Great things were expected from both Toni Martinez and Martin Samuelson a couple of seasons ago, both were sent out on loan by Manuel Pellegrini during his first season in charge, and both have failed to live up to their expectations spectacularly. Along with Reece Oxford and Saeed Hakserbanovic Martinez and Samuelson were supposed to be the future of the club, but it was a future built on suspect foundations.
The sell on value of Hakserbanovic, Martinez, Oxford and Samuelson has dipped dramatically as a result of their collective poor performances, it was what Pellegrini expected and the reason why he sent them out on loan, probably the only player that 'Pelle' regretted sending out on loan was Edimilson Fernandes who has enjoyed a very productive loan spell at Fiorentina.
The brutal reality is that for every Declan Rice, there are a whole bunch of young players who eventually fail to make the grade, some because they were given too much too young, like Oxford, others like Ravel Morrison just believed their own myth before they had one. The arrival of Manuel Pellegrini and Mario Husillos as sporting director has seen the club go in a new direction, with the ethos being why keep players on the books who can't cut the mustard?
There is going to be a cull among fringe players both young and old, by the time the players take to the pitch in earnest next season there will be plenty of different names on locker doors, as the footballing expression goes "If your good enough it doesn't matter how young you are", but equally, if you are no good it doesn't matter how old you are, there is no point in hanging on to false expectations, far better to be pragmatic and above all realistic, which is exactly what Manuel Pellegrini is, board take note! - Ed
Comments
It's always been the way of
It's always been the way of things. I've seen countless young players who were considered to have what it takes to make it as pro's but were the same player at 20-21 as they were at 16-17.
I saw on another forum recently an opinion that Frank Lampard was pushed at the expense of other players such as Lee Hodges due to "nepotism". Absolute rubbish, where was the queue of top clubs to sign Hodges when he left?
Managers and their staff work with these players on a daily basis and make informed judgments, not just on players ability - the fact that they're there proves they have that - but on the rate of their development.
I well recall being told as a youngster that if a player was not a regular in the reserve side at 18, he was unlikely to make it at that club, or indeed at the level of that club's first team.
There's no sure hard and fast method of getting this right, but over the distance clubs get far more right than they do wrong - Elliot Lee being a prime example.
The problem I find with many fans is that if a player comes through the Club Academy they immediately expect them to be a future great - Danny Williamson, Freddie Sears and dare I say Reece Oxford being further examples.
I wish these lads the best for their careers, I hope that their experience of working at the club and their various periods out on loan stand them in good stead and that they find their respective levels and flourish as professionals.
Good post Len but Im not sure
Good post Len but Im not sure that Danny Williamson was a failure. Had he not got a bad injury I am sure he would have gone on to have a great career with Everton
I think the point that
I think the point that Hughsie makes is that far too much was expected of him from the moment he appeared on the first XI team sheet.
I agree that Williamson was always going to have a good career up until the injury, but there were people who expected him to be uprooting trees so to speak just because he was a home grown player. Expectation like that does not always help a young player to develop, it hangs too heavy on many of them, and unless their talent is genuinely special such as Cole, Carrick, Ferdinand, Lampard etc, it can drag them down.
bot forgetting Defoe and Glen
bot forgetting Defoe and Glen Johnson
i think the problem is the
i think the problem is the Premiership. The pressures and expectations are sky high and makes it very difficult for a youngster to break in to the first team. Clubs prefer the safe route of taking an experienced professional probably from another top league rather than risk the unknown. The gap between reserve football, lower divisions etc and the Prem is now massive. I have just recently seen live two of our talents. Marcus Browne at Oxford, had a good game, scored a goal but wasn't outstanding in comparison to the other established players. Josh Cullen, saw him at Pikey Chavton on Friday (mates a Donny Rover) reasonable game, made the first goal with a clever free kick but again, nothing outstanding. Regrettably can see both released in the coming years unless they really step up.
I agree that by 18 you must be in the reserves and appearing in the first team or will be let go. I have a friend who's son is at Shrewsbury having been rejected by West Brom as too small. He has broken into the first team, has a great attitude and bucket loads of skill. Still only 50/50 if he makes the grade :o(
Spot on Dartford
Agree with all that mate.but I think one good thing is the england side will have a real good chance of winning the world cup imo.the young English players have to be outstanding talents to even get a game in the prem for the big sides.the ante is being raised so highly.