Nathan Young Coombes to West Ham

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His job is to manage Rangers and that includes the youth players first team prospects, NYC's were limited so he's off.

I hate the idea that the world begins and ends with 55. Rangers are bigger than Celtic and Scottish Football, tunnelvision on either will result in us becoming mediocre.

Yes and so far the coaches - or so I am told - have only definitively put forward Nathan Patterson as a first team squad member, while also having a word for Mayo, and Barjonas etc. The coaches aren't fools and they won't trouble manager unless they're certain they have someone who is well above the average. If that happens AND manager still ignores them then we have an issue....

Also players need different things....maybe it will be Patterson in squad, Mayo down south for a loan, and Barjonas to a continental side to train and learn a more technical way for a period. They all develop differently and need different things....yes 21 is old for Barjonas but maybe he is still learning his trade?
 
Possibly, its hard to gauge though. Our youth players generally play a year or two up so it's more of a test. So sometimes there is a mismatch and you can have 21 year old Barjonas playing with 17 year old's. This for me makes it difficult to say we do or do not have too many youths as the players will generally play two age groups and thus its not as cut and dry as "there is your u18 team and your u21 team". Regardless, we need a great deal of players to make up a squad at each age, not all of these players will make or even be near first team football but they are needed to allow the better ones to flourish. It's a poetic dream some fans have of hoping our u21 team will replace our entire first team etc. You will see the players who have came to the end now being moved on for a fee alas Rudden, Dallas and Atakayi, this is the business model the academy should have been focusing on and now means we haven't lost a great deal of money on youth players.

I've waffled a fair bit haha, I would imagine the recently signed James Graham or young Alex Lowry would now take NYC's place so we do have quite a few players for each position.
Is Alex Lowry not a midfielder?
 
who is this four lads have a dream you speak of ?

Blogger and podcaster and poster on here.

He is friend with Chris Jack the Journalist and does regular pods with heart and hand regarding pre and post match press conferences.
 
Mebude's absence from involvement with the first team was the one thing that stood out to me. He and Kennedy both cast aside. That's not to imply there is a link between the two in terms of why they are missing - I have no idea - but Dapo could reasonably have expected to be involved this pre-season as well. Probably in the build-up to a loan move. As you have hinted, his contract expires next Summer as well though.

You make a very good point about there being more likelihood of football for these guys over the next year down in England as well. That hadn't occurred to me.

Gary Bollan said he tried to sign Dapo on loan in January, but the club rejected it saying he might be needed for the first team.

No matter how it's dressed up, him missing pre-season is a weird one.
 
Is Alex Lowry not a midfielder?
If he is then my mistake mate, on the few occasions I've seen him he seems to be playing forward and often scoring alongside Robbie Ure. Just head a check and he is listed as midfielder though so most likely my error. Apologies.
 
Actually Mebude missing altogether does suggest a contract situation....club seem determined to play hard ball with these kids.
 
Mebude, Kennedy,Coombes , McKinnon, Dickson, Mcpake,and several more apparently all leaving and more wishing didn't sign extension there's something wrong in the camp for sure.
Dickson for leaving as well? Would be very disappointed if that was the case.
 
If he is then my mistake mate, on the few occasions I've seen him he seems to be playing forward and often scoring alongside Robbie Ure. Just head a check and he is listed as midfielder though so most likely my error. Apologies.
Seen him playing a few times and it was always in Midfield, no worries.
Great player all the same, would have big hopes for him.
 
Dickson for leaving as well? Would be very disappointed if that was the case.
I spoke to Ciaran not long ago, said he was happy and felt Rangers was the best place for him to develop. Then again, he's not going to tell me in depth details whether he would be leaving or not. He seemed genuine though.
 
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I don't care if we play with 18 or 80 year olds.

Winning the league is what it comes down to.

Age is irrelevant.
 
None will play for us .wait and see they have total of about 90mins in pre season friendlies between them so don't think they will play for us in serious competition.
Agreed.

Kelly is away on loan, McCrorie will move permanently imo, Mayo will go out on loan and Patterson might get the odd appearance in the league cup at most.
 
Another embarrassing thread about our youths.

If they are better than the current first team options, they will get a chance. Like 18 year old Glenn Middleton in Gerrard's first season, who started multiple huge games for us due to impressing during preseason and us having a lack of wide options.
 
Actually Mebude missing altogether does suggest a contract situation....club seem determined to play hard ball with these kids.

didn't he sign one recently - his younger brother Dire being the one still to pen a deal
Dapo has effectively been placed under mentorship by Defoe so would seem strange to do that then jettison
 
Nobody has disputed anything you've said there.

None of it means Gerrards record in this area is acceptable.

So Gerrard should be playing youngsters regardless of whether they are good enough or not? Folk have no idea of the difference in levels from impressing at Under 20 tournaments to playing in the Rangers first team. Sick reading this nonsense about boys not getting a chance.
 
