Sadddle up for a Midland gallop. Away to Walsall, Sat Nov 2nd 3-0'clock.

[MattySlug]

GoodLuck against WALSALL
it’s not broadcast down here in Australia sadly so it’ll be good to win to hopefully get a Round 2 Broadcast
If i am awake at 2am I’ll have it on TalkSPORT hopefully they have updates to non tv broadcasts

[boltonboris]

Yeah look maybe Conway has developed massively since being on loan and/or circumstances never conspired for him to get cup minutes when he was here.

I just seem to recall plenty of cup fixtures in recent years when our first team has been injury riddled, yet Evatt hasn’t used the youths.

Yeah, this has been a frustrating sight at times. We've got a B-team ready to go to support the first team and we've got a youth team ready to produce and yet barely a sniff of reserve teamers making the step up.

Even when we've had a bench containing players they've barely got a look in.

Evatt prioritizes winning, but when we're playing pointless fixtures (games like the FLT after we've already qualified out of the group) we should be looking to play youngsters.

May be being too kind here, but I still think the B team inception is too new to have expected players to be in and around the first team regularly. We had to start it 2-3 seasons ago from scratch, with basically just anyone to put a team out and then you have to add bits of quality at a time. Took Brentford around 5-6 years to see the rewards and that's because they were able to inject good money into it from the sales of existing first team players.

If our 15's & 18's are a decent level, that's the next phase of the B team and you should then be able to judge it properly in 2-3 years time. But it takes more investment than we're able to give it right now

[Mar]

Yeah look maybe Conway has developed massively since being on loan and/or circumstances never conspired for him to get cup minutes when he was here.

I just seem to recall plenty of cup fixtures in recent years when our first team has been injury riddled, yet Evatt hasn’t used the youths.

Yeah, this has been a frustrating sight at times. We've got a B-team ready to go to support the first team and we've got a youth team ready to produce and yet barely a sniff of reserve teamers making the step up.

Even when we've had a bench containing players they've barely got a look in.

Evatt prioritizes winning, but when we're playing pointless fixtures (games like the FLT after we've already qualified out of the group) we should be looking to play youngsters.

May be being too kind here, but I still think the B team inception is too new to have expected players to be in and around the first team regularly. We had to start it 2-3 seasons ago from scratch, with basically just anyone to put a team out and then you have to add bits of quality at a time. Took Brentford around 5-6 years to see the rewards and that's because they were able to inject good money into it from the sales of existing first team players.

If our 15's & 18's are a decent level, that's the next phase of the B team and you should then be able to judge it properly in 2-3 years time. But it takes more investment than we're able to give it right now

I think you're right saying it's early doors, but I also think that sacrifices have to be made in order for us to progress with the B-team and youth prospects. At the minute, any potential player is likely to look at our setup and see that we're behind the curve (albeit with progress being made) and that any playing time is restricted due to Evatt favouring first teamers in cup games.

We could've played some of our youth players and made it harder for ourselves in the cup games, with a view to giving a clearer pathway towards progression. Thomason, Senior, Darcy, all got given a chance due to our situation at the time, Thomason being the stand out exception. Without that pathway, we're not going to unlock another Thomason.

[TANGODANCER]

We could've played some of our youth players and made it harder for ourselves in the cup games, with a view to giving a clearer pathway towards progression. Thomason, Senior, Darcy, all got given a chance due to our situation at the time, Thomason being the stand out exception. Without that pathway, we're not going to unlock another Thomason.
[/quote]

A good fifty percent "for me" of Thomason's game is his commitment and effort. He's a real engine in the middlle plus his skill and willingness to get at the opposition, makes him a bit priceless. You don't get Thomos in cornflake packets.

[boltonboris]

Yeah look maybe Conway has developed massively since being on loan and/or circumstances never conspired for him to get cup minutes when he was here.

I just seem to recall plenty of cup fixtures in recent years when our first team has been injury riddled, yet Evatt hasn’t used the youths.

