Youth development

Surely the best player development is to play in winning teams.

I don’t see it as one or the other. Playing younger players (and yesterday’s team wasn’t exactly the Youth squad, was it?) could provide a platform for squad players to shine.

They didn’t – that’s their fault not Roberto’s, or the system, or policy, or whatever.

In my opinion, yes, it probably is the only way for us to survive – trying to create what Crewe and Middlesbrough have had for many years. We’re trying to become self sufficient and can achieve that by becoming a football-farm: creating young players to play in the first team and be eventually sold on.

Is this what we want from football? No, I’d prefer it if we kept all our best players and challenged for the title, but that’s never going to happen, so this is the best compromise.

I’d rather be a little team in the Premier League however, than a medium sized team in the Championship.

I thought Roberto’s comments yesterday were bob on as per usual.

I thought Golobart and Routledge did really well!

Fyvie was fairly quiet along with Gomez who was completely absent for periods.

Jones was uninspired….

Mcmanaman struggled to break down a team at a much lower level.

Stam was absolutely terrible and for the last 15 minutes showed a serious lack of respect for the club trotting about while Henqiquez had to run back to defend against the left winger on the edge of the box.

If I was his manager id of leathered him as soon as he got down the tunnel for that.

IMO its some of the senior players who didn’t turn up yesterday and putting my own and others opinions aside it seems to be the usual suspects in Stam, Gomez and Boselli.

Although I still maintain Boselli had no service whatsoever and think its naive to say he should create something for himself when that’s not his job his job is to hang on the shoulder of a defender and take chances as they come in for him.

+ his movement was typically good yesterday if you kept an eye on him while Ronald Mcdonald was doing his clown act on the right side.

What games do you watch. You really need to stop wanking everything that is W.A.F.C and need to start having a reasoned view. You dont half talk some shite.

Right first of all, lets not get cocky, You dont know me so offering me out wouldn’t be a wise decision. Its a dangerous tactic that.

Golobart and Routledge, give me a break. They are and will be rubbish. I see you have stuck the old ‘Gomez’ comment in there whilst the only good outfield player was Boyce. You know, The oldest one in the starting 11 who doesn’t need a rest like all the others but every game makes Henchoz look like Usain Bolt.

You dont have a reasoned view. I have said it a million times, When its good i will say so and when it is crap i will also say so. No one ever picks up on the good points just the bad. If the club was run like a club and the manager had a clue then there would be more good posts. It begs the question, Whilst all you happy clappers are happy to get robbed for your entrance fee every game and keep on telling everyone that Martinez has done such a great job, What would you consider a failure to be? Don’t start avoiding the question with finances and all that because im not arsed.

Do you REALLY think this is the strongest side we have had or the weakest? I know my answer.

Do you REALLY think we have made progress in 4 years? Because i dont.

I promised myself that i wouldn’t post but the only reason i did is because ABL posted last night and as soon as you all read something negative you all jumped down his throat. It really pisses me off that, There is 6 of you that are incapable of a debate and just attack instead. If you cant muster up a debate then just don’t bother replying. You try to bully people, Won’t happen with me that, Unfortunately i wont take it. I fight fire with fire.

And yes i will ‘discuss it in person’ if that’s what you would like.

But that all depends on a good away draw in the cup.

It doesn’t make it any more valid, On the basis of a forum, To most people it will be decidedly in-valid. I read this forum every day routinely whist having a cuppa after work and i get sick of reading the same tripe that Martinez is doing a wonderful job when he just isn’t. And then the usual attack bullying when something is disagreed with. People like that are very narrow minded if that is what they have to do to disagree. I like being disagreed with, I know most of what i say is really agreed with, But for the basis of saving face its better for people to argue on a forum than to agree with someone who has a history of rants.

I’ll rise to it Yosser…

Firstly, your reasoned debate with Salford started with: ‘What games do you watch. You really need to stop wanking everything that is W.A.F.C and need to start having a reasoned view. You dont half talk some shite.‘

Jeremy Paxman is looking over his shoulder. A call from Newsnight must be just round the corner.

Next point – a question to you: who would you expect to see ‘if the club was run like a club’?

New question: did the manager have a clue from March through to May last season?

Has Martinez done a good job? In your opinion clearly not. In Whelan’s opinion, yes he has. What was he targeted on and had he achieved the targets he was set? That’s how you’d gauge if he’s done a good job.

So the financial side of things ins’t important, and it’s just avoiding the subject is it? If so, Harry Redknapp and Peter Storrie did a great job of getting Portsmouth to win the FA Cup Final and into Europe.

And you question why ABL’s post is pounced on, when he has preached The End Is Nigh for the past three seasons, then made a massive ‘gybe-ho’ when the wind’s changed direction?[/quote]

This is what the forum is all about, A debate, I will answer your questions.

I will ignore the first bit, It wasn’t that funny.

I would like to see us being competitive, Not just surviving every year. There is no progression at all. Whelan won’t dare let Martinez loose with 6m quid again for one player so we are in catch 22 on that front because after wages etc as a club we stand to lose about 9m on Boselli. What a bloody waste of money. That does my head in that Martinez was to pig headed to listen to a man of Benson’s experience and he is still making crazy transfer decisions. I hope for the club that Espinoza turns out to be another Palacios but on the other hand i hope he turns out average so he doesn’t get sold next January. We are lucky in one respect that Maloney is hitting 30 because no one will want him, Its another Andy Liddell situation for us. Bonus.

Next question. From March to May last season i was as delighted and surprised as the next man to see what we did but should the next step not be (here comes that word again) progression. We have gone backwards again, Every season we take 1 step forward and 2 back.

Yes i would argue that Martinez has not done enough. I won’t say not a good job because we are still here, But more an average job. I also don’t think there is anyone else for the job as Martinez bleeds blue and white but he keeps ballsing it up. Is anyone really happy with avoiding relegation every season. I didn’t like it in 2006 and i dont like it now, That is the reason my season ticket was terminated in 2009. In Whelan’s eyes he is doing a great job because he is spending nothing, Selling the best players and keeping us up (just) therefore making HIMSELF a mint with the sky money. But in my eyes, No, Enough hasn’t been done. I DO believe though however that given a decent scout and a decent transfer kitty (just once) we would see a difference. Ramis was by our terms a big signing, Okay his pace is scary when he is ran at but his vision, strength and leadership (although he doesnt speak English) is there for all to see. How the hell he had all those scouts in Spain and missed Michu i will never know.

What Redknapp did at Portsmouth is a completely different thing to what i am saying, I am not expecting us to sign players like Defoe, Crouch and Diarra. I just want us to be competitive with the teams around 5th-9th, We have been in the Premiership for 8 seasons now i don’t think it is too much to ask considering the sides that have come up after us and are all up there.