How on earth we are not at least a provisional Cat1 Club is a mystery.
Because the requirements are around facilities, number of coaching staff etc not just how productive your academy is.
Not forgetting there’s a snagging list as long as your arm and according to former staff, h & s issues that still haven’t been dealt with.
My understanding was that the ground facilities were fine, but at the time of the visit some coaches had moved to bigger clubs leaving us short. I specifically used the term “provisional Cat1” as I believe other Clubs have been granted this status and been given time to resolve any shortcomings. Would love to know what issues actually stopped us getting it as many thought we had a good chance and it certainly feels impressive when you are there. Perhaps you could ask your contact for more details?
I had/have various paperwork as well as photos of the work that needs completing. These we’re passed on to people far cleverer than me, it mentions work that needs completing, names of those responsible for seeing it was done and those higher up the ladder it was reported to when the work wasn’t done. Putting it on here to please lifers would get me in trouble with admin but I’m willing to show what I have in paperwork, text messages, emails etc in person to anyone that wants to meet me for a pint or come to my house for coffee.
Edited to add….. As to if this stopped cat one I dont know, but I was told two weeks before it was public knowledge “a certain persons **** up cost us again” that was the exact message I got. 🤷♂️
There's a rumour I've been told that one of our very promising young 'uns , Zach Mitchell is on Millwall's radar.
Quite a few of us have been praising him since the start of the season & I've been quite puzzled that he hasn't made the bench in recent weeks.
SO hope there is nothing in this & wonder whether he's happy to be at another club as opposed to the same one as his brother, Billy.
One of our own.
What does "on Millwall's radar" mean?
As one of the better academy kids of a nearby club, with a brother at Millwall it would be weird if Mitchell was not very well known to Millwall.
He would have been before signing his first contract with us yet he resisted any temptation to leave then. Now they would have to pay where before that he would have been near enough free on EPPP rules.
For all TS faults he hasn't sold us down the river on our kids. Burstow the only one I can think of who was sold/not retained and we got a decent fee for him
Yes very good point, TS has been much better than recent regimes of signing young players to deals before they even make a first team impression. It's not always been perfect, but hopefully prevents a Gomez or Konsa situation where we get small fees for top flight talent.
I understand selling Burstow. He is clearly talented but very raw, and with him there was the risk that he would get overexposed and we wouldn't see an offer like that for him again. His second half showed that he wasn't ready to be a regular starter at League One level. Contrast that with Miles, who has massively progressed the more he has played this season.
Also, and most importantly, when you're in League One and you run at a loss of £4-6m/year, you are always going to need to sell players. In the Championship we might get to see those players for a little longer and get more money for them, but this is the way the game is now.
He got injured in warm up according to Blackburn fans there. Hope they’re wrong tbh.
Depends on the context. Were these Blackburn Rovers fans there & so saw him injure himself or just assuming that he did because of the late change.
I'm going with the latter.
It wasn’t the latter Golfie, the lad (Yorkshire Rich Cawley/ Lancashire Telegraph reporter) saw him pull up. That’s not to say Edun didn’t want to risk a move being called off after feeling a tweak or feigning a “tweak”. He’s low down on Blackburn’s player roster even though they’re short at lb, and tbh I don’t think the player or Charlton register enough for their reporters to be making up stories.
If we're going to stick to a 433 I'd have thought we're more vulnerable on the wings. CBT can't manage much more than 90m per week, JRS can't play every minute either. The second either of them go down we are forced to convert to a back 5 or bring on the likes of Payne (out of position) or Campbell (not consistently good enough). Leaburn and Bonne should be fine as our two strikers but I'd rather see a Jack Marriott type come in.
I still think we’ll get in a PL loan striker in. Edun looks less likely now I think so another left back. The PL striker loanee and at least one more.
We do need another striker but I think it’s unlikely a PL club will want to send us one when we have Leaburn and Bonne already here, they will want their player guaranteed minutes. Could maybe see it being an attacking player that can play across the front line
Presumably there's some details that need to be sorted out then but good to know it's not fallen through at present.
Who knows, maybe it's trying to sort out an option for a permanent move at the end.
I very rarely get such tip-offs but my Fulham colleague in the Olympic Stadium Coalition Whats'Apped me an hour ago to say that we are "about to sign" him. I've pinged him back to ask if he knows whether its loan or perm, and what the take on him as a player is, and also if he can put to bed any talk that Sess might suffer a recall. My source is well connected to the club management (he's part of a Supporters Trust that is trusted by the Board).
But then Edun was due to play for Blackburn U21s yesterday - However he got replaced just prior to KO, with the Lancs version of Rich Cawley suggesting it was injury related rather than anything to do with a loan move.
My guess is that it isn’t going to happen. For us the longer these things go on the less chance of it happening. After all, John O’Rourke never signed…
My guess is that it isn’t going to happen. For us the longer these things go on the less chance of it happening. After all, John O’Rourke never signed…
Hes just arrived at the training ground..... traffic apparently.
DJ has been injured, and fits better as a JRS/CBT type replacement than Kirk.
His productivity in terms of goals/assists are too low.
I agree in part with this. However I won't blame anyone's stats under Adkins, Jackson, Garner or Hayes. Not even Stockley.
It's how they play. Jaiyesimi can be a good attacking winger, he can also play as a wing back, though is less good at the up and down in that position. I look forward to seeing what Holden can get out of him.
Kirk is still an issue for me, he has assists proving he can be of use, but the fact is he doesn't work hard enough for the team defensively in closing down defenders or midfielders. If he does manage to put in the work it usually ends with spiteful tackles with little interest in winning the ball.
Comments
These we’re passed on to people far cleverer than me, it mentions work that needs completing, names of those responsible for seeing it was done and those higher up the ladder it was reported to when the work wasn’t done.
Putting it on here to please lifers would get me in trouble with admin but I’m willing to show what I have in paperwork, text messages, emails etc in person to anyone that wants to meet me for a pint or come to my house for coffee.
Edited to add….. As to if this stopped cat one I dont know, but I was told two weeks before it was public knowledge “a certain persons **** up cost us again” that was the exact message I got. 🤷♂️
I'm going with the latter.
I understand selling Burstow. He is clearly talented but very raw, and with him there was the risk that he would get overexposed and we wouldn't see an offer like that for him again. His second half showed that he wasn't ready to be a regular starter at League One level. Contrast that with Miles, who has massively progressed the more he has played this season.
Also, and most importantly, when you're in League One and you run at a loss of £4-6m/year, you are always going to need to sell players. In the Championship we might get to see those players for a little longer and get more money for them, but this is the way the game is now.
A fact we've been aware of for the past few months.....
But then Edun was due to play for Blackburn U21s yesterday - However he got replaced just prior to KO, with the Lancs version of Rich Cawley suggesting it was injury related rather than anything to do with a loan move.
It's how they play. Jaiyesimi can be a good attacking winger, he can also play as a wing back, though is less good at the up and down in that position. I look forward to seeing what Holden can get out of him.
Kirk is still an issue for me, he has assists proving he can be of use, but the fact is he doesn't work hard enough for the team defensively in closing down defenders or midfielders. If he does manage to put in the work it usually ends with spiteful tackles with little interest in winning the ball.