Yeah, this has been a frustrating sight at times. We've got a B-team ready to go to support the first team and we've got a youth team ready to produce and yet barely a sniff of reserve teamers making the step up.

Even when we've had a bench containing players they've barely got a look in.

Evatt prioritizes winning, but when we're playing pointless fixtures (games like the FLT after we've already qualified out of the group) we should be looking to play youngsters.

May be being too kind here, but I still think the B team inception is too new to have expected players to be in and around the first team regularly. We had to start it 2-3 seasons ago from scratch, with basically just anyone to put a team out and then you have to add bits of quality at a time. Took Brentford around 5-6 years to see the rewards and that's because they were able to inject good money into it from the sales of existing first team players.

If our 15's & 18's are a decent level, that's the next phase of the B team and you should then be able to judge it properly in 2-3 years time. But it takes more investment than we're able to give it right now

I think you're right saying it's early doors, but I also think that sacrifices have to be made in order for us to progress with the B-team and youth prospects. At the minute, any potential player is likely to look at our setup and see that we're behind the curve (albeit with progress being made) and that any playing time is restricted due to Evatt favouring first teamers in cup games.

We could've played some of our youth players and made it harder for ourselves in the cup games, with a view to giving a clearer pathway towards progression. Thomason, Senior, Darcy, all got given a chance due to our situation at the time, Thomason being the stand out exception. Without that pathway, we're not going to unlock another Thomason.

I agree that we do need to show a pathway to attract the talent, but I suppose we don't just want to be handing out opportunities without them being absolutely merited

[Mar]

A good fifty percent "for me" of Thomason's game is his commitment and effort. He's a real engine in the middlle plus his skill and willingness to get at the opposition, makes him a bit priceless. You don't get Thomos in cornflake packets.

No, but I suspect a lot of Thomason's rise into our first team was a result of him seeing the chance and then knowing that it could be fleeting unless he steps up his game.

At the minute, we're not supplying reserves with chances so they may feel disenchanted.

I agree that we do need to show a pathway to attract the talent, but I suppose we don't just want to be handing out opportunities without them being absolutely merited

Likewise, and I suspect Evatt probably shares this view, hence the reason for us playing so many first teamers in cup games. Big Sam seemingly did some of the opposite by just playing the youth to protect the main squad.

I'd hope we'd have one or two making the grade.

[The_Gun]

Will the couch be out this afternoon, Blu? I’m guessing maybe the match won’t be broadcast anywhere.

[nicholaldo]

Evatt gets a free pass on not playing youngsters in my view.

Our Academy was never properly utilised prior to the financial difficulties and was practically destroyed when they hit. It takes years to re-establish reputations absent a huge cash injection, and the likelihood is our youth set-up won't bear fruit for quite a while yet.

Nevertheless, there are visible green shoots of recovery developing. Our brightest prospects are now attracting the attention of fourth tier clubs - whereas in the first years of Evatt's tenure they typically interested clubs no higher than the fifth or sixth tier - and our younger age groups now seem to be winning more consistently, albeit typically against the Academies of "smaller" clubs.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Pretty much as we expected, I think - personally I'd have considered Matheson for Schon (Randy going LWB) and I might have liked Sheehan to be protected. Three good strikers on the bench if we need them, Santos more to make up the numbers I suspect.

Sub Jack Dallimore is a goalkeeper - Hutch must be injured. He and all four of the other young uns on the bench (nine subs in the FA Cup) have already been subs this season; all bar Dallimore have even got on, if only for token injury-time minutes in the cases of Sharples-Ahmed and the very young Connor Lewis.

[The_Gun]

Not sure why he wouldn’t start Matheson, but hey ho.

[jmjhb]

Not sure why he wouldn’t start Matheson, but hey ho.

I expect we'll see him for a spell today.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Not sure why he wouldn’t start Matheson, but hey ho.

I expect we'll see him for a spell today.

As I've edited above, I would have. Seems it's never the right moment. If he doesn't start against Fleetwood then he maybe never will.

