Wabo

[AndyT]

Fair comments, Ayrshire. I think Freddy was in the Conference South with Grays, but I agree he had a very good record there.

I wasn't overly comparing Wabo and Freddy, but moreso Hutchinson and Freddy and more that trying someone young and new might just galvinise the crowd and the team a little. All seems a bit stale at the moment. Something new might just get a few people off their seats.

I remember when Wabo came on against Fleetwood. The place was as flat as anything but almost immediately he had a shot at goal and got the crowd going and shortly afterwards we scored.

Just something a bit fresher, rather than leaving a youngster the last 5 minutes of a match when most people are starting to leave the ground.

Nothing ventured and so on.

 

[Grapevine]

I’ve been quite vocal on here regarding younger players excelling at various levels and what’s relevent or not....I’ve also selected Hutchinson in my pre match selection once or twice....mainly because it suited a formation I quite like and it gave me a more interesting line up than the same old faces.....

However, we do need to be careful....these lads (Kelman / Hutchinson etc) are very young (17/18) and there is a huge step up in levels from 18s to 23s and bigger again from 23s to first team...

My bug bear has been and remains, that too many of clamour for the inclusion of these youngsters without ever really seeing them play and more importantly without really understanding or seeing the level they have been performing at....

Im fortunate to have seen a little more of the 18s/23s than most maybe and at those levels these players have performed well....maybe Isaac is a little more pertinent as 1st team is the next logical step from 23s and he has had minutes and inclusion in squads so I understand the clamour....however we need to be careful it doesn’t turn into a “Wabo” situation where we all call for him (or anyone else) to play without ever really seeing him or knowing much about him as a player....

Wabo and Ba are odd ones to me as they are a little older and imo if they were going to break through I’d expect them to be making that move by now....from what I’ve seen Ba has a little more aggression and strength but Wabo maybe more of a goal threat....Should they be in the bench? Could they impact the games? Again in my opinion both could possibly make an impact from the bench but personally my feeling is maybe not good enough to start...but again we can all argue that we don’t know this until we try.....

Kelman.....is just 17....he’s undoubtably a prospect but let him develop...I’m sure the staff have a well thought out process for him and I’d expect that to include more time for the 23s in the new year.....but so much happens to these kids between 17-21 it’s impossible to know what will happen.....

Isaac is maybe the closest one at the moment, but that could change.....a weeks a long time in football let alone a month or three....but for those who haven’t seen him play he’s actually an attacking midfield player...mainly central but I’ve also seen him play deeper and wide as a winger coming inside. He’s 6’2” but attacks from deep as opposed to in behind or up against centre backs.....

With all these lads I just hope if and when they get their chance we (as fans) are patient and allow them to make naive mistakes or lose physical battles for a while....as long as they are busting a gut to do well we have to support them...

Most of all let’s trust the staff to know when’s the right time to dip them in....I think we are very lucky with the type of staff we have in that respect....

 

[AndyT]

^
Good post, that.

My view remains that I'm not sure what we've got to lose. Of course, if Cox & Hopper were banging goals in then yes, these lads would have to wait their turn, but for them to be untried when we choose to play one or two others to me doesn't make a lot of sense now.

How will we really ever know if they will be good enough?

 

[Barling Magna]

Absolutely right AndyT. Give one or two of the lads a chance - we're losing regularly anyway so where's the harm?

 

[onceknownasrab]

I think Grapevine called it right but I also agree with AndyT. We don't know what they can add but as sure as eggs are eggs they can't do less than the loanee McCoulsky.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

You're back again, I see!

Have you got some sort of alert button when I post something?

Yeah, the new post button. Yours was the most recent

 

[AndyT]

Post deleted by AndyT

 

[onceknownasrab]

I'll stop short of starting a thread about it, but it's actually tiresome for those of us who want to come on here and generally have a chat in a relaxed style with a bit of banter.

Oh no it's not...! Well it is pantomime season.

 

[AndyT]

Post deleted by AndyT

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

This is Jason Williams all over again. It's incredibly naive to suggest playing people of unknown quality purely because you don't want others to start.