Another embarrassing thread about our youths.

If they are better than the current first team options, they will get a chance. Like 18 year old Glenn Middleton in Gerrard's first season, who started multiple huge games for us due to impressing during preseason and us having a lack of wide options.
He doesn't count apparently mate, I've referred to him before. Gerrard is behind a secret plot to sabotage our academy and get rid of all our youth players for no personal gain what so-ever (insert evil laugh).
 
If they are good enough they will become involved.

If they are better than the current first team player in their position they will get game time.

I'm not for bleeding young players just for the sake of it or to fulfill a quota.

It all comes down to ability and what you can bring to a first team who are required to win leagues and trophies.

If you don't bring anything better than what we have in the first team then you are quite rightly not getting a look in.

Go away and work on your game. Stay behind after training. Dedicate yourself to becoming the best you can. THEN see where it takes you.
 
So Gerrard should be playing youngsters regardless of whether they are good enough or not? Folk have no idea of the difference in levels from impressing at Under 20 tournaments to playing in the Rangers first team. Sick reading this nonsense about boys not getting a chance.
Weird how almost every other title-chasing club in Europe manages it.

Weird how our lads are all-conquering across the continent up until the age of 17/18 before they hit a dead end when every study shows they need to be playing first team football at that age.
 
Weird how almost every other title-chasing club in Europe manages it.

Weird how our lads are all-conquering across the continent up until the age of 17/18 before they hit a dead end when every study shows they need to be playing first team football at that age.
I follow Serie A, Juve certainly don't bleed any youngsters at all. Neither do the two milan clubs. At Juve Rugani is the only player from there academy i can think of has even played this season and he is 27 having made a total of 77 league appearances in his career.
 
Do people actually know why he is leaving or just assuming it is because of first team chances?
 
Weird how almost every other title-chasing club in Europe manages it.

Weird how our lads are all-conquering across the continent up until the age of 17/18 before they hit a dead end when every study shows they need to be playing first team football at that age.

I must have missed them winning the Youth Champions League then. Up until the last few years we were unable to compete for the big prizes in Scotland. That changed but then the club felt they were getting little benefit from the league and pulled out. What are Scotland winning at youth level by the way? How many of the players are playing at European Championships and Youth World Cups? I won honours at Youth level, played in European Championships, wasn’t good enough to play in the Premier League though. As I said, levels and people have no idea about them.
 
Bingo. He's seemed to have stalled from the initial buzz from the first Alkass tournament.

Dapo shot past him as the striking option.

Not every youth player makes it through. He might even have a very successful career but we deal with the here and now.

The key difference is us now earning a few quid from deals like this that fund other buys instead of constantly paying boys off to go and have a good career around the lower leagues in England like Loy and Shinnie etc.

Dapo is 2 years older...
 
I must have missed them winning the Youth Champions League then. Up until the last few years we were unable to compete for the big prizes in Scotland. That changed but then the club felt they were getting little benefit from the league and pulled out. What are Scotland winning at youth level by the way? How many of the players are playing at European Championships and Youth World Cups? I won honours at Youth level, played in European Championships, wasn’t good enough to play in the Premier League though. As I said, levels and people have no idea about them.
The concept of playing European teams has been very effective, we have had some good results in the YCL (Bratislava for example). Then there is games they've looked a class behind (Atletico). Nobody can say a player is ready based off youth team games.
 
Do people actually know why he is leaving or just assuming it is because of first team chances?

There were a few suggestions early in the post that he's homesick, no idea if that's the case but I'd think it very unlikely it's due to chances of getting on the first team.
 
None will play for us .wait and see they have total of about 90mins in pre season friendlies between them so don't think they will play for us in serious competition.

They will play if they illustrate they are good enough. That seems to be missing in all of your analysis about the youth set-up. You used McPake as an example. How did his time at Dundee go?

The players I mentioned are on a 'pathway', be it through loans and gradual introduction to the first team squad. It's during this when we find out how good they really are.

Too many are failing to concentrate on their football and surround themselves with good people/advice. It's easier to blame than it is to take responsibility.

For those not signing contracts, it'll be interesting to see where they go. The Rangers coaches have developed their careers to this point - maybe they should have a little more trust for the future.
 
Is it possible he is slipping down the pecking order and is looking to move on. During the summer did we not sign a boy from Northern Ireland and another from ICT both around the same age and both strikers? Sorry can’t remember their names.
 
Is it possible he is slipping down the pecking order and is looking to move on. During the summer did we not sign a boy from Northern Ireland and another from ICT both around the same age and both strikers? Sorry can’t remember their names.
James Graham from County, Lindsay from NI is a Midfielder.
 
"Our youth players generally play a year or two up so it's more of a test.".