Must remember these oppos aren't shite, second in the league, so it's not a free hit. Guess he's balancing all that. Just that little Luke never seems to start.

If we can get comfortably in front, we should rest/de-risk Schon and give Luke half an hour. This is the sort of oppo he should be measured against really; I suspect we'd have liked a fourth-tier loan but none materialised. Unless Conway has overtaken the former million-pound man...

[Worthy4England]

Yeah look maybe Conway has developed massively since being on loan and/or circumstances never conspired for him to get cup minutes when he was here.

I just seem to recall plenty of cup fixtures in recent years when our first team has been injury riddled, yet Evatt hasn’t used the youths.

Yeah, this has been a frustrating sight at times. We've got a B-team ready to go to support the first team and we've got a youth team ready to produce and yet barely a sniff of reserve teamers making the step up.

Even when we've had a bench containing players they've barely got a look in.

Evatt prioritizes winning, but when we're playing pointless fixtures (games like the FLT after we've already qualified out of the group) we should be looking to play youngsters.

May be being too kind here, but I still think the B team inception is too new to have expected players to be in and around the first team regularly. We had to start it 2-3 seasons ago from scratch, with basically just anyone to put a team out and then you have to add bits of quality at a time. Took Brentford around 5-6 years to see the rewards and that's because they were able to inject good money into it from the sales of existing first team players.

If our 15's & 18's are a decent level, that's the next phase of the B team and you should then be able to judge it properly in 2-3 years time. But it takes more investment than we're able to give it right now

I think you're right saying it's early doors, but I also think that sacrifices have to be made in order for us to progress with the B-team and youth prospects. At the minute, any potential player is likely to look at our setup and see that we're behind the curve (albeit with progress being made) and that any playing time is restricted due to Evatt favouring first teamers in cup games.

We could've played some of our youth players and made it harder for ourselves in the cup games, with a view to giving a clearer pathway towards progression. Thomason, Senior, Darcy, all got given a chance due to our situation at the time, Thomason being the stand out exception. Without that pathway, we're not going to unlock another Thomason.

I could argue we have the same pathway for Conway as Thomason, in that, Thomason was bloodied in L2, the main difference being, he could do that with us, coz we were in it!

[Mar]

Don't mind the decision to keep Matheson benched here providing he comes off the bench as an impact sub. Can't see him filling the starting berth for us in league games so sub appearance might be his best outlet.

Randy at RWB seems like something that works but needs more time to make sure.

How do we have so many keepers unavailable? Getting a bit ridiculous this

[BWFC_Insane]

Don't mind the decision to keep Matheson benched here providing he comes off the bench as an impact sub. Can't see him filling the starting berth for us in league games so sub appearance might be his best outlet.

Randy at RWB seems like something that works but needs more time to make sure.

How do we have so many keepers unavailable? Getting a bit ridiculous this

If Matheson isn’t going to be playing for us. And we can’t even play him in cup games for example. Then what’s the point of paying his wages at all?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Iles thinks hutch might be cuptied or have been sent out on loan. If the latter, presumably Bax is back.

[Mar]

Don't mind the decision to keep Matheson benched here providing he comes off the bench as an impact sub. Can't see him filling the starting berth for us in league games so sub appearance might be his best outlet.

Randy at RWB seems like something that works but needs more time to make sure.

How do we have so many keepers unavailable? Getting a bit ridiculous this

If Matheson isn’t going to be playing for us. And we can’t even play him in cup games for example. Then what’s the point of paying his wages at all?

I would imagine that's part of thinking. Sort of a nod to say times up at the club. Although if the club are looking to get rid then I'm sure cup tying the player wouldn't help.

[officer_dibble]

Is Lewis Sharples-Ahmed one player or two?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Is Lewis Sharples-Ahmed one player or two?

Two: Connor Lewis and Sonny Sharples-Ahmed.

[Mar]

Sounds like we're second best here at the moment.

They're no walk over given they're flying high so far this season. Could do with getting a goal to unsettle them and peg them back in their own half.