reserve side this year ?

[carterfox90]

now we are back in the championship i would think it is essential that we go back to having a reserve team if only to keep the squad players fit does anybody know if we are going back to having one ?

[Hitesh]

It's been mentioned in various threads before but the consensus is the same, to have a reserve side would be good. We just need to make sure we have good depth in our squad to make it worthwhile!

[Guest]

We didn't enter any reserve league this year, and have seen no detrimental effect from it.

[Sir Fynwy]

Reserves sides are so 80's.

[Munzie]

We didn't enter any reserve league this year, and have seen no detrimental effect from it.

Although with negative mumerings from some of our young prospects, maybe we'll start to see the effects of not having one over the coming weeks.

If we are serious about pushing on, without one I can't see how our stars of the future will shine.

[Guest]

Although with negative mumerings from some of our young prospects, maybe we'll start to see the effects of not having one over the coming weeks.

If we are serious about pushing on, without one I can't see how our stars of the future will shine.

By sending them out on loan to play first team football proper, even if it's a lower level.

[Sparky]

A reserve side for me is vital, the ressies need to be playing in a similar style to the 1st team so that when a player is called in to the 1st team he knows his role already and it will be a far smoother move than if he has been kicking his heals at the training ground or on loan at Anstey Nomads. The reserve side is a fantastic stepping stone for the youngsters , Andy King had good experience in reserve team football before forcing his way in. Its hardly a massive financial outlay so i dont see any benefits from not having one

[Munzie]

By sending them out on loan to play first team football proper, even if it's a lower level.

Great idea providing they all get an opportunity (just thinking back to Billy Kee thread).

That said, that will leave us fairly lean as a squad. I appreciate that most loan deals will have recall clauses but with loanees playing for their respective clubs they will have to adjust to other forms of tactical play and different styles to the game (especially in lower leagues).

If will need emergency cover, it will take time to 'bed in' a player that does not train with us week in week out.

PS: Didn't see Sparky's post. Well said! Took the words right out of my mouth!

[breadandcheese]

We didn't enter any reserve league this year, and have seen no detrimental effect from it.

I disagree. It was quite noticeable that those players coming back from injury were well short of match-fitness when they played for the first team, such as Dickov and Kisnorbo.

[Leicesterboi]

I think a reserve team is essential. Sending players out on loan is all very well but what about those who are back up to the first team, not young lads? They sit rotting on a Saturday afternoon and when their chance comes, they are not match fit and cant fully take their opportunity.

I think a reserve team helps us have more control over developing our players. When I was younger the best team around were Ayelstone Park. Their teams played the same formation and had the same set peice drills throughout all the age groups right through to the first team.

I think that was a brilliant idea. If our Reserves play the same way the first team do, when a player makes the step up, it will be a smoother transaction.

[leicesterseddon]

We didn't enter any reserve league this year, and have seen no detrimental effect from it.

True, but you have to bear in mind that last season NP used comparatively fewer players than most of his predecessors and thus it was easier to maintain good levels of match fitness among the small number of players we actually used.

If he decides to stick with quite a closed first XI next season (which I actually hope he does) then not having a reserve side might not be detrimental. I think that in the long run we'd have to bring back the ressies if we're serious about getting back to the Premiership though.

[Thracian]

We didn't enter any reserve league this year, and have seen no detrimental effect from it.

Just because we topped League One doesn't mean there's been no detrimental effect.

For the first season in several we have no-one obviously emerging from the Academy system through to the first team.

King and Gradel emerged from the final season of reserves football but I can see no follow ons anytime soon.

Indeed, those most likely to emerge - Chambers, and other fringe candidates like Cox, Kee and O'Neill, seem to have trod water and I've referred to the problem several times over the season.

If Leicester City are going to continue spending money on an Academy, more especially if we're to have a new state-of-the-art training ground then we need the structure in place to finish the developmen of those players and to ensure that some of them make the grade.

We've already sold Stearman.We could have taken a good sum for Mattock (some say we should) and there is no doubt in my mind that both Andy King and Max Gradel would fetch tidy sums should they eventually be sold.

Why lose that source of potential income if you are funding an Academy anyway? Or those potential players seeing as their combined contribution (Player of the season, our best goalscoring midfielder for years and one of our most exciting individual talents) has been consdirable in their short careers.

PS: I'd also agree wholeheartedly with BreadandCheese.

