Billy Kee

[Thracian]

What worries me slightly and it's a good problem, is that we've got too many good young strikers coming through. I just hope we don't neglect any of them.

Odhiambo

Chambers

McKay

Kee

Sappleton

It's hard to keep all of them on track because we've still got fringe strikers like Fryatt, Cort & de Vries who'll be playing in the reserves and there's this Djeziri that will crop up anywhere across the front line.

As I said, it's a nice problem to have. But how do you determine who's the youngsters who are likely to make the grade and which one's possibly aren't? It will be hard to keep the above 5, that's why it's good to loan one or two out.

We still have to be more decisive about which first teamers we keep and which we let go. Otherwise there won't be proper opportunities for the young players to break through.

McKay is an example. He's a promising player but this season has hardly had a proper game anywhere because people like Fryatt and Cort are taking up the reserve team places where he should be continuing to learn and beginning to have real impact at his new level. This simply hasn't happened cos he's played in cameos.

I don't like big squads and this is one of the reasons. Very quickly a lot of decent players will start getting disgruntled through lack of opportunities even though I think great effort has been made to involve everyone.

Furthermore it reduces our chances of success. Yes, we might have lots of cover in the case of injuries but the need to keep everyone fit will make it almost impossible to keep players together and so let them evolve as a unit.

Great sides, like Spurs in the early 60's, Leeds under Revie, the Liverpool teams of Shankly and Paisley, the Manchester United youngsters of Scholes, Neville, Giggs virtually picked themselves and became formidable because of their uncanny understanding of each other's play.

Our own Academy side won the title last year and with a very consistent line-up of players who all knew and understood their team-mates and the system. You cannot underestimate the value of that.

By contrast City's reserves last night had lots of potential first teamers but was a hotchpotch of people some of whom would be very unfamiliar with one another. This affected our balance and our overall performance.

Our first team squad must be way past 30-strong now. Ridiculous.

I would ditch at least eight.

It is time the authorities limited squad sizes anyway.

[Ric Flair]

We still have to be more decisive about which first teamers we keep and which we let go. Otherwise there won't be proper opportunities for the young players to break through.

McKay is an example. He's a promising player but this season has hardly had a proper game anywhere because people like Fryatt and Cort are taking up the reserve team places where he should be continuing to learn and beginning to have real impact at his new level. This simply hasn't happened cos he's played in cameos.

I don't like big squads and this is one of the reasons. Very quickly a lot of decent players will start getting disgruntled through lack of opportunities even though I think great effort has been made to involve everyone.

Furthermore it reduces our chances of success. Yes, we might have lots of cover in the case of injuries but the need to keep everyone fit will make it almost impossible to keep players together and so let them evolve as a unit.

Great sides, like Spurs in the early 60's, Leeds under Revie, the Liverpool teams of Shankly and Paisley, the Manchester United youngsters of Scholes, Neville, Giggs virtually picked themselves and became formidable because of their uncanny understanding of each other's play.

Our own Academy side won the title last year and with a very consistent line-up of players who all knew and understood their team-mates and the system. You cannot underestimate the value of that.

By contrast City's reserves last night had lots of potential first teamers but was a hotchpotch of people some of whom would be very unfamiliar with one another. This affected our balance and our overall performance.

Our first team squad must be way past 30-strong now. Ridiculous.

I would ditch at least eight of our current first choice squad.

It is time the authorities limited squad sizes anyway.

That's why it's good for the likes of Gradel, Dodds and Odhiambo to go out on loan, play well and prove to the club that they can cut it at first team level.

We do need to get rid of a few players, I agree.

[Thracian]

You forgot Elvis.

Seriously though, why people want to rush a 16-year-old when he is playing for the Under-18s leaves me baffled. We have so many young strikers who need to go through the process ahead of Kee - the likes of McKay, Chambers and to a lesser extent Odhiambo who is already undergoing an important stage of his career out on loan. These players have proven in the past that they can do the business at the same level as Kee is performing at currently. They are the ones that need to be first choice in the reserves and challenging for a place on the bench in the first team. And whoever our new manager is needs to decide whether he really wants or needs the likes of Fryatt because I can't see the point of him playing in the reserves. Either he's good enough for the first team or he's not.

As with everything at the club at the moment, we need a new manager to lay down the law and make some tough decisions.

But the players you mention are not first choice for the reserves. They've been muscled out to accommodate Fryatt and Cort. Odhiambo is now on loan but was shunted out to the wing, McKay's has small cameos in tiring teams, Chambers hasn't played in the reserves for ages and Klee should be ahead of all of em in my view, although Chambers could be a challenger if he stays fit.

