Brandon Barker

[Neville Kneville]

Players are often nervous in their first few games up a level & don't perform. You are ignoring this fact.

Also he was playing next to Kolarov who was useless & refused to pass to him in the kind of positions he is used to recieving the ball from Angelino, so he basically had no idea where to go in order to get involved.

If he was given a few minutes here & there, he would skin some fullbacks in the Prem & be quiet v others, just like other great young prospects in the past when they have been promoted. It will probably be like that for a few seasons. But he could have been a fantastic impact player if we had the balls to use him.

Looking a bit jaded in the last 3rd of the season but it may be down to a bit of an injury.

 

[Yates]

Players are often nervous in their first few games up a level & don't perform. You are ignoring this fact.

Also he was playing next to Kolarov who was useless & refused to pass to him in the kind of positions he is used to recieving the ball from Angelino, so he basically had no idea where to go in order to get involved.

If he was given a few minutes here & there, he would skin some fullbacks in the Prem & be quiet v others, just like other great young prospects in the past when they have been promoted. It will probably be like that for a few seasons. But he could have been a fantastic impact player if we had the balls to use him.

Looking a bit jaded in the last 3rd of the season but it may be down to a bit of an injury.

Yes, I got a right earful for calling out Kolarov for his treatment of Barker in that friendly, making crappy passes and blaming Barker for his positioning and then totally ignoring, the poor lad didn't know whether to come or go.

 

[KCblue]

So what do we think is the best option for Brandon next season?

-Keep him as a reserve for the first team?
-Keep him in the EDS?
-Loan him out to the Championship?
-Loan him to a PL side?

 

[unlikelyfan19]

So what do we think is the best option for Brandon next season?

-Keep him as a reserve for the first team?
-Keep him in the EDS?
-Loan him out to the Championship?
-Loan him to a PL side?

He is on track to be a good player. But I would still possibly keep him in the EDS next year. Maybe a championship loan. But honestly, I would like to continue to see him in our EDS to keep getting better in the system.

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

So what do we think is the best option for Brandon next season?

-Keep him as a reserve for the first team?
-Keep him in the EDS?
-Loan him out to the Championship?
-Loan him to a PL side?

He is on track to be a good player. But I would still possibly keep him in the EDS next year. Maybe a championship loan. But honestly, I would like to continue to see him in our EDS to keep getting better in the system.

I think I would go for the EDS route but he must get tastes of the first team on the bench and maybe the odd cup game. I expect the pre season will be very interesting for Brandon.

I wonder would a good comparison for him be Januzaj over at the swamp. We were all told he was the worlds greatest ever teenager when he played a couple of games. He did look good and there is no doubt he is a talented player but where the hell has he gone!

Typically overhyped immediately by the media because he was at OT and it seems to me badly managed ever since then. Barker could well come into a first team game and have a fantastic sub appearance or game in a cup or something but it certainly wouldnt mean he is a world beater. Teams would work him out and his development would really start from there.

I would go for one more year at City with some first team exposure and it would depend on how that goes on whether he then gets a loan or becomes part of the first team squad at 19.

 

[Centurions]

I would agree with the 2 posts above, EDS with the occasional 1st team few minutes at least until January and see where he is then.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I don't like the idea of the best of these lads being split up. They have a really good understanding & Imo would have won everything if they had their strongest 11 available. I would like to see them come through together & one of them in turn, to be on the bench for most games, each occasionally getting a few minutes from time to time, to see the level they need to reach.

The sooner they get the early shock & nerves of playing for the first team out of the way, the sooner they can start working on becoming good enough to do a job in it.

If these lads get game time, one of two will setlle & be in the frame by the end of next season.

 

[Newman Noggs]

So what do we think is the best option for Brandon next season?

-Keep him as a reserve for the first team?
-Keep him in the EDS?
-Loan him out to the Championship?
-Loan him to a PL side?

He is on track to be a good player. But I would still possibly keep him in the EDS next year. Maybe a championship loan. But honestly, I would like to continue to see him in our EDS to keep getting better in the system.

I wonder would a good comparison for him be Januzaj over at the swamp.

Typically overhyped immediately by the media because he was at OT and it seems to me badly managed ever since then. Barker could well come into a first team game and have a fantastic sub appearance or game in a cup or something but it certainly wouldnt mean he is a world beater.

Good comparison except that I don't think the danger for a City youngster is being overhyped but the media looking to criticise at every opportunity and undermine him.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

I was out last night in ark ( deans gate_) and met barker and a few other of the youth team players, fair to say he was a bit drunk. Was a nice guy though

 

[twosips]

I was out last night in ark ( deans gate_) and met barker and a few other of the youth team players, fair to say he was a bit drunk. Was a nice guy though

Ha excellent. Think they deserved a few drinks to be honest. Good that he came across decent though.

In general I don't think we should expect anything more from him this season now. He's done loads for the various youth teams he's been involved in this season, and he's still really young. He looks knackered a little now and I think he needs a decent summer's rest to recuperate before kicking on next year, maybe with a loan move. If he could get games at somewhere like Celtic that'd be perfect.