If this was a year or two into Ange's tenure and he wasn't using the youth, then I would agree it's a concern, but he literally has had only one transfer window and he does need to see if the senior squad players can be called upon (whether people like it or not). If they're being called up into training and within the matchday squads then it's a start, he will see them in training and how they interact with the rest of the squad.
WALOB.
In 2 years time we will have lost some very talented kids if no pathway is already established.
I think the only youngster that is maybe ready for minutes is probably Donley, maybe Phillips but of course he's injured.
Main and only gripe is not giving the kids a chance, nothing else. And believe it or not, some and rightly so starting to complain
To be fair he started GLC and Gil for the first time and brought on Skipp and Veliz. So he can't keep them all happy. We've hardly given minutes to Skipp and we've had a few midfielders out so may need to call on him. I think its just the size of the squad where he's trying to give players chances. Hopefully Donley gets some minutes especially with the busy schedule coming up. Maybe Ange is being more patient with the academy players though thinking they're young enough to wait their chance. Some of the others he's playing are in their 20s now and he needs to see more of them.
I hope its Donley that's pushing for minutes.... as much as we wouldn't want a player to cause issues because of it I love to see the confidence in a young player to be vocal in stating his case as long as it's not disruptive. Shows they want the challenge rather than being in awe of it and TBH I think a lot of managers wait to see that from them sometimes to seperate those with the balls to step up and those that dont.
Did he not bring on Veliz and essentially go two up front though? Skipp went into midfield to allow for the change in formation. That's how I saw it anyway, it was actually a positive change and a last throw of the dice from Ange.
How can you expect a pathway in a few months? These sound like pretty impatient kids to me. Ange has been here since the summer. One minute people want to give him time, then he has to be rushed into playing the youth? Makes no sense. It's the manager's call at the end of the day. He'll see them within training and in a match day environment even when they're on the bench, or just in the travelling squad.
Veliz is not a product of the academy!
I am aware of that but he clearly is in front of Donley at the moment at least at being a centre forward - isn't Donley more of a 10? Also the query being put forward was why bring on Skipp as it was seen as a negative sub, when from what I can see it allowed us to move to 2 up front with Veliz coming on so in actual fact it was an attacking sub to facilitate a formation change. You can argue whether Donley should have come on instead of Veliz and gone up front with Son but as I said, i'm not sure if Donley is seen as a striker? Maybe I'm wrong on that as I'm not actively following the youth side.
I hear ya
but I suppose Ange will be the judge of how big the drop off will be between say PEH a Danish International or Emerson a Brazil international playing slightly out of position or Ben Davies an experienced Welsh international compared to youth players being given a chance in what is a very high pressure period for us with some very difficult fixtures.
When were we tearing wolves to shreds?
Just telling you how it is, and why the academy got into such a state a few years back. These kids that have signed up, and some could have gone literally anywhere else, were told there would be a pathway. It was literally the make or break in getting MM to sign a contract as he was far from sure. If they don't see it happening they just won't sign and we will be back to picking up everyone else's cast off's. FP worked incredibly hard to turn it around and look at how good the 18's and 21's are now. I know it's early days but every kid coming through knows that the chances come from senior players getting injuries etc, and here we are on our last legs and still they can't see minutes. There has to be signs that they'll be given opportunities or we will be back to square one.
We were 5 up at Burnley, Philips never got a look inI hear ya
I’ve always felt that the best time to ‘blood’ youth is in easier fixtures where you’ve got a decent lead so the pressure is off a bit.
For arguments sake say Ange played Dorrington instead of Davies or Emerson and we’d lost 4,5-1 that’s his career pretty much over or at least his reputation damaged.
Ange loves playing youth players where he can, he was Australia youth team coach for a few years and it’s something he’s very passionate about.
I trust him to play youth at the right time.
I don’t know enough about Donley if he could’ve been given a go instead of Skipp though.
