Time for some youth to shine?

[venablesphil]

With the window now closed and our squad set until the January transfer window is it time for some of our youth to step up and shine? Could it be that one of the reasons that we happily let some good squad players go was because we are starting to show some faith in our youth development programme?

I have often thought that we do no produce enough youngsters that come through the ranks to challenge in the first team. Given the amount of money we spend on developing our youngsters we have had very little return in my eyes. The last player to break through and challenge the first team on a regular basis was O'Hara and he hardly set the world alight.

A few have flitted around the fringes of the squad but never pushed on to become regualrs. If you look at other teams they seem more able to nuture talent and get them to the first team. There are plenty of examples of youth devolpment evident all other the premier leauge. Case in point would be Man Utd. They have constantly brought players through, Welbeck and Cleverly this season a prime example.

But was Spurs lack of youth breaking through because they never had the chance? Surely now they have the perfect platform as there will be game time on offer with the Leauge Cup and some Europa Leauge games as well. This season could be a key one for our development program. Players such as Kane, Livermoore, Rose, Townsend, Carrol, etc, could really step up and shine this season given the chance.

What do you all think is it time to put some faith in our youth and who if anyone has the potential to become a Spurs star in the future?

 

[Blockbuster]

if there was ever a manager to bring some youth through its Harry. He has proven record at West Ham and I think our youth teams are looking fantastic and that line up against Hearts was a joy to behold.

Lets hope players like Livermore, Kane, Rose, Walker, Carroll can step up

 

[dontcallme]

It's not easy to promote youth in today's game. We're crying for success and every Spurs manager is in danger of losing his job if he doesn't get us into the CL. It's not an easy atmosphere to bring youth players in.

Fortunately, I believe we might now have one or two who are ready to make an impact.

We had some talented yougnsters such as Taarabt and Dos Santos but without a clear plan for them our managers failed to integrate them into our team.

Kyle Walker looks like he is ready and I guess integrating a full back is easier than a midfielder. Livermore and Townsend both have ability but guess they'll have to have bit part roles for now.

We're crying for top four and HR knows finishing sixth and then arguing that he is planning for the future isn't going to cut it with most fans.

I'm hoping his plan to loan our players to Championship and lower half Prem clubs to prove themselves first will help to fix our issue of not wanting to throw our youngsters into the deep end.

 

[Pringle]

i think they will get game time in the europa league etc but with the exception of Livermore the rest are to young to expect much from yet. Cleverley is 23 where as the likes of Carroll, Kane, Parrett are only 18/19 so have a lot of development ahead of them yet.

 

[dontcallme]

i think they will get game time in the europa league etc but with the exception of Livermore the rest are to young to expect much from yet. Cleverley is 23 where as the likes of Carroll, Kane, Parrett are only 18/19 so have a lot of development ahead of them yet.

Good point. SAF has a good record of promoting youth into an already successful team but people often forget that his youngsters are usually in their early 20's rather than their teens.

 

[venablesphil]

i think they will get game time in the europa league etc but with the exception of Livermore the rest are to young to expect much from yet. Cleverley is 23 where as the likes of Carroll, Kane, Parrett are only 18/19 so have a lot of development ahead of them yet.

Very valid point and do agree that generally we do look at thes so called youngseters that are actually well over 20. However their are stilll plenty of examples of younger players breaking through. Obviously there is Rooney and Wilshire but posible they are extreme examples. However the likes of Rodwell, Jones at Blackburn last season, Smalling when he was at Fulham are examples of youngsters breaking through

 

[PT]

By putting four "kids" on in the Hearts match, there was a definite whiff of inexperience and ultimately the team looked bereft of ideas, understandably.

If Harry does use the route of using our most promising youngsters, the environment, in terms of pressure and stress, would have to be right, and no more than a couple at a time.

 

[eddiebailey]

Harry has said he wanted a smaller squad supplemented by youngsters, and Europa is perfect for blooding them. Not qualifying for Champion's League may have a silver lining.

 

[eddiebailey]

By putting four "kids" on in the Hearts match, there was a definite whiff of inexperience and ultimately the team looked bereft of ideas, understandably.

