David Stephens gone as well...

[spencer 1970 207]

...in Lambert I trust, but didnt Roeder rid us of our decent youth team players and get some vicious abuse for it?

[William Darby 0]

Odd one this.  I thought he was rated highly.

[spencer 1970 207]

...I though he looked quality when I''d seen him? Cant say I''m too pleased about this.

[Boyo 0]

Disapointed about this.  I never saw him play but from people who did he sounded strong, athletic and a good defender and a good future prospect. 

However in Lambert I trust and he has shown that the youngsters he thinks are good enough he will play e.g. Smith, Adeyemi, Rudd, so maybe he thought that he might not turn out to be good enough.

[William Darby 0]

Hope there''s a sizable sell on clause just in case.

[McNamees attitude 0]

Where has he gone? I can''t see any mention of it anywhere?

[TheGoogler 324]

Hibernians in Scotland. It''s for an undisclosed fee, let''s not forget. If we''ve got £100k-£200k with a sell on fee, it''s perhaps not a surprise that we''ve sold what is our fifth choice centre half.

[CanaryJames 0]

Hibs. Official site...

Hope we''ve got a decent sell-on clause, as I''d imagine Hibs would have signed him with the aim of him competing for the 1st team?

[McNamees attitude 0]

Cheers, I''m on a tiny netbook and saw that the Ruddy story was at the top so thought that was still the latest news

[Syteanric 1]

some one got asked "what was David Stephens squad number" at the Challenge Cuffers quiz at the Norfolk show.. the chap got it wrong and cuffer said he wasnt sure... I''d give Cuffers the point now that Stephens has gone!

[Bill 1,788]

It does suggest a couple of thingsOne being that harsh decisions are being taken. Two players coming up from the ranks (Spillane and Stephens) have been demed not to be likely to make the grade. I doubt these two will be the last, though fair play to the youth set up for bringing on a player that can move from our youth set up to the Scottish Premiership. I wonder if Hibs fans will be squeaking about him not having ''proven Scottish Premiership experience''.The second thought is that we are clearing the decks a bit which does possibly suggest a bit of burning the bridges ie we don''t see ourselves returning to a position where such players would be an asset.Who is next I wonder ?

[William Darby 0]

I wonder if somebody has looked through our records and spotted that we''ve had a few kids, we''ve given contracts to, then they''ve run out and the kids have left on a free.Maybe somebody has said, that if we get offers just cash in.  Because the odds on us letting a rough diamond go by the age of 18 is very slim. And if they are really good they''ll be pushing for the first team anyway.

[Gingerpele 0]

Its strange letting these players go, even up to Spillanes age, as they havn''t really had a go at it, and if someone is willing to pay for them, then they must be half decent...

[DDD In The Fine City 1]

Has anyone thought that maybe Stephens wanted to go, if you had the choice of competing for a place in the SPL or being 5th choice for a team just promoted back to the Championship what would you do?

maybe he''s been offered more money than we''re willing to play, just cos a youth player leaves a club doesn''t mean it is all the clubs choice

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,735]

We shoul also remember that rightly or wrongly we hve pulled out of reserve team football next season, for a player like Stephens who would be too old for the Acedemy would have very little outlet to play any football, and unlike League One the Championship would offer very slim opportunity to blood young players.

[Yellowbeagle 0]

I might be wrong but it might be that Lambert cant see how we can afford young players to be blooded in the centre back role, both Stephens and arguably Spillane are really centre backs. He also seems to be going for players in their mid 20''s and just comming into the period that would be considered their peak. I''m abit disappointed, but i guess for what he''s aiming for you can understand it, young players leaning to play centre back cost alot of goals but also need first team football to learn.

[DOGGER 0]

Good luck to the lad, looks the part with a great attitude.

[chicken 0]

I think the biggest thing about this is the new league rules in terms of squad size.

You can''t play un-named players outside of your 25(is it?) man squad. x amount of these have to be ''home grown''.

The idea of this was to give youngsters a chance, the problem is at the moment it is going to do far less than that. Clubs won''t see the point in a wage they arn''t actually using unless they loan the player out straight away.

These guys are going to be competing with the older pro''s who are probably going to be a bit cheaper now there is more pressure on finding a space within a squad.

And the teams it really needs to effect in the prem, don''t have to work to these rules. They have got it all backwards. Good luck to both Stevens and Spillane - the latter of which had to battle through things that no young player should have to go through in Roeder.

