WILL JAY SPEARING MAKE THE GRADE AT LIVERPOOL

[Moschops II]

Originally Posted by Trucker Paddy

Not a chance under Rafa, whatever way you want to look at it Rafa does'nt give youngsters a chance.

Apart from Potter, Warnock, Welsh and Mellor, spot on.

[Cardie]

Originally Posted by G Richards

The odds are stacked against him. A change in policy will see some of the youngsters have a better opportunity.

I'd love to see 16 or so top players who could all play in the first team with no real drop in quality. It's the whole quantity over quality thing, and that's the way we need to go if we want to win the league.

The rest of the first team squad places will be taken up with the kids who show most promise. Spearing would be in that category, and he'd be well worth a spot in the first team squad on that sort of basis. Who knows, if he continued to progress, he might even get into the golden 16 player group.

At the moment the squad is too big and there are too many players who are decent but not world-beaters. I'd much rather sell 2-3 of these decent players to help fund one world class player, and make up the numbers from the youngsters.

Madrid thought that was the way forward as well, they were wrong.

[G Richards]

Originally Posted by Cardie

Madrid thought that was the way forward as well, they were wrong.

If my point is taken to its extreme, then perhaps.

But I'm not arguing for Galacticos. I'm arguing for better quality and less quantity. Coupled with this I'm also arguing for some 'vacancies' to be created for the younger players.

[Rex Banner]

Originally Posted by Trucker Paddy

Not a chance under Rafa, whatever way you want to look at it Rafa does'nt give youngsters a chance.

he doesn't give youngsters who aren't good enough a chance, which is most of them.
Look at what the youngsters of recent years have gone on to do most of them have done nothing to deserve a place in a top team like Liverpool.

[Cardie]

Originally Posted by G Richards

If my point is taken to its extreme, then perhaps.

But I'm not arguing for Galacticos. I'm arguing for better quality and less quantity. Coupled with this I'm also arguing for some 'vacancies' to be created for the younger players.

It's no different to the Zidanes and Pavons policy of a small squad of very good players and the holes filled by youth players.

I'm not overly keen on seeing a generation of young players destroyed and dragged off the pitch crying because they've been played in games that are out of their depth like happened in Madrid.

It's no coincidence that the scrapping of this policy has seen an upturn in Madrids fortune with young players only playing if they are good enough to be called up (like Miguel Torres) rather than because their are no other options.

[Unrighteous]

Originally Posted by G Richards

If my point is taken to its extreme, then perhaps.

But I'm not arguing for Galacticos. I'm arguing for better quality and less quantity. Coupled with this I'm also arguing for some 'vacancies' to be created for the younger players.

I agree with this... really. It'll be the best of both Worlds. We are showing quality in our reserves and youth squads and they can only improve with pitch time against higher quality of players.

Loans work untill they are around 18-20 depending on skill level and then they are prem quality or they aren't sell them or play them.

If that means screwing off a few nothing special players then I'm fine with that.

We buy quality left back? Get rid of Riise and Aurelio and bring Insua up.

Drop Kewell, drop a striker, and buy a quality Left Wing and let Babel pick up the slack? That works.

Drop another striker, buy a quality one... give Nemeth time in the Carling Cup/early FA cup rounds. That works.

Give Stephen Darby a bit of pitch time because Finnan is losing his game rapidly... Let us see if he's Liverpool quality.

If not? Buy a quality Right back and let Arbeloa back him up.

[Cardie]

Originally Posted by Unrighteous

I agree with this... really. It'll be the best of both Worlds. We are showing quality in our reserves and youth squads and they can only improve with pitch time against higher quality of players.

Loans work untill they are around 18-20 depending on skill level and then they are prem quality or they aren't sell them or play them.

If that means screwing off a few nothing special players then I'm fine with that.

We buy quality left back? Get rid of Riise and Aurelio and bring Insua up.

Drop Kewell, drop a striker, and buy a quality Left Wing and let Babel pick up the slack? That works.

Drop another striker, buy a quality one... give Nemeth time in the Carling Cup/early FA cup rounds. That works.

Give Stephen Darby a bit of pitch time because Finnan is losing his game rapidly... Let us see if he's Liverpool quality.

If not? Buy a quality Right back and let Arbeloa back him up.

The theory is great, I have no problem with the theory but in practice?

Are we patient enough to experiment with various young players on the off chance they might be good enough, are people willing to sacrifice another season or two without a challenge just to see if Darby or Spearing or Nemeth are good enough to step up?

I don't think so, very few top clubs operate like that for a reason.

[Remington]

Me too thinks the so called "squad players" should be sold and replaced with quality youngsters. Big money on big players, nothing else. It will pay of.

[JustTosh]

Give it a couple of years. After Hicks has made a fubar of us, Jay Spearing will be a first team player. He might even be captain of the mid-table team in 1st division 2010, Liverpool FC.

[benolad]

I'd love to see him threw in there with Gerrard in a massive game like the derby or something, thats a baptism of fire and a half, if he carried himself well in a game of that pressure you'd know the kid can make it. Unfortunately Rafa never tries things like that, and for valid reasons of course, still be good to see though.

[rebel23]

Originally Posted by Cardie

The theory is great, I have no problem with the theory but in practice?

Are we patient enough to experiment with various young players on the off chance they might be good enough, are people willing to sacrifice another season or two without a challenge just to see if Darby or Spearing or Nemeth are good enough to step up?

I don't think so, very few top clubs operate like that for a reason.

if we're going to scrape 3rd or 4th the least we can do is play and involve young players and try and build players for the future so maybe one day we can be fantastic

[Cardie]

Originally Posted by rebel23

if we're going to scrape 3rd or 4th the least we can do is play and involve young players and try and build players for the future so maybe one day we can be fantastic

The Policy is to buy lot's of expensive players in their early 20's not develop our own, stop messing with the policy.

[dalglish2rush]

i think the boy can make the grade in the prem,i would have played him today against city,a lot of people have been impressed with plessis and rightly so,but i think the lad spearing is twice as good as plessis,his passing and shooting are superb, the only thing against jay is his height,hes very small compared to most midfielders in the prem,but given his chance i think he could turn out to be a great player for us in a few years.

[Crazyhorse7778]

I'd have Plessis ahead of him myself, but they are both good players.

[coop]

Jay is a great lad and i would love to see him succeed at Liverpool.

To do this he may have to try his hand at right back, a position i think he could be very good at as he has the power and stamina to get up and down and he has the tackling ability. He is also one of the best crossers of the ball at the club.

[NIGLIV]

Originally Posted by coop

Jay is a great lad and i would love to see him succeed at Liverpool.

To do this he may have to try his hand at right back, a position i think he could be very good at as he has the power and stamina to get up and down and he has the tackling ability. He is also one of the best crossers of the ball at the club.