The irony is patently lost on you.

Ftr, players do get match fees, bonus incentives and accumulating appearance pay outs. And while their weekly wages dwarf such payments, many are genuinely pee'd off to miss out. Much too much stall is given to it being all about pride.

Spirit of 1974

indeed...we were absolutely livid when pompey didnt try against wba and we went down, i wouldn't want us to do the same to a team potentially qualifying for europe.

however, that said i expect to see mitchell play all 4 remaining games as its clear pva is off, and i think we should start mateta over benteke to give him a run of games, harsh to drop benteke but mateta needs a decent chance.

‘Football isn’t instant coffee. You have to work at it. You must grow the bean, grind it.’ Ian Holloway

Agreed

"It feels much better than it ever did, much more sensitive." John Wayne Bobbit

A lot of posters are convinced that Hodgson has a negative view of youngsters. IMO that's NOT true. Hodgson watches the youngsters regularly and calls up to 1st team training sessions those he thinks would benefit. He has already stated his admiration for Rak-Sakyi and has had Hannam on the 1st team bench for several games. He gave Dreher a cameo a couple of years ago and persevered with Mitchell, whom he rates despite early wobbles when he first came in by reason of PvA's injury. It took him time to pick Jairo regularly but then many posters on this site don't rate Jairo, so Hodgson's caution over using him was perhaps justified.

Hodgson is a very experienced and knowledgeable manager and IMO will play youngsters when they are ready to make the huge leap to PL football.

Have a listen some time to Andros's interview. he had some NINE loan spells at Spurs before he made the 1st team squad, several of them at Championship clubs and at least 1 at another PL club. Our players out on loan at lower league clubs struggle to get 1st team minutes.

I can't see Hodgson playing the kids in the remaining 4 games and rightly so IMO.

Edited by doombear (09 May 2021 12.47pm)

Name me a single manager in the Premier League who has given more academy players their debut since Roy took over as manager? (For the record, it's 3).

And don't even give me the "he was forced to".

We're the Arthur over ere!

You give fringe players and kids a run out, that taste, that desire will be burning for next year.. I would say even if we lose them all, give those a chance to taste it.

This was once a quality forum....