Young Barnsley Players and Barnsley policy

This comment is not meant to knock our young players or Coach
Listening to comment by Roy Keane, Souness, and Mourhino on the preview of Man Utd .
Thinking top four this year would be a fantastic achievement
The subject then arose of whether they can afford to play young players, or go for older much experienced players. They agreed that young players need to be brought in to develop but it is the experienced players that are needed to win
Now to us, We play a team of under 24 and expect them to compete with championship clubs with ex premiership players and good older experienced pro,s
Then we the fans have to suffer a roller coaster of emotions. Some die hard reds fans it is their life and really affects them when we are not doing well
The number of top teams this year that have fielded their youngsters and lost to lower teams is numerous.
So how do we expect to be serious contenders. We are fighting with confidence but it does not win matches
I honestly have never liked the policy and it certainly is not in the interest of the fans.
In the end the Reds will return back to a different policy and our present coach and owners will have moved on leaving the fans to pick up the pieces
I really hope the young team can prove me wrong but to survive this year is a big ask

 

It's an appealing strategy that we're still using and last season we enjoyed an amazing season.
But at this level it's my opinion (I can't be certain) that two or three players in their late 20's with 200+ games under them would have been useful even if only on short term deals or loans even.
I think this is an exciting group of players and still expect us to fight for survival this season. But it's an extreme strategy that can blow up in your face.

 

Our owners are folliwing a plan, at least we have a sustainable plan. If we manage to stay up then the plan and these players will go from strength to strength. If we go down start again sell to balance the books ( mowatt, cam, Thiam, dougal, cavare, woodrow, diaby) and replace with new young players and back in league 1 Collins, Halme, Anderson, Brown, Sibbick, Odour, J and B Williams Thomas Bahre Wilkes will be quality and send us back up.

 

My feeling about the squad at the moment and I admit I'm no expert, is that it's not bad but could be better. Perhaps there are 2 players coming in in January who will make a big difference, I honestly don't know.
Based on what we at the moment, this is my strongest 11 plus bench. Providing everyone is fit and in form.
Collins
Cavare
Halme
Anderson
B. Williams

Sibbick
Mowatt
McGeeghan

Brown
Thomas
Woodrow.
4-3-3, 3-5-2, 4-1-4-1.
Subs
Radlinger
J. Williams
Pinillos
Diaby
Dougall
Bahre
Chaplin
Obviously not scientific, but if everyone was fit and in form, they could implement the manager's plan. Wilkes needs to become a team player.

 

A championship quality left back, centre mid and a striker is the absolute minimum needed in January. The fact we didnt strengthen those positions is absolute incompetence, whether thats the board or the management team im not sure.

 

If we manage to stay up or not, the policy will sell these top players as and when their contract dictates.
,We then buy another load of youngsters and away we go.
It is like climbing a ladder, as we get near the top our legs are taken away and back to bottom
If you want quality you have to pay and it is what all teams do, we are trying a policy which does not guarantee quality and hence without Stendel putting all his work into them it has a ceiling. Whereby we have a level that this policy will dictate, and whether that includes the championship we will see.
I hope the boss and these young players come good enough to stay in this league, but wouldn't it be nice to have a couple of class players to put the ball in the net

 

Don`t get this 'we will come straight back up' confidence being shown because we have done it once in recent years.