Academy players making the first team.

[majaco]

I wonder when we last had so many academy products play in the league in one season.  We are up to 5 now.  With our schedule and injury situation, this could rise.

 

On the flip side, Choudhury, who took the captain's armband in a cup game, seems to be falling down the pecking order.

 

Thomas, Dewsbury-Hall and Barnes are all important players.  To me, Barnes is the best of the three but the other two could challenge that thinking.

[Chocolate Teapot]

Way too positive a thread for this forum.

Edited 12 December 2021 by Chocolate Teapot

[majaco]

Sorry.  I've had a glass of wine.

[Freeman's Wharfer]

Comes with the territory of having a strong first team squad.
 

As far as I’m aware, the coaching staff and methods haven’t drastically changed but the standards on the playing side have risen so much that if you want to make it then you have to hit them and the younger lads are surrounded by the likes of Tielemans and Vardy rather than Wellens and Fryatt.

 

I’m not sure that if we were still in League One or The Championship we’d be bringing through Barnes, Thomas, Choudhury etc. and all would be snapped up by Premier League clubs (of course there are always the odd few who will go to the top regardless of where they start). But being a Premier League club seems to result in you starting to bring through Premier League standard youth prospects.

[Pliskin]

I want to see Will Alves given a chance. The lads premium sauce.

[Arriba Los Zorros]

Agreed on this. Barnes, Thomas, Choudhury and Dewsbury-Hall are so much better than the likes of Stearman, Mattock and Wesolowski.

 

We have to be careful not to expect too much but also not to overrate them and pile pressure on. Seems there is a tendency for them to be either useless or world beaters in the eyes of our fans when reality is they are prospects that are learning on the job, and they may end up making it or not, that's for the club to give them the best chance possible of becoming regulars in a PL side. With Barnes and Thomas they look to well on their way, jury still out on the midfield two for me but the club's done it right using them as back up and including them in the squads.

[HarryDee8]

Bringing this back. They can't do much worse then these lot