Mrs Barista wrote:Nearly as tedious as you saying making bold and contradictory statements then claiming to be "right". Quite how you can claim on the one hand Cooke is deadwood and by turn top class and have the front to claim some sort of integrity is staggering. Remember, one set of predictions in February. Unless you intend to do the usual, revise your "predictions" on a weekly basis and claim you were right all along.

Mrs Barista wrote:Not at all. My point was that Esders, Watts, Spaven and Menzies have barely played for the first team. Where is that contradicted in GML's rambling list of excuses for Rovers failing to blood young players?

Gavin Miller - Legend wrote:Ramblings.
Home truths my dear.
Your last close season brought in Maloney who didnt even see the season out and Moa who only made his breakthrough 3/4 of the way through the season and who got a new contract at the last minute when its common knowledge Agar really wanted another centre or back.
Hodgson got a years deal and played what once ?
So how can you criticise Rovers for not playing the lads you mentioned. ?

General Zod. wrote:You seem to have a lack of basic understanding.

Something applicable at one time may not necessarily be applicable at another time because things change. Just like when bookies change their odds at different times. I suppose in a deeper context it could be termed evolution. Evolution will happen regardless of what's in your database why don't you delete it and realign your life's priorities.

I do remember my February predictions actually, I said FC would not finish in a play-off place and look what happened!!! - clever lad aren't I!!!

Mrs Barista wrote:I think it's interesting that everyone is declaring that Hodgson, for example, will become twice the player he is now because of how Morgan will "develop" him, when actually the young players in the squad, Welham apart, have scarcely been given an opportunity at first team level and as you say are routinely being farmed out on either a permanent or temporary basis. Watts is entering his 3rd season under Morgan and has played 3 times. It almost looks like he's in the squad solely to make up the homegrown quota numbers. Didn't realise Spaven was an out and out 7.

As I've said endlessly, Morgan is a very good coach and does gameplanning, tactics and getting the best out of what he has as well as any coach in SL. But the pipeline of homegrown talent ready for first team action can't be as full as you'd like it to be, as Morgan goes into his 5th season at the club, compared to, say, Cas or even Salford. I think his magical abilities are overstated in this area.

I assume from your comment that Mills is on his way, then.

Mrs Barista wrote:Why did Maloney not see the season out, was it rugby-related? As far as Hodgson goes, it's fair to say it was a mistake giving him a full time contract, as he was behind Berro, Houghton and Lee in the pecking order. I've no idea what you're getting at with Moa. He played 14 rounds of a possible 24.

All this is overlooking the fact that FC already fields plenty of home-produced youngsters, so not sure why you're bringing us into it.

Hall debuted at 19 and has made 48 first team appearances.
Houghton debuted at 18 and has made 51 first team appearances
Burnett debuted at 19 and has made 26 first team appearances
Lee debuted at 17 and has made 78 first team appearances
Tom Briscoe debuted at 17 and has made 25 first team appearances

This discussion started with the point that Rovers young homegrown quota don't see much gametime, hence the "time in the 2nd row" comment. I think we're all agreeing that that is the case.

Nice sidestep on "rectifying the mistake" of Mills, BTW.

rover49 wrote:After a decade or so in SL with the pick of the best local lads, I would think this would be a minimum standard, you have had plenty of time to blood young lads in SL, we haven't and it will take time.

rover49 wrote:After a decade or so in SL with the pick of the best local lads, I would think this would be a minimum standard, you have had plenty of time to blood young lads in SL, we haven't and it will take time.

WormInHand wrote:Rubbish. If you have good young players in your academy set-up now then you bring them in. A la Jack Briscoe, Dennis Tuffour, Reece Lyne. They don't stay 16 or 18 very long, certainly less time than it takes you lot to bleat that you haven't been in SL very long. Briscoe and Lyne were 13 when you got promoted, good job we didn't stand around with our hands on our hips bleating that we haven't had time to bring them on!

You've had a youth development program for longer than you've been in SL - it just seems you aren't able to develop them sufficiently to break through so you farm them out and pinch ours

Lack of funding or a lack of willingness to prioritise this is at fault, not that the kids aren't there - in Hull we have one of the richest fishing grounds in the country. Guess this is one of the reasons for your Grade C.