CONFIMRED - Sam Walker

[Hound]

I don't disagree SCIAG - I imagine the club had a plan laid out for them when they signed their new contracts - ie we'll loan you this year with a view to being back up pushing for the number 1 jersey next season. Southwood especially I imagine could easily have got another gig elsewhere

[Hoop Blah]

I think with Hector, I was comparing to the likes of Pearce who, at the same age and younger was playing more regular football at a higher level (if memory serves...).

Hector floated around a number of loans and didn't really stamp his authority on them. He was in and out of the teams and being shunted to right back on many occasions and, for me, that's an indication of where they might be headed.

Hector had a bit of a purple patch but was never as good as he was made out to be by that little run of form and Chelsea then snapping him up for whatever internal political reason.

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

As for Hector, seems a bit of a strange example. I must admit that my memory is that he only started to attract attention when he had a good Football League loan (Shrewsbury*?)

*Hartlepool.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

As for Hector, seems a bit of a strange example. I must admit that my memory is that he only started to attract attention when he had a good Football League loan (Shrewsbury*?)

*Hartlepool.

Think that was Tshibola?

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

As for Hector, seems a bit of a strange example. I must admit that my memory is that he only started to attract attention when he had a good Football League loan (Shrewsbury*?)

*Hartlepool.

Think that was Tshibola?

I stand corrected. And it was Shrewsbury for Hector.

[RoyalJones]

This potential signing is farcical even if Jaakkola goes, what sort of message does this send out to Legg, Ward, Southwood etc, instead of trying regain our identity of bringing through academy products, we just sign random players like this. It just does not make sense.

‘What message does it send'? Msgs and signals are largely fanspeak, and social media is littered with it. Clubs don’t care, its business now.

Paul Clement may not give a toss about regaining any ‘academy identity’at this club.

(Edit: Ian thought problems with Ansii were Stam...so any reconciliation as it relates to Clement? PC quickly says no thanks and gets rid, at least Stam gave him a chance).

It's just frustrating that we have a brilliant academy yet we're not utilising it to the best of our ability. We've let players like Fosu and Stacey go for free (barring any compensation), Fosu contributed to quite a few goals at Charlton last season and Stacey has reportedly been subject of a bid from West Brom. Our identity has just seemed to have diminished, and people wonder why attendances are so poor nowadays.

[Snowflake Royal]

I think the hype about Hector centered around his co-commentry on streamed Academy games, including THAT rap. Plus him endlessly banging on about a worldy he scored at Aberdeen, followed by his first team performance.

[Hound]

I think partly its due to the constant turnover of managers. But tbf, we've had Kelly, Obita, Richards, Smith, Tshibola and Hector all get reasonable game time over the last few years. I do also think Watson and Rinomhota would have got a few games in had they not had poorly timed injuries last season

Hopefully along with those previously mentioned, Holmes, Loader, Novakovich and the keepers will be properly targeted to be in the first team squad next season if not this one

[Hoop Blah]

It's just frustrating that we have a brilliant academy yet we're not utilising it to the best of our ability. We've let players like Fosu and Stacey go for free (barring any compensation), Fosu contributed to quite a few goals at Charlton last season and Stacey has reportedly been subject of a bid from West Brom. Our identity has just seemed to have diminished, and people wonder why attendances are so poor nowadays.

I agree to an extent, but the players have to be good enough to play at the level we need them too. At the time we let those two go they probably weren't good enough to command a place in our team challenging for a promotion place (or at least wanting to!).

I'd rather see our young players given a go, but the managers have such a short amount of time to achieve results that it's understandable when they don't gamble on them.

[Sutekh]

Sam Walker is quoted as saying this about Reading to the OS

"'It’s worked out really well for me to come to a club such as this – a massive club with a lot of history and big ambitions, and I’m really pleased to be here,' he said to the club website."

Do you reckon he gets handed a script to read?

[Old Man Andrews]

Sam Walker is quoted as saying this about Reading to the OS

"'It’s worked out really well for me to come to a club such as this – a massive club with a lot of history and big ambitions, and I’m really pleased to be here,' he said to the club website."

Do you reckon he gets handed a script to read?

Footballers can't read pal, not having that.

[maffff]

Agree to an extent SCIAG. I'd happily have seen Southwood or Ward on the bench this season, but playing regular games in L1 or L2 would probably be better for their development at this stage. Suppose someone like Pickford or Hart would be an example of a clearly talented keeper playing at a lower level for match experience and benefitting greatly from it. Playing U23 or just training with the 1st 11 really isnt the same

Do think its slightly different for keepers as well - they have a longer career and peak a bit later

Pickford was the same age as Ward when he started breaking through at Sunderland as first choice, and one year older than Southwood.

We're being ridiculously conservative again.

