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johnny crossan wrote:

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I thought both of interviews per and post were quality. I am sure pre match he said he is working to get them ready but none of them are yet.I am sure not those exact words but that's what I got.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

Watch on youtube.com

I thought both of interviews per and post were quality. I am sure pre match he said he is working to get them ready but none of them are yet.I am sure not those exact words but that's what I got.

The best way to get some of them ready, is to fucking play them in the first team, even if it's only ten, twenty minutes here & there. What the fuck else can they do, in a game like that, on that pitch amongst a bunch of kids ? They need to play with & against, more complete players, in proper teams.

These people doing the 'expert' job on BT sport, have no fucking idea about anything, at all. They just repeat soundbites they have heard elsewhere, about how teams set up etc etc & fit them into the commentary even when it has no relevance. David James wouldn't know most of the players on either side, if he fucking fell over them, he's just watched a bit of Youtube, whatever, that fucking rag twat just waffled a load of utter shite about Ferguson, the 'host' seems like some special needs character who has conned people into believing he knows what he's talking about.

The rag said after Ambrose' goal, that it was down to the pace of City's front 3. He jogged onto the fucking ball. He didn't sprint. The rag has been told City have pace, & width, so therefore crammed it into his commentary along with stuff he's been told about how City's kids play. Then commented on it when Vieira was there, as if he'd sussed it all by watching the game. Utter bullshit.

I found it well annoying that Higginbotham used our width to explain EVERYTHING. He said we were on top cos we had width, and that Chelsea were losing cos they didn't have width. It was his reason for every possible scenario.

None of them knew fuck all about any of the youth players. What's the point having David James if he genuinely knows nothing? Get someone who does know. Noel Blake or someone like that or Aidy Boothroyd. At least someone who actually might know the players.

On to being 'ready'... I guess it depends on how we define being ready. If we expect them to be ready to play for the first team consistently then we're being unrealistic. We should at this stage expect them to be able to come off the bench and get involved and that can't happen until they're given that chance.

Stating the obvious here, but maybe the best thing that could happen is that this bunch of players is really successful. If we reach the Uefa Youth League final or something then it's actual proof that they are in the top 3 or 4 youth teams in Europe. I'd like to think that there would then be a clamour from the fans and the youth coaching staff involved to actually give them a chance. Imagine trying to justify not giving any of a Uefa Youth League winning team a chance to stake a claim in the first team? It'd be impossible.

The thruth is that hardly any of the players, if any at all, are 'ready' though.

But imo, that doesn't matter a flying shit. Hardly any of the best young players I saw come into City's or anyone else's teams in the past were 'ready'.

They were raw, exciting, dynamic, & not ready. They came on, did a bit of 'raw exciting kid' stuff, then got rested for a while, then popped up & did it agin.

They weren't expected to be fucking 'ready'. They were kids, who come on, scare some fat defender, then get put back in their box for a few weeks, with us all raving about them. That's how it works. That's how it worked for the rags, with Giggs, Beckham etc. They weren't 'ready' they just played here & there.

If it's a central defender,or a goalkeeper, they need to be 'ready'. Anywhere else; top talent kids should be able to come on & at least fill a position. Even Pozo did that, wildly out of position. Why can't one of the other lads actually play IN position for 20 mins ? Most of them are bigger than him.

Agree.

Even Barca did it with Messi!

Look at any player's stats. There's always usually a pattern. First season you see about 4/5 appearances (probably substitute run outs), the second season around say, 15, then all of a sudden about 34 and then eventually 50 odd.

Messi had seven league appearances (after making his debut in October) in his first season as a 17 year old. Now he's Lionel Messi and one of the greatest players ever but even he had to be 'put back in his box' as Ted put it from time to time. There are many players a lot less deserving than Messi, but still very good who had more game time too, and some a bit less. They all got a chance though. Barker, and a few others, are at the stage in my opinion where it should say at the end of a season that they had 4-7 first team appearances on the stat sheets. They need them - it has to happen at some point.

Edit - sorry to link to this, but look at the size of Giggs on his debut. Scrawny tiny bastard. There is no difference between him and Barker at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkNFvUaQ1JE

twosips wrote:Agree.

Even Barca did it with Messi!

Look at any player's stats. There's always usually a pattern. First season you see about 4/5 appearances (probably substitute run outs), the second season around say, 15, then all of a sudden about 34 and then eventually 50 odd.

Messi had seven league appearances (after making his debut in October) in his first season as a 17 year old. Now he's Lionel Messi and one of the greatest players ever but even he had to be 'put back in his box' as Ted put it from time to time. There are many players a lot less deserving than Messi, but still very good who had more game time too, and some a bit less. They all got a chance though. Barker, and a few others, are at the stage in my opinion where it should say at the end of a season that they had 4-7 first team appearances on the stat sheets. They need them - it has to happen at some point.

Edit - sorry to link to this, but look at the size of Giggs on his debut. Scrawny tiny bastard. There is no difference between him and Barker at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkNFvUaQ1JE

Perfect example.

(Have you read the comments under that vid ? There is only one, lol).

Giggs has been that skinny his whole career, not just on his debut. His build hasn't changed.

If we never give these kids a try we'll never know!

Barker looked " ready" for an appearance from the bench IMO.

twosips wrote:Agree.

Even Barca did it with Messi!

Look at any player's stats. There's always usually a pattern. First season you see about 4/5 appearances (probably substitute run outs), the second season around say, 15, then all of a sudden about 34 and then eventually 50 odd.

Messi had seven league appearances (after making his debut in October) in his first season as a 17 year old. Now he's Lionel Messi and one of the greatest players ever but even he had to be 'put back in his box' as Ted put it from time to time. There are many players a lot less deserving than Messi, but still very good who had more game time too, and some a bit less. They all got a chance though. Barker, and a few others, are at the stage in my opinion where it should say at the end of a season that they had 4-7 first team appearances on the stat sheets. They need them - it has to happen at some point.

Edit - sorry to link to this, but look at the size of Giggs on his debut. Scrawny tiny bastard. There is no difference between him and Barker at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkNFvUaQ1JE

Are you referring to what his sister-in-law saw ??