who do you like, from the current crop of youngsters?

[andrew1957]

No one knows for sure which of our young players will make the grade and those on here that are critical of a 20 year old are being ridiculous. Some players like Wayne Rooney mature young - others much later.

Just from our own recent experience just look at the Hunt brothers. Few would deny that Noel Hunt is now one of our most effective players but he never really scored any goals until 2006/7 when he was 24. Stephen Hunt was a lower ranked player until he joined Reading and again matured into a better player with us at much the same age (24/25).

Likewise a few seasons ago Castle was tipped as one for the future and yet has faded into obscurity - along with I am sure many others.

The current crop are the most promising we have ever produced but it will be remarkable if more than a few become PL fixtures.

For what it is worth those that already look to have the quality are Karacan, Sigurdsson and despite what some say Pearce (CB's mature late and peak in their late 20's so at 20 he has plenty of time and the club clearly rate him). The jury is out on some of the others.

I am most disappointed with James Henry. I have watched him in youth cup and reserve games since he was about 16 and I thought he would easily be PL standard but he simply does not seem to have improved yet - but again he may just be a later developer so lets just give them all a chance and see what happens.

[Terminal Boardom]

At risk of totally contradicting myself, I have a feeling that Bignall could be the one to watch. He was lively on debut against Burton and seems to have settled quickly at Stockport. Certainly one that I will be keeping tabs on.

[Ryn]

The job for this season's youngsters is to steady the ship, and they are doing that I think with a reasonable amount of talent.

Whether they will remain to be the backbone of this team next season remains to be seen.

Judging by BR's panic buying and his need to build his own side, we will have more signings come January and next summer, and the youngsters will be sold off to other Championship / League 1 sides.

[Sun Tzu]

Judging by BR's panic buying

What did that amount to ?

The only one that possibly falls into that category might be Howard.

The links to Rasiak and McAnuff were there ages before the deals happened, Mills was clearly no spur of the moment thing, O'Dea on the face of it is a cracking piece of business and the Cummings deal also seems to have been one that happened late but had been worked on for some time.

Rodgers seemed to bring in players to fill all the gaps that people had been crying out to be filled, and got players with good records at this level for sensible money.

Panic ?

[Ian Royal]

Judging by BR's panic buying

What did that amount to ?

The only one that possibly falls into that category might be Howard.

The links to Rasiak and McAnuff were there ages before the deals happened, Mills was clearly no spur of the moment thing, O'Dea on the face of it is a cracking piece of business and the Cummings deal also seems to have been one that happened late but had been worked on for some time.

Rodgers seemed to bring in players to fill all the gaps that people had been crying out to be filled, and got players with good records at this level for sensible money.

Panic ?

Cummings doesn't have a good record at this level. He's played 3/4 games at this level and is pretty poorly thought of at the level below. I'm not certain, but i don't think O'Dea has played at this level before either.

otherwise i'd agree that Rodger's hasn't panic bought and has done alright in his first window.

[Ryn]

I'll admit I have been more excited during this transfer window than any I can remember in the past, but my point remains still, that the youngsters currently in place will be phased out as better players are brought in.

Not to say they are not playing well or trying hard, but because they will never be good enough to get us up to the Premiership.

[Sun Tzu]

I'll admit I have been more excited during this transfer window than any I can remember in the past, but my point remains still, that the youngsters currently in place will be phased out as better players are brought in.

Not to say they are not playing well or trying hard, but because they will never be good enough to get us up to the Premiership.

Not all of them will be good enough and no one in their right mind would ever think that we'll suudenly produce 15 or 16 premiership quality players in the space of 2 or 3 years.

Some will fall by the wayside but on the very limited evidence we have so far there are certainly youngsters who have the ability to be part of a Premiership chasing side. Some of them will improve with experience and physical development.

I think your claim that not a single one of the youngsters is good enough is equally as unsupportable as one claiming that we will have a Premiership side made up entirely of home grown players.

