"not The Finished Article" ?

[richieb]

I have read in many posts (Forum & Club) that certain players are 'not the finished article.

Now OK, Academy players & youngsters coming through need to be treated with a little care & introduced over a period of games.

But at Manure & Arsenal, it seems that many youngsters (if good enough) are thrown into do a job.

What I find amazing is that many people are defending the likes of Roberts & saying that he is not the finished product.

So he has had nearly two seasons of 1st team footy, when will he be the finished article, because in eyes we could be saying this until his testimonial!

What more do we expect from him? Are we going to get a finished article?

Then on the other hand we have a Manager who seems to use the 'kid glove' approach when it comes to the likes of Lita,Hawkins,Fortune etc. Look what happened to LR.

Whether it be us fans or the Management at the Gate, how do we explain the term 'not the finished article'?

[Guest Neo]

I have never used the term as I am agreement that age is not a factor if you have the ability.

However, taking the case of Roberts as an example there is a raw quality to his game which is steadily improving.

Last season if passed the ball, he would turn and run forwards and shoot at goal (or often somewhere between the goal and corner-flag).

This season, although the headless chicken runs are still very evident in his play, so is an increased awareness that he has fellow team-mates available (even when he is in the final third of the pitch).

I have witnessed on several occasions a willingness to look up for somebody to offload the ball to, halt an occasional headless run to nowhere and turn away from the goal and lay it off; basically an appreciation that sometimes you have "to go backwards to go forwards".

Off the ball (particularly prominent alongside Miller), I have seen some intelligent 10 yard runs anticipating the knock-down etc. This compares favourably to last year when he would stand watching Peacock (as it was then) without moving from his current spot, only to watch the ball fall just about the spot he now darts to this season.

Basically, he is still raw yet is obviously learning on the training pitch. I would hope that by the latter part of next season or early the following season we will see a far more accomplished player who moves well off the ball, and when on the ball; makes better choices in terms of distribution and maybe even composure in front of goal.

In short, he is not as good as he can be, however, if he harbours international ambitions and wants to become a first-choice striker, he needs to reach that level at a fairly rapid level; the time for hiding behind rawness is about gone!

[Beezey]

You can’t compare man united and Arsenal to Bristol City when it comes to playing youth players. Most players of 16-20 brackets are introduced by clubs gradually to allow them to learn how to compete at a higher standard, mentally prepare themselves for the expectation of fans (we certainly don’t do ourselves any favours here!) and allow them to physically prepare for league football.

I have said before that too much football at this level can really affect young players in the long run.

Owen at Liverpool is a good example of a player who was pushed into first team football at an early age and has suffered with problem hamstrings all through his career. Steven Gerrard has had numerous back problems. Our own Tommy D had two serious knee injuries and has struggled with fitness as a result.

That brings me to the next point about mentally, certain players are cocky and arrogant at an early age and nothing phases them on the pitch. Other players miss a tackle or a shot and disappear from a game as a result. Having the fans then get on there back would not help.

If we played Lita for the next 5 games and he didn’t score, Missed a few chances how would this affect his development? Would the crowd get on his back? This is the main difference between us and Man Utd and Arsenal, You can almost guarantee that they will win on a Saturday reducing the pressure of their young players!

It’s a tough call but I think Wilson has GENERALLY done the right thing protecting young players, What I don’t agree with is his team selections for certain games. I think we should be looking at bringing the likes of Joe Anisanyha (Sp) onto the bench, but it really is a tough call and throwing young players in when the fans are calling for the manager’s head is not the time to do it.

[Dave L]

However, taking the case of Roberts as an example there is a raw quality to his game which is steadily improving.

Agreed about Roberts.

Somebody mentioned the other day that he's the same age as Scott Murray was when he first joined us.

Although a very different type of player, there are some similarities. Scott was by no means the 'finished article' at 24. He played at right back and at right wing back and was in and out of the team. But he worked on his game, and his lifestyle, and turned him self into a goalscoring attacking winger.

If Chris Roberts continues to make the same development as a player we'll have got ourselves another gem. A few starts ahead of Peacock might help him develop as a player too.

[PhatWill]

With respect to Roberts, he has a lot more potential than a certain Scott Murray did at 24 years of age.

I think that answers your question.

[Port Said Red]

I don't want to speak on behalf of others, but I would say it is a question of symantics.

Substitute the word finished with the word complete and you would probably nearer the truth, the phrase could then be applied to almost any player in the bottom three divisions.