Clough's cunning youth plan

[Stive Pesley]

Let’s be honest the club have two choices in this injury crisis

1. Get in loan signings and lose money (because they’re not budgeted for)
   
2. Play the Acadamey kids
   

There are loads of positives to playing the kids and only one potential positive to option 1 (that we *might* win some games)

You’ll never hear Nigel blaming the 15 year olds for us not getting results, but the club know that the fans won’t either.

Experience in the loan market has shown us that option 1 does not guarantee anything except a higher wage bill, so either option is a gamble

[davenportram]

Weren't people asking why we didn't give the kids a go last season, instead if bringing in loans or playing Pearson?

[curb]

When my young 'un was having keyboard lessons at Yamaha they used to put on a concert every year at the Assembly Rooms, if the parents and family wanted to go they had to buy a ticket which were quite expensive.

Invariably the place was sold out because everyone who went for lessons there were in the concert whether they were any good or not and their Parents, Grandparents, Siblings and Schoolmates wanted to go and see them play.

My guess is that this is Tom's latest ploy for filling the ground.

[NothernRam]

I have no problem with giving youngsters a go but five kids on the pitch at the same time it's too much.

When we are away from home. Score 2-2 and we are under pressue.

[48 hours]

It's great to see players coming thru from the Academy (IMO).

I know that NC is a big fan of Crewe/DarioG (not me!), and their Academy set-up.

For info Crewe have been playing with 9 of their 10 outfield players being ex-Academy ...

... oh, and the 10th player is ex non-league :-)

BTW - Man U/Man C/Everton/Liverpool/Stoke are all within 30 miles of Crewe, but young players go there because they know they stand a much better chance of playing 1st team football.

[Gary Teale]

Its alright playing young players if they are good enough, currently O,Brien and Hendrick look like they could be but on the little eveidence so far Bennett and Ball arent or havent made an impact. Gregory just kpet playing the youngsters when most were good enough but Burley had a mixture, a few young lads and a few older heads.

I just think we have show lack of ambition, we had a good start, got a few injuires and have played people who arent good enough and have dropped backwards when we could have really consolidated in the top 6.

[Asanovic]

We're riddled with injuries, but have enough to quality to stay up, so why not give them a go? It's a different situation to last year, where we had to bring loans in to survive. We can afford to bring the younger players on (perhaps not at 2-2 with a quarter of the match left, but still) and give them a go.

I like the way he's paired the younger players with experienced mentors - Hendrick & Bryson, and O'Brien & Shackell. During a match, particularly with O'B and Shackell, you can see the learning curve that's taking place, which is good to see. If O'Brien 'makes it', I dare say he'll attribute alot of his success to Shack.

I agree with what you say, Boycie - I'd never really looked at it that way.

But I think the biggest reason for playing the youngsters so much now, is that at the end of his three year deal, we could have a team capable of success that is built on our youth academy. By then, Hughes, Ball, Hendrick, O'Brien, Bennett and perhaps Connolly could be in the first team. How great would that be?

And, as Fergie will tell you, that's how dynasties are built.