This is a bit of a myth, one or two exceptional players will be pushed on. Only one U16 player started a game in the Under 18 League, Leon King. Pretty sure in all the U18 games I attended the Rangers side were on average older than their opponents. Partly the reason for this is the size of Under 18 squad and most U18 games were "shooting fish" in a barrel.

Hearts had four U16's and an U15 in their lineup when they played us. Tims culled their 17's & 18's so as a consequence had three or four U16's playing every week. Even the aforementioned James Graham was one of two U16 players in the Ross County team for the youth cup tie. Rangers team that day was pretty much a 2nd choice side, but none of the 14 players used was an U16 player.
 
The concept of playing European teams has been very effective, we have had some good results in the YCL (Bratislava for example). Then there is games they've looked a class behind (Atletico). Nobody can say a player is ready based off youth team games.
Agreed, but therein lies our problem. How do we promote youth to the first team without seeing them in senior football? As we know the club was desperate to have a Colts team playing in senior football which was not accepted by the SPFL. Had we been able to, it would be far easier to gauge a players suitability for promotion. Loans is an obvious partial solution but then you are dependent upon the quality of the coaching at that club and that club's ambition. For a player going on loan to a club that is comfortable in mid table every season, then the winning mentality is not developed. No easy answers to getting into the Royal Blue jersey.
 
I watch lots of the youth football up and down the country and Coombes is a rare breed now, proper crafty striker, scores goals, good in the air and getting bigger physically now too.
 
"Our youth players generally play a year or two up so it's more of a test.".

This is a bit of a myth, one or two exceptional players will be pushed on. Only one U16 player started a game in the Under 18 League, Leon King. Pretty sure in all the U18 games I attended the Rangers side were on average older than their opponents. Partly the reason for this is the size of Under 18 squad and most U18 games were "shooting fish" in a barrel.

Hearts had four U16's and an U15 in their lineup when they played us. Tims culled their 17's & 18's so as a consequence had three or four U16's playing every week. Even the aforementioned James Graham was one of two U16 players in the Ross County team for the youth cup tie. Rangers team that day was pretty much a 2nd choice side, but none of the 14 players used was an U16 player.

whats your take on signing boy from Blackpool?
 
whats your take on signing boy from Blackpool?

Don't know much about him, but it does seem like a bit of a coup. We did well to convince him to come up here at this time. As I have said on here we can't say when and where his next game will be. He is an 2003 so U18 (he is 17 in September), if NYC leaves it is one in and one out, still leaves U18 numbers around 28/29 players. I would imagine like NYC he probably won't play much at U18, so it would be what ever can be arranged for the Development squad.
 
Don't know much about him, but it does seem like a bit of a coup. We did well to convince him to come up here at this time. As I have said on here we can't say when and where his next game will be. He is an 2003 so U18 (he is 17 in September), if NYC leaves it is one in and one out, still leaves U18 numbers around 28/29 players. I would imagine like NYC he probably won't play much at U18, so it would be what ever can be arranged for the Development squad.

and then he leaves like the boy Coombes ?
 
His development can’t have stalled all that much if he is leaving SPL to join EPL. Sadly I think we are loosing another very good prospect here

So why did he leave Crystal Palace in 2017 and Chelsea a year or so later? It would seem he’s found it difficult to find a path there also. I’m not sure he has/had the stickability to be a real Rangers success.
 
Don't know much about him, but it does seem like a bit of a coup. We did well to convince him to come up here at this time. As I have said on here we can't say when and where his next game will be. He is an 2003 so U18 (he is 17 in September), if NYC leaves it is one in and one out, still leaves U18 numbers around 28/29 players. I would imagine like NYC he probably won't play much at U18, so it would be what ever can be arranged for the Development squad.

No one on this board knows more about and watches Youth games like you do.So I'll ask the question.
Is there unrest within the Academy or have we as was suggested by the Manager "ego" issues ?.
 
No one on this board knows more about and watches Youth games like you do.So I'll ask the question.
Is there unrest within the Academy or have we as was suggested by the Manager "ego" issues ?.

I believe there is some unhappiness and it is about few different issues, whether that can be put down to "ego" I'm not so sure. If it was one or two individuals maybe, but it appears to be more than that.
 
Nobody knows to be fair, but i'd be more inclined to say homesickness myself.
There's more chance of getting first team football up here, than west ham imo.
Agreed. Moving to an EPL club he is now even further away from even remotely getting near the first team. And he was nowhere near our first team.

He'll be back down with his family around him, will be at an EPL club, on more money and will know that he is miles from their first team, but feels more settled in himself.

I'd say it's a cracking move for the lad and ticks all his boxes.

Up to him now to work and develop in order to avoid being tossed on the scrapheap in a couple of years like so many others in football and sport in general at that age.

I hope he makes it though.
 
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