So is this the year the DS start to get first team action?

[Dave the OAP]

I note that we are looking to sign this fleetwood town youngster and he is for the DS?

I have not seen any of the DS people coming through that I can remember and we all suggest we need to buy xyz players so are we suggesting that the DS squad is not filled with players that are ready,

Harper springs to mind.

 

[Icy Gull]

No emergency loans this season? If that is correct we may be forced to chuck one or two in here or there?

 

[maltaseagull]

I note that we are looking to sign this fleetwood town youngster and he is for the DS?

I have not seen any of the DS people coming through that I can remember and we all suggest we need to buy xyz players so are we suggesting that the DS squad is not filled with players that are ready,

Harper springs to mind.

If CH thinks they are ready then yes. Otherwise no. But hope they are not all we have to strengthen the first team.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I have not seen any of the DS people coming through that I can remember.

You never noticed Ince or March?

 

[The Stout Yeoman]

If not hopefully they will get a good loan out somewhere to get some first team action for a season .....

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Dev Squad finished bottom of the league ( bottom division ) last year.

That suggests that they arn't exactly packed full of players ready for a championship promotion squad.

 

[JBizzle]

You never noticed Ince or March?

Do Dunk and JFC count?

 

[JBizzle]

Dev Squad finished bottom of the league ( bottom division ) last year.

That suggests that they arn't exactly packed full of players ready for a championship promotion squad.

I may be overstating it, having only seen the DS a handful of times last season, but whenever I've seen them play they really do look like kids and well out of their depth. The only exceptions were Goldson, Dallison, Harper (occasionally) and oddly Akindayini. The standard of strength and maturity needs to improve this season for them to make the step up.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I'd like to think so. It would b enice t think we can bring some of these players on now. The success of Goldson, who whilst not strictly DS was signed as a backup from a lower league side, gives me hope. Hopefully Forbes can do similarly well.

 

[Seagulltonian]

Goldson made the step-up from the DS Squad pretty quickly last season, when called upon.

Tyler Forbes will go into the DS Squad with some first-team experience, albeit at a lower level. So maybe some major improvements in the coming season

 

[chaileyjem]

I have not seen any of the DS people coming through that I can remember ...

In last 4-5 seasons...
Solly March (49 first team apps)
Jake Forster Caskey (66)
Connor Goldson (20)
Rohan Ince (72)

Tilley (still only 18), Walton, Rea have also made first team apps in last couple of years. admittedly not many. Tilley played for less than 60 seconds but it all counts !

 

[AZ Gull]

Dev Squad finished bottom of the league ( bottom division ) last year.

That suggests that they arn't exactly packed full of players ready for a championship promotion squad.

They actually finished next-to-bottom, above Wolves.

 

[Dave the OAP]

In last 4-5 seasons...
Solly March (49 first team apps)
Jake Forster Caskey (66)
Connor Goldson (20)
Rohan Ince (72)

Tilley (still only 18), Walton, Rea have also made first team apps in last couple of years. admittedly not many. Tilley played for less than 60 seconds but it all counts !

Well that is fine then. We have nothing to worry about if we don't sign anyone else.

 

[Easy 10]

Goldson made the step-up from the DS Squad pretty quickly last season, when called upon.

Goldson was not a product of our DS though. He'd already played over a hundred games for Shrewsbury and captained them, so was already "battle hardened". Playing competitive football in L2 week in, week out , is an ENTIRELY different proposition to playing for the stiffs alongside and against other academy kids.

He's still done brilliantly to make the transition to the Championship, but I wonder if any of our kids are really ready for that kind of step-up yet. As someone else mentioned, they might be best getting loaned out for a proper bit of thud and blunder in the noddy leagues first.

 

[chaileyjem]

Well that is fine then. We have nothing to worry about if we don't sign anyone else.

I've no idea if its fine or not. But have players graduated from the DS to the first team in the last 5 seasons ? (you said you couldn't remember *any*) Yes they have.

 

[Easy 10]

I'm still waiting for the day we actually produce a striker from the DS capable of playing League football to a decent standard. Its never happened in my lifetime

 

[chaileyjem]

Goldson was not a product of our DS though. He'd already played over a hundred games for Shrewsbury and captained them, so was already "battle hardened". Playing competitive football in L2 week in, week out , is an ENTIRELY different proposition to playing for the stiffs alongside and against other academy kids.

He's still done brilliantly to make the transition to the Championship, but I wonder if any of our kids are really ready for that kind of step-up yet. As someone else mentioned, they might be best getting loaned out for a proper bit of thud and blunder in the noddy leagues first.

Like Tom Dallison (loans to Dartford/Crawley), Hornby-Forbes (Fleetwood first team), Joe Ward (Chelmsford FT), Ayunga (Dorchester FT), and presumably hambo (finnish Div 1), Bjordal (Norway Div 1) etc etc.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I've no idea if its fine or not. But have players graduated from the DS to the first team in the last 5 seasons ? (you said you couldn't remember *any*) Yes they have.

Thanks for pointing that out. We can always rely on you. You are my favourite poster on here by far.

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

I'm still waiting for the day we actually produce a striker from the DS capable of playing League football to a decent standard. Its never happened in my lifetime

It's frustrating that we've never produced a decent goal scorer,be great to one day see an Albion youngster bang in a hatful at a high level.
I've seen Jordan Maguire Drew a few times for Worthing and he looks good,it would be nice to see him progress.

 

[AZ Gull]

I'm still waiting for the day we actually produce a striker from the DS capable of playing League football to a decent standard. Its never happened in my lifetime

I don't know how old you are Easy, but Kevin Russell was a product of our youth system in the early eighties before being released due to the club's financial problems.