Football is a competitive business and it's ability not age that is most important. And Klee is scoring more rapidly at Academy level than even the near goal-a-game McKay and Odhiambo.

Realistically I don't think anyone has a chance of challenging for the first team this season. I doubt they'll be given the matchtime to make sufficient impact.

And, unlike Dodds before them who was genuinely prolific, Odhiambo, McKay, Klee and Chambers have still to make real impact at reserve level. And they won't do that without proper opportunity.

[Fez of Mahrez]

But the players you mention are not first choice for the reserves. They've been muscled out to accommodate Fryatt and Cort. Odhiambo is now on loan but was shunted out to the wing, McKay's has small cameos in tiring teams, Chambers hasn't played in the reserves for ages and Klee should be ahead of all of em in my view, although Chambers could be a challenger if he stays fit.

Football is a competitive business and it's ability not age that is most important. And Klee is scoring more rapidly at Academy level than even the near goal-a-game McKay and Odhiambo.

Realistically I don't think anyone has a chance of challenging for the first team this season. I doubt they'll be given the matchtime to make sufficient impact.

And, unlike Dodds before them who was genuinely prolific, Odhiambo, McKay, Klee and Chambers have still to make real impact at reserve level. And they won't do that without proper opportunity.

I'll repeat - "They are the ones that need to be first choice in the reserves and challenging for a place on the bench in the first team" and that we have too many senior strikers in the reserves.

[Kent Fox]

Billy Kee

Odo from DS9

I know this should have gone to Lookalikes, but it's easier to post here.

[Tommy G]

I cant believe there is any suggestion of putting him in the first team. Unbelievable

[Ric Flair]

I cant believe there is any suggestion of putting him in the first team. Unbelievable

Where is that suggestion?

[Geo V]

The level of goalscoring desperation in Leicester has reached a new peak.

now some people are calling for him to get into the first team in the next few weeks!!

You do get exceptional talents who are good enough to play straight away but usually these talents are playings who have excelled at International Schoolboy level and I'm not sure whether Kee has taken the eye to the extent where he has played at that level. BTW, I'm sure of I could be bothered to look around I could find plenty of academy kids around who have impressive goal scoring records. What was Dodds` again?

[Jonbluefox9]

now some people are calling for him to get into the first team in the next few weeks!!

You do get exceptional talents who are good enough to play straight away but usually these talents are playings who have excelled at International Schoolboy level and I'm not sure whether Kee has taken the eye to the extent where he has played at that level. BTW, I'm sure of I could be bothered to look around I could find plenty of academy kids around who have impressive goal scoring records. What was Dodds` again?

You're right mate. Plenty of young players have scored plenty of goals for us at youth team level. I won't even bother going through them because we all know who they were, even if we don't have a clue where they've ended up! 10 goals at this stage of the season is a great return but having seen the quality of some under 18 sides around last season it's not surprising. Not taking anything away from Billy because I'm sure he's deserved his goals but I think people need to look beyond the statistics sometimes.

[Tommy G]

You're right mate. Plenty of young players have scored plenty of goals for us at youth team level. I won't even bother going through them because we all know who they were, even if we don't have a clue where they've ended up! 10 goals at this stage of the season is a great return but having seen the quality of some under 18 sides around last season it's not surprising. Not taking anything away from Billy because I'm sure he's deserved his goals but I think people need to look beyond the statistics sometimes.

I agree totally

[Geo V]

You're right mate. Plenty of young players have scored plenty of goals for us at youth team level. I won't even bother going through them because we all know who they were, even if we don't have a clue where they've ended up! 10 goals at this stage of the season is a great return but having seen the quality of some under 18 sides around last season it's not surprising. Not taking anything away from Billy because I'm sure he's deserved his goals but I think people need to look beyond the statistics sometimes.

I dont get to see academy games so I cant comment on the standard but a few games into an academy career and people calling for either an instant promotion to the reserves or even more ludicrous, promotion to the first team squad does beggar belief.

[filbertway]

Fez is right on the button, these days. Quite unlike past months. He's maturing. Discarding the unpredictability, fickleness and petulance of youth.

Fair play to the lad and a big pat on the back.

I put it to you, that 35% of your posts are posts that praise Fez's posts, you sir really are a whore with plenty of tricks up your peticoat.

[Thracian]

I agree totally

No-one's suggested Kee for the first team anyway but the comment about the standard of opposition for the goalscorers is one that is constantly levelled at the youngsters but NEVER levelled at Matty Fryatt when he scores for the reserves. Nor would it ever have been mentioned had Kaebi or Ferreira scored a brace apiece...just a big demand for them to be in the first team Saturday.

