Leeds United Chat • Re: The next generation

It is interesting how the standard of the matches being played at U23 is derided yet supposedly the quality of our youngsters is so amazing that they should be playing more despite struggling in the U23 league.

I think some of what Kinnear says gets twisted. For me it reads that we only want to sign players of a really high standard, such as Aaronson might be, rather than simply signing average players who then make it even harder for the youngsters to get minutes.

Basically he wants to improve the quality of the first team starting XI rather than bulk the squad out. It is a very sensible approach - i.e. if we have £20m to spend spend it on 1 player to upgrade the first team starting XI rather than buy 4 players at £5m each who make us a bit stronger when we have injuries but don't improve the first team when everyone is available.

I firmly believe that the majority of our u23s are overrated but the club say they are this wonderful group who would cost 8 figure sums to improve on yet the boss only.plays them as a last resort.

The idea that it would cost 8 figure sums to improve on our u23s is nonsense. You look at players like Saka, Greenwood, Rashford, Foden, Livramento, Martinelli, Smith-Rowe, Ait-Nouri, Carney Chukwuemeka, Jacob Ramsey, McNeil, Lamptey, Tyrick Mitchell, Luke Thomas, could go on and on.

These are a similar age and younger than most of our u23s and they are established Premiership players. Clearly they did enough to prove they were good enough to be more than last resorts.

So either Bielsa is wrong and they aren't good enough and therefore they shouldn't be relied upon by the first team at all