When you are a youth level footballer you play against other youth level players. You are dictated to by your age. You are playing lads of roughly the same physicality and experience as you. I am glad people at this club don’t have the mentality that judging “kids” football is useless. It really does make you wonder why Sporting bodies across all disciplines bother with youth academies if, at the end of it all, it is completely useless in judging their talents A lot of screen space is wasted with this disparaging of youth level football but really the only thing “not far from worthless” is the opinion which disregards any achievement made below senior level Whilst not all footballers who did well at youth level turn out to be great players at senior level it does distinguish between the good and bad players. And it certainly can be used to judge whether a player can finish, dribble, tackle, pass etc “Kids” football is a right of passage that allows players to improve, adapt and showcase their natural talent. If they are banging in goals regular at that level there’s every chance they have an eye for goal, a good strike and good movement. All of these are basic natural instincts a good striker needs. It’s getting tedious hearing the same argument day after day about “kids” football being totally worthless. It isn’t. And if it was clubs with staff far beyond our knowledge would not spend millions upon millions improving and extending their Academy infrastructure

Poveda has a good goal scoring record at England youth level so clearly can hit the back of the net Unless the goals are smaller at senior level I struggle to see how you can’t judge a players finishing ability based on his scoring at youth level. You can only play what is in in front of you and as a youngster it is usually other youngsters

It is going to be a busy week if we are to get the business we need doing. By my reckoning we need: striker, winger, central mid and a left back. That’s at a minimum. It makes you wonder what they have up their sleeves but recruiting a load of 20 year olds won’t fill those gaps. We have them in abundance. I’d much rather we played McBride up top than bring in a loanee from Liverpool, unless of course that loanee is of the calibre of Elliott etc. If we play our own we find a diamond in the rough and earn a few quid next summer.

Good performance I thought Dolan still isn’t good enough up front for me. I’d much prefer Butterworth. I like Dolans energy but his head is down too much and the end product is rarely any good. Travis had a good game again. Carter, Lenihan, Ayala and Pickering all played well. Gallagher is just a nuisance but there’s not much else to his game. He’s clumsy and has a bad touch. Feel for him right wing but he does put the effort in and wins a lot of headers. Just wish he’d get more goals. Onwards. Big test vs Baggies but we can sneak a Win. I hate the Tesco carrier bags.

That glancing header at the back post 🤩

It’s a pretty naff format. Even the layout of the scoreboard is strange. It just isn’t in the manner I am accustomed to. It might sound pedantic but I don’t watch cricket to be met with lime green and disgusting purple splashed all over the screen. It took me a few minutes to realise what it all meant. Cricket should be a more relaxing watch imo. I’m one of a few who prefers the test format to any other kind. It’s a game to be enjoyed throughout the day, and embrace all the difficulties that come with a five day game. One day cricket is exciting and watchable but this obsession with making the game shorter is a bit insulting if anything.

Lucky enough to have tickets for Headingley. Day one and two. Let’s hope for a Root masterclass followed by a Jimmy masterclass on a baking hot day 2 afternoon session. We can dream

FOOTBALL ULRICH…..FOOTBALL

Having watched Villa and living amongst Villa fans I’d rather shit in my hands and clap than have Neil Taylor at the club

That’s a damn shame Cooper is a quality defender. Have a word Clitheroe, tell him it’s not all that bad But one must not tell lies and all that

Is that for real? We had a few rumours about him a couple of seasons ago. He’s a good player so it’s a shame to know that would never happen.

We weren’t good today. A point is a good result tbh Buckley totally invisible. He needs to start getting involved. His pressing against Swansea was brilliant but today looked overawed. Needs to stop having these days. Butterworth looks a real player. Get him a start over Dolan. He’s having an easy time of it Dolan but he’s got to show more quality. Long live King Ben

That’s life. Not everything works out. On to the next man I hope

But again nobody made out like there was an angry mob out to get him So, where you claimed posters had moaned about Obafemi being “written off by an angry mob insistent that he is injured forever and has an irreversible bad attitude” was exactly what you was accusing posters of being - disingenuous. Quite why you made that up is another story but it appears to be because you want the right to criticise his attitude also For every post that criticises him I suspect someone will defend him. But don’t make up scenarios and then accuse others of being disingenuous. It doesn’t work like that

Funnily enough what is disingenuous is pretending that people are claiming there’s an angry mob after Obafemi Nobody has said that, but people have responded to the handful of people claiming he has a bad attitude without really knowing the lad

And what has that got to do with anything except yet another name drop? If the Obafemi deal is separate to the Armstrong deal, which appears to be the case given AA has had a medical and should sign today whereas Obafemi isn’t close as yet, then Mike Ashley has absolutely no recourse

Avoiding paying anyone £2.7m is a good thing If that £2.7m goes to the asking price of Obafemi then we have saved money - that is basic commercial management I think the last paragraph sums it up and explains this transfer. If he takes the cash it is lost in the club - if he ties it in with a player at least he has a body in the door to replace Armstrong with From the fleeting moments I have seen of Obafemi he looked a decent player anyway

I have to say I am amazed at some of the football knowledge on here How folk have managed to conclude that Obafemi has a stinking attitude, whilst also calling him a nobody, is a great feat of invention imo None of us really know anything about him, let’s be honest, so let’s not pretend like we have signed Joey Barton incarnate

Well, actually it would only be £3.3m given the 45% clause to Newcastle If they club have managed to tie in Obafemi whilst keeping him out of the Armstrong transfer they have effectively saved paying Mike Ashley £2.7m which I think we can all agree is a fairly decent bit of business

Sometimes opportunities present themselves Would Obafemi be for sale if Southampton don’t buy Armstrong? Maybe not

It was a downgrade in every single way Even the car park had less spaces which only signals one intent - less bodies in the building It is impossible to spin any other way than a downgrade and capitalising on expensive real estate, which is quite synonymous with Waggott funnily enough

Give Butterworth a game. Looked fantastic when he came on. But quite clearly needs game time to improve his fitness. Rest Ayala, Lenihan, Nyambe and Pickering. Sounds excessive but we absolutely need them for the league right now.

Dear Balaji Thanks for your well wishes Please employ experienced football directors to run the club in the same way it was run before you came Wish you well too The fans

I think it would be a good idea ojf. If Balaji is serious about attending and meeting the fans (his words) then the first port of call must be the Trust. It is a rare piece of personal communication, regardless of the doubt who wrote it. Most forms of communication in the past have been signed “The Owners” (or similar) whereas this one is direct from Balaji himself. The offer of a face to face meeting is a no brainier to me. And if, within the letter, there is the opportunity to present concerns about Waggots involvement / lack of senior oversight / still no professional structure it would set the tone for what the face to face meeting is about But don’t take this as me dictating what should be done - the Trusts previous open letter was good so I suspect you and co have it all in hand anyway

It is in his name Whether Waggot wrote it or not he signed it and all the words therein are his