Indeed, if I had discounted two of Fryatt's hat-trick because they were penalties and another of his goals because it was virtually put in the net by Beswick and a fourth one because NO championship defenders would have let Fryatt dance about on the penalty spot for ages before scoring, I'd have been blasted as glaringly biased against the lad.

Only when it's Dodds, Kee or some other Academy lad does the "standard of opposition" cry go up. Why? Because some fans would sooner have ex-Premiership or more expensive and experienced names in the squad. It seems more glamourous.

[Dames]

Its Kee Thrac

[Jonbluefox9]

No-one's suggested Klee for the first team anyway but the comment about the standard of opposition for the goalscorers is one that is constantly levelled at the youngsters but NEVER levelled at Matty Fryatt when he scores for the reserves. Nor would it ever have been mentioned had Kaebi or Ferreira scored a brace apiece...just a big demand for them to be in the first team Saturday.

Indeed, if I had discounted two of Fryatt's hat-trick because they were penalties and another of his goals because it was virtually put in the net by Beswick and a fourth one because NO championship defenders would have let Fryatt dance about on the penalty spot for ages before scoring, I'd have been blasted as glaringly biased against the lad.

Only when it's Dodds, Klee or some other Academy lad does the "standard of opposition" cry go up. Why? Because some fans would sooner have ex-Premiership or more expensive and experienced names in the squad. It seems more glamourous.

There's a reason why players like Tommy Wright, Jon Stevenson, Chris O'Grady etc score goals consistently at youth team level but go on to fall short at Championship level. We're not talking about Matty Fryatt, we're talking about Billy Kee and I'm saying you can look at stats and say "wow" but there's a lot of other aspects to take into consideration before people start putting pressure on him to be the next big thing. Unless you saw the games yourself you don't know how many chances he fluffed, whether the 'keeper/defence were badly at fault for any of the goals etc. 10 goals is great but the stat doesn't paint a complete picture. People should judge on what they see not what they read.

[Thracian]

There's a reason why players like Tommy Wright, Jon Stevenson, Chris O'Grady etc score goals consistently at youth team level but go on to fall short at Championship level. We're not talking about Matty Fryatt, we're talking about Billy Kee and I'm saying you can look at stats and say "wow" but there's a lot of other aspects to take into consideration before people start putting pressure on him to be the next big thing. Unless you saw the games yourself you don't know how many chances he fluffed, whether the 'keeper/defence were badly at fault for any of the goals etc. 10 goals is great but the stat doesn't paint a complete picture. People should judge on what they see not what they read.

We might not be talking about Matty but people still apply different criteria for their favoured seniors and Matty misses his fair share anyway.

Not that misses particularly bother me. Strikers will always miss some but the ones who have the happy knack of being in the right place at the right time get more chances and therefore have greater chance of scoring regularly.

Out of interest how many did Billy Kee miss? Cos 10 in three games is as fast as I can recall anyone scoring in First Team, Reserves or Academy

these last three years.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Why has Thracian suddenly started calling him Billy Klee? Is there any particular reason for this?

[Flynny]

Just about to ask that myself. I'm wondering if its a joke referring to something way before my time or an early sign of dementia. I suspect neither. Probably something way more convoluted than that.

[Thracian]

Its Kee Thrac

I can only imagine I'm now so depressed about the state of our club, its lack of leadership and yet another drawn out managerial saga, that I'm starting not to give a shit how they spell their names.

[Asha]

I can only imagine I'm now so depressed about the state of our club, its lack of leadership and yet another drawn out managerial saga, that I'm starting not to give a shit how they spell their names.

To be honest i never cared how to spell players names....they dont care how to spell ours....

[lildave3]

To be honest i never cared how to spell players names....they dont care how to spell ours....

[Jonbluefox9]

We might not be talking about Matty but people still apply different criteria for their favoured seniors and Matty misses his fair share anyway.

Not that misses particularly bother me. Strikers will always miss some but the ones who have the happy knack of being in the right place at the right time get more chances and therefore have greater chance of scoring regularly.

Out of interest how many did Billy Kee miss? Cos 10 in three games is as fast as I can recall anyone scoring in First Team, Reserves or Academy

these last three years.

I don't know how many he missed, I haven't seen any under 18 games this season, I doubt anyone on here has seen them all so far this season and a fair few people won't have seen him play at all. That is why it is worrying that people are already looking at the figures and presuming that he will be the next best thing because stats don't always tell the full story. I'm not doubting he has ability or that the achievement is great but do we know what else he's contributed to the team other than the goals so far? People need to look beyond the stats before making judgements about him being good enough for this or that level already.

[lookwhaticando]

To be honest i never cared how to spell players names....they dont care how to spell ours....

lol

That's classic.

[Micky Ruddle]

Kee - 11 Goals in 5 games. Goal Machine!