If Harry does use the route of using our most promising youngsters, the environment, in terms of pressure and stress, would have to be right, and no more than a couple at a time.

True, but I think Hearts second leg was a one-off due to unusal circumstances. I am sure Harry had no intention of blooding Fredericks and Nicholson this season, and if there had been anything at stake we would have seen a more conservative selection.

 

[PT]

True, but I think Hearts second leg was a one-off due to unusal circumstances. I am sure Harry had no intention of blooding Fredericks and Nicholson this season, and if there had been anything at stake we would have seen a more conservative selection.

I'd like to think so Eddie. At the most we could carry and nurture two kids - Kyle Walker being one as he is getting on to be a veteran anyway!

 

[shaqTHFC]

Everyone's been talking a lot about Carroll, but I'd never heard of him until the Hearts game. What position does he play in?

 

[Pringle]

he is a centre mid pal

 

[venablesphil]

By putting four "kids" on in the Hearts match, there was a definite whiff of inexperience and ultimately the team looked bereft of ideas, understandably.

If Harry does use the route of using our most promising youngsters, the environment, in terms of pressure and stress, would have to be right, and no more than a couple at a time.

If we do well in a our first couple of Europa leauge matches I think there will be aquite a few youngster in the away game against Rubin. Can't see Harry sending a strong side there as its a very very long weuropean trip!

 

[Sputic]

if there was ever a manager to bring some youth through its Harry. He has proven record at West Ham and I think our youth teams are looking fantastic and that line up against Hearts was a joy to behold.

Lets hope players like Livermore, Kane, Rose, Walker, Carroll can step up

That was because the West ham board refused to give him any more money. His gut instinct is to ignore youth.

 

[eddiebailey]

His gut instinct is to ignore youth.

Youth like Bale Sandro, Walker, Rose and Livermore? Rose and Livermore in particular had been written off by just about everyone after failing to shine in the Championship, but Harry recognised the talent there and kept faith with them. He has also handed debuts to Naughton and Caulker, who are now on loan in the Premiership, and Townsend, who has been promoted to the first team squad. You can also expect to see more of Carroll and Kane this season in Europa, and lets not forget that Parrett and Bostock have already made their Europa Cup debuts.

Harry and Tim Sherwood are doing an excellent job bringing through our young players, arranging genuinely developmental loans, not hesitating to recall them when the loans are not working, bleeding them into the first team, and keeping faith with them. Other than those who became impatient (Taarabt) or homesick (M’poku, Tapping), hardly any youngsters have been released since the initial clear out, and even then Dawkins was given a second chance!

 

[StartingPrice]

Levy has invested a massive amount of time, effort and money on developing our youth strategy, with a view to producing players for the first team. Up to now, I have argued that those who complain about a lack of youth players stepping up to the first team have failed to understand that there is an incubation period (for want of a better term). But this batch coming through now is the generation where we should really be expecting one or two to break through.

I agree with VP - despite not being a Jenas-hater, I can see the rationale in selling him and bringing Livermore through. Rose seems to have established himself as cover for BAE. Walker is all set to compete with Corluka. And there are more.

The one place we may still be lacking is up front. I would like to have seen a younger competitor for Adebayor this Summer, someone like Leandro - though he still might be on for January. I don't know whether Redknapp believes Kane is anywhere near ready to step up. Scoring that pen against Hearts wuold have done him the World of good, though.

 

[MrWoolley]

I think loaning Jenas out will be a massive confidence boost for Livermore, and in return lets hope he can step up and really put pressure on Parker/Modric/Huddlestone/Sandro for a starting place in the centre.

 

[venablesphil]

I think loaning Jenas out will be a massive confidence boost for Livermore, and in return lets hope he can step up and really put pressure on Parker/Modric/Huddlestone/Sandro for a starting place in the centre.

I think your right its a huge vote of confidence for Livermoore, he will get plenty of oppourtunities I think at least between now and Jan. Its up to him to take it and prove he is good enough and a better player than the likes of Jenas and Sgt.Wilson