It seems to me we are signing quite a few young players at the moment. Do you think Bates is seeing the pound signs when the big (so called) clubs come calling in the future? Or can I be really naive and presume we are going to play a mixture of youth and experience next season?
Monty Gimpel Lewis Turner Nathan Turner Charlie Taylor Adam Clayton Tom Lees Aidan White All players who might break into the first team over the next couple of seasons. Can't say I've seen the top four from that list play ever but they seem to be rated by Leeds fans on other forums. Don't think any of them have the potential to be a Delph and spin that sort of money for Ken but it's more promising than it looked six months ago where it looked like our youth development was grinding to a halt. Let's hope this new fella in charge of the Academy instills the right sort of philosophy. And that Grayson actually gives these hungry young professionals a chance next season; sticking by the oldies till they get knackered is one of his bigger flaws.
Dont forget ALEX CAIRNS goal keeper ZAC THOMPSON m/f SANCHEZ PAYNE m/f JOE McCANN m/f ZAC was at Everton, had a good year with us, this lad can go far
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-whites-news/leeds_united_mk_dons_boss_heaps_praise_on_clayton_interview_1_3438374 Looks like Clayton could be playing more than a bit part this season, although whenever i've seen him play, i've not really thought much of him.
It's getting the youth and experience right. For me an old head in Centre Mid is crucial, i've always seen it as a position that needs at least one experienced player, look at Sgt Wilko's team in the old Division 2.
Definitely, would have been Bobby Collins in the Revie days as well. A hard man who can inspire or - if needs be - force the team to be successful. Howson, Kilkenny and Johnson was a naive midfield. By all means give lads like Clayton, White and Lees a chance but they need some decent rolemodels alongside.
I've never seen Clayton play much, only a few late sub appearances for us, but in YEP the MK Dons manager was raving about him. Whether he'll be good enough will be seen, but I just hope Grayson doesn't rest all his hopes on him, and fully replaces Bradley Johnson with a proven player. Tom Lees looks bright and I'd hope to see him in the first team ahead of Bruce, Bromby and O'Brien, none of whom impressed. Aidy White aswell should get more of a chance. Montey Gimpel seems very highly rated.
I'd like to see Jonny Howson take on the defensive midfielder role and see some of the young bloods come in a strut their stuff, much like in the days of Wilko. Happy to see Nuñez, Gradel and Snodgrass sittong in front of him in the attacking midfield role.along with one of the youngsters. If not, I'm confident Lloyd Sam has got what's required if he can stay free of injury.
You don't envisage us being completely skinned through the middle of the park if we relied on Howson to break up the opposition's play? He's anonymous enough in his attacking role at times, I can't imagine him destroying many opposition moves if he were played as a DM next season. Would lead to the same problem we had with Johnson and Kilkenny, lightweight players who can't win the ball and all too often lose it in crucial areas. I do like Howson's cutting through-balls from the deep positions where he punts it straight at the centre forward, e.g. at Old Trafford, but if we played him there, I think it would have to be in more of a playmaker/box-to-box role with someone next to him doing the graft.
Leeds seem to be linked with so good midfielders at the mo, it sounds as if we are actually willing to pay some money for a player, things are starting to look up.
Paul Hart's gone to Charlton as their Academy Director. Do we feel aggrieved that we could have got him instead of Chris Sulley, who's unproven in comparison and doesn't have the same links and experience with Thorp Arch as Hart?
Cracking Academy manager for us between 91 and 00 though, won us the Youth FA Cup twice and him and Wilkinson built the core of the O'Leary side. We appointed our new Academy Director two days before Hart took the doomed Swindon job, wish we'd convinced him to rejoin us and build a future for the club like he did with Sgt Wilko.
