Mattyblue

Not sure we are on the same page here, you are talking about loans in general, which is fair enough, the way it is at his level. Khadra and JPVH are obviously better than what we would be plucking out of the U23s. I’m talking about out of their depth teenagers, you don’t invest heavily in a Cat 1 Academy so you can bring in a raw, not ready teenager each window, we have enough of our own without taking them from other academies too thanks very much.

I’m talking about teenagers, not loans in general, the loan market is what oils the wheels at this level. However, fair number of raw teenagers are brought in that are poorer/no better than what we already have, a waste of a wage and a squad place. Unless they are a considerable improvement, I.e Elliot, they shouldn’t be anywhere near the club.

Because he plays the fabled ‘football the right way’, unlike Dinosaur Woy, simple as that.

That’s what I said about five posts up, but that was a dozen years ago and we all know Phillips will play second (third?) fiddle to loanees…

Branthwaite was 18 and was chucked straight in, nowhere near ready. Clarkson, 19, nowhere near ready, but still chucked straight in until it was quickly clear he was miles off. Not a chance they’d have been in the side if from our own Acacemy. It’s bizarre the pedestal these PL academies and ergo their graduates are put on , but there you go.

I enjoy a good ITK-er as much as anyone, livens the place up. And of course we are all desperate for some, indeed any news. But after 10 years I can’t believe that some folk still don’t get that Merce is purely on the wind up, he’s been at it for years! 😁 But obviously not, as he still hooks a load of you every time!

We’ve thrown in much poorer 17/18 year old PL academy loanees too. But it just doesn’t happen with our own (Phil Jones in a former incarnation of Blackburn Rovers aside).

Of course there are those rare superstar 16/17 year olds that play regularly at a high level, but we both know he won’t be one of them…

Yes.

I just expect to see prices like that now. I suppose they seem almost reasonable when you consider JWU tickets for the thankfully now retired ‘Cat A+ ‘ games at Ewood were £45 in the JWU.

I was more talking about loans of teenagers from other clubs, I don’t get excited just because they are big lads from big clubs. I am very excited about him, but let’s not get carried away, wonder kids have often not kicked on, but of course he may well do so, but either way he will obviously be eased in over the next couple of years, he’s not going to be starting Championship games on a regular basis next season.

Of course the majority of the staff are staying, they are under contract. Just like TM was never going anywhere on that horror run last season, when even he sounded like he expected to be sacked - because he was under contract. Indeed he’d still he here now if his deal had been 12 months longer…

I’m never ‘delighted’ to bringing in teenagers on loan, as much of a chance as miss as hit, as we’ve seen in recent years. Being a ‘big unit’ is only half the battle when it comes to being ready for centre half at a decent level; you also need decision making, composure, not giving away soft fouls to canny forwards, just general game nous, case in point - Branthwaite. Now they will get that with game time obviously, but it’s unlikely a raw 18 year old on loan from a PL academy is going to accrue it in 6 months or so with us…

And £500- £550 in the JWU… ‘cheap as chips’, I keep getting told. It’s the old boiled frog analogy, they’ve relentlessly increased in price since Swag arrived and plenty of fans haven’t realised that we’ve gone from one of the cheapest to most expensive in the league. And that’s for a club with a limited fanbase with poor demographics, at a ground with far more supply than demand. A ridiculous way to do business.

… with additional real estate responsibilities.

I didn’t say it doesn’t need to be cold, however lager doesn’t have to be served at almost frozen, many German and Czech lagers, for example, have lots of flavour and would lose much of it at that temperature, American macro lager (I.e Coors, Bud, Miller etc) on the other hand is served that way, literally in frozen glasses half the time, to hide the fact it tastes of nothing!

And beers like domestic American lagers have to be served at freezing point to hide the fact they taste of feck all!

It’s a poor squad, and as for the first eleven; Crawley is not an opener, Pope has never played number three at any level. So standard 30/3 incoming. New management, same mistakes.

Ten years Merce has been posting such pearlers and half of you still hang on his every word! 😁 (this time with added blacked out windows, plus no doubt private security with ear pieces).

With Broad and Anderson probably in their last summer too. Shambolic management of the first class/Test game for a decade coming home to roost… still, ‘The Hundred’ will be back soon.

Stockport have, the list gets ever smaller!

At least that’s one relegation place sorted, standard Rotherham straight back down for another and get Wycombe up to complete the set. #ambition

He’s never played for them, he was asked by local BBC about them as a club, he then talked generally about playing at the old Elm Road…

*Manager in talking up a higher division club near where he lives shocker* (Just like every manager does about every club they are ever asked about, by the way, it’s how the industry operates, you are being a bit naive here, James ).

Of course there will be loans, and plenty of them, that’s how lower league football operates…