Living in The Past

[Fulhamight]

Is it just me, or do you ever wonder why we seem incapable of picking up on hungry lower league players ?
Those at the top of their game albeit in League 1, 2 or Non-league.
I know we want instant results but feel sure that there must be some scouts who see qualities without having to refer to stats.
How do you measure hunger, heart, passion, desire and strength of character by looking at stats ? These attributes are what the club needs right now.
Wouldn't mind seeing a team built on this because even if the results don't happen immediately,  sometimes you can see what the possibilities are and appreciate it when you can see that the players are really playing for their shirt !
Maybe this team are in this situation now but I somehow doubt it ?

[MJG]

The thing is the other way is always seen as better when results go bad.

Lets get a British manager...that fails its lets get a foreign manager...that fails lest get a manger who knows the league...that fails and so on.

lets buy British players...that fails lets go foreign...that fails lets go lower league...that fails lets go championship only...that fails ....etc etc

Its the same with players....they are always better when not in the team after a loss.

[Fulhamight]

Thanks MJG and Woolly. My point was not a reaction to recent results although they must have some effect ! More a yearning for some of this strategy to be incorporated with what is happening here and now with the club. I agree it's important to reduce the number of knee jerk reactions to any given failure or success. As an old boy having loved this club since the mid 60s it's fun to see how we over-react to situations sometimes.  049:gif

[MJG]

Thanks MJG and Woolly. My point was not a reaction to recent results although they must have some effect ! More a yearning for some of this strategy to be incorporated with what is happening here and now with the club. I agree it's important to reduce the number of knee jerk reactions to any given failure or success. As an old boy having loved this club since the mid 60s it's fun to see how we over-react to situations sometimes.  049:gif

Thats fair and I do think clubs ignore talent at lower levels to some degree.
Its partly why i favor a DOF at a club like ours. They should be the one in charge of scouting and looking as close and as far away for talent and that includes every division around.
problem being that numbers wise its rare for players now to make that step up from lower leagues right to the top. Its a big jump from division to division.

I look back over our 3 promotions under MAf and how players who we thought were good, were then shown to be at their level as we progressed up the leagues and better players came in.

I mentioned on Cottage Talk the other night about I was worried Kalas was injured and that Madl would be in. Seems strange after he did well last year. But that's because he was the best of that bunch. Now we have players in who at worst are on a par with him or better.

Its like when fans say we should fill the team with players good enough for the PL otherwise we need to rebuild when we go up.
Well we did that under Tigana in that we bought a lot in the summer we got promoted and we would have to do the same no matter what.

Quality rises to the top, there are no real hidden gems, just players you might want to take a gamble on.

[BedsFFC]

Is it just me, or do you ever wonder why we seem incapable of picking up on hungry lower league players ?

Like a Geoff Horsfield for example? Now, wouldn't that be good.....

[FFCFOREVER]

I hear you Fulhamight.I think Brentford get alot of their players from the lower leagues and they seem to be doing ok,probably punching above their weight.This also adds fuel to the argument of how much desire and hunger they have to win matches.

[filham]

Yes, we always seem to be getting players other clubs don't want.
Good young players in lower leagues who wish to better themselves sounds a better bet than an average player in the Championship unable to retain a first team place.

[Riversider]

Vardy and Austin both played non league football look at them now ! Palace over the years have been very good at recruiting players from non league.

[davew]

Is it just me, or do you ever wonder why we seem incapable of picking up on hungry lower league players ?

Like a Geoff Horsfield for example? Now, wouldn't that be good.....

Yes it most certainly would.

Is he still playing these days (lol)?

[Andy S]

You can bet that players are being looked at constantly. But the big improvers are the ones that play well constantly and there are a lot of clubs that are after them. Then the lower league club require compensation. Sometimes more than we would value them at the time. Some come good and are worth the fee. Others fall away and are not. So it is a case of getting lucky sometimes

[Jims Dentist]

Peterborough seem to unearth a non league gem nearly every year before selling him on for a substantial profit.

Given that I have noticed is Grimsby striker Omar Bogle.
They got him from the no league Solihull where he got 29 goals last season.
Already for Grimsby he is a handful for opponents and has scored a lot.
Wigan have already started sniffing around.

[JHaynes Paperboy]

Didn't Chris Smalling come from Maidstone?