Retained List (6 Viewers)

[chiefdave]

I don't really see what benefit we're actually seeing from that both from a player development perspective or from a business POV.

It doesn't even seem to get used for players returning from injury to get some minutes anymore.

Not sure what the solution is here. Play up to U18s and then go back to the old fashioned reserves?

 

---

[Balli001]

It can't be cheap to run an U21s side, would be interested to find out how much of an overhead it actually is for us.

When you include wages of players and staff, as well as the cost of food, drink, travel to games, treatment, equipment and any other extras that inevitably the average fan wouldn't even think to consider it can't be inexpensive.

I don't really see what benefit we're actually seeing from that both from a player development perspective or from a business POV.

Its rare but sometimes a player comes through who becomes a valuable asset, both playing and financially. We are still seeing some financial rewards from Maddison all these years later.

 

[shmmeee]

It’s rare but sometimes a player comes through who becomes a valuable asset, both playing and financially. We are still seeing some financial rewards from Maddison all these years later.

Did Madders ever play much in the U21s? He seemed to appear in the first team out of nowhere.

 

[KenilworthSkyBlue]

Its rare but sometimes a player comes through who becomes a valuable asset, both playing and financially. We are still seeing some financial rewards from Maddison all these years later.

Maddison more or less came straight from the academy though, this is a different conversation. He was 17 when he broke through and started playing games semi-regularly.

I'm more talking about allocating budget to the likes of Cashman, Jay McGarth, Tom Costello's etc. Individually they'll be low cost but collectively it's a pretty wasteful use of budget as we've reached the stage now where their ability to get first team minutes will be reduced to near enough nil.

If a player is good enough coming out of the academy they in theory should either get integrated into the first team or go out on loan. Why let them rot in the U21s playing against nobodies most of which either won't even be in football within the next 3-5 years or will be playing in the Capelli Sport MFL Premier Division.

I can't actually think of a player that genuinely has benefitted by spending a season or two solely in the U21s.

 

[KenilworthSkyBlue]

It doesn't even seem to get used for players returning from injury to get some minutes anymore.

Not sure what the solution is here. Play up to U18s and then go back to the old fashioned reserves?

I doubt it really does much to help in building match fitness up to be honest. The quality is appalling. I remember Biamou playing in a few and ended up bagging about 5 goals in 3 games. Remember Ponticelli? You would've thought he was the second coming of Ronaldo based on his U23 record. If you're coming back from injury you're surely far better off playing in training games against your fellow team mates rather than U21 players 95% of which genuinely won't play higher than NL South in their career.

It's not compulsory to have an U21 side so I really don't know why we just don't scrap it.

 

[Sky Blue Goblin]

 

[SBT]

He calls it a pasty

 

[larry_david]

I actually don't think they're gonna announce a retained list

 

[SBT]

Maybe the retained list was the friends we made along the way

 

[TomRad85]

We'll always have that Pompey goal. Good luck to him.

 

[Ccfcisparks]

How are Plymouth beating us to our own players?
king and Lampard what are they doing?

 

[skybluecam]

How are Plymouth beating us to our own players?
king and Lampard what are they doing?

Damn you beat me to it with this joke

 

[SkyBlueCharlie9]

He calls it a pasty

Actually its probably more like "He calls it a bap" !

 

[ceetee]

He's had the good sense to drop a level, to what ought to be a promotion chasing team, and we've helped him on his way by giving him training time and a little game time

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Maddison more or less came straight from the academy though, this is a different conversation. He was 17 when he broke through and started playing games semi-regularly.

I'm more talking about allocating budget to the likes of Cashman, Jay McGarth, Tom Costello's etc. Individually they'll be low cost but collectively it's a pretty wasteful use of budget as we've reached the stage now where their ability to get first team minutes will be reduced to near enough nil.

If a player is good enough coming out of the academy they in theory should either get integrated into the first team or go out on loan. Why let them rot in the U21s playing against nobodies most of which either won't even be in football within the next 3-5 years or will be playing in the Capelli Sport MFL Premier Division.

I can't actually think of a player that genuinely has benefitted by spending a season or two solely in the U21s.

I've no problem with those from the academy stepping up into a reserve team to develop but haven't seen the point in signing all these youngsters from other teams to play in the U21's that we clearly don't think are good enough.

I know they might argue they're a cheap option and maybe one will surprise us and come good but for me if we're signing someone of that age it should be with the expectation they will be capable of getting to first team level. Otherwise just play the older academy kids at that level and see how they get on.

Just have a reserve league for academy graduates with first team squad players currently out of favour or coming back from injury for them to learn off.

 

[robbiekeane]

couldn’t really have gone any better for him here with that goal, and he will never top it and not likely to get much game time so makes sense for him