And what about our academy 'stars'???

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2847150/Manchester-City-chase-Feyenoord-defender-Terence-Kongolo-Manuel-Pellegrini-searches-new-young-centre-back.html

Denayer, Rekik, Angelino etc etc...when will they have a chance?

Are any of those guys left sided centre backs?  I'll be honest, I don't actually know.  But I have to ask, why?  What's up with Mangala, is he not young enough?

I have to ask, what was the point of using the "holistic approach" excuse when we sacked Bobby?  Our squad's average age is higher now than it was under him and we've broken through precisely nobody from the Academy into the first team under Pellegrini.  At least Mancini gave Boyata a chance.  It just makes me wonder why the top brass felt it necessary to lie to us about the change in appointment.

Denayer is generally a right CB, but Rekik can play left CB and LB and Angelino is an attacking LB.

I'd really like to see the likes of Barker given some game time on the left wing. He's and England International and is now scoring goals for the EDS as well....very tricky and direct player and works well with Angelino.

It's odd. I can only see a massive clear out come the summer whether MP stays or not:

Kolorov
Clichy
DeM
TLF
Dzeko
Jovetic
Sinclair
Boyata

All for the chop IMO.

Yeah, I'm thinking much the same.  But we need to start back-filling these spaces with Academy lads at some point, or there's no point to their existence.

It's all very frustrating. We all want some youngsters to come through but we aren't seeing them. Dennis Suarez went off to Barca because he felt he had more chance of breaking through there than with us!

Seriously how many of those players would be up for he chop especially since they signed new contracts recently. Contracts that they wouldn't get anywhere else.

Loathe him or loathe him, Glen Johnson is Liverpool's number 1 RB. They're offering him a new contract on half his money. That's the way it should be.

Dzeko's just signed a new long-tern contract hasn't he?

Can't see both LBs (maybe 1) or Demi going either.

Signing a contract means nothing.  If someone wants them badly enough, they'll pay up.  We just didn't want a load of players doing a Bosman at the end of this season and leave us up shit creek.

Exactly.

When you look at the guys on loan:

Huws - Welsh International
Rekik - raves reviews in Holland
Lopes - rave reviews in France
Denayer - rave reviews in Scotland and scored goals
Huwala - doing well on loan
Facey - called by Viera as one of the best at the Academy (RB)
Bytiqi - very exciting player in the mould of Silva/Nasri
Fofana - attacking CMF who scores screamers
Rusnak - on loan at SC Cambuur in Holland and is really, really exciting in attack
Then we have:
Ambrose and Cole - both scoring goals when they play up front.

With the U18's to supplement this lot and have only been beaten once all season (I think), the EDS unbeaten in the Youth CL Group....why haven't they been promoted a la Pozo and Lopes?

In the 18's we have Tosin Adarabioyo. He must be 6'5 and looks like a Viera, but at CB.

Strange....very strange when so many of the first team sqaud have been so poor.

Er, so who's gonna want any of those players badly enough to offer them similar contracts?

Today at mcfc website as an example:

John Guidetti continues to dominate the headlines and have writers frantically searching the thesaurus for more superlatives after another match-winning performance for Celtic.

The Swedish striker has now reached 10 goals in 11 appearances for the Hoops, and his latest strike proved crucial in seeing off Dundee 2-1 to retain Celtic’s place at the top of the SPL.

After Stokes had put the Scottish Champions ahead, Guidetti grabbed the all-important second, stroking home the ball from the vicinity of the penalty spot from a Matthews cross.

A first call-up to the senior Sweden side in more than two years has been the 22-year-old’s reward for a sensational season to date, and James Milner has revealed that the City first team are keeping an eye on his exploits.

Milner is quoted in the Daily Record as saying: “We’ve told him to calm his celebrations down! But he’s a great character, he’s scoring a lot of goals and I’m sure he’ll get plenty more.

“I’ve spoken to John a few times since he came up to Celtic and the boys have been watching to see how he’s getting on.


...Milner on Guidetti...

“It’s fantastic for John and Jason to play in front of big crowds at Celtic Park. It’s massive for their development.

“They’re getting games and building up experience.

“It’s great to be at a club as big as Celtic and it will make the step easier when they get back here.”

Unfortunately, teammate Jason Denayer limped off at half time and is now a doubt for Celtic’s Europa League clash on Thursday night with FC Salzburg.

However, the centre back is another flourishing north of the border, and he’s clearly impressed EDS boss Patrick Vieira.

"We have to give them the right development, and that means sending them on loan,” Vieira said.

"When I watch Jason playing for Celtic, or Marcos Lopes playing at Lille, it makes us really proud.

"The way they are performing lets me know we are doing things the right way.

"The object is to provide players for the first team, but we know the gap is massive from Under-21 to the first team - but this is one way we can get them there."

Elsewhere in Scotland, Adam Drury started and played the first 72 minutes of St Mirren’s 3-0 defeat to Hamilton Academical.

The Buddies now lie second from bottom in the Scottish Premiership. Ellis Plummer continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury.

On the continent, Alvaro Negredo claimed an assist in his first start for Valencia since moving to Spain on loan in the summer.

