Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Star..

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/foot...xcited-by-potential-of-george-smith-1-7268887

I could have swore our last manager introduced Bree, Holgate, Smith etc. And whilst I'm not suggesting LJ isn't a fan of young players etc, I find it a bit strange to read him say he was brought in because we wanted to get away from playing older players. Especially when LJ's first bit of business was to sign 32 year old Jabo Ibehre replacing 20 year old Danny signing, George Waring.

Ah well. Shows how boring it is this time of the year when I'm posting this nonsense.

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

Web page not available.

 

web page works just fine for me.

:smile:

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

Fellow youngsters Mason Holgate (22 apps) and James Bree (14 apps) have also been given the chance to develop under Johnson’s short reign thus far. And with the manager looking to go with a young squad next season, the future looks promising for some of the club’s Academy graduates.
“I’ve proven that I can develop younger players – and that’s the way I want to go next season,” admitted Johnson.
“The club have tried older players and that hasn’t worked, so it’s time for a new approach and that’s one of the reasons the club brought me in.
“It’s a case of getting the balance right of course. You can’t have a whole team of 18-year-olds, but you can definitely have a nice blend of youth and experience.”

 

Re: web page works just fine for me.

Ok for me now too. Can't see any issues with LJs comments in it.

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

Whilst puttin his twopenneth into their development it does sarnd as though he`s tekkin most of the credit away from the academy staff and previous manager.

Thats managers for yer.

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

I'm not reading it like that MrsHT. Which bit?

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

The whole.

 

Re: web page works just fine for me.

I've no issue with LJ or his comments. I do though take issue with the insinuation that he was brought in because he could work with younger players and develop them. Because that gives the impression that his predecessor couldn't. Yet for my money, it was Danny who introduced these youngsters and played them more than LJ has.

 

Re: web page works just fine for me.

My only issue is him talking up our players every chance he gets, which is only going to make other clubs take more notice of them. Last week sounded like he was putting Houriane in the shop window and this week it's the same for George Smith. I expect another new article to come out next week with him talking up another of our prospects.

 

I don't have a problem with that at all. In reality, every club manager is aware of available players at other clubs, if not from the extensive scouring networks then from the agents themselves. Young players are on bigger clubs' radar when they're still in the academy. I'm sure Moyes knew all about john Stones before he'd even played a first team match.

So the only consequences of LJ talking up our players can only be positive in my eyes. It gives the player a boost, shows that the manager is positive thinking and may encourage the player to improve further.

Who knows, if we publicise how much we rate our players when clubs are sniffing around we might be able to command a decent transfer fee? Something about being 'aware how good they are'......

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

So he should say that our players are **** when asked?

 

Re: web page works just fine for me.

Aye, I think you're perhaps right on that. Suppose time/results will tell.

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

Maybe when he refers to developing youth he's talking about himself

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

My only issue with any of that is to question why the **** he didn't play George Smith in the game against Sheff Utd, when we still had a chance of the play-offs, instead of Declan John? Smith is streets ahead of John in a defensive capacity and showed against Rochdale, with that brilliant run and cross for Winnall's goal, that he's every bit as good as an attacking threat too.

It may not have made any difference, we would probably still have lost, but we went in to the most important match of the season against a well organised, physical side with Declan John and Cameron Stewart in the side. Two players who couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag, that have no connection to the club and had been here just two minutes. On the bench was a young academy graduate who would run through a brick wall for the cause, and already a better player than two loan players in the side ahead of him.

It doesn't really matter I suppose, we weren't good enough for the play-offs, but neither were Chesterfield and Sheff Utd and both those clubs will have made plenty of money from the experience. It just fcuks me off a bit that the manager is now talking up a player who he dropped for someone who did nowt for us at all and we'll never see again.

As far as Johnson bigging himself up a bit goes, I don't blame him. There are few jobs less secure than that of football manager, so every chance he has to show how well he's doing he has to take. They all do it. I thought it was criminal that we sacked Wilson and although I like Johnson, I'm still far from convinced he's a better option. But Wilson's sacking was nothing to do with him and if he was told he was brought in to use young players, there's nothing wrong with repeating it. I don't think the rewriting of history is coming from him.

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

I think too much is being read into an extremely bland piece of reporting and any point scoring debate is unnecessary, especially as the article is from the Sheffield Star.
Standard tedious article reflecting the mundane close season period.

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

I agree, and as said in the OP it's the boredom of this time of year that leaves me posting nonsense.

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

I think the local press take the rehashing of old interviews to the extreme during the close season. It's my opinion that the Sheffield Star is soft, strong and thoroughly absorbent.
As for any new signings, I think it's possible the club will announce two or three incomings all at once. At a guess, that could well be at the start of June.

 

Re: Not sure about these LJ quotes in the Stir..

JOS, Williams and Balatoni, please.