[carterfox90]

I disagree. It was quite noticeable that those players coming back from injury were well short of match-fitness when they played for the first team, such as Dickov and Kisnorbo.

well put & as for the potential of having players coming through as always thracian has put it over right as always we must have a reserve side to blood new players & get injured players back to match fit

[Jimmy]

even if its just a behind closed doors game at the training ground on a Wednesday afternoon, we NEED a reserve side that plays regular games to keep the fringe players fit and help injured 1st teamers get back to match sharpness before being dropped in the deep end

[Thracian]

By sending them out on loan to play first team football proper, even if it's a lower level.

Apart from Gradel I'm struggling to think of anyone whose Leicester career has benefitted from this approach and in many ways I fail to see the sense of it anyway.

Loans reduce the mother club's options anyway and, as it panned out, I'm not even sure to this day, if Gradel's loan-out didn't contribute to our relegation bearing in mind how tight the margin as that sent us down and how little we got from anyone who played on the wing.

Yes, I can understand a loan like Wesolowski going to play regularly in the Scottish Premier League. Constant involvement, decent standard of football, valuable experience of the demands.

But how often are such loans offered? And is playing at Yeovil, Kidderminster, Hinckley, Rochdale and Mansfield really representing football of a higher standard than our reserves and will it really help someone prepare for playing in our first team?

It's debateable of course but Pearson more than any of our managers in recent history has demonstrated the value of teamwork. There needs to be constancy and players often produce their best football in the company of team-mates whose play they understand.

For me our reserves should be a shadow team to the firsts as far as possible. They should play in the same style or styles and the approach and the role of individual players should mirror that of the first team in as many ways as possible. Including the attitude towards winning.

I'd even have the team managed by the first team assistant whenever possible for reasons of continuity and to provide valuable managerial experience for the first team deputy in case it is required for any of various reasons.

[Alexikokopops]

But how often are such loans offered? And is playing at Yeovil, Kidderminster, Hinckley, Rochdale and Mansfield really representing football of a higher standard than our reserves and will it really help someone prepare for playing in our first team?

Maybe the reason players go to these teams is because they're not good enough for a higher level...?

Oh, and I'd argue that any league football is better than playing reserve football.

[Sparky]

Maybe the reason players go to these teams is because they're not good enough for a higher level...?

Oh, and I'd argue that any league football is better than playing reserve football.

Absolutley , its the loans to Telford and Tamworth that id say are no better than playing in the reserves . Ive still not seen anyone come up with a benefit for not having a reserve side other than it will save a few pennies on travelling costs. Surely its a no brainer

[Thracian]

Maybe the reason players go to these teams is because they're not good enough for a higher level...?

Oh, and I'd argue that any league football is better than playing reserve football.

No-one suggests for an instant that some are not good enough. That is clear from day one in some cases. But we should get two through a year. And that didn't come close to happening last year and it's hard to see it happening next season either though I look forward to being proved wrong.

[Guest]

even if its just a behind closed doors game at the training ground on a Wednesday afternoon, we NEED a reserve side that plays regular games to keep the fringe players fit and help injured 1st teamers get back to match sharpness before being dropped in the deep end

They have been playing games behind closed doors.

As for all the replies to me, I am only repeating what I have been told.

[Webbo]

1 of the reasons given last year was that bookings/sending offs in reserve league games counted just the same as in a league game. Mean that a player could be suspended for a sending off in the reserves.

[Jimmy]

They have been playing games behind closed doors.

As for all the replies to me, I am only repeating what I have been told.

once every couple of months isn't good enough, it needs to be weekly

[Guest]

once every couple of months isn't good enough, it needs to be weekly

Not according to some. Has anyone actually questioned if we have a big enough squad to cope with fulfilling youth team matches, first team matches and reserve team football on a regular basis?

[maddog]

Not according to some. Has anyone actually questioned if we have a big enough squad to cope with fulfilling youth team matches, first team matches and reserve team football on a regular basis?

I will.

Our squad isn't big enough to cope with a reserve side.

We only played about 16 players regularly in the first team last season, and seriously lack depth all over the park except centre back.

Surely players keep fit from training, and have little matches in training sessions.

Little matches

[Sparky]

Not according to some. Has anyone actually questioned if we have a big enough squad to cope with fulfilling youth team matches, first team matches and reserve team football on a regular basis?

Dont think anyone has and you make a good point, surely the squad size is similar to when we did run the reserve side though.

[CosbehFox]

once every couple of months isn't good enough, it needs to be weekly

Read between the lines they were more games than the club let on.

Just been reading that Bury have decided to opt out of reserve football. The reasoning is that increasingly teams can't afford 18 first-teamers let alone 22 and because of this, the reserve games are increasingly becoming repeated youth team games which in the process is burning the young lads out. With the small squad sizes, Knill has said that there is more opportunity to see young lads in training to make a fair assessment of their ability.