Papahet

Current side vs 2013 era would be a great testimonial 

Another rebuild.

Wouldn't be against getting Hourihane off the wage bill and go for Cameron Branningan.

Better wide players, more attacking options, younger defence to partner Cashin...

Keep Wildsmith, Cashin, Forsyth, Mcgoldrick..

The rest I wouldn't be arsed about leaving.

Lee Bonis - from Nixon, 200k region.

Idiakez wasn't bad..

Warne stated we look knackered, yet continues to leave Davies, Sibley, Dobbin, Bird and White on the bench rather than allow resting some individuals?

Throughout January he stated he's happy with what we had; even felt the need to allow Thompson to go out on loan, Cybulaki another who surely would be something different upfront rather than no centre forward option out on another loan.

Why isn't Robinson around the squad? Brown? Where the heck is Stearman?!

Why are we bringing on defensive players with half hour to play? Mental and just shows his tactical intent.

Genuinely haven't seen anything from Harvey White either to be ahead of Sibbo

11 hours ago, Kathcairns said:

Have you been to Stokes ground where the corner isnt filled in, its horrible.

Have you been to Villa Park and seen the Holt End and obvioisoy Anfield?  Both look fantastic behind the goal.

No bowl required 

We shouldn't have filled in the South East corner, I absolutely hate bowl stadiums with a passion and it's a carbon copy of The Riverside.

This and made SS bigger..

All 3 are vastly overrated tbh

The last minute goal at Port Vale I genuinely believed we'd push towards the top two and Warne had played a masterstroke in the Dobbin and Springett changes.

We just don't seem to to be able to get to that level again, despite a fully fit squad. Confidence? Tiredness? Or just bad luck with decisions? Probably all three.

IMO Springett and White aren't better than what we had already here, simply here to make up the numbers it seems.

January for me was the turning point and I believe (IMO) if we had someone like Mcclaren he'd have pulled out a top loanee from one of his many contacts.

Flint would've been a top signing had he not gone to Wednesday.

The summer is massive, I seem to be saying this year after year mind.

Unbelievable player at City in the 90s, he's worshipped there.

Like Ravanellli, arrived here past his best and happy to sit on 30k a week (his wageslip leaked years back), picking up injuries left and right.

Pretty sure he threw his toys out the pram on numerous occasions too if I remember.

2 minutes ago, ExiledinDerby said:

So bin the academy and forget about ever bringing a player through so we have to rely on buying players always… 

Forest only received this Cat1 status in 2021 I think (?) The training facilities are known for being majorly run down and neglected. Not much money being pumped in until lately.

Yet they've produced no end of talent over the years; Bamford, Darlow, Burke, Johnson, Brereton, Worrell, Osborn (released by DCFC?), Yates, Walker, Grant, Lascelles to name afew.

It's a totally irrelevant argument, if you are good enough you'll make it regardless

6 minutes ago, ExiledinDerby said:

If you bring in a gem and your not Cat 1 you are entitled to 

£3000 per year u9-u11

£9,000 per year u12 - u16

Cat 1

£3000 per year u9 - u11

£42,000 per year u12 - u16

when Bird Sibley Hughes and Hendrick came through even though it wasn’t officially a Cat 1 it had the best facilities and coaches in the East Midlands at the time so it’s easier to recruit and retain the best talent

But we've never gained promotion throughout this time? 

I don't want the best training facilities and what not, it doesn't take that to go up. Ask Brentford, ask Burnley, ask Watford, Bournemouth, Brighton ETC.

3 minutes ago, ExiledinDerby said:

The academy has to have a budget of £2 million per year to retain Cat 1 status. If you are a lower category the value of your players decreases so if you think the money we received recently is bad try Cat 2 where the a player is worth less than half that of a Cat 1 player who has been at the club from u8 - u16 under EPPP.

It has been Cat 1 since 2014 I think so I assume costs of about £18 million pound.

Hendrick £8 million

Hughes £5 million

Gordon £3 million

Lowe, Whittaker, Bogle, Kellyman, Delap, Man Utd Kids, Buchanan, Ryan, Ebosele, Ebowei…

Its actually made more money than it’s cost….

That return on numbers of players alone including Bird, Sibley, Knight would suggest without it 

Current players creating interest and with potential Robinson, Richards, Hawkins, Brown, Wheeldon, Evans, Thompson… to name a few.

For what my opinion is worth (not much I know 😀) I’d say it’s been a good investment.. 

Hughes and Hendrick were already at the club before we got the status though...?

Both already in the first team before 2014.

18 minutes ago, Crewton said:

And you now have to have a Cat 3 academy or higher in the PL from 2024/2025, so we'd have to have one anyway if we have those ambitions.

Until we get anywhere near promotion to the PL, I wouldn't be overly arsed tbh..

12 pitches and a sandpit will cover us for awhile anyway.

50 minutes ago, Bald Eagle's Barmy Army said:

You don’t just pick and choose when you want to be CAT1. 
 

A lot of work goes into keeping that status and for the club, it’s imperative we keep it. 
 

Look back at last season, a lot of the games the starting 11 were 50%+ of academy players. 
 

