It's Quiet - a new dawn

[domalino]

Harry Winks is now 21 and he didn't play any PL games last season at all, he's played 21 PL games this season but only started 2 averaging around 22 minutes for his games played. Admittedly he's been injured for a the last few.

Josh Onoma then. Just turned 20, played this season and last.

As for "averaging 22 minutes" ask Aleix Garcia if he'd like to average 22 minutes off the bench or just watch the whole 90 from the stands every week. Pochettino is testing them out, giving them chances to grow in confidence and learn. Yeah, he's only started 12 of his 33 games this season, but he's constantly involved, getting opportunities to show he belongs at that level, which is something our lot could only dream of.

 

[blueparrot]

Josh Onoma then. Just turned 20, played this season and last.

As for "averaging 22 minutes" ask Aleix Garcia if he'd like to average 22 minutes off the bench or just watch the whole 90 from the stands every week. Pochettino is testing them out, giving them chances to grow in confidence and learn. Yeah, he's only started 12 of his 33 games this season, but he's constantly involved, getting opportunities to show he belongs at that level, which is something our lot could only dream of.

Garcia is 19 how many minutes was Winks averaging at 19 ?

 

[Saddleworth2]

Josh Onoma then. Just turned 20, played this season and last.

As for "averaging 22 minutes" ask Aleix Garcia if he'd like to average 22 minutes off the bench or just watch the whole 90 from the stands every week. Pochettino is testing them out, giving them chances to grow in confidence and learn. Yeah, he's only started 12 of his 33 games this season, but he's constantly involved, getting opportunities to show he belongs at that level, which is something our lot could only dream of.

I do agree, when a game is won, blooding youngsters is a good idea. Not sure we have had many games this season where we would have had a comfortable last 20 minutes though!

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Or Tottenham. That's the team 8 points above us who've given over 80 appearances to players from their academy this season.

Not quite the model of the team above them though, who are about to win the PL for the 5th time in 12 years (2 out of 3, as well). Meanwhile, Spurs are about to win the square root of bugger all, yet again.

 

[domalino]

Not quite the model of the team above them though, who are about to win the PL for the 5th time in 12 years (2 out of 3, as well). Meanwhile, Spurs are about to win the square root of bugger all, yet again.

So your argument is we shouldn't give our kids a chance like Spurs because if we do might might only finish second instead of scrapping for 4th.

Let's face it, all it shows is that smartly using kids doesn't make a difference as you can both fail and succeed without it, and the snide remark about being more like MK Dons was..well snide and bullshit.

 

[Glauber Berti]

I mean, I'm not sure how offering Navas a one year contract closes off any future with City to 19 year old Pablo Maffeo, but ok.

How on earth is that the case? Giving Navas a one year deal as a back up whilst Maffeo plays a year in La Liga, I fail to see the problem with a 21 year old Maffeo coming back with a year of top-class first team football under his belt, if Navas wasn't retained we'd need to purchase a back-up which would eventually curtail Maffeo's development when he comes back. Surely sending him out for a year and then having a ready made spot for him the year after isn't exactly telling him he has no future is it.

 

[domalino]

I do agree, when a game is won, blooding youngsters is a good idea. Not sure we have had many games this season where we would have had a comfortable last 20 minutes though!

We've had plenty of those games.

 

[Akiva]

Here's what we actually know:

Maffeo impressed in pre-season and came into the squad.

Remarkable, given that doesn't fit the narrative you're trying to convey.

Both RB's were injured and Maffeo didn't get a chance.

Sagna was injured in October, Zaba however wasn't and played in both our games that month (international break)

In fact, Zaba wasn't injured at all while Maffeo was not on loan.

Bother RB's were bad, seriously bad, and Maffeo didn't get a chance.

He got three chances, actually.

He played 90 minutes against Bucharest, 90 minutes against the rags and 63 against Celtic.

Maffeo left in January after playing well in the only 3 games he was given a chance in.

So he was given chances.

Strange you seem to believe sending a 19 year old, that you've just given his first senior appearance, constitutes an attempt to alienate them.

I'd imagine Pep would rather develop and keep/use talent, but hey.

Pep said he just needed more experience in front of proper crowds, so he went and got it.

You keep quoting this and I wouldn't mind watching the source to hear exactly what Pep said.

Pep has offered 31 year old Navas a position as back up RB before Maffeo has even returned.

That's the rumour.

That's what we actually know and absolutely everything that's happened to date points towards the club passing over another promising youngster who will inevitably leave unhappy and discontented because when he was ready to make the step up, he wasn't given an opportunity.

Nothing that the club or Pep has done or said to date actually suggests he'll come in as back up RB and Navas will spend a season doing fuck all while Maffeo plays 20 games as back up right back, in fact it all suggests the opposite.

Anyway this is the transfer forum and we'll probably get bollocked for going off topic soon so perhaps lets just leave it at agree to disagree. You can carry on blindly hoping something very unlikely will happen, and I'll cynically assume the club will continue true to form.

Call a spade a spade mate, it isn't "the club", it's Pep who calls the shots.

Your cynicism isn't unfounded but if you think Pep wants to fuck off Maffeo, and it's now or never for a 19 year old fullback, then you're barking up the wrong tree.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Completely 100% agree and it gets more frustrating every year.

I'd like to see the academy prospects (and for me Maffeo has been ready for well over a year) brought in to push the established veterans through bringing some fresh hunger, fight and a desire to make names for themselves. It stops the older guys getting complacent and stagnating.

But nope, we'll probably just extend the contract of someone who has been borderline useless for the last three years in his preferred position. Sends a great message.

And then to make it worse to justify the contract the old player will be a shoe-in for the bench as he's on too much money not to be. This isn't just Pep, been happening for years and still shows no sign of stopping just look at the bench on Saturday.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

So your argument is we shouldn't give our kids a chance like Spurs because if we do might might only finish second instead of scrapping for 4th.

Let's face it, all it shows is that smartly using kids doesn't make a difference as you can both fail and succeed without it, and the snide remark about being more like MK Dons was..well snide and bullshit.

You claiming I made a snide remark about being more like MK Dons is... well bullshit