In with the young and out with the old?

Leeds United news here, transfer rumours, club affairs, players, fans, etc.
Specific match discussions should go in the category below.
User avatar
Aces
Don Revie's bingo caller
Posts: 6415
Joined: 04 Jun 2013, 19:10

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by Aces »

Bogdan wrote:
Aces wrote:Just wondering what everyone thinks about keeping the youngsters in with Hunt and Diouf missing, is this the way to go? Young fit eager and able players with the older players on the bench for when we need them? They sure looked good today, or am I getting carried away?
Of course you're getting carried away (only a bit). :)

For me, it's not a black or white issue, there's no "banking on the youth" direction to take to the detriment of another category of any kind. As Sheepy put it, if they're good enough, they should play, regardless, and that's just what we saw with Byram last year and what we're seeing with Mowatt this year.

"Young, fit and eager" doesn't work without the (very) "able" bit at the end, and I'm sure that's the mindset McDermott is applying. Mowatt will make mistakes at some point, or he might need resting, an older player not showing the same perceived drive doesn't mean he'll always be less worthy of playing than a youngster in the same position.

It bodes well for the future, so we just need to make sure we hang on to these youngsters and give them just the right amount of game time that makes them develop year on year.
Man city were rumoured to be putting in a sizeable offer for Byram, do you think we will sell him if a team offers £5 million for him? I think we will sell him and then we are no further forward IMO. Is it possible at all to keep hold of our better players? We are a selling club and have been for quite awhile. I hope our new owners back BMD and let him build a team not only to get us out of this league, but to keep us up.
We are Leeds, we have to believe our new players are good enough, encourage and support them and help them grow in to a team to be reckoned with. MoT
User avatar
SiMamu
LUFCTALK Moderator
Posts: 10996
Joined: 27 Mar 2012, 14:07

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by SiMamu »

£5M? Double that and we'll talk.
"A man with new ideas is a madman. Until his ideas triumph."
isrodger
Howard Wilkinson's military attaché
Posts: 4177
Joined: 25 May 2009, 09:57

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by isrodger »

For me the side against brum is the basis of our team for next season. Add to those Diouf, peltier and poleon & the kids, and probably brown & that would be my first team squad week in week out. I woud quite happily discard the rest, they may well contribute but they have no long term future at the club. Clearly we wont be able to get shut of them all, but to get them off the wage bill, I would probably give them all frees, including the eternal conundrum white.
User avatar
SMorientes
Dick Ray's Talent Spotter
Posts: 1845
Joined: 16 May 2011, 14:51
Location: Armley

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by SMorientes »

Bogdan wrote:Mowatt will make mistakes at some point,
He already is making some mistakes but he's getting away with them and his general class in other areas is making up for it. He's made - but got away with - two two-footed tackles in his few appearances for the club, including one quite early on in the game yesterday, which didn't make contact with their player and wasn't even blown as a foul, but it was a risk and if he'd been sent off 15 minutes in at 0-0 it may have been a very different game. That is something for him to watch, but I think experience is the main thing that will help him with that and the way to give him experience is give him chances and keep him playing.
There was also his poor clearance from our own goal line straight to a Birmingham player at the top of the box, which again he got away with. But then, even if they had scored (Byram did something similar against Cardiff last year but they scored and we lost, but it didn't make us lose faith in him) I'm not sure it would've changed how much quality we all see in him and how obviously he deserves his starting spot.

As it goes, I thought Murphy was really good yesterday as well. His performance was a little understated because he was playing deep but he looked very in control and worked the partnership with Mowatt really well. The best thing to see for me was how those two seemed to understand each other and to actually move for one another off the ball to create and find space. Great to see and great that they've clearly worked so hard and productively over the two weeks. Credit to McDermott, he's obviously worked out how to get the best out of these players.
"Whenever people agree with me, I always feel I must be wrong."
User avatar
Aces
Don Revie's bingo caller
Posts: 6415
Joined: 04 Jun 2013, 19:10

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by Aces »

I think with Smith, him being a huge player, he will lack the usual skill, mobility and fitness of a smaller player say around the 6 foot mark, but the fitter, stronger and more experienced he gets should see him becoming a formidable weapon in our attack, especially in this league where at times this direct approach is needed to get a result. I really like him.
We are Leeds, we have to believe our new players are good enough, encourage and support them and help them grow in to a team to be reckoned with. MoT
User avatar
SMorientes
Dick Ray's Talent Spotter
Posts: 1845
Joined: 16 May 2011, 14:51
Location: Armley

