https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/20...ur-most-talented-youngsters-to-the-first-team Good read this. I didnt realise Hawkes played against us 3 years ago. This makes Johnsons theory of him needing to build his physique up even more confusing. He looks no smaller than Catts on that pic and that was 3 years ago. Experience wise he should be ready to walk into our first team whenever called on.
Interesting about Shane Temple coming from AFC Sudbury. They're a lovely little club and have a good record of getting players into the league. I believe Temple scored 4 in an FA Cup preliminary game on his debut for them.
Sounds like an excuse to me. Still pissed off likes of him, younger and Neil didn't play against Northampton like. Might have actually won the game with more lads in the team out to impress.
It was a big missed opportunity. Trying to figure out LJ's reasoning, did he play the back four for the play-offs to give them more time to gel? That doesn't explain Hawkes and Neil though.
I can only hope that if we do clear out a lot of ****e from the first team we can then look to promote some of the U23s and give them a clear pathway into the first team. I'd certainly be looking to get hawkes, Younger, curry and Neil in there. If we dont get promoted this year I can see those lads given a real chance - if we get promoted i cant see them being in there though.
Think we need at least one sub who can change things. If it's an u23 that's even better as other slides won't know how to defend against it. A real wind card
There was an interesting report in the Sunderland Echo, Speakman emphasising that Hawkes had been training with the first team on a number of occasions and that he would start next season in the first team squad with a clean slate, implying it was up to Hawkes how far he wanted to go. LJ then mentioned about having the technical ability but maybe not the physical ability to play 90 mins for the first team. Found it Kristjaan Speakman delivers verdict on youngster's superb Sunderland U23 form and what happens next | Sunderland Echo Maybe the lad is just a late developer but at 22 I would have expected him to be there or there about physically, having said that I accept that there is a difference between being fit and being match fit. It is refreshing to see comments about players having to look after themselves in relation to food. preparation, sports science etc. which appears a lot more professional approach that previous regimes, it also puts the onus on the player to be professional, let's see who reacts best to that approach.
The clean slate part is interesting. Maybe he's one of those naturally gifted players who doesn't put in as much at training as he feels he doesn't need to. That could also explain the coaching staff believing that he doesn't have the physical capability for 90 minutes of 1st team football, ie stamina
That's a fair point, but the fact is we just don't know. Hawkes has been with us for what less than one season? However the coaching staff should know if he needs to beef up and then worked out an individual programme to get the best out of him by now, though I do acknowledge that we may not have had sufficient coaching staff to do that under the previous regime. To me it now appears that we have a plan and we will support these younger players but the onus is definitely on these players to act professionally and look after themselves. Time will tell if they respond, some will, some won't but the ones that do are more likely to be retained than the ones that don't. A bit like natural selection, survival of the fittest.
The beef up part is probably the most confusing. LJ has said the physical ability, but I think too many people are relating physical ability to size. A marathon runner does not necessarily have the physical ability to bench press 200kg, and a weight lifter may not have the physical ability to run 24 miles.