[Calle 16]

Im pretty sure that players under a certain age, perhaps 21, wont have to be registred??

[whoareyou? 0]

Do we want to play in League One or the Premier League?

Assuming everyone wants the same thing, i think Lambert is attempting to build a squad that''s going places rather than one that makes do with whoever we already own.

[Yelloow Since 72 54]

That''s all very well, but what about the future? Does Lambert intend to be here that long? I wonder.

[GJP 79]

With the way it stands at the moment he''s got better/stronger/more experienced players ahead of him and he''s not likely to get a game for us.

Also, as with Spillane, I''m pretty sure if we had a genuinely good young prospect then Lambert would keep hold. I very much doubt he''d be prepared to let go of a young player with a lot of talent who could have quite an exciting future.

And from the point of view of the player there''s no point in him holding himself back if he''s got a chance of football elsewhere.

[Block E Buh 0]

I think its a loss, when ever I saw him play he looked real class and that may well come back to bite us.

[Jacko 0]

I will admit straight away that the only thing I have seen him do was that wonderful solo run for Lincoln which nearly resulted in a goal. However like Spillane, I am very disapointed by Lambert''s decision to move him along. This is of course partly because it is always sad to see youth products being let go. But also because the lad obviously has ability. Whatever anyone says about the SPL you can clearly play if someone like Hibs want you at such a young age. Others who have seen him in youth and reserve football will obviously be better placed to comment. But Lambert''s decisions regarding these two are the first that have concerned me.

[William Darby 0]

[quote user="Yelloow Since 72"]That''s all very well, but what about the future? Does Lambert intend to be here that long? I wonder.[/quote]If Lambert thinks City is a stepping stone to the big league he can piss off now. But imo he isn''t.  I believe he has the intention of doing everything to get us in the Prem.  And with that you have to build your squad by improving your players. Now if he thinks DS won''t quite cut it or something like that, Lambert has cashed in. I mean, whichever way you cut it. If Lambert thought he was destined to be top draw, he would''ve kept him imo.

[thirdlion 0]

A youth player, who''s played 1 game for us, moves on, and its making people question Lamberts decisions all of a sudden? There is such a habit among numerous posters on here to wear rose tinted glasses just because its a youth product. We''ll regret this no more than we will letting Henderson or Jarvis move on. Lambert has shown he''ll put faith in youth - if he isn''t good enough, move him on.

[Davo 0]

I don''t see a problem with letting Stephens go. I''m not sure how long he had left on his contract but would he play or just be rotting in the reserves until his contract runs out and then leaves on a free anyway? I''m like all city fans, we want to see our young lads come through the system and do well but if he''s not good enough for where we want to go it''s best for both parties, the club and the player, if he is allowed to move on.

Davo

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Who was the last youth player that we released and then regretted later because they went on to prove the club wrong?

We are heading towards a Championship season with Smith, Rudd, Martin, Adeyemi and Daley from the academy with Dawkin and Francomb added to the squad in the summer. Smith and Martin could well be first choice with the others looking for a chance. If we end the season with 3 or 4 first team regulars coming from within the club then I believe it will be the exception rather than the norm.

 

[William Darby 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

Who was the last youth player that we released and then regretted later because they went on to prove the club wrong?

We are heading towards a Championship season with Smith, Rudd, Martin, Adeyemi and Daley from the academy with Dawkin and Francomb added to the squad in the summer. Smith and Martin could well be first choice with the others looking for a chance. If we end the season with 3 or 4 first team regulars coming from within the club then I believe it will be the exception rather than the norm.

 

[/quote]John Fashanu[:P]

[nutty nigel 7,509]

[quote user="ſilly ſauſage"][quote user="nutty nigel"]

Who was the last youth player that we released and then regretted later because they went on to prove the club wrong?

We are heading towards a Championship season with Smith, Rudd, Martin, Adeyemi and Daley from the academy with Dawkin and Francomb added to the squad in the summer. Smith and Martin could well be first choice with the others looking for a chance. If we end the season with 3 or 4 first team regulars coming from within the club then I believe it will be the exception rather than the norm.

 

[/quote]

John Fashanu[:P]


[/quote]

Good call but he wasn''t the last. Dion Dublin was sent packing to Kings Lynn a few years after we sold Fash to Lincoln. Dublins career took off from there and it really used to bug me reading about it. We finally got him back thanks to Worthy! [;)]