Kyle Walker

[mosssideblue]

I've been soft on Bravo.

It doesn't matter anymore now I understand your logic:)

 

[Neville Kneville]

Agreed. Where other clubs give youngsters who may or may not be good enough an opportunity, we choose to play those that have already proven that they aren't good enough. e.g. Fernando at right back against WBA. Hardly surprising though given some on here celebrate it as tactical genius, rather than a damning indictment of our failure as a club to give youth a chance.

With the resources we have had in the transfer market, if we had genuinely been using the academy to supplement the first team, a lot of the money we have spent on 'B' or 'C' list players, purely to maintain a squad, could have been kept in the bank, then spent on 'A' list players instead.

As it happens, the proposed fullback signings we are now making, look like pretty solid choices, but still, it is not a situation we should be in & the way to have solved it would be to find backups from the academy. If none were coming through, get some out & get new ones in, so there are some coming through.

 

[jmd]

Played less than a quarter of the games last season.

Walker played almost five times as many minutes as Trippier, but they both had the same amount of assists - five. Walker maybe a better defender, but Trippier clearly has the better final ball. Five assists in six starts.

 

[Easy]

Trippier isn't good enough for City, but he doesn't have to be.

He isn't really good enough for Spurs, just as most of Utd's kids aren't good enough for them & most of Barca's, including Bojan, who Pep played 100 times, aren't good enough for them.

They still give these kids 100s & 1000s of games, which helps the clubs get through season after season & every now & then, because they play them, a kid appears who takes to it & stays as a full squad member..

We have ignored most of our kids year in year out, so we end up with situations like having to buy 4 fullbacks in one window or make do with Kolarov.

Agreed.

The main reason we haven't seen many kids play is because the squad was not settled. After this summer it will be. I can see Pep beginning to use kids a little more this upcoming season and the season after a lot more as our squad will be much, much more settled and everyone will be more accustomed to each other, Pep, etc. So it will be easier to play the kids in that kind of environment.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Walker played almost five times as many minutes as Trippier, but they both had the same amount of assists - five. Walker maybe a better defender, but Trippier clearly has the better final ball. Five assists in six starts.

Six starts isn't enough to tell you anything. As usual, as soon as it looks like a player is going to come to us, they're not as good as the player who was behind them in a pecking order all season, right up until it became obvious that the first choice wanted to leave. I'm still waiting for Jordan Ibe to become better than Raheem Sterling.

As for the assists, 2 in a 4-0 win at Watford, 1 in a 6-0 win at Millwall, 1 in a 4-0 win at Watford, 2 in a 7-1 win at Hull.

That's why statistically a second choice player sometimes looks better than a first choice player, because they're often selected for the easier games where the team shits all over the opposition anyway. It's a lot harder to get an assist in a tight game against Chelsea than in an FA Cup walkover at Millwall.

 

[Josh_D]

Six starts isn't enough to tell you anything. As usual, as soon as it looks like a player is going to come to us, they're not as good as the player who was behind them in a pecking order all season, right up until it became obvious that the first choice wanted to leave. I'm still waiting for Jordan Ibe to become better than Raheem Sterling.

As for the assists, 2 in a 4-0 win at Watford, 1 in a 6-0 win at Millwall, 1 in a 4-0 win at Watford, 2 in a 7-1 win at Hull.

That's why statistically a second choice player sometimes looks better than a first choice player, because they're often selected for the easier games where the team shits all over the opposition anyway. It's a lot harder to get an assist in a tight game against Chelsea than in an FA Cup walkover at Millwall.

All I could think of in response to your post was, 'wise man'. Completely agree with you.

 

[Dewey6]

Is Fernando going the other way as part of the deal? I read somewhere that Newcastle were hoping to get him in some cut price deal lol

I hope we tell them the cut price deal for Fernando is 40 mill.

 

[KS55]

Is Fernando going the other way as part of the deal? I read somewhere that Newcastle were hoping to get him in some cut price deal lol

I hope we tell them the cut price deal for Fernando is 40 mill.

They can have him for 40p.

 

[Sir peace frog]

Six starts isn't enough to tell you anything. As usual, as soon as it looks like a player is going to come to us, they're not as good as the player who was behind them in a pecking order all season, right up until it became obvious that the first choice wanted to leave. I'm still waiting for Jordan Ibe to become better than Raheem Sterling.

As for the assists, 2 in a 4-0 win at Watford, 1 in a 6-0 win at Millwall, 1 in a 4-0 win at Watford, 2 in a 7-1 win at Hull.

That's why statistically a second choice player sometimes looks better than a first choice player, because they're often selected for the easier games where the team shits all over the opposition anyway. It's a lot harder to get an assist in a tight game against Chelsea than in an FA Cup walkover at Millwall.

BOOM like a right hook to the temple

 

[JPBB]

What is the problem with the price? 40m? 50m? 60m? 70m? Who cares? it is small change in the scheme of things. Just pay Levy the money and move on to the next target.