The Wheels have come off the U18 campaign

[Thracian]

I honestly think that if Kelly thought the youngsters were good enough he would play them. I dont buy this 'chosen men' fallacy, i simply think that Kelly doesn't feel they are ready yet - whether or not he is right is another matter. I think it can easily be forgotten how throwing in a young player too early can harm their development - Freddy Adu in the Us was reckoned to have come off the boil for 18mnths due to over exposure at an early age. I am all for the if they are good enough they are old enough, but if Dodds et al are so good why is noone loaning them (or in Dodds case noone in the league).

Also I do think that although his tactics and motivation arent great, I think Rob knows better than us when it comes to this. He was a very well regarded coach of younger players and he is not afraid to pay the - witness Levi and Logan.

Some of the hyperbole on here would make other teams fans think we have some of the best youngsters in the country. King better than Williams? If that were the case I think Abramovic and Arsene would be sniffing round

Levi only emphasises my point really. He and Dodds played in the same team and Dodds didn't look the junior member. Levi invariably supplied the passes and Doddsy scored.

Levi's survived well enough in the Championship and so would Dodds.

But though people might mock my Chosen Men notion, politics and economics do come into football team selections, not just at Leicester but everywhere else.

Take Fryatt, and he's only one example. We've paid more money for him than for any other of our players and we'll be paying him highish wages. If he doesn't get his form back that's wages going out for next-to-nothing and his transfer value will be fast disappearing.

Dodds will be on standard wages I'd imagine and didn't cost us anything. If he comes in and does well, Fryatt goes further down the pecking order and might end up like Douglas, Sylla or DeVries, costing us good money for an indefinite period and us getting little or nothing in return.

There are other high wage earners. Hughes will be on good money. If King comes in and sparkles, especially with Williams back, Hughes or Tiatto could end up an unused luxury on the payroll.

No, Kelly won't want too many youth players making his life more complicated than it needs to be. He needs the goodwill of those senior players on high wages and from all that's been said it is perhaps not the easiest thing to keep that goodwill right now.

Why? Because the youth faction is strong at Leicester. They're extremely close knit, have enjoyed success and some will expect their chance when the first team are playing so badly, particularly Dodds and probably Gradel and King as well.

Whether they'll get it is an entirely different matter.

[hebangsthedrums]

If the youth players are as good as you describe them then i do no think they will be making Rob's life more complicated. TBH i think he is probably praying for a player who is in reality as good as you make King/Gradel etc out to be.

Levi seems to illustrate both our points - i say that rob thinks he is good enough so plays him so why would he not do this for others, you (correct me if I'm wrong) seem to think that as you see Dodds ability equal to Levis that this means Dodds should be in the side as well. The discrepancy then is that for whatever reason, Mr Kelly doesn't agree. I think this is for purely football reasons, you seem to think its economic/political reasons.

For most people now (especially managers) football is a results business. I doubt any manager would play a player he thought was inferior to another just because he is on bigger wages, that just seems ludicrous. Your fryatt example is all very well but i think anyone with foresight could see that saving wages in theshort term is not economical at the cost of relegation.

As for political reasons any manager worth his salt will ignore this. I'm not sure Kelly is the most authoritative bloke but i think he can keep some academy players in line.

[Thracian]

If the youth players are as good as you describe them then i do no think they will be making Rob's life more complicated. TBH i think he is probably praying for a player who is in reality as good as you make King/Gradel etc out to be.

Levi seems to illustrate both our points - i say that rob thinks he is good enough so plays him so why would he not do this for others, you (correct me if I'm wrong) seem to think that as you see Dodds ability equal to Levis that this means Dodds should be in the side as well. The discrepancy then is that for whatever reason, Mr Kelly doesn't agree. I think this is for purely football reasons, you seem to think its economic/political reasons.

For most people now (especially managers) football is a results business. I doubt any manager would play a player he thought was inferior to another just because he is on bigger wages, that just seems ludicrous. Your fryatt example is all very well but i think anyone with foresight could see that saving wages in theshort term is not economical at the cost of relegation.

As for political reasons any manager worth his salt will ignore this. I'm not sure Kelly is the most authoritative bloke but i think he can keep some academy players in line.

It's much easier to accommodate Levi. We hadn't got a left winger. We have got an expensive and presently underperforming centre-forward.

Kelly described Levi as a "good footballer" and Dodds as something like "the best natural finisher in the club". Doesn't sound to me like he doesn't rate Dodds.

If he doesn't play Dodds or King there's no-one can argue they are better (especialy with Manwell around) but if he doesn't play them where's the evidence?

Kelly can always argue he needs experience to fight a bottom-of-the-table campaign.

Some of these senior players helped Kelly into his dream job - anyone who thought he didn't want i is mistaken - and Kelly wouldn't even change his chosen men when safety was guaranteed at the end of last season.

Football is always subjective. But when I look at the team today, so much is the same. Both the personnel and the tactics, despite poor results.

I read once that Kelly's dad was a union man. They have a loyal mentality and Kelly would like to be the same. He doesn't naturally like change. Has said so on occasions.

Like I mentioned, Levi was easy to accommodate.

He feels the same about Weso - the little fellow who helped save his job.

But no logic on earth would have gotten him picked for a first team so far this season.

[Manwell Pablo]

It's much easier to accommodate Levi. We hadn't got a left winger. We have got an expensive and presently underperforming centre-forward.

Kelly described Levi as a "good footballer" and Dodds as something like "the best natural finisher in the club". Doesn't sound to me like he doesn't rate Dodds.

If he doesn't play Dodds or King there's no-one can argue they are better (especialy with Manwell around) but if he doesn't play them where's the evidence?

Kelly can always argue he needs experience to fight a bottom-of-the-table campaign.

Some of these senior players helped Kelly into his dream job - anyone who thought he didn't want i is mistaken - and Kelly wouldn't even change his chosen men when safety was guaranteed at the end of last season.

Football is always subjective. But when I look at the team today, so much is the same. Both the personnel and the tactics, despite poor results.

I read once that Kelly's dad was a union man. They have a loyal mentality and Kelly would like to be the same. He doesn't naturally like change. Has said so on occasions.

Like I mentioned, Levi was easy to accommodate.

He feels the same about Weso - the little fellow who helped save his job.

But no logic on earth would have gotten him picked for a first team so far this season.

I don't know how you dare say that. If any one forces their opions on the forum over and over it's you.

[Thracian]

I don't know how you dare say that. If any one forces their opions on the forum over and over it's you.

I'm saying there's no way of arguing that an Academy player's going to be any good in the first team if he's never played there when you're around.

It's a fundamental characteristic of yours and there you go, arguing again!

In fact, when it comes to argung you make me feel like Larry's lamb next to Alf Garnett, aside from the West Ham shirt that is! .