The striker has been hampered by injury, but set up a 73rd minute equaliser for Dani Parejo in his first 90 minutes for the club. Unfortunately, he could not prevent Los Che going down 2-1 to Levante on Sunday.

Bruno Zuculini was an unused sub for Valencia.

Back on English soil, Devante Cole chalked up another 90 minutes in League One for Barnsley, who suffered a 2-1 loss to Chesterfield.

Although the striker could not rescue a point for his team on this occasion, he has enjoyed a wonderful spell for the Tykes to date.

His manager, Danny Wilson, told the Sheffield Star that he is especially pleased with the understanding Cole has forged with strike partner Sam Winnall.

“The pair of them have made life very difficult for defenders,” said Wilson. “It’s been great to see.

“They’ve both been working very hard for the team and themselves.

“They’ve played nine or ten games together now and they’ve formed a very good partnership.

“Sam is very clever and instinctive, and he’s been getting the rewards for his hard work. And Devante, well, we’ve seen his pace is electric and he scares defenders. He’s deserved his success as well. I can only congratulate them on what they’ve achieved so far – and hopefully there’s a lot more to come.”

Jordy Hiwula earned another start for Yeovil, but came off on 54 minutes in Town’s 2-1 defeat of ten man Notts County.

The striker’s best chance came when he latched on to a glorious cross from Kevin Dawson, but he was unable to direct his header and the ball flew wide.

Meanwhile, also in League One regular starter Greg Leigh got another 90 minutes for Crewe Alexandra against Leyton Orient, but was on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline.

The Railwaymen remain rooted to the bottom of the division.

In the Netherlands, Karim Rekik once again completed 90 minutes at the heart of PSV’s defence, and helped his side to a 1-1 draw with Groningen.

That heard-earned point means PSV still hold a two point lead over challengers Ajax at the top of the Eredivisie.

Albert Rusnak also continues to enjoy his time on the continent with Dutch side Cambuur, and he was pulling the strings in midfield as his team ran out 3-1 victors over Utretcht.

Micah Richards was an unused sub in Fiorentina’s 2-1 win over Hellas Verona, while Marcos Lopes continues his recovery from injury.

There was good news for the young starlet this week though – he took home the Rising Star gong at the North West Football Awards, beating the likes of Everton’s Ross Barkley.

blueboy wrote:With the U18's to supplement this lot and have only been beaten once all season (I think), the EDS unbeaten in the Youth CL Group....why haven't they been promoted a la Pozo and Lopes?

Quite.  Although I'd argue that Pozo and Lopes haven't been promoted in any measurable sense.  Unless there's a thermometer on the bench seat.

Topdawg wrote:Er, so who's gonna want any of those players badly enough to offer them similar contracts?

You never know, Dawg.  The rags paid £27m for Hair Bear.  Arsenal paid £47m for Marty Feldman.  The dippers paid £35m for Fabio's English cousin.  One can only assume they got decent contracts out of them.  I'm sure Dzeko and TLF could engineer decent money moves if they tried.

I think as with all clubs....the cream will tend to rise and out of all of them, and reading what Viera and Jason Wilcox say, the following will be given a chance:

Denayer
Lopes
Pozo
Facey
Fofana
Bytiqi

Rusnak is a bit of an enigma....I think they all see his massive potential, but maybe it's his attitude (likewise with Fofana, as stated by Viera).

I think we could easily get £20m+ each for Dzeko and TLF...and with another £26m from Valencia for Negredo....that could easily pay for the likes of Cuadrado and Reus, plus whoever else gets binned.

And here proves how good some of our kids are:

Someone will make it. It also shows the gulf in quality from the EDS to 1st team and only really exceptional players can make that leap. Others go out on loan and can make it that way.

Pozo should be a shoe in next season if he keeps improving.

I'd still say out of the players currently still playing in the EDS, Barker could be the one. Not many naturally gifted attacking left wingers around. His progression has been swift over the past 12 months...and playing for the England U21's will only help.

As for the others, they will need to be very good to get the opportunity ahead of the likes of Nasri, Silva, Milner, Jovetic, Dzeko....I know I added them two in at the end, but that's who they are up against.

Denayer, Rekik and Lopes for me, could easily get game time ahead of some in our first team squad.

It also wouldn't surprise me to see Guidetti back in Jan.

I think his biggest problem has been getting a run of consistent games under his belt as he's been continually injured. They obviously rate him to have brought him back after his impressive loan spell in Holland....and maybe it was a test to see how his fitness held out.

So far, he's doing everything he can....so maybe he'll be back in Jan if we don't sign the likes of Cuadrado etc...

I'm not sure Bluey. He couldn't play for us or Stoke last season. He's found his level in Scotland where the standard of football is pretty low these days. I think he'll end up moving somewhere for a few million though that figure can only increase if he keep scoring at a goal a game.

Maybe...but I think at Stoke he still was out for nearly 2 months of his loan with niggling injuries.

Still, if we were to get £3-5m for him, then I guess it's all income towards somebody else, as at the moment he's only draining the wage bill, nothing more.