I get that, but the point there is that McEacharan is clearly a more talented footballer on a technical level, so if you can create a pathway that is less career demoralising for him potentially than you at least try? That's where we're going wrong. The way a player deals with a setback at 18 is not the same as one who deals with a setback at 25, even 22. As it is we're potentially wasting far too many talents by sending them down routes that will never work for them and not let them grow comfortably to a stage where they can actually be useful. Otherwise all we get is a bunch of Hendersons, a strong willed player, decent technique but a million miles away from an Iniesta or someone like that as a footballer.
Not every player should be treated the same. They all react in different ways to different situations, and just cos a certain kid at 18 doesn't react well to being farmed out to some bunch of lower league clobbers, it doesn't mean he's therefore worthy of less attention that the big strong hardworking lad who runs all day. You treat them all in different ways. What works for a young Brahim Diaz won't be the same as a young Jordan Henderson. It's common sense.
The ones with magic in their feet, someone like a Brahim, is defo worthy of the extra thought or attention cos they're potentially a game changer. If you have to put them on a different developmental path, so be it. Could save you £50m one day so why not? Otherwise we throw them out on loan to some random club and then write them off when they inevitably struggle in a really weird circumstance. I'm a totally different person to the one I was at 18. I'd hate to be told that I'd never have the mentality to succeed based on how I was at 18.