I hate to slag off KK and I know that not everyone agreed that he dropped a b****k by dropping the reserves. However, when you get players of Michael Carrick's calibre saying that the lack of reserves and a general lack of youth infrastructure during KK's reign made him join West Ham rather than Newcastle as he thought he had a better chance with West Ham. How much will this lad end up worth? Compare with YBR, who goes to the reserves games and demonstrates that youth has a future at NUFC by extending our youth players' contracts and playing them in relatively important games. He has said that the club had almost no infrastructure when he joined, particularly vis s vis youth and scouting. If his only accomplishment was to put this right it would be a remarkable accomplishment.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Answers

Indeed it would and he should/will be remembered for it long after he has left. Wasn't Dalglish trying to put that respective house in order? YBR's condemnation of the set up hardly praises those before him. Where did you read/hear this Dougal?

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Yes. But I think the point was that the Hall-Keegan strategy was to establish success quickly, at least in footballing terms, and so re- kindle the latent support, which it did. I am not convinced that the "reserves games spoil the pitch" excuse was the whole reason for dropping the team. The policy was to buy top players, particularly Geordies where possible, and to put all resources into that and the associated wages. It worked, but it was always going to be difficult to sustain a whole season campaign, ... as we saw. We now do have the financial support to sustain a campaign though I do not yet think we have the depth. But it is coming. So, well done YBR (and not at all well done KD and RG). But also well done KK (and SJH).

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Of last night's reserves match against Sunderland, nine of the first eleven had premiership experience with the other two (Caldwells) having been on the bench. Not a surprise normally until you see the average age of the team. It highlights just what Bobby is trying to do, waving the carrot in front of those young lads in an effort to gee them up and make them want more. Pure Class, so simple but so effective.

Team: Harper, Griffin, Serrant, Hamilton, S. Caldwell, G. Caldwell, Gavilan (Gall), McClen (McGuffie), Coppinger, Ameobi, Kerr Subs: Boyd, Orr, Chopra.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

No way was spoiling the pitch the only reason. It was probably the banks demanding money (KK suggests this in his autobiography) coupled with KK restlessness.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

I was actually thinking the same thing when I read the reserves report. Keegan or whoever it was dropped a huge bo!!ock by dropping the reserves. Dalglish did his best to put things on track (which wasn't good enough as he bought a load of crap) and Robson has done superb. The futures bright the futures young!

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Most of these players must have been at the club when Bobby arrived. His achievement has been removing the blockage of the path to the first team.

Nice to see Bobby praising Alan Irvine in all of this, he must get credit for nurturing the young uns before they arrived in the reserves.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

I was looking at a poster of the team on my kids wall . It was the squad of 97 and it had Dalglish with all of the promising youngsters that he had bought . He must have brought in 20 kids from all over the world and olnly Coppinger seems to be still at the club. As far as I can remember Amoebi, Gall, the Caldwells,McClen and Aaron hughes joined the ranks as Schoolboys under Keegan, so perhaps he isn't the one to blame.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Whatever happened to The Lost Kids of Dalglish ?

I can see a documentary here as these lads as they turn out to be the stars of world football and at one time they were all at our club and Dalglish was indeed a great, great manager..........oh well maybe not!

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Easy does it folks.

YBR in his infinite wisdom chooses to hold all reserve team games away from SJP, so the pitch argument still holds good.

Dalglish and Gullit both gave reserve team players their taste of the big time so claiming that it is a stroke of genius and hitherto untried tactic is mistaken. [for those who need facts: Griffin, Hughes, Crawford, Brady, Serrant, Hamilton under Dalglish - McClen, Harper, Beharrall, Dalglish, Robinson (and the perserverance with Hughes, Griffin and Serrant) and Gullit moved the Caldwells, Robinson, Kerr and Coppinger up to training with the First Team - a policy continued by rather than started by YBR].

Not trying to pee on any fireworks here, but the tail is wagging the dog a bit.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

And to illustrate another point. 442 quite a while back did an article on one of the Youth FA Cup winners from about 4 or 5 seasons ago. I can't remember from which EPL club the team was from unfortunately. Anyway, 5 years down the track, only one member from that team was still at his club, another 4 played in the lower leagues and the rest were out of the game.

It's got to be a very good youth setup that sees a number of kids make it and stick in the EPL vrom one group. Manure had one crop a few years ago and a couple in their current gropof youngsters, WHam have possibly the largest set of youngsters coming through ever seen (7 by my count all are english), pool have a couple of highly touted lads breaking through, Villa and Everton both have highly rated U.17 squads, while Leeds and Tottenham bought most of their youngsters.

NUFC have Coppinger, Ameobi, Kerr, and the Caldwell brothers comming through. {Softie or anyone else, what has happened to Stuart Green? as his name was inseperable from Kerrs last season. Oh and David Beherall as well?). Gavilan, while being paid for, can be added to the above players. Notebly only Coppinger is English, While there are three Scotish lads.

Of the bairns ahead of them, only Hughes came through the ranks. Domi, Cort and Dyer were all bought and paid for.

While Michael Chopra is the big name from the batch behind the current lot. Though nufc.com also went on about another couple of lads, an Irish midfielder and Kiwi lad who are also in Chopra'a bunch.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

Stuart Green is injured I believe and didn't he sign a new contract last season?

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

I remember him signing a four year contract. Is it a serious injury as he hasn't been heard of all season. And what about Beherall?

Oh and thanx.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

Steve Harper is another one to come through the ranks. He first played for the juniors and spent a lot of time out on loan and a year with the resorves before making the first team.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000