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by SMorientes »

Aces wrote:I think with Smith, him being a huge player, he will lack the usual skill, mobility and fitness of a smaller player say around the 6 foot mark, but the fitter, stronger and more experienced he gets should see him becoming a formidable weapon in our attack, especially in this league where at times this direct approach is needed to get a result. I really like him.
Not sure it's fair to say he lacks mobility or fitness. I thought he got about the pitch really well yesterday, didn't seem to tire too much either. Sure he doesn't have the tricks and skills of a little winger but he doesn't need them, he has composure and seems able on the ball, certainly enough to hold it up and move it on and bring people in to the attack.

His finish when he was offside alongside the finish to his first goal show that he has great goal-scoring potential with his feet as well as his head. Able to really blast it past the keeper, but also to place the ball and curl it into the right spot when required - and as mentioned elsewhere - the brains to decide which option to take.
I thought from pre-season he looked like he had the class to score goals for us so I put him straight in my fantasy team but had to drop him when he wasn't getting opportunities. Lets hope he keeps up yesterday's form and I can pick him again!
"Whenever people agree with me, I always feel I must be wrong."
User avatar
jjrgreeney
David O'Leary's baby-sitter
Posts: 764
Joined: 15 Jan 2013, 14:45

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by jjrgreeney »

I think we have really good foundations for a strong squad with the young lads coming through, Lees, Mowatt, Byram in particular coming from the academy its nice to have a bit of identity back in the squad but from players who are good enough to be in there.

completely agree with all the comments though if you are good enough you are old enough and we shouldnt be playing youngsters just for the sake of it.
Football is my religion and Elland Road is my church.
User avatar
SMorientes
Dick Ray's Talent Spotter
Posts: 1845
Joined: 16 May 2011, 14:51
Location: Armley

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by SMorientes »

I think by next season we may well have some more youngsters to get excited about as well, potentially being dawson and walters breaking into the first team. Certainly seems to be the way forward from here, credit to Redfearn et al.
"Whenever people agree with me, I always feel I must be wrong."
User avatar
jjrgreeney
David O'Leary's baby-sitter
Posts: 764
Joined: 15 Jan 2013, 14:45

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by jjrgreeney »

SMorientes wrote:I think by next season we may well have some more youngsters to get excited about as well, potentially being dawson and walters breaking into the first team. Certainly seems to be the way forward from here, credit to Redfearn et al.

Yeh i am hearing a lot of good noises about Walters and we all know Dawson has quality but as others have mentioned he did struggle a bit agaisnt derby i think it is more physicality than anything he just needs to bulk up abit and perhap smature his game all will come with age though!!
Football is my religion and Elland Road is my church.
User avatar
Aces
Don Revie's bingo caller
Posts: 6415
Joined: 04 Jun 2013, 19:10

Re: In with the young and out with the old?

Post by Aces »

SMorientes wrote:
Aces wrote:I think with Smith, him being a huge player, he will lack the usual skill, mobility and fitness of a smaller player say around the 6 foot mark, but the fitter, stronger and more experienced he gets should see him becoming a formidable weapon in our attack, especially in this league where at times this direct approach is needed to get a result. I really like him.
Not sure it's fair to say he lacks mobility or fitness. I thought he got about the pitch really well yesterday, didn't seem to tire too much either. Sure he doesn't have the tricks and skills of a little winger but he doesn't need them, he has composure and seems able on the ball, certainly enough to hold it up and move it on and bring people in to the attack.

His finish when he was offside alongside the finish to his first goal show that he has great goal-scoring potential with his feet as well as his head. Able to really blast it past the keeper, but also to place the ball and curl it into the right spot when required - and as mentioned elsewhere - the brains to decide which option to take.
I thought from pre-season he looked like he had the class to score goals for us so I put him straight in my fantasy team but had to drop him when he wasn't getting opportunities. Lets hope he keeps up yesterday's form and I can pick him again!
I was comparing him to an equivalent 6 foot player, who are more mobile and in general are faster and it's just his size, he's like Zigic, I think they aren't or don't look as fit, it's just my opinion. I'm singing his praises, I did after I watched him against Chesterfield, I think he can be a huge asset to us, especially in this division.
We are Leeds, we have to believe our new players are good enough, encourage and support them and help them grow in to a team to be reckoned with. MoT
Post Reply