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More than 3 times as many in half a season as he did in a season and a half at Argyle, but still only 7. Perhaps Hartlepool took the same approach as we did.
I think you know there's a wider point here though, and it's a pretty obvious one - young players get better the more games they play. Is that too hard to grasp...?
I feel like I'm repeating myself...actually, I'll just quote myself:
The likelihood was probably that Rooney wasn't good enough, but he had one chance in the Argyle team and played an absolute blinder. He couldn't even get 30 second cameos on the pitch after that, for reasons we don't know but most likely because Adams didn't rate him or didn't want to blood youngsters when we're chasing promotion.
The question that kicked the thread off though was "Why don't we have these youngsters coming through?" - well we did have Purrington, but I think it's a bit weird that there seems to be very little appetite on this board towards wanting youngsters to come through.
I think you know there's a wider point here though, and it's a pretty obvious one - young players get better the more games they play. Is that too hard to grasp...?
I feel like I'm repeating myself...actually, I'll just quote myself:
The likelihood was probably that Rooney wasn't good enough, but he had one chance in the Argyle team and played an absolute blinder. He couldn't even get 30 second cameos on the pitch after that, for reasons we don't know but most likely because Adams didn't rate him or didn't want to blood youngsters when we're chasing promotion.
The question that kicked the thread off though was "Why don't we have these youngsters coming through?" - well we did have Purrington, but I think it's a bit weird that there seems to be very little appetite on this board towards wanting youngsters to come through.
I'm not sure how many lads from Plymouth or what we might like to consider our catchment area, but I know from theirs in our set up we have Mike Cooper and Tom Purrington, recently we have had: Ben Steer, Fletcher from Newton Abbot and Ben Purrington that's just off the top of my head but then this is a hangover as when most of them joined we would have still been in the second tier and Exeter were non league or basement division. It wouldn't surprise me if we find we aren't producing at all and find loads of Plymouth lads coming through at Exeter because if you had the choice of both, looking at the recent success rates you would be mental to be put your son in at Argyle and not Exeter.
I'm not a big believer in administration robbing of us of people who would now be in our first team. I think administration saved half a dozen or so from ending up in the Southern Premier or Truro. I certainly don't think they would have flourished under Sheridan and I think if they had of managed to slug it out like Ben did then they too would have been off as soon as something better came along.
As to Nicks point about the City lot aren't local, I've just googled the ones I know off the top of my head: Pym (Exeter,) Moore- Taylor (Exeter) Watkins (Newton Abbot) Grimes (Exeter) I don't follow their squad that closely but who do they have in their team from their set up who wasn't born local to them? I think it a complete cop out to list Nelson and McCormick my self they weren't in our setup for very long at all. As for Trigger, he joined 30 years ago, made his debut 27 years ago and played his last game 11 years ago! hardly a recent example, Bentley, Rose and Fletcher would have only been seven when he retired!
The youth teams have been pretty successful and often beaten Exeter and finished above them (I know they done the double over us this season but its not like its all been one way traffic.) We have been signing players out of the academy so the set up is fine. It is the will of first team management. Whilst what happened to the Steer/C Harvey/ Miller year is in my view scandalous, I do think there is hope now we've seen three taken on full pros, all extremely talented two having already being given their debuts by Adams, these are his kids now, he has overseen their whole process from start to finish, these aren't Sheridan's or Fletcher's or Reid's they are his. He has taken a further three on what I believe to much improved Ts and Cs to last seasons development contracts. I have been critical in the past of him on this issue but I'm prepared to pipe down until Christmas and see where those six are then and what we do with Sam Ryan.
I'm not a big believer in administration robbing of us of people who would now be in our first team. I think administration saved half a dozen or so from ending up in the Southern Premier or Truro. I certainly don't think they would have flourished under Sheridan and I think if they had of managed to slug it out like Ben did then they too would have been off as soon as something better came along.
As to Nicks point about the City lot aren't local, I've just googled the ones I know off the top of my head: Pym (Exeter,) Moore- Taylor (Exeter) Watkins (Newton Abbot) Grimes (Exeter) I don't follow their squad that closely but who do they have in their team from their set up who wasn't born local to them? I think it a complete cop out to list Nelson and McCormick my self they weren't in our setup for very long at all. As for Trigger, he joined 30 years ago, made his debut 27 years ago and played his last game 11 years ago! hardly a recent example, Bentley, Rose and Fletcher would have only been seven when he retired!
The youth teams have been pretty successful and often beaten Exeter and finished above them (I know they done the double over us this season but its not like its all been one way traffic.) We have been signing players out of the academy so the set up is fine. It is the will of first team management. Whilst what happened to the Steer/C Harvey/ Miller year is in my view scandalous, I do think there is hope now we've seen three taken on full pros, all extremely talented two having already being given their debuts by Adams, these are his kids now, he has overseen their whole process from start to finish, these aren't Sheridan's or Fletcher's or Reid's they are his. He has taken a further three on what I believe to much improved Ts and Cs to last seasons development contracts. I have been critical in the past of him on this issue but I'm prepared to pipe down until Christmas and see where those six are then and what we do with Sam Ryan.
MarkMatthews":jz496kze said:
Whether it would surprise you or not is irrelevant if you're only surmising!
The main difference is that Argyle do not have the impetus to rely on 16 year old children whereas for Exeter it is a need to. They obviously have better salesmen than we have because they have the better academy. Whilst there's no use in claiming otherwise we can only hope that DA has now seen enough of players like Sangster and Battle and whoever to give them a bite of the cherry. Whether they then make the most of this opportunity is in their hands.
Incidentally, does anyone have the figures for absolutely new pro footballers in this country to know how many young players have gone on to get a contract at their club and again, how many players go on to have successful careers in football. For some, earning £500 a week playing non-league football might be considered a success whereas for others it wouldn't be and nothing less than £500000 a week is their measure.
I think the point is if they're good enough they'll play. Rooney for instance played more games for Truro than he did for Argyle or Hartlepool even when they were in a relegation battle. I think that says all you need to know. And what is it with trying to belittle our club and management team all the time. We've always had crap facilities we all know that. At least the current board and management are slowly addressing that.
Andy Holland":183qhjed said:
Andy , I and I would suspect many others on these forums , would be delighted to see youngsters who come through our Academy ( whether they are local lads or from further afield ) break into our first team and make names for themselves . I also have faith that our current manager will give our youngsters opportunities if he feels that they are capable of stepping up to first team level . Hopefully , this season , some if not all of our first year professionals or pro development lads will show the ability and determination required to make a breakthrough and impress DA sufficiently to get those opportunities .
Hartlepool didn't play him because they were in a relegation battle.Kentishgreen":37apexfo said:
Of the younger loanees they bought in, no. Joe Fryer the only they did and he was given his break and only managed to keep his spot due to injuries.Kentishgreen":2rzjggm6 said:
They did have an 18 year old, Devante Rodney, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win against Doncaster in the last game of the season. He was signed from Sheffield Wednesday in January and that was only his 4th game and his 1st goals as a pro. From my recollection, watching on Sky, they were 2 good goals.Kentishgreen":1g98jp5z said:
Unfortunately for Hartlepool, they were still relegated.
Reminded me of Louis Rooney in the last game of the previous season against Hartlepool.