Is it time to try some of our youngsters?

[RafaShanks]

Shirley they can't do any worse.

[Earl Hafler]

I'd like to see Insua used at left back.

I'd like to see Babel used upfront

I think Torres benefits from his pace and movement - it helps confuse and occupy defenders, giving Torres more time and less work.

[chrisbonnie]

I'd like to see Insua used at left back.

I'd like to see Babel used upfront

I think Torres benefits from his pace and movement - it helps confuse and occupy defenders, giving Torres more time and less work.

 

Insua definetly, Riise is too poor to be true

 

even Putterill against Luton wouldnt be bad, something needs to be done, and done asap

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

The current unsteady climate is the best time to blood new talent and crush young dreams. Let's do it.

[Earl Hafler]

The current unsteady climate is the best time to blood new talent and crush young dreams. Let's do it.

 

Nice.

[MFletcher]

I'd like to see Insua used at left back.

I'd like to see Babel used upfront

I think Torres benefits from his pace and movement - it helps confuse and occupy defenders, giving Torres more time and less work.

 

Due to a general lack of options for the position at the minute, I'd like to see Insua at left back,

 

Babel starting up front is a tricky one. He hasn't played the position consistently yet. The only time he has, I believe, was at the U21 Tournament which he played in for Holland. Given the general gashness of Voronin and Kuyt's continued lack of confidence, it's certainly worth looking at.

 

So yea, I pretty much agree.

[Captain Chaos]

No - it'd only ruin their confidence too - we need to get to the nub of the problem first before we start throwing more players on the pitch!

[MFletcher]

The current unsteady climate is the best time to blood new talent and crush young dreams. Let's do it.

 

To be fair though mate, Riise has just been so poor in recent months that we need to look at an alternative. That player may not be Insua, but in the absence of a first team squad replacement at the present time, the reserves is the next place to look.

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

To be fair though mate, Riise has just been so poor in recent months that we need to look at an alternative. That player may not be Insua, but in the absence of a first team squad replacement at the present time, the reserves is the next place to look.

 

We have Arbeloa and Aurelio, members of our 1st team squad, ready to step in.

 

Insua will have a say but there will be better oppurtunities to promote promising youth.

[MFletcher]

We have Arbeloa and Aurelio, members of our 1st team squad, ready to step in.

 

Insua will have a say but there will be better oppurtunities to promote promising youth.

 

Aurelio is injured at the present time. Arbeloa was dire at left back today and rightly hauled off.

 

I'm not suggesting that we throw him in the deep end and see how he does. But I would certainly have a look at him if I was considering putting Riise back into the team. His form dictates he be sold, let alone left on the bench.

[kop205]

Gerrard, Fowler, Owen - all examples of young players in recent years who were hardly blooded at the 'ideal' time in many ways and were put into struggling teams.

 

It was just as much sink or swim for them. They swam, not just because of their quality but because of their mental toughness and that is something that anyone needs if they are going to be a top player.

 

In theory I have no problem with chucking one or two youngsters into this side as there a number of regular squad members doing very little to merit inclusion.

 

In practice, it doesn't seem to me that there are any of the kids knocking on the door as loudly as the three I started off by mentioning did when they first broke through. The 'brightest' prosepcts seem to be very young and very raw indeed still.

 

Maybe in 6 months or so some of them will be ready - a lot of people seem to talk highly about quite a few of the youngsters at the club so I am fairly hopeful.

 

If now isn't the 'right time' though that says more about the current level of development of the players concerned than it does about the depth of any 'crisis' that we may or may not be in.

[Magic8Ball]

We need to sell players like:

Crouch, Kuyt, Voronin. Momo and maybe Pennant and Leto [ we can also sell Carson] - should be 32-40m

 

We should should use the money to purchase top quality talent, it's time for a smaller squad made up of better quality players

if Rafa needs to have more options the youngsters should be used

[alias75]

I think it couldn't hurt at the moment and a few youngsters playing with no fear is what we need, especially up front i dont think someone like Nesmeth coming on as a sub could do much worse.

[usualsuspect]

Due to a general lack of options for the position at the minute, I'd like to see Insua at left back,

 

Babel starting up front is a tricky one. He hasn't played the position consistently yet. The only time he has, I believe, was at the U21 Tournament which he played in for Holland. Given the general gashness of Voronin and Kuyt's continued lack of confidence, it's certainly worth looking at.

