Jalo

But he's not good enough yet. If he was, he'd be playing. The reason we're not playing him is not his age, it's what he offers to the team. Yesterday was a good case in point, he lost the ball every time he got it.

Hopefully he will become good enough, that's what everyone is hoping for, but right now he isn't. Not for a starting place anyway.

This is not, in any way, a dig at Jalo. There are very few players good enough at his age. Most players in the professional game improve considerably from being 18 to 21.

 

I keep reading how good he is & how he needs more minutes but I don’t think he looks anywhere near ready for men’s football yet.

I’m not doubting the lads ability, he must have it to have the kind of interest in him that he’s had from other clubs but I really don’t think he’s impressed at all in the first team up to now.

I hope I’m wrong but I’d be surprised if he’s a regular starter next season, I think it’ll he more cameos off the bench & cup games. I think Marsh has done better for the first team up to now & physically looks more ready for it.

 

I don't think he's anywhere near ready to be first choice. Probably best if he gets a season out on loan.

I'll stick my neck out here, probably take some criticism for this view, but if we were offered a few million by someone wanting to buy his 'potential' then I'd take it. Have a decent sell on clause.

 

Young players improve very quickly, particularly after they've had a taste of first team action and it clicks what is required. I've seen plenty of examples of young players getting a few games in one season and not looking all that, then coming back after the summer and looking excellent.

I agree he doesn't look ready yet, but these sub appearances will help him and I wouldn't be writing next season off yet.

 

I agree with that but I just think he looks way off it physically. I can see him getting lots of 20-30 minutes off the bench that will hopefully lead to him establishing himself as a first teamer.

 

Sums it up perfectly for me.

 

The coaching staff have already said he takes 15 minutes to get into a game, so we bring him in with 18 minutes to go.

 

If that’s the case, we should look to send him out on loan next season then. 10 minute cameo’s here and there aren’t going to aid his development.

 

Then the coaching staff need to sort that out. We can't be bringing players on who offer nothing for quarter of an hour and effectively reduce our team to ten men. This is an argument not to select him at all, not to bring him on earlier.

 

I like jalo, i like cole, to me should play together but over last couple of months we dont seem to play to their strengths

 

Might be worth a try.

 

Someone mentioned this earlier in the season.

If this is the case, then Jalo himself needs to sort that out. He needs to be ready as soon as he steps on the pitch.

Send him for a 15 minute jog around the carpark to get loose.

 

The whole team has ‘huffed and puffed’ all season. The obvious defensive mistakes, the slow build up, the insistence on working the ball wide, over playing and being generally one paced. Factor in the lack of impact from the subs bench and it’s neither exciting nor pleasing on the eye for the most part.

It’s hardly the environment to sparingly use a 18 year old and expect him to be an improvement on first choice players. He’s just not coming into a confident team and he’s scrapping with bigger lads rather than running into through balls. He needs service same as everyone else.

Frustrating thing for me is we are capable of a bit of quality and speed of thought, as demonstrated in the lay off and goal, but more times than not we just make it look hard work.

 

I remember when Ivan Toney looked clueless.

 

You can say what you want but he's looked twice the player that Sam Cosgrove does, ten times the player that max watters ever has and frankly much better than Cole has for the last 4 months.

Much like Marsh, if he was a a 24 year old who we'd brought in from somewhere else quite a few would be ok with the performances but because he's a young lad it's easy to slag him off and say he's not ready. Well when the **** will Watters be ready? Because he's ******* awful but the same people skating Jalo as not being ready were lauding Watters and Cosgrove as being the best things since sliced bread.

And while we're at it the same is true at the other end. Shepherd came from a small club so was ****** off because he's 'not ready' despite having some excellent performances. Meanwhile we bring in josh earl and because he's from a league club it doesnt matter how **** he's been.

Marsh and Jalo are much better and offer a lot more than Watters and Cosgrove and shepherd is currently much better than earl. Only difference is their age or where they came from makes them easy targets.

 

Whereas Ashley Fletcher looked destined for a career right at the very top.

 

Irrespective of their individual journeys to our first team, none of them - and you can chuck in McAtee and the two scots on loan as well - are playing with sufficient merit to rouse optimism.

 

Again he was 18 or 19 when he was on loan with us. I'm sure at times this season we could have had Harry kane up front and he would look useless the way we play.