I don't think we need concern ourselves with what teams like Swindon are up to. I think they will fall away this season anyway along with surprise packages like Rochdale and Chesterfield. I'm more interested in our lads - the rest don't really matter
At the meeting in the No.7 PC specifically mentioned how impressed he was with what Swindon are doing and said that it's a model we are looking to replicate. Many more teams are going to have to do the same. First steps towards lower league feeder clubs really.
I agree Gordon, it looks inevitable as the talent is hoovered up by the Premiere League and PL2/Championship, sad really as little opportunity to develop a team and progress, but money talks.
The problem that I have with the strategy of bringing in youth players from premiership teams is that is appears to be in direct opposition to the club's stated strategy, bringing through young players developed in our own academy. All the successful teams that I remember from our past built upon a cadre of seasoned professionals and added only a few players each year, be that from outside or from the academy, strengthening the few positions that needed strengthening and building upon the core. By using your 5 loans up on Premier youths, you bring in quality, but you have to accept that you may be looking to replace 5 players in January and you will definitely be looking for 5 players in June. If you add this strategy to the stated strategy of bringing through young players from the academy, you end up with a squad that does not have enough experience and which does not know what to do when a match turns against them. The problem at Oakwell is that we seem anxious to copy any perceived success at any other club, but we are trying to replicate a success whilst at the same time keeping elements of other strategies that appeal. What we need are football men at the top who can think through what we have that is successful and build a strategy of their own that fits on top of that, not replicate ideas that appear to work for other clubs in different situations.
That's why PC went for Cooper first I imagine.. also regarding feeder club. Until we get back to the Championship, and stay there. Then that's just the way it will be.
