, with brilliant coaches etc., but who has actually come through into a regular first team squad member except Bogarde? Yesterday we sold a player who reportedly has been having a good season at Swindon but has never been seen near a first team occurrence.

Most clubs have this problem!

[Dave]

We do seem to have a problem bringing players through our youth system. We seem to advertise what a great system we have, with brilliant coaches etc., but who has actually come through into a regular first team squad member except Bogarde? Yesterday we sold a player who reportedly has been having a good season at Swindon but has never been seen near a first team occurrence.

It’s always been like that. An 18 year old showing promise is no guarantee that they will progress to a squad player at the top end of the premier league. Most of them will earn a very good living playing lower division football, they’re just not quite good enough for where we are now.

And home grown players had more opportunities being blooded in our first team when we were mid table mediocrity with nothing to play for. The stakes are a lot higher now with a Champions League place the objective.

Also the quality of player you need to get past to be in the first team when you're at the top end of the table.

It's easier for Ciaran Clark to take James Collins' place in the side than it is for e.g Josh Feeney to take Pau Torres'.

[HolteLower]

Sorry to see the Don go. I think the problem we have is more to do with recruitment in some key areas. Not enough academy players make it into their own first teams across football in the UK. What we seem to have as a problem now is recruiting right sided players and/or secondary strikers and back up full strikers. So Diaby, Bailey, Malen, Guessand have either not really made it or not fitted in with the system - that's quite a lot of recruitment issues for one position then add Duran. Apart from him (and for various reasons he wasn't the full thing) the last time we had an alternative was Ings wasn't it? Malen is deluded if he thinks he is a No 9 - good player but not really a main striker. We have had good money for some of them so that moderates the issue but this is not helping us push on.

[fredm]

I appreciate the difference between looking good in the lower leagues but giving Archer, Finn Azaz, Philogene a length of time with the first team, would they have been any worse than Guessand, Sancho etc?

[Toronto Villa]

Philogene and Archer didn’t do much with us or the clubs they joined at PL level. I’m no fan of Guessand but I don’t think it helps that he’s been asked to play out wide a lot of the time. I’d like to see if gets a chance coming on as a forward. But really I don’t think he’s suited for the PL.