Summer Rebuild

[Ian Royal]

Right, I'd consider anyone from the Academy who predominantly features in an age related team as a youth player personally. With the obvious exceptions of any who are in the U21s as an allowed overage player. Although that tends to just be fore people recovering from injury iirc.

Youth is probably the wrong word, but it's close enough to do and I personally don't see anything wrong with it. It's a catch all word for player's who've developed through our Academy and aren't yet firmly established in the first team squad. It saves having separate references for the U16s and below, U18s, and half-way house that is the U21s.

But fair enough... it's just a case of people using it to mean different things.

[Nameless]

Right, I'd consider anyone from the Academy who predominantly features in an age related team as a youth player personally. With the obvious exceptions of any who are in the U21s as an allowed overage player. Although that tends to just be fore people recovering from injury iirc.

Youth is probably the wrong word, but it's close enough to do and I personally don't see anything wrong with it. It's a catch all word for player's who've developed through our Academy and aren't yet firmly established in the first team squad. It saves having separate references for the U16s and below, U18s, and half-way house that is the U21s.

But fair enough... it's just a case of people using it to mean different things.

Seems a bit of a convoluated definition when there is a pretty clear cut one available !
A 21 year old really isn't a youth player, and in your definition if we sign a 19 year old from another club they aren't a youth player.
As you say, it's just a term but the way it's used by some does make it sound like Cooper, Tanner et al are kids when they aren't.

[NewCorkSeth]

Who's al? Did we sign someone?

[Coppelled_Streets]

Looking at some of the quotes from Clarke, if we don't sign 2/3 new players in the next week then the Thai's are to blame. He really put the pressure on. I guess we going to find out about how serious they are about pushing the club on.

Got to say I'm sceptical.

Fair play to him. He's not going to be the type to be messed around here. I can't see them backing him though, and he'll be gone before Christmas. They'll replace him with Dolan who would be cheap and grateful for the opportunity..

[Royal Rother]

If he's gone before Christmas it'll be because he's failed.

[Coppelled_Streets]

If he's gone before Christmas it'll be because he's failed.

If he's not supported in the transfer market then that's very harsh! We have a very average and very young looking group of players here. It sounds like you and many others need a reality check of what to expect next season.

[PieEater]

Reality check - to quote Steve Clarke, "we'll not be fighting relegation next season" or words to that effect.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

Reality check - to quote Steve Clarke, "we'll not be fighting relegation next season" or words to that effect.

Perhaps he meant we'll be so bad that we'll be relegated by January so no fight required.

[Pepe the Horseman]

That's how I read it.

Shhh, shhh, don't fight it. Embrace it.

[Forbury Lion]

Quite right "melonhead" I fear this club is getting a reputation for looking after deadbeats and injured players, I just hope the club look more into medical records cause we cant afford to be known as a retirement home, for hasbeens,

Hmm, A conspiracy theorist might wonder if the medical records are reviewed by same club staff who are also employed to treat injured players and are therefore seeing the signing of injury prone players as a way to safeguard their jobs.

[Forbury Lion]

Reality check - to quote Steve Clarke, "we'll not be fighting relegation next season" or words to that effect.

If it's inevitable, why fight it?

[LoyalRoyal22]

Reality check - to quote Steve Clarke, "we'll not be fighting relegation next season" or words to that effect.

He said we wont be if the owners back him.

[Ian Royal]

Quite right "melonhead" I fear this club is getting a reputation for looking after deadbeats and injured players, I just hope the club look more into medical records cause we cant afford to be known as a retirement home, for hasbeens,

Hmm, A conspiracy theorist might wonder if the medical records are reviewed by same club staff who are also employed to treat injured players and are therefore seeing the signing of injury prone players as a way to safeguard their jobs.

Assuming you're using the normal definition of conspiracy theorist which is delusional nutjob.

[Forbury Lion]

Quite right "melonhead" I fear this club is getting a reputation for looking after deadbeats and injured players, I just hope the club look more into medical records cause we cant afford to be known as a retirement home, for hasbeens,

Hmm, A conspiracy theorist might wonder if the medical records are reviewed by same club staff who are also employed to treat injured players and are therefore seeing the signing of injury prone players as a way to safeguard their jobs.

Assuming you're using the normal definition of conspiracy theorist which is delusional nutjob.

Yep, that's pretty much the definition I had in mind.

[andrew1957]

Reading between the lines of the Clarke interview if he cannot sign at least 5 players he will be off. He said "I would like to bolster the midfield with at least one more player and I think we need two strikers. If we got them, then I would be happy to work with that squad."

Therefore, if he is not able to sign the players we so obviously need then I would not blame him if he walks.

The Thais probably have no more than a week to come up with the money or we will lose our primary targets and then have to settle for either youth or players no one else wants. Then I fear a long season of struggle ahead.

[John Smith]

Reading between the lines of the Clarke interview if he cannot sign at least 5 players he will be off. He said "I would like to bolster the midfield with at least one more player and I think we need two strikers. If we got them, then I would be happy to work with that squad."

Therefore, if he is not able to sign the players we so obviously need then I would not blame him if he walks.

The Thais probably have no more than a week to come up with the money or we will lose our primary targets and then have to settle for either youth or players no one else wants. Then I fear a long season of struggle ahead.

A lot of you are saying we're going to use a lot of youth players. I just can't see it. As promising as many of them are, most of them really aren't ready. Kuhl looked great but then Nigel threw him in for a few appearances and he had a mare at Brentford away and never played since.

I think we're more likely to be fishing around League 1 which might spell us playing there the following season. Hopefully.

[andrew1957]

Reading between the lines of the Clarke interview if he cannot sign at least 5 players he will be off. He said "I would like to bolster the midfield with at least one more player and I think we need two strikers. If we got them, then I would be happy to work with that squad."

Therefore, if he is not able to sign the players we so obviously need then I would not blame him if he walks.

The Thais probably have no more than a week to come up with the money or we will lose our primary targets and then have to settle for either youth or players no one else wants. Then I fear a long season of struggle ahead.

A lot of you are saying we're going to use a lot of youth players. I just can't see it. As promising as many of them are, most of them really aren't ready. Kuhl looked great but then Nigel threw him in for a few appearances and he had a mare at Brentford away and never played since.

I think we're more likely to be fishing around League 1 which might spell us playing there the following season. Hopefully.

I agree of course BUT the owners WILL decide not you or me. If they decide to go with youth then I suspect Clarke will be off and we will probably have a short (or long) visit to League 1/2.

[Ian Royal]

How many manager's actually resign without another job lined up? He'll cling on and take the severence package.

[maffff]

I think we're more likely to be fishing around League 1 which might spell us playing there the following season. Hopefully.

Hopefully? Yeah, because that always works out well doesn't it.

Let's have a oxf*rd pitch invasion to celebrate our regression if we win the race for relegation next year.

[Royalcop]

How many manager's actually resign without another job lined up? He'll cling on and take the severence package.

Pulis left Palace of his own volition last season but it is rare. However Clarke might have to weigh up the risk to his ongoing reputation as a manager (if he isn't backed in the transfer market) against the short-term benefit of a severance package.