U21 v ipswich

[GingerBeerMan]

Barker hasn't been given the chance. Simple as that. Whilst we've chased the dream, we have abandoned our young players. Even this season we chose to sign Lita rather than play him. We chose to sign Conway to prevent playing March or Dickensen. Which is a lame policy in my opinion.

So you'd be happy with Ince, JFC, March and/or Dickinson in the starting 11 of our Championship squad which is aiming for a play off spot? I certainly wouldn't be. We needed cover for our wingers and Conway was a suitable loanee. Stop trying to make a scene out of a non-story, Barker clearly doesn't fit in with the system at this level or he'd have had his chance.

 

[albion534]

If they're good enough , they'll play, Barker prob isn't good enough

 

[BigGully]

What do you expect? To get up to standard he needs the chance to play and develop, you can only improve so much sitting around watching, and playing non-competitive kickabouts with players similarly plodding about not being played because it is the safe option not to.

Also, you mention "other young players start regularly". Two, JFC and Ince. Because we have an insistence on playing 3 central midfielders (ironically to the detriment of Barker and probably Barjes and Lita too), they have had to plug gaps as they have appeared. The signing of Keith Andrews after Kemy Agustien was meant to block them both, but sadly both experienced players were injured at the same time as Bridcutt and boom, no choice but to play both. Otherwise, Ince isn't in the squad. JFC has made himself untouchable on this form. Good things do come from being forced to play players you didn't mean to.

Simon Mignolet at Sunderland for example. Look it up, there is an interview where Steve Bruce specifically said he was third choice. But two injuries (Craig Gordon being one of them) meant he played. And kept the shirt until Liverpool bought him.

There are some really valid points in here, for youngsters to get the opportunity there does need a specific club policy or luck or preferably both.

I am not saying that we do not have such a policy, but football beyond the Messi's, Maradonna's and Rooney's is a game where decisions are made within a very similar talent pool, especially when considering whether to blood a young player, so opportunity is key, no matter how it comes about.

 

[IfieldBlue]

It is a fixture, so there is no need to be sorry.

A strong squad for Ipswich, according to their Twitter feed. I recognise a few names...

U21S: Loach, Hewitt, Wearen, Clarke, Timlin, Veseli, Berkane, Wordsworth, Hunt, Doherty, Lee #ITFC

Loach and Hewitt are the only ones really knocking on the door of the first team at present..

 

[Mellotron]

This season the pressure is off. Nobody expects anything at all.

Can't agree fully. Both Tony and Oscar still expect playoffs, and it's a very attainable goal. If the players show signs of being good enough, they'll get in.