Granted there seems to be desperation and management insanity when Cox is upfront on his own repeating the error again and again without ever learning.

 

[Barling Magna]

Wabo has already played for the first team and looked impressive when I saw him so he's not really an unknown quantity.

 

[SeaSideDoughnut]

What does it give us to get behind please?

I was referring to Hutchinson in the most part so I'm a little off topic. It could be where I sit, but what do you hear around when Theo or McCoulsky comes on? I hear moans and groans to the tune of 'now we're really ****ed', and supporters question CP. Not that he has a great deal of choice. Now again, this could just be me but I think if a player was to come on deserves a chance in the majorities eyes it'll be naturally up lifting. Yes, we should be encouraging of all players but we know what we're going to get from Theo and McCoulsky most days and that's very little.

Yes, it's a wildcard and we shouldn't put too much [if any] expectation on it. But you never know.

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

Wabo has already played for the first team and looked impressive when I saw him so he's not really an unknown quantity.

He is. He hasn't had enough game time to be judged properly in the first team. James Lawson had a few good games but he didn't make the grade. I'd love for Wabo or any of the youth to come through but they are being judged on the level they are playing now and unless they are doing fantastic their there is no way they should be thrown in. As others have said Hutchinson does seem to be so certainly should get considered.

 

[Spenser]

He is. He hasn't had enough game time to be judged properly in the first team. James Lawson had a few good games but he didn't make the grade. I'd love for Wabo or any of the youth to come through but they are being judged on the level they are playing now and unless they are doing fantastic their there is no way they should be thrown in. As others have said Hutchinson does seem to be so certainly should get considered.

Quite. Wabo hasn't been able to get a start (or a goal) at Maidstone or Braintree this season.
They are currently the worst two teams in the National League.
If and when he scores some goals at this level we could consider whether he might do so in League 1. Right now, he appears nowhere near it.

 

[Chrisb]

Surely we should at least have them on the bench as an option and use them (I think the crowd would get behind them rather than the groans when Theo or McCoulsky come on) - we have nothing else at the moment - bigger teams have given young players a chance, Ryan Giggs and Marcus Rashford as examples.

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

That Braintree side is absolutely abysmal and they lost their only decent forward - Bettamer - to Barnet. If Wabo can’t get into it then it’s probably best for both parties if you cut your losses on him. Might be the sort of player that needs to drop divisions and find his feet before coming back stronger a la Aaron McLean/Ladapo/Bonne.

 

[Chapperz]

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/1...ited-after-loan-spell-at-braintree-town-ends/

Loan spell over. Can't see us keeping him at the end of the season.

 

[Grapevine]

I feel for this kid I really do. He’s had huge pressure heaped on him for what seems like ages now and an entire thread dedicated to him where he has had his attitude and popularity questioned!!!

From what I’ve seen he looks a talent and also looks to be very popular with his team mates...everyone has a different opinion on him and I get that but one indisputable fact is, whether it be with the first team or on loan he hasn’t had great opportunities....and opportunity is king in football.

You’d have to question some of the loan moves and how they were arranged and the stipulations in place for the duration of them....to me, going on loan needs to have some assurances of game time or what’s the point?

 

[Dubai]

I feel for this kid I really do. He’s had huge pressure heaped on him for what seems like ages now and an entire thread dedicated to him where he has had his attitude and popularity questioned!!!

From what I’ve seen he looks a talent and also looks to be very popular with his team mates...everyone has a different opinion on him and I get that but one indisputable fact is, whether it be with the first team or on loan he hasn’t had great opportunities....and opportunity is king in football.

You’d have to question some of the loan moves and how they were arranged and the stipulations in place for the duration of them....to me, going on loan needs to have some assurances of game time or what’s the point?

Works both ways though, imagine if we were forced to play Mcuseless until Jan?

 

[Barry.C]

Dru Yearwood is 18 years old, Elvis is twenty , both made it fairly quickly into the first team and maybe without so many loan out opportunities. This may suggest Norman isn't up to it, at least yet and maybe it's more difficult for a youngster to break through/ develop as a striker?