Hi Wassa
It’s great to hear of a youngster coming through the ranks. We have a good record with Will, Jeff and Jamie coming through from the academy.

With regards to striking options it was interesting to hear that we are being linked with Austin from QPR. I thought he stated he didn’t want to travel north of Watford or that he wants to wait for a premiership club coming in for him. Got to say he didn’t stand out too much when we played them the other week.

However, if we do sign him, and I do think we need to sign another striker, we will have Martin, Bent and Austin all vying for the same position, unless PC wants to change our system.

Begs the question what will happen to Bent? Or is the rumour of Martin going to Sunderland fuelling the speculation that we will be in for Austin as a replacement.

Martin wont go to Sunderland - he's too intelligent for that. why leaving a club on the up with a bright young coach to join a sinking ship with a floppy rudder being steered inexorably towards relegation by a has been manager.
The only thing that will save Sunderland is not Allardyce but that there may yet prove to be 3 teams worse than them - Villa and the Muff are 2, they just need to find one more.

I know he'ws only 19 and had some injuries last season but Mason Bennett seems to have disappeared off the radar

Anyone know much about his development? He's someone I'd expect to kick on sooner rather than later as he's getting to that sort of age... Let's hope he's the next dean Sturridge and not the next Callum Ball

There is still a Fish shaped gap in our attacking line up*

* Note. These are the personal views of the author and may not be fully representative of some ja606 DCFC fans.......

Like many clubs we have talented youngsters most of whom wont make the final step up. Think of previous prodigies such as Giles Barnes, Miles Addison, Lewin Nyatanga. Go back further there is whole team of players we thought were going to be good. We are actually an exception having three (4 if you count Grant) home grown players in our first team squad.

Mason Bennett is just another in a long line. He is only 19 still so possibly could still make the grade but in his loan periods he still couldn't command a regular place. Now Zanzala is the new kid on the block. Maybe he can make the step up to regular first team football but the odds are against it.

Bennett didn't cover himself in glory when he was out on loan previously. I know some fans of the clubs concerned and they regarded him as a complete waste of space and couldn't believe he'd arrived with such pedigree from us. They were saying his attitude was poor and his performances were not of the expected standard (not getting into good positions, not making space, bad link-up play, very poor finishing) meaning all he was doing was keeping out their (better) youth players and this was in a lower league than us.

That's subjective of course, every team is going to want to see their own talent develop instead, but reports weren't exactly positive, I have a feeling he'll be released and be working his way down the leagues before too long, one that peaked too early?

FWIW I'm hearing the same about Thomas at Blackpool this year, fans not really sure why he's there.

Kwame Thomas doesn't look like he's going to be up to it in my opinion. I know he's a young lad, but you see certain young players and you just know - Hughes, Hendrick etc. When i saw Bennett play when he was first on the fringes of our team, I honestly thought he looked like he was going to have it all so hope he turns it round.

Callum Ball plays for non league Corby and Miles Addison hasn't got a club.!

Amazing when you think they were both first team regulars 3-4 years ago. Both still young as well.

I think Miles Addison and Callum Ball show how poor a side we really were at that time.

When Bennett came on as sub against Chelsea a couple of season back he terrorised the Chelsea defence with his pace. Trouble is there was no end product. He needs to learn how to use the ball better to make the most of his talents.

Thomas looked ungainly when I saw him, a bit like Paulo Wanchope but without the skill.

comment by I'm not Spartacus. and definitely not Vidal ,


...................a bit like Paulo Wanchope but without the skill.
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Are you talking football or boxing Spart?

Probably Tom Huddlestone is the best player to come out of Derby's Academy.

I remember how daft I felt as a 30 odd year old bloke asking 16yr old Tom H for his autograph.

Callum Ball was never good enough - way too slow.

Addison had the potential but got hampered by injury and, being the tank that he is, its always harder to recover.

Giles Barnes would have been a star but for the injury he sustained - he had what it takes and is doing more than "ok" in the US.

Huddlestone, of course, was deemed "not strong enough" (WTF!) by Forest before we took him under our wing, only for Spurs to steal him from us.

The current trio of Rawson, Hanson and Hughes should all have very successful careers in football. What level they reach will be down, in part, to how lucky they are but also, of course, to their attitude. They all appear very grounded and Will has certainly got his head screwed on right. Hopefully his injury will not prove an issue and he will, as we all hope, progress to the England ranks in due course.

Wouldn't it be great if we could have our own "class of 92"?

You need to include Hendrick too, Peeder.

Regarding Addison, I'm not sure he was especially gifted. I just think he was a small shining light in some very dark times for DCFC.

No one will ever be as good as me. Ever.

comment by Dean Sturridge's Nephü (Formerly LGT) (U13718)
posted 13 minutes ago
No one will ever be as good as me. Ever.
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I think your moniker should read "Christiano Ronaldo's Nephü"

Serial - Jeff should certainly be included, even if he is the Daddy of the band. Hard to believe that he's been with us for 8 years nearly.

Addison was never going to be a top international class player, but would have established himself as a championship player (at least) had injury not curtailed his career.

I thought Bennett had massive potential when he first appeared, a player heading for the Premiership at least. The only other players at Derby I was similarly sure about were Huddlestone and Hughes. Others like Lee Holmes I had high hopes for. Addison I thought could make it as a centre half. Barnes was the only Derby player in our promotion team under Artoo that I thought might be Premership standard. Sometimes it's the off the field stuff that stops them making the grade, not the ability. Bennett seems to be enjoying the under 21 stuff under Clement and he has plenty of time. There have been quite a few good players who strayed a bit off the straight and narrow early in their careers. For Zanzala the world's his lobster if he gets his head down and does what he's told.

Peeder,

I thought it was the three amigos who stole Tom Huddleston.

I also wish the new Dean Sturridge every success for a great future at Derby County.

I was reading the other day that only about 11% of premier league players came through their academies and most of these tend to be at the lower placed clubs and don't play regularly. We can think ourselves fortunate to have developed so many players who have made it from academy to first team.

NSR is a case in point. Home grown, superb potential and seems to be getting the right advice. With dedication, and avoiding injury, will be posting at the very highest level

comment by HebridesRam (U2909)
posted 1 hour, 13 minutes ago
NSR is a case in point. Home grown, superb potential and seems to be getting the right advice. With dedication, and avoiding injury, will be posting at the very highest level
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Heb, concentrate on holding your roof down !

MacAbigail has passed, no bother