Robertson

[Rampant Zebra]

You may not like this. We are Port Vale and have to develop strategies to find our own star players as Smurf is doing, because we are not in the Prem and cannot buy them or afford to pay stupid wages to prima donnas.

 

So many times in the past clubs have bought 'star players' and found that they are lumbered with huge wages and then crash down the divisions. I remember this happened to Bradford City in the Prem and there are two dozen other clubs where the same has happened.

 

Was Andy Jones a crowd-puller in his first 10 games - of course not, but nor was he being paid a wage that put the future of the club at risk.

 

It's great to watch your own talent develop, often with a few hiccups - players like Robbie Earle, Andy Jones, Mark Chamberlain meant much more to me than some we bought for relatively large fees like say, Peter Swan or even someone like Brammer.

 

I can remember being almost in tears at a snowy freezing cup replay at Shrewsbury in January 1980 when Mark Chamberlain demolished their defence on an amazing run then missed the chance he made, part of his inexperience and part of what you have to endure as we develop our own talent. Shrewsbury won with an injury time goal and it was heartbreaking.

 

However, what Mark did after that was worth it a thousand times over, and seeing him tear down the wing like a demented greyhound and knowing we had our own future England star made up for it.

 

So whilst we may have to be patient and will curse some mistakes youngsters make as they develop, Smurf has gone down the right path here to ensure the future of the club. It will be worth it.

 

I wasn't saying that I didn't like it, I can see that it is a strategy that should reap rewards in the future. All I was trying to do was consider the typical lapsed Vale fan, the one we want to attract back to Vale Park. He/she doesn't want to see potential stars but established ones. The youth route can be perilous too, we have just signed a relative unknown on a 3 year contract. Who can say if he will continue to impress or avoid injury. I realize that he won't be on the same sort of money as an established star but it is still a gamble.

[stupers]

I wasn't saying that I didn't like it, I can see that it is a strategy that should reap rewards in the future. All I was trying to do was consider the typical lapsed Vale fan, the one we want to attract back to Vale Park. He/she doesn't want to see potential stars but established ones. The youth route can be perilous too, we have just signed a relative unknown on a 3 year contract. Who can say if he will continue to impress or avoid injury. I realize that he won't be on the same sort of money as an established star but it is still a gamble.

 

Aziz-Conteh is probably on the same over the next 2.5 years as Robertson is on over 1 year. Providing we have a good scouting network, us finding 2 players, 1 of which will make it to the 1st team and be a regular before being sold on has a good chance of happening. If it does, then we've saved money and potentially made money from the sale of the player.

 

What we've done in the past hasn't worked from a Financial standpoint. Time to approach recruitment of players from another angle

[Rampant Zebra]

I see your point but we also have to think about now. We have to have a team capable of maintaining or improving our league status now.

[stupers]

I see your point but we also have to think about now. We have to have a team capable of maintaining or improving our league status now.

 

I don't think any of these moves are being made with this year in mind (emphasised by the fact they're sending Aziz-Conteh out on loan). Smurf has made a commitment to the 1st team and I think he'll see that commitment out this season.

 

Next year I think we'll go down to a 1st team squad of about 18 players max, with development players supplementing that. Might seem risky, but Burnley did similar last season and it worked ok for them!

[Yukon]

I don't think any of these moves are being made with this year in mind (emphasised by the fact they're sending Aziz-Conteh out on loan). Smurf has made a commitment to the 1st team and I think he'll see that commitment out this season.

 

Next year I think we'll go down to a 1st team squad of about 18 players max, with development players supplementing that. Might seem risky, but Burnley did similar last season and it worked ok for them!

 

The key is being discerning in the development players being brought in and not just signing everyone and anyone. It appears that we are now taking a proper look at these youngsters and only retaining those good enough