Midfielders

[Blue Bob]

Dont stress about midfielders just yet. Remember a lot of players are on holiday and whilst MA has told Douglas and De Vries they are no longer needed whilst they are on holiday it is not possible for him to sign players. There has also been a week of internationals so other targets may be away too.

I think we are getting a bit greedy, look what MA has done this week - released or tranfer list nearly the whole of the team we had last season and rightly so, sold Mccarthy for a healthy profit and signed a whole back room staff and four players. Not bad for a weeks work, he is leaving midfield until next week otherwise he wouldnt have anything left to do!!!!

Patience I am sure the man has a plan, he has done OK so far. Lets face it just transfer listing Hughes entitles him to the weekend off in my view.

[Jimmy]

not quite a whole back room staff, we still dont have a keeper's coach

[Thracian]

Come on Martin where are they? Weve signed a Goalkeeper, a defender and two strikers so far, but no midfielders. We only have Porter and Weso! I'd have thought we would have brought a couple in by now.

"Only" have Porter and Weso?

Lots of clubs would be delighted to have such capable youngsters as Porter and Weso.

I'm not going to second guess Allen's team - if he's as good a manager as his record suggests he'll judge people fairly on what they do in pre-season.

And yes, we need additional midfield players who, again, are better than what we had.

But I'll say this. If Allen keeps bringing people in who really can play a bit then Porter and Wesolowski will benefit.

Both are still learning but you won't find much better passers in Championship football and the better the movement of players around them the more that will show.

[Leicester Lass]

"Only" have Porter and Weso?

Lots of clubs would be delighted to have such capable youngsters as Porter and Weso.

Christ, he was saying they are the only midfielders we have!

[Ultra]

"Only" have Porter and Weso?

Lots of clubs would be delighted to have such capable youngsters as Porter and Weso.

Really? I wasn't aware we were exactly fighting off bids for them.

Both are still learning but you won't find much better passers in Championship football and the better the movement of players around them the more that will show.

At the moment, neither of them are THAT special. They have shown promise but have both yet to deliver on a regular basis.

They could with some quality and experience alongside them though. Kavanagh would be excellent but still has two years to go on his deal at Sunderland. If he stays fit Keane may not wish to let him go.

And if Allen wanted Holland or Murphy it seems strange he didn't ask about them when Pardew came in for McCarthy.

[Gené and Tonic]

Danny Murphy? He plays for Tottenham

[BartonFox]

"Only" have Porter and Weso?

Lots of clubs would be delighted to have such capable youngsters as Porter and Weso.

I'm not going to second guess Allen's team - if he's as good a manager as his record suggests he'll judge people fairly on what they do in pre-season.

And yes, we need additional midfield players who, again, are better than what we had.

But I'll say this. If Allen keeps bringing people in who really can play a bit then Porter and Wesolowski will benefit.

Both are still learning but you won't find much better passers in Championship football and the better the movement of players around them the more that will show.

:laugh:

Porter struggled in a team in the bottom third of the CCC and Wesolowski despite his promise and potential has demonstrated absolutely nothing at first team level to suggest he is as you claim.

As soon as Allen starts to bring in midfielders Porter will fade back from everyone but your thoughts and Wesolowski has to get through pre season yet.

[Ultra]

Danny Murphy? He plays for Tottenham

He does indeed (occasionally).

Sorry, I was having a TPH moment...

[SystonFox]

Neill Danns i would like to see as he strikes me as hard working and a grinder. is he going to be much use to Brum in the prem? i think not, so lets get him (loan if thats all we can have them for)

[Thracian]

:laugh:

Porter struggled in a team in the bottom third of the CCC and Wesolowski despite his promise and potential has demonstrated absolutely nothing at first team level to suggest he is as you claim.

As soon as Allen starts to bring in midfielders Porter will fade back from everyone but your thoughts and Wesolowski has to get through pre season yet.

Sometimes Barton you can be a grumpy old pessimist.

I was mentioning Peter Shilton's auobiography lately and he was saying that one of the great differences between a youngster coming into a first team and a seasoned professional was consistency.

He said that novices have stormers and stinkers while the seasoned pro's had days when they weren't at their best but rarely had shockers.

