craig

Eh ? He wasn't stats based scouting - he was lucky scouting. Gerrard was watching someone else at Dundee but when he saw Kamara play basically said "THAT is who I want - he has what I am looking for". That isnt stats based scouting at all.

You have no idea if that is the case. I had talent as a youngster, have coached kids, and have been in the management of a club (non-footballing management). Does that mean I must be right ? Your statement about your brother is irrelevant, as is mine above. We don't know if they are coached better - could just as easily be that they simply have better players and their recruitment has been better. Displaying a poor attitude isnt a coaching issue, it is a personal pride issue. Interestingly, the players with the best attitude of late have been the two signings in the January window - so maybe Beale recognises the poor attitude and only wants those prepared to apply themselves properly.

Who in our youth set up is ready to step into the first team ?

Cantwell for me. Lundstram had as good a game as he had since last season's Euro run. Scant consolation but we were the better team - we just have honking forwards - one who left a season ago and one who couldnt hit a coo in the erse with a banjo.

I genuinely believe that Souttar was supposed to be a Goldson replacement - so Davies was brought in to play alongside him. The only other left sided CB we had is Helander. They may have had confidence in Sands but he wasnt a CD, let alone a left sided CB. And no way were we hanging our hat on King - who also isnt a left sided CB - in fact, at various age groups he played RB, not CB (and debuted there too). I don't think he was a lazy signing - of all the CB's you mention they ALL are right sided CB's.

They also, I don't believe, brought those players through when they were weak and uncompetitive. Iniesta broke through when Guardiola and Xavi were playing and established, Messi broke through when Iniesta and Xavi were established, along with Puyol. Point I am making is that bringing youngsters through is great but you can't do it when you are weak or don't have enough mental toughness and experience from others to help them through their first few games. Look at Leon King... broke through, did well, had a rough patch (notably because Goldson wasnt there to walk him through game) and fans on his back.

O Reilly for them came from League One and has done pretty well. You can get absolute gems from lower leagues. The Championship should have even better players, and them being a yo-yo club is almost irrelevant when talking from EPL to Champ. We got Aribo from League One Charlton. Crapping on a team because they yo-yo is pointless... plus, Norwirch almost always have the lowest budget of any EPL team when they are there - so yo-yo is pretty much expected.

There is a player in Davies, but for the price we paid, it needs to be far better than the player we have witnessed.

No, they don't. "The fans know best" is absolute nonsense.

Barca are also pretty much guaranteed to win La Liga this season. Very easy to give game time to youngsters when little is on the line. And the youngster you referenced, came on with 7 minutes left with the scoreline 4-0 to Barca...... so I am not sure the "no hesitation" argument is on solid foundations. If they had "no hesitation" then why didnt they start him ? He also plays in a position where he is unlikely to cost them goals at the back and, at 4-0 up, they didnt need to score more either. Red herring for me. Reminds me of everyone bemoaning when Celtic were bringing youngsters through.... they only ever really did it in seasons when we were out the league and when they were assured of winning the league by 25+ points.

How do you know that ?

How do Celtic pass this criteria ???

Again ? When did he play for us

Yeah, Completely understand that Cammy. My thought process was that my kid, then 17, wouldnt get another chance to see us in such a prestigous final - so I was getting him a ticket - then it became "I cant send him there by himself with 100k Bears plus Frankfurt fans so I will send his mother with him"... and then he ended up begging me to go too.... Makes me shudder how much I spent on those tickets and that trip.... And I also went 50:50 with my Mum on a ticket for my Uncle who has been a ST holder for 5 decades - he was going to Seville ticketless to the fanzone and I didnt want him not being at the game. The price we pay for "memories"....

Absolutely mental.

Oh I don't deny any of that and I completely agree. The thrust of what I was saying is that Seville wasnt the perfect example for loss of atmosphere (IMHO) - UEFA gave each set of fans a fraction of the stadium - I wasnt making a statement about who gets tickets and who doesnt.

Yup. You dont want to know how much I paid for 3 tickets for Seville......

Seville wasnt the perfect example.... not in what you are suggesting anyway. It was the perfect example of UEFA fawning over their corporate sponsors and stiffing the two finalists by giving them a fraction of the attendance - THAT is much of the reason the atmosphere wasnt good - along with the stifling hot weather and the issues around hydration at the stadium. But I slightly digress...

If Gio didnt use his Spanish or Dutch connections at all.... wouldnt it actually suggest the opposite... that these were coming from the DoF ?

Hence why Beale wants to look them in the eye

It isnt all about their qualities as a coach though - you can make players better regardless if you are a good coach - but if there are personality clashes then it simply won't work. And thats what I mean by "he is the one working with them". For example, I have it on reasonable authority that your hero, Josh Windass, was a good kid, OK player but thick as mince and in a senior players words "hes a guy who would get a manager the sack, because he doesnt understand instructions". Some managers will be able to work with that whilst others won't have the patience for it - and it is a results driven, shorter tem than you'd like, business. The Sporting Director can scout and bring in Messi, but if Messi and the coach don't get along then it isnt just bad for them indivudally but it also created unrest amongst the remainder of the dressing room.

A generational talent for sure, Gazza that is ! What a player. That said, when thinking about Gazza it still saddens me how Scotland lost their own generational talent in Durrant, and most of Scotland very weirdly celebrates the fact.

This is a very good Arsenal team and on many a season they would win the league - but this is avery special Man City team - wouldnt bet against them winning the treble. Pep is an amazing coach - KDB a fantastic player (can't believe Mourinho sold him when at Chelsea, lol) and Haaland is basically a cheat code. Some team

Rumours are he is Parkhead bound