Player of the Month

[Andrewlang]

Even then he almost certainly benefitted from his loan at St Ives.

Everybody's pathway is going to be different, partly due to position and how heavily rotated it is throughout the season. Right back isn't heavily rotated, attacking midfield is.

Really delighted for him to win POM, His pace and quality on the ball was never going to be an issue but I thought he might be a bit too slight to make a breakthrough this season. Uses his body really against much bigger opposition and has great movement in front of goal as the sheer weight of chances he's had this season's suggests.

I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops. One of footballs pleasures is watching some kid from the youth team absolutely smash it...whatever the level, I'm loving Ben Worman enjoying his time at Gateshead for example.

Andrew

[Funky Monk]

They're smashing it and all, top of the league. Hope it's not in vain this time round.

Maybe we could see about loaning them Njoku...

[martinjohn]

Sept 10, 2024 18:46:17 GMT Tom Shaw's Fist of Rage said:

Don't understand your digs at Bonner. The process worked for Darling and Bennett, and the foundations were established for Jobe. Njoku is being handled in a similar way to those players were with a gradual introduction so don't see a grand change in plan even if Barton has bucked the trend by bursting onto the scene.

It's valid to say that Bonner didn't give the young players much of a chance. He favoured older players with more experience. Harris seemed to be the same in his short spell with us.

Bonner was an incredible manager for us and much of our progress as a club is down to him. But he was also fallible.

[milesfenton]

Simper and Worman both became first team players under Bonner and McConnell was breaking into it. Can add Lennett and Okedina as well if you're not strictly talking academy players.

More would always be nice and I'm loving Barton's emergence, but to say youth weren't given much chance doesn't seem quite right to me either.

[Tom Shaw's Fist of Rage]

No issue with your opinion that he preferred experience option, I wouldn't disagree with that even with the exceptions above.

However this statement,
"If the consensus is keep him, then it looks like people are coming round to Monk's approach to young players compared with Bonner's (and Harris's). And that's a good thing"

That seems to suggest that Monk's approach is better. Think it's a bit early to say - as I said before Njoku is getting the odd minutes here and there and starts in the cup games so not a huge change in strategy. Barton has won POTM so a clear plus, but I'm fairly sure Bennett did after he was introduced so that method felt effective too & Darling got a lucrative move after 6 months.

[martinjohn]

Sept 11, 2024 7:52:52 GMT milesfenton said:

Simper and Worman both became first team players under Bonner and McConnell was breaking into it. Can add Lennett and Okedina as well if you're not strictly talking academy players.

More would always be nice and I'm loving Barton's emergence, but to say youth weren't given much chance doesn't seem quite right to me either.

I'm preferring Monk's approach of really giving the youth a chance. Bonner became very set in his ways and didn't vary things much in terms of positions and players - yes he played Simper and Worman but that's about it and even with those two he preferred them in the same positions. I don't know where Worman plays for Gateshead, but I thought he looked his best as an attacking midfielder. Although he played there a few times, Bonner preferred to have him as a defensive midfielder which didn't seem to work for him.

And as for Liam Bennett, don't know what Bonner was thinking loaning him out after 10 apps at League 1 level, several MoTM performances and clearly an obvious talent who was making a huge impact already. Yes Williams was player of the season that season, but that doesn't mean you decide to loan out a player who would have made a difference, even from the subs bench. 

[imp566]

Surely the point that is being missed here is that both Bonner and Monk gave opportunities to young players, but only when they considered they were ready to step up. A young player has to earn that right, not just in an eye-catching U18 Youth competition, but when on loan and training with the first-team squad. There is so much we don't see of a player's development, which doesn't place us well to judge.

But what I will say, is that when the young players have been introduced, they have all performed well enough for supporters to greet their welcome, not struggled and had us bemoaning our lack of younger talent. Is that pure luck? I would say no, it's down to the way the club has developed them and introduced them at the right time.

[hhabbin]

The big issue/challenge here is that Barton & Njoku will find it hard to get any meaningful game time this season.
The club now has 3 senior forward's, Lavery Loft & Nlundulu, presumably the idea is to start 2 and sub on the third at 60 minutes. That leaves either DB or BN as an unused sub and the other twiddling his thumbs in the stand.
It would seem very likely that one or both of the younger players will spend some time out on loan, to keep up match fitness if nothing else. Loans to the National League can be for 1 month at any time of the season.

[Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power]

Not so sure about that, I’ve no strong opinion either way on whether one or the other of them is best served by being guaranteed starts every week lower down, or staying here and getting whatever minutes their form deserves. However if we’re going to play two up front regularly, we want four strikers in the squad not three. As far as I’m aware El Barto hasn’t been playing as a striker either.

[badders12]

Sept 13, 2024 3:15:15 GMT hhabbin said:

The big issue/challenge here is that Barton & Njoku will find it hard to get any meaningful game time this season.
The club now has 3 senior forward's, Lavery Loft & Nlundulu, presumably the idea is to start 2 and sub on the third at 60 minutes. That leaves either DB or BN as an unused sub and the other twiddling his thumbs in the stand.
It would seem very likely that one or both of the younger players will spend some time out on loan, to keep up match fitness if nothing else. Loans to the National League can be for 1 month at any time of the season.

Our injury prone team will still them opportunities to play 

[pgtips (lurid)]

Sept 10, 2024 18:46:17 GMT Tom Shaw's Fist of Rage said:

Don't understand your digs at Bonner. The process worked for Darling and Bennett, and the foundations were established for Jobe. Njoku is being handled in a similar way to those players were with a gradual introduction so don't see a grand change in plan even if Barton has bucked the trend by bursting onto the scene.

Did you have to say bursting?

[duxfordbob]

I loved Bonner but he told Simper and Worman if the experienced players were available he was always going to go for experience over energy. I doubt Barton would have got the first team experience he has had already under the old Bonner. Guess hie did not want league status in the hands of boys. I imagine his experience is greater now and hope we see him at the Abbey again and not in the opposition dug out.

[Dylan]

Oct 1, 2024 7:56:40 GMT duxfordbob said:

I loved Bonner but he told Simper and Worman if the experienced players were available he was always going to go for experience over energy. I doubt Barton would have got the first team experience he has had already under the old Bonner. Guess hie did not want league status in the hands of boys. I imagine his experience is greater now and hope we see him at the Abbey again and not in the opposition dug out.

There's also the issue that, as time has shown, neither Simper or Worman were actually L1 level?

[Tom Shaw's Fist of Rage]

What did he say to Harry Darling and Liam Bennett?

[Funky Monk]

Oct 1, 2024 8:16:18 GMT Tom Shaw's Fist of Rage said:

What did he say to Harry Darling and Liam Bennett?

"You're gonna feel silly when you're in the Conference south and Conor Masterson wins a trophy"

"Have fun in the Black Country, you little rubbish!"