 

So yea, I pretty much agree.

u thrown in the towel too huh

[MFletcher]

u thrown in the towel too huh

 

I know certain players aren't good enough. But Rafa can only use what he has in the squad and will do so until he has the chance to sell the player. Bellamy after the golfclub incident is an example. Many managers would have ostracised him from the first team squad and made him train with the youth team until the next transfer window. But Rafa dealt with the situation and continued using him until he had the chance to sell him discreetly.

 

He'll do that with the likes of Riise. When the opportunity arises to buy a better player, he'll sell him on. It's not like he hasn't tried. We've been after plenty of left backs in recent months.

 

Until then, Riise's form and decision making has got so bad that we're almost handicapped by him. Whenever he gets the ball, you expect him to lose it and that's a very bad situation to be in. As a consequence, we need to look at an alternative because Riise's continued presence in the team is undesirable.

 

That's only my view though. Insua might not benefit from being put into a situation where the team have generally performed poorly. Rafa will know how to handle the situation, so I'm not going to get out the pitchfork and burning torches should I see Riise's name on the teamsheet again in the future.

[Earl Hafler]

But Rafa can only use what he has in the squad

 

I don't think he's using the squad to the best of it's ability

[Maldini]

Insua, Spearing and Nemeth are closest to breaking through IMO.

[MFletcher]

Insua, Spearing and Nemeth are closest to breaking through IMO.

 

I don't think Spearing is going to make the breakthrough here.

 

I do think the other two will play a few games in the first team either this season or next.

[MFletcher]

Double post.

Edited January 12, 2008 by MFletcher

[Maldini]

Due to a general lack of options for the position at the minute, I'd like to see Insua at left back,

 

Babel starting up front is a tricky one. He hasn't played the position consistently yet. The only time he has, I believe, was at the U21 Tournament which he played in for Holland. Given the general gashness of Voronin and Kuyt's continued lack of confidence, it's certainly worth looking at.

 

So yea, I pretty much agree.

 

He played all his football at youth level up front, he's far more used to playing up front than out wide. It was only when he got into the Ajax first team that he played wide, and that was more or less their way to get him into the team.

 

I think he'll ultimately play up front and the more I see him out wide the more I worry that we'll ruin him. He's an explosive player and he can create magic, but he gives the ball away a lot. When you play out wide you need to be a bit more disciplined and take less risks. When you play up front you can risk away and it's seen as a part of the game. If there's one major frustration I have this season it's Babel, it's not a reflection on the lad, I just think he was in one way the wrong signing, we needed a winger and then that we're wasting him by playing him out wide. He and Torres could be a great partnership IMO.

[Magic8Ball]

Insua, Spearing and Nemeth are closest to breaking through IMO.

is Nemeth a link striker or an out and out goal scorer ? [not too family with the youth team, and what about Anderson?]

[Maldini]

I don't think Spearing is going to make the breakthrough here.

 

I do think the other two will play a few games in the first team either this season or next.

 

Spearing has been the best player in the reserves by a mile this season, in his first ever season playing in midfield. The lad has it, whatever the f*** it is. He might not be a Gerrard, but he'll be a good player.

[Maldini]

is Nemeth a link striker or an out and out goal scorer ? [not too family with the youth team, and what about Anderson?]

 

Goalscorer mainly, but he seems to link play up well. Hard to tell really, it's still so early for him, you can already tell he's a bit special though.

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

If there's one major frustration I have this season it's Babel, it's not a reflection on the lad, I just think he was in one way the wrong signing, we needed a winger and then that we're wasting him by playing him out wide.

 

Couldn't agree more with that, we're still in desperate need of a new winger.

[alias75]

Nemeth is more of a poacher right place right time type striker.

 

As for Babel i agree he'll end up as a forward but at the moment we dont have any decent wide left players, Kewell looks shot at the highest level and Riise is Riise. We have 3 strikers we can sell and bring in maybe 15-20 million. That money should be used to sign a top quality left winger, personally id like Quaresma i know he dives and has an attitude but you only have to watch Ronaldo to see the difference this type of player can make he creates and scores goals something we just dont get from our wide players at the moment.

 

Use Babel as a striker so thats 1 less striker we need to sign.

 

But Babel isnt the answer to our problems out wide, Gerrard is the only player we currently have thats good enough as a wide player (and thats where he should be played).