yellowmad

What experience would that be then Yellowmellow, you certainly have no experience if you think any of the boys mentioned are my son. I am just a fan who takes an interest in the youth team, reserves and first team. Sorry if I hit a raw nerve, your not Roeder are you and I am about to get sacked for having an opinion? I have been watching the youth for the last five years and in my humble (no experience) I think they are not promoting the right players. It is just an opinion.

Your right I did say that I had heard that Norwich were not keen, I am not sure who is making the final decisions but in my opinion they are making a mistake with this lad. I have watched the youth team this year and I cannot remember him having a bad game, he has had a couple of injuries but you can see real passion and skill when he plays and talking to the other players they think that they are a much better team when he is playing because of his penetrating runs forward from right back (just what Norwich needs). When he gets the ball he makes things happen, I can only agree that Daley and Smith are terrible, both of them run about doing very little and constantly give the ball away. 

Won''t sign him then as it sounds like he has talent, we will just keep putting the boys through the academy who smile at the right people and run about a lot looking busy. I wonder if Neil Adams will have anything to say about the academy, it would be interesting to here an honest assessment from an x pro who has worked in the academy, something must be broken as the wrong boys are being given contracts and the more talented boys are being released, hence the reason none of them are making the first team.

Mathews returned to Dublin and I believe he has trials for Shamrock Rovers.

Believe what you like, I cannot prove what I have said without dropping people in it.

I dont think roeder has much faith in local lads, even though when we play the bigger clubs who have spent thousands/millions on their youth teams we always put on a good show. I sometimes think that it is hard to beat the passion local lads have for their team. The only time I have seen him at a youth team is when Arsenal were at Colney, and he left early because Arsenal had not sent one of the players he wanted to watch, this really helped the moral of our players as he was not interested in watching them. If you go on Foncy you will notice the games have all been tight bar a couple in the youth games and we also went to Southampton the leaders and beat them, you cannot do this with poor players. The big clubs do not have all the good young prospects.

Anyone else watched the Youth and reserves this year, would you have given Rudd and Smith a contract? would you have released Smart and Cave brown who in my view were two very good prospects. As I have said earlier Cooper for me has been an outstanding player this year, would you agree, I was also  surprised that Eagles was kept and Smart released.

I think you might find there is something wrong at Colney. I have spoken to most of the parents and I can confirm that Nick and David,s parents are totally bemused and you can also add Danny Kelly''s parents to this. Unfortunately unless your face fits you are not progressing, I think we are about to have another Tom Miller Scenario. Some people might say that the coaches know what they are doing but just look at the facts, Bexfield given a one year contract last year after being deemed good enough (gone). Cave Brown Roeder said he was impressed by his ability and attitude (Gone), Smart many people saw him as the long term replacement for Hucks, very quick (Gone), Tom Miller after two seasons with the youth and reserves deemed to be not good enough, one week trial at Glasgow Rangers UEFA Finalists and they give him a two year deal. Perhaps the coaches are not selecting the right boys in the first place. I have watched all of the home youth games and all the home reserve games plus a couple of away games and in my opinion of watching football for 45 years they have picked the wrong person, I can see the decision for giving Rudd a contract as he is a very talented keeper. All the best to David Cooper, Nick Davey and Danny kelly if they do not get contracts, keep your heads up as someone will see your talents.

If you are talking about the goalkeeper coach no I cannot prove it, but several people connected to the club have told me the same story.

Spot on, David Cooper is a far better player than Smith, very rarely gives the ball away, reads the game well and gets forward well from the back. Having watched most of the youth and reserve games this year he has been the best young player. Danny Kelly has been played out of position most of the year but has still looked a decent player. Unfortunately Nick Davey has been injured most of the season and I have seen little of him, but he did look good last year for the 16''s. I can only think that Smith had one good game like Lathrope and Roeder was there, unfortunately the coaches do not talk back to Roeder and if he says a player is good they just agree, or they will be shipped out like the goalkeeper coach. Produced four England goalkeepers, fell out with Roeder and was sacked.    