Porter - and Weso for that matter - are novices. They need support, belief, encouragement, understanding. And good players around them who have presence and can talk them through some of the problems they come up against.

Shilton's point was valid even for Leicester these last two years - because people like Hughes, Nils, Jarrett, Newton were rarely rank bad but hardly ever set an inspiring example.

Shilton explained that in today's climate where every match counts and money makes winning so desperately important, it becomes more and more risky to persevere with our emerging players.

And your sort of scepticism will only make it that little bit harder. In the end Barton, players need to be developed both for our good and for the long-term good of the national team.

Rent a crowd is inevitable in the shallow, quick-fix, football world of today but there's no need to encourage it still further.

Porter and Weso are good passers. They have other qualities too. I don't know whether they will prove to deserve a place in our first X1 next season. But it won't help if people lack belief in them.

As for Weso's leg I have every faith in his recovery and would demonstrate that by extending his contract tomorrow if I had the chance.

[BartonFox]

Sometimes Barton you can be a grumpy old pessimist.

I was mentioning Peter Shilton's auobiography lately and he was saying that one of the great differences between a youngster coming into a first team and a seasoned professional was consistency.

He said that novices have stormers and stinkers while the seasoned pro's had days when they weren't at their best but rarely had shockers.

Porter - and Weso for that matter - are novices. They need support, belief, encouragement, understanding. And good players around them who have presence and can talk them through some of the problems they come up against.

Shilton's point was valid even for Leicester these last two years - because people like Hughes, Nils, Jarrett, Newton were rarely rank bad but hardly ever set an inspiring example.

Shilton explained that in today's climate where every match counts and money makes winning so desperately important, it becomes more and more risky to persevere with our emerging players.

And your sort of scepticism will only make it that little bit harder. In the end Barton, players need to be developed both for our good and for the long-term good of the national team.

Rent a crowd is inevitable in the shallow, quick-fix, football world of today but there's no need to encourage it still further.

Porter and Weso are good passers. They have other qualities too. I don't know whether they will prove to deserve a place in our first X1 next season. But it won't help if people lack belief in them.

As for Weso's leg I have every faith in his recovery and would demonstrate that by extending his contract tomorrow if I had the chance.

Yes players need to be developed and we have what looks on paper a good youth policy, but we won't really know until we see what becomes of the current crop in a few years. Sheehan, Porter Stearman and Wesolowski all seem to have regressed or stagnated, it'll be interesting to see if they can develop because Leicester have been poor in producing the finished article for as long as I can remember.

As for the lack of belief etc... nor do they benefit from blind faith or 'can do no wrong' support. You know I call it as I see it, am I starting to detect a bit of doubt in you

[Thracian]

Yes players need to be developed and we have what looks on paper a good youth policy, but we won't really know until we see what becomes of the current crop in a few years. Sheehan, Porter Stearman and Wesolowski all seem to have regressed or stagnated, it'll be interesting to see if they can develop because Leicester have been poor in producing the finished article for as long as I can remember.

As for the lack of belief etc... nor do they benefit from blind faith or 'can do no wrong' support. You know I call it as I see it, am I starting to detect a bit of doubt in you

I have long wondered why we seem to fail so often to produce the finished article.

As for "doubt" you mention I had no doubts that most of the young players who've broken through were better than what we had or as good as in the case of Logan.

But that was last season adn there is no question that the bar is being raised and will be higher still by the start of the season.

Our young players will have to compete for their place on the same basis as everyone else (hopefully) and, while the Reserves will once more offer an option, I do think it important to keep the best ones involved assuming they work hard enough to raise their games which I am quite convinced they will all need to do.

It is a fine balancing act and one which will test Martin Allen, particularly when he hits a bad spell.

I hope you don't think I have "blind faith" or a "can do no wrong" mentality because I promise you I don't.

But a lot of time and effort goes into bringing quality youngsters through the Acaemy and it is a shame to waste it at the end through a lack of patience and the final effort necessary to get them over the problems they will inevitably face as first teamers.

As I've mentioned before, the hard part is keeping them in the picture especially when more senior people arrive as the managers choices and on higher wages. When push comes to shove it is so much easier to leave the youngster out, whether it is justified or not.

Like you though I shall try to be fair to everyone and call it as I see it.