[Ryn]

Sun Tzu I hope you prove me wrong

[ZacNaloen]

Cummings doesn't have a good record at this level. He's played 3/4 games at this level and is pretty poorly thought of at the level below. I'm not certain, but i don't think O'Dea has played at this level before either.

otherwise i'd agree that Rodger's hasn't panic bought and has done alright in his first window.

Cummings has a short record, that is not the same as a poor records and at the level below was rated by the manager and his mentors at MK Dons. Why do you think Di Matteo went to him for his emergency loan?

Screw what the fans think, just look at this website to see that anyone will cherry pick opinions for their own agenda. Fans opinion from bboards is anecdotal and completely pointless as evidence as far as I am concerned.

[Sun Tzu]

Sun Tzu I hope you prove me wrong

Won't be me who proves you wrong !

Just don't see how you reach your conclusions, if you have been to any games !!

[Royal Rother]

Apart from Gylfi none of the others have shown any sort of promise at all.

Why would a Reading supporter make such a daft statement?

Ryn's another WUM.

[Ryn]

Nothing daft about that statement at all. These 'home-grown' young lads are fill-ins during the Rodgers revolution, and will be phased out as better players are brought in.

I can see a place for Gylfi, and possibly Pearce, in the future. That's not any kind of ludicrous statement.

[Ian Royal]

Cummings doesn't have a good record at this level. He's played 3/4 games at this level and is pretty poorly thought of at the level below. I'm not certain, but i don't think O'Dea has played at this level before either.

otherwise i'd agree that Rodger's hasn't panic bought and has done alright in his first window.

Cummings has a short record, that is not the same as a poor records and at the level below was rated by the manager and his mentors at MK Dons. Why do you think Di Matteo went to him for his emergency loan?

Screw what the fans think, just look at this website to see that anyone will cherry pick opinions for their own agenda. Fans opinion from bboards is anecdotal and completely pointless as evidence as far as I am concerned.

Maybe, but when it's pretty universal I think it's worth taking note of. Obviously the lad has potential, doesn't mean he'll realise it.
He certainly doesn't have a good record at this level, which is what you implied.

[Sun Tzu]

Nothing daft about that statement at all. These 'home-grown' young lads are fill-ins during the Rodgers revolution, and will be phased out as better players are brought in.

I can see a place for Gylfi, and possibly Pearce, in the future. That's not any kind of ludicrous statement.

That' simpressive forward thinking by the club then.

Let's spend 10 years and several million pounds developing a bunch of young international players just in case we happen to have a new manager who needs to 'fill in' for a few months !

[ZacNaloen]

Cummings doesn't have a good record at this level. He's played 3/4 games at this level and is pretty poorly thought of at the level below. I'm not certain, but i don't think O'Dea has played at this level before either.

otherwise i'd agree that Rodger's hasn't panic bought and has done alright in his first window.

Cummings has a short record, that is not the same as a poor records and at the level below was rated by the manager and his mentors at MK Dons. Why do you think Di Matteo went to him for his emergency loan?

Screw what the fans think, just look at this website to see that anyone will cherry pick opinions for their own agenda. Fans opinion from bboards is anecdotal and completely pointless as evidence as far as I am concerned.

Maybe, but when it's pretty universal I think it's worth taking note of. Obviously the lad has potential, doesn't mean he'll realise it.
He certainly doesn't have a good record at this level, which is what you implied.

Where the hell did I imply that?

Short record != Bad Record.

[Ian Royal]

Cummings has a short record, that is not the same as a poor records and at the level below was rated by the manager and his mentors at MK Dons. Why do you think Di Matteo went to him for his emergency loan?

Screw what the fans think, just look at this website to see that anyone will cherry pick opinions for their own agenda. Fans opinion from bboards is anecdotal and completely pointless as evidence as far as I am concerned.

Maybe, but when it's pretty universal I think it's worth taking note of. Obviously the lad has potential, doesn't mean he'll realise it.
He certainly doesn't have a good record at this level, which is what you implied.

Where the hell did I imply that?

Short record != Bad Record.

That'll teach me to pay more attention. I didn't check who was posting what and assumed you were Sun Tzu. Sorry.