It's certainly clear that there is frustration creeping in after 4 straight defeats. Posters are questioning whether KJ is the right man and one or two are asking for him to be sacked.

Just hold your horses for a minute guys.

The reality is that we are not as good as some on here thought at the start of the season. Now that the euphoria has gone from our success last season, we now have to adjust to playing at a higher level this time around.

For whatever reason, we haven't strenghtened the squad with players better than those who got us promoted. Some of those who got us up are finding it harder to cope at this level. So what is the solution? KJ is also struggling to find a settled side and needs to find a plan B very soon.

If KJ is going to keep swapping the defence around then at least try Hause in stead of Ricketts who I feel shouldn't get another start. Stearman isn't the answer either imo.

I'm all for giving the right youngsters a chance to prove themselves and this is a good league to try it. Unfortunately no recent managers that I can think of have had the confidence to try them. When was the last time we played an 18 or 19 year old prospect? Why buy players for the future? Our policy seems to be, send 'em out on loan and let them get first team experience. If it were me, I'd keep them at the club and play them in the U21 squad. The U21 league has been improved and players will get plenty of playing time at that level and gain the experience of gelling together and playing the same style of football that's been introduced at the club.

This is how it's working out.

comment by Pundit /\_/\ (U16869)
posted 15 hours, 25 minutes ago
Ricketts is shot. He needs taking to the knackers yard

This is not the league for trying out youngsters. It's a hard, grind that requires experience and know-how to get promoted from.
We brought a few youngsters through last season (Batth, Price and LMac to name just 3) and they have all struggled in the Champo. They have struggled so much that Price and LMac were send back to L1.
Batth started well and has regressed.

When we send players out on loan, we regularly send them to Leagues1 and 2 to gain experience because The Championship is a step too far for them at this stage.

Hause, LMac, Ismail, Price abd Cassidy have all be sent to lower Leagues rather than to other Championship clubs to continue their development. That's not a coincidence.

I think Ricketts' form has given people no choice, it's been a surprise to most

Price hasn't failed in the championship, Kenny decided he wasn't big enough and he hasn't had a game.

And you won't find many clubs with loanees in the same division as themselves cyp, they tend to be loaned to gain experience, that generally means lower level.

Stearman is the answer right now, dropped after 3 poor games, where he was no more to blame than Batth. We didn't need drastic action, but Kenny made it so.

Something I else I think we lack is a strong leader right now, and I think Kenny has recognized this, hence Ricketts coming in, Batth was struggling a bit.

I think that players are loaned to leagues where they can perform and feel comfortable. Hence;

Doyle and Ward to the Prem and Champo.
Doumbia back to France
Siggy to Norway
Ismail, Price, LMac to L1.

As for Price, KJ doesn't think that The Championship is the place for him, hence leaving him on loan in L1 even when we are struggling.

Yeah, and Kenny also dropped Golbourne, don't kid yourself he always knows what he is doing.

As before cyp, young loanees go down a level as they don't have experience, you show me a young loanee with a handful of games who has gone up a level or loaned to a club at the same level.

Frimpong.

Ricketts a leader no he is just old and not very good

That's one cyp, got any more, I could list a hundred who have stepped down a level in loan.

And yes DJ, Ricketts was a key member last season and his leadership made a vast difference.

This season he is struggling when called upon, but he is still a leader, sadly he is too busy struggling to make it count.

Cinci you haven't the faintest idea which players have leadership qualities in our team, just seems you have picked up this phrase this week and the record has stuck.

Exactly what leadership did Ricketts show last season? He was captain and we were winning at a lower level. What else do you know about his qualities? Jackett described him not as a leader when we signed him but as a nice guy. Hardly the new Mike Bailey or Paul Ince

Rodger Johnson it is, then.

Cyp, I'm not a believer in the loan system, period. If we have potential youngsters that are for our future, then we should keep them and let them play in the U21 league which as I've sated has got much better. We are struggling in that league because we send our best kids out on loan to supposedly get first team experience. What we're left with are some Academy kids who make up the U21 squad.

Just how many of our youngsters have benefited from going out on loan? I can think of only two, Batth and Doherty.

DJ, I know you wait in the wings for comments from certian posters you disagree with, then come on with your twopenneth, but why don't you come on and agree with those same posters when you actually have the same opinion as them?

It never happens. I wonder why?

Amazing how these "yanks" know so much about the internal workings of our dressing room.

I call bùllshit

Cinci, do you hear me?

Bûllshit

The U21 league is no different to what it has been in previous seasons and virtually every club in the top two divisions uses the loan system as an important part of the development of youth players.

There you are I am agreeing with certain posters. If they weren't the posters you had in mind then why not stop posting like a 14 year old schoolgirl and use names rather than referring to people as certain posters,

Pundit, I have no idea what goes on in the dressing room and I assume no-one else on here does. Unless you're privvy, like our man 'who goes to all our games' is.

So to clarify, you are saying that a guy with 15+ years experience and hundreds of games with the captains armband at club and international level is not a leader?

Ricketts arrived at the club in the aftermath of Kenny removing Henry, Johnson and ward from the squad.

Pretty clear to me his leadership qualities were part of the appeal in a young side.

The new U21 Leagues have only been in operation for 3 years and are now selected on Academy status, which then decides what league they play in. We are currently doing very badly because most of our better ones have been sent out on loan.

Most of the top teams loan out their younger players but how many return to make an impact or get regular places in the first team? Only a small handfull.

What's the point in sending players out at our level unless they come back a better player. As I've said before, I'd rather we kept them in our U21 squad, evaluate them and gradually introduce them to the first team squad. This seems to be the best way forward if we're not going to get BETTER players in than what we have already.

I believe I read earlier in the season that it was our younger players that would be our future, hence the reluctance by our club to spend too much on better players.

What baffles me is, if KJ didn't think Ricketts could be a leader, then why appoint him captain in the first place. You don't appoint players captain just because they're "a nice guy".

Just like Craddock was club captain, even tho' he wasn't a regular, he had the influence in the dressing room.

By the way, no-one on here needs to know who 'certain posters' are on here, even a 14 year old schoolgirl like you knows who I'm referring to. Your trouble is you're afraid of losing your 'cred' on here if you dared agreeing with me and a few others.

You're carrying a grudge from way back, but like any spoilt child, won't admit it.

I know saints share your view in general Wolfie, and its hard to say it isn't working for them.

Personally I am not against loaning out players, but you need to know they are going to get games.

Which by the way cyp, is another reason clubs loan to a lower level, no point loaning someone to a team where they may not play.

What is Ricketts doing in the dressing room to lead?

Ebanks-Landell is getting his socks on, having just heard the gaffer say he's taken Ricketts' place. He doesn't need Ricketts fluffing him. He's got his head phones in

Nothing pundit, captains/club captains do nothing

In fact its a wonder every club in the world has them isn't it!!?!

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