Only way this makes any sense is if Jaakkola is off, but even so a 3 year deal seems excessive when we have Ward, Southwood and Legg. Both Ward and Legg have been on the bench before too.

Behind them we have some decent young players including another England youth International (who is generally first choice)

[RoyalJones]

It's just frustrating that we have a brilliant academy yet we're not utilising it to the best of our ability. We've let players like Fosu and Stacey go for free (barring any compensation), Fosu contributed to quite a few goals at Charlton last season and Stacey has reportedly been subject of a bid from West Brom. Our identity has just seemed to have diminished, and people wonder why attendances are so poor nowadays.

I agree to an extent, but the players have to be good enough to play at the level we need them too. At the time we let those two go they probably weren't good enough to command a place in our team challenging for a promotion place (or at least wanting to!).

I'd rather see our young players given a go, but the managers have such a short amount of time to achieve results that it's understandable when they don't gamble on them.

Hopefully, the owners do give Clement as much time as they can like they did with Stam. With the new training ground catering for the academy as well as the first team and patience from the owners, we could build something, just like we did with McDermott the first time round, I guess football has changed so vastly since then however.

[Hoop Blah]

Pickford was the same age as Ward when he started breaking through at Sunderland as first choice, and one year older than Southwood.

We're being ridiculously conservative again.

Pickford broke into the team because he was that good though. Of course Southwood could be a real talent too, but realistically he's unlikely to be good enough for the Championship.

Could a manager really go into a season with Shortwood or Ward just one injury away from being number one for months? I'd say no myself.

[maffff]

Pickford was the same age as Ward when he started breaking through at Sunderland as first choice, and one year older than Southwood.

We're being ridiculously conservative again.

Pickford broke into the team because he was that good though. Of course Southwood could be a real talent too, but realistically he's unlikely to be good enough for the Championship.

Could a manager really go into a season with Shortwood or Ward just one injury away from being number one for months? I'd say no myself.

So an OK keeper in League Two who is 6 years older deserves that responsibility over two younger players who were exceptional one league down?

[maffff]

Pickford was the same age as Ward when he started breaking through at Sunderland as first choice, and one year older than Southwood.

We're being ridiculously conservative again.

Pickford broke into the team because he was that good though. Of course Southwood could be a real talent too, but realistically he's unlikely to be good enough for the Championship.

Could a manager really go into a season with Shortwood or Ward just one injury away from being number one for months? I'd say no myself.

So an OK keeper in League Two who is 6 years older deserves that responsibility over two younger players who were exceptional one league down?

Walker is as much risk as Jaakkola was (and he's out of his depth at this level) and as much risk as both Ward and Southwood.

[Hound]

200+ games at L1 and L2 is incomparable to one season in the conf

[Simon's Church]

Agree to an extent SCIAG. I'd happily have seen Southwood or Ward on the bench this season, but playing regular games in L1 or L2 would probably be better for their development at this stage. Suppose someone like Pickford or Hart would be an example of a clearly talented keeper playing at a lower level for match experience and benefitting greatly from it. Playing U23 or just training with the 1st 11 really isnt the same

Do think its slightly different for keepers as well - they have a longer career and peak a bit later

Pickford was the same age as Ward when he started breaking through at Sunderland as first choice, and one year older than Southwood.

He broke through after making almost 100 football league starts on loan, including half a season in the championship.
How many do ward and southwood have between them?

[Denver Royal]

Sam Walker is quoted as saying this about Reading to the OS

"'It’s worked out really well for me to come to a club such as this – a massive club with a lot of history and big ambitions, and I’m really pleased to be here,' he said to the club website."

Do you reckon he gets handed a script to read?

Heh, maybe, but when you’ve bounced around a few clubs like he has, you likely already know what to say when you arrive at each stop.

[muirinho]

Pickford was the same age as Ward when he started breaking through at Sunderland as first choice, and one year older than Southwood.

We're being ridiculously conservative again.

Pickford broke into the team because he was that good though. Of course Southwood could be a real talent too, but realistically he's unlikely to be good enough for the Championship.

Could a manager really go into a season with Shortwood or Ward just one injury away from being number one for months? I'd say no myself.

So an OK keeper in League Two who is 6 years older deserves that responsibility over two younger players who were exceptional one league down?

Don't think it's about "deserved". Assuming Walker is backup, then he's going to be hanging about on the bench, not getting many matches. i.e., he's not going to get much opportunity to develop, beyond what the coaching staff can do with him. But he's mid 20's now, so that's not a massive problem, because where's he's at now is probably pretty much as good as it's going to get for him.

The other guys though, they need regular games so that they can get better, because they are still young.

Assuming Southwood and Ward have decent loans, they will end the season better than they are now. Doubt that would be the case for either of them, if they were kept at the club as backup.