Development squad. 18:56 - Aug 5 with 3905 views | knocker | Wacked 5-1 at Oxford and 6-2 at Wealdstone in last 2 games. Would have hoped for better after recent arrivals but time will tell |  | | |  |
Development squad. on 13:20 - Aug 6 with 891 views | nix |
Development squad. on 12:58 - Aug 6 by Hunterhoop | Well, the outcomes have clearly been very different! And that is what the big boys are judged on. The Kelman extension was criticised/questioned but has undeniably worked out well for the club. Well done, Les Ferdinand. The EDB extension was widely praised/accepted but appears to have failed (since he can’t even get a loan to a league club and isn’t even training with the first team squad). For content, Adomah has really contributed to Walsall. EBD was sent back after a trial. Kelman was very much training with the first team in prior seasons. In the same way I praise for an unpopular decision working out, it’s only fair to apply the same level of scrutiny to another, does it not? I hadn’t seen anyone raise the EBD issue, so thought worthwhile commenting. |
Les Ferdinand left in June 2023. Kelman signed his extension in January 2024. So while he can claim credit for originally signing him, not for the extension. |  | |  |
Development squad. on 13:26 - Aug 6 with 854 views | Hunterhoop |
Development squad. on 13:20 - Aug 6 by nix | Les Ferdinand left in June 2023. Kelman signed his extension in January 2024. So while he can claim credit for originally signing him, not for the extension. |
I stand corrected. However, I could have sworn he extended in the summer of 23 in one of Les’ last acts. I think Les spoke about it, didn’t he. We might have extended him further or changed the deal to add in a clause of two in Jan 24. Anyway, if the last contract was extending him so we could pocket this summer, then fair play. Well done whoever did it. If Nourry, fair play him. Even if it wasn’t him, the reported fee sounds like good business imo. |  | |  |
Development squad. on 14:15 - Aug 6 with 755 views | nix |
Development squad. on 13:26 - Aug 6 by Hunterhoop | I stand corrected. However, I could have sworn he extended in the summer of 23 in one of Les’ last acts. I think Les spoke about it, didn’t he. We might have extended him further or changed the deal to add in a clause of two in Jan 24. Anyway, if the last contract was extending him so we could pocket this summer, then fair play. Well done whoever did it. If Nourry, fair play him. Even if it wasn’t him, the reported fee sounds like good business imo. |
It's definitely good business for the club whoever achieved it, I agree. Exactly the kind of business we need to do to make us more competitive long term and provided we re-invest widely. I really like the forward looking approach but agree with Clive and others that have concerns about having sacrificed too much this season for future gains. We'll know more by 1st September I guess. |  | |  |
Development squad. on 16:14 - Aug 6 with 627 views | Wilkinswatercarrier | 16yo GK, 16yo winger, 15yo on the bench. They had numerous 1st teamers playing. A few of the DS were playing in that Singapore 7s, so I imagine might have been rested. The 15yo winger, Leon Scarlett came from Arsenal. Apparently he made the move rather than being released and Arsenal weren't to happy. |  |
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Development squad. on 17:59 - Aug 6 with 530 views | Gus_iom | Dixon-Bonner. Probably made an awful lot of money for doing not much. I wonder if he was given too much too soon? If it's all been a bit easy for him, financially I also wonder if, one day, he'll look back and wish he'd done a bit more, given that he obviously has talent. We've got two wasters here. |  |
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Development squad. on 18:12 - Aug 6 with 510 views | nix |
Development squad. on 16:14 - Aug 6 by Wilkinswatercarrier | 16yo GK, 16yo winger, 15yo on the bench. They had numerous 1st teamers playing. A few of the DS were playing in that Singapore 7s, so I imagine might have been rested. The 15yo winger, Leon Scarlett came from Arsenal. Apparently he made the move rather than being released and Arsenal weren't to happy. |
Thanks for that additional info. Hopefully great experience for the youngsters. |  | |  |
Development squad. on 18:35 - Aug 6 with 463 views | Pdog | It starts to make more sense why we still need a few of the ‘older’ lads in the ranks - Talla, Ahoura, etc. Even if they're some way off the 1st team, they likely useful at DS level. That should help make the team more competitive overall and gives the younger, fast-tracked players a bit more space to develop. Getting tonked every week without touching the ball doesn’t help anyone (although last 2 DS results were just that). |  | |  |
Development squad. on 23:08 - Aug 6 with 326 views | baz_qpr | Our under 18s were regularly getting tnnked a year or two ago and now many of them are knocking on the door of the first team. DS and Under 18s is not really about results and we are playing 16s at 18 and under 18s at DS on EDB thought it was a good thing to re-sign but he looked heavy to me last season on return and slower than before |  | |  |
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