The academy has a history of signing the same type player and none of them have made it, they are about to do the same thing again with Korey Smith, a boy who runs about a lot doing very little and giving the ball away. The academy is turning in to a joke. Why not brake the mould and sign players with technical ability and turn them in to better players.

The blunder is letting these boys leave the club at 18, if you have "Boys" with potential keep them and try to turn them in to decent players. Like I said earlier is 250 a week a big gamble?

Why can you not face the fact that the academy are constantly making blunders, these boys have potential, and for a mere 250 a week Norwich could gamble on them. People need to have more faith in the boys going through our system instead of paying other clubs to borrow their youth players. I have watched a lot of youth football and yes Aresenal, Chelsea, Spurs and a few others have millions invested in to their academies, a coach at norwich once told me that they have a bigger budget than the Norwich first team manager. They are obviously going to have the best players most of the time, but beleive me there are players in the youth team that can match them and do a job. For instance we have a right wing back that has quite frankly made some of these so called better players look average, he has left them for dead and then delivered telling crosses, we have a decent left back, and an England goalkeeper. Not all the best young players are at the big clubs. To say Falkirk are not as good as our reserves is ridiculous, the Scottish league is not as strong as the championship but it is better than the reserves. I am willing to bet one player will be given a contract next year from the youth team and I think they will make the same mistakes they have this year. Here is a radical idea, sign our young players and loan them out to lower league clubs to gain experience, if they don''t make the grade nothing is lost.  

Now that GR has wiped the slate clean what style of play do you think he will go for. I am hoping that we get an attacking line up with wing backs  and players that move the ball quickly and put the oposition on the back foot. Two decent center backs that pass the ball on the floor....am I asking too much????

And the club is brilliant at spotting potential, last player to come through the academy and consistently play? last player the club released who made it at championship level? I always think it is handy if a player can pass to his own team mates, read the game, not hang on to the ball too long, tackle, header, kick with both feet, thats what I call potential. Not running round and losing the ball,When was the last time you watched the youth team or reserves.

There are far better players than him in the youth team, I just hope the academy does not make the same mistakes they made last year. decide on a player early and no matter how badly he plays give him a contract and let the decent player leave. No idea what is going on at the club anymore from the bottom up there are some strange decisions being made. 

Hope not, he is another player who runs aroound looking busy but does very little

I think you should get yourself down to the academy and look at the right back (wingback), he has a much better cross, he can tackle and read the game. Should be on his way to Rangers with Tom Miller soon.

Hey Jonny 5 loooks like I do have friends, as I stated , Bexfield, Arnold, Cave Brown and Bally Smart have been released. Must admit I am totally gobsmacked on Hucks...Lets hope GR has a replacement lined up.

With Dublin retiring and Hucks feasibly leaving we need 11 players, it is no good papering over the cracks. Todays performance was dreadful and I am not sure the board have the funds to fix a totally broken team. Its quite correct that Roeder saved the club this year but how many miracles can he pull off, I am sure some will see this as doom and gloom, I see it as pure facts.

I fear you might be right.

That will keep the fringe players sharp if they are needed

Perhaps we should just join the Ridgeons Premier like Cambridge United reserves (CRC). I am still not convinced that this direction is a step up for the youth team players.

I think it is a big mistake, I can understand some peoples thoughts that there are not enough matches but I would have stayed in the league and added friendly matches to make up the numbers.Yes GH is right that some of these matches are glorified youth matches, but it gives these players valuable experience.

Three young players and a member of the coaching staff, I can only add that all of them were amazed that Smart was being released. That''s all I can say without dropping people in it. As GR has said in the Pink Un he will be officially revealing who the axe has fallen on in the next few days. Lets hope Hucks is not one of them, everyone is tight lipped about him, which does not give me a good feeling.