The academy will be more fruitful if we ever make it back to the Premier League but that has to be the aim. 

 How many of those clubs who have reached the Prem in the last decade relied on the academy? 

Even without that catorgy one status, I believe we'd have brought in a gem of two from the youth ranks.

Hughes and Hendrick were here before we received the cat1 status, ditto Bird and Sibley..

1 hour ago, Crewton said:

Clowes is committed to keeping the Academy and CAT.1 status, so I'm afraid all of your objections are just 'waffle'.

You can't simply divert Academy funding to the first team due to FFP anyway.

What use is catorgy one status to us in league one though? Genuine question and maybe a stupid one.

But funding it in an effort to keep the status and then seeing players leave for peanuts who do ultimately make the first team..? I don't get it.

Only Hendrick left for a respectable figure in recent years, the rest we've been absolutely fleeced for and this has been a trend for aslong as I can remember.

We've then replaced said players with utter s****. So have little to no confidence on that factor.

23 minutes ago, Baffled said:

Ah, I see. Given that you are comparing  Calero, Guy, Thomas, Ball, Simmons, Brown, Stretton, Vernam, Zanzala, Wilson ETC with our current u21s, presumably the players you have quoted were were also rushed into the U23s, hence their subsequent failure. 

Thank goodness the same didn't apply the likes of Bird (First Team Debut at 16), Knight (FTD 18), Sibley (FTD 17), Whittaker (FTD 18), Bogle (FTD 18), Lowe (FTD 19), Ebosele (FTD 18), Thomson (FTD 19) Cashin (FTD 20) who must all have had a much gentler entry into u23 football..............

Thompson is now in the National league, pretty much shows how much he's rated doesn't it? With a waffle thin squad to be loaned out this part of the season...

Ebsoele? How many minutes of football has he played since leaving us?  Curious to know this.

Knight, Sibley, Bird, Cashin - read my previous post.

Whittaker? Genuinely didn't know any fan who rated him throughout his time here.

17 minutes ago, Ghost of Clough said:

To keep it in simple terms for you...

It will take 2 years for the U21s to stabilise. In the meantime, the younger age groups will perform as well as they ever have.

Or we could have gone your way by giving up on the academy until we're back in the Championship and it'll take 10 years to get back to a fully working academy.

10 years...?  slightly exaggerated there 😂

I'd rather put all our focus (and money) on reaching the Championship and beyond, than finding the next Will Hughes - Who we'll only sell for a million.

We got "lucky" with Bird, Knight, Cashin, Ebosele...Hendrick and Hughes earlier on.

Just like United got lucky with the "Class Of 92" -  if it was that easy to produce talent why haven't they done so since?

I'm not saying bin it, but I genuinely think more money than sense has been put into it, especially Moor Farm with the fancy facilities, sandpits and 12 pitches...

Absolute waste for a club outside the Prem.

55 minutes ago, Baffled said:

Could you also find any about Bogle, Lowe, Bird, Knight, Sibley, Ebsoele, Cashin, Whittaker, Thomson ETC🙂

Most of those have/had been with the club since a child and picked up from the local area , but more importantly not rushed into the u23s which would've hampered any development.

Totally different to this current crop.

Square pegs round holes, springs to mind when I see the match day squads.

11 minutes ago, ExiledinDerby said:

At Derby County or a higher level. Evans, Hawkins and Davidson.

 

Pretty sure I can find posts with people saying  the identical about Calero, Guy, Thomas, Ball, Simmons, Brown, Stretton, Verham, Zanzala, Wilson ETC 🙂

A striker is a must in the Summer, cross after cross into the box and no sod is ever there.

4 hours ago, ExiledinDerby said:

2/3 of those players yesterday will play first team football. I’ll bet you £500 on that. Screenshot away… I’ll even name them if you want. 

 

First team football where and at what level? Here, Man City, Belper Town..?

5 hours ago, Bald Eagle's Barmy Army said:

Or, it's classed as good experience and shows players not everything is easy. This sort of environment can actually assist in development. 

 How is losing 4, 5 nill each game a good experience? Seriously, nobody is benefitting from this season.

5 hours ago, tinman said:

That would have been the absolute worst thing to do. 
no league = no academy status = losing the best young talent to other academies for nothing. 
great thinking from you there. 

You mean like Delap, Gordon, Ebosele, Ebiowei and so forth? When we was throwing millions at Cat 1 status it to sell this crop for absolutely zilch..

We should've pulled the plug on the season with the so few options we have.

It will take years to build it back up - What good is getting battled each week for confidence for these kids? None of these players will make the first team (you can screenshot this) and it's just damaging the reputations of Wassall and Lyons after all the hard work previously.

34 minutes ago, David Graham Brown said:

Rule two, always start with your best team.

We've overplayed our better players (Mcgoldrick, Mendez laing, Knight, Cashin..).

This has resulted in them either getting injury or losing form - Mendez Laing was on fire early season.

It's the fact Collins, White, Springett etc are not taking the chance when given minutes and we've resorted to overplaying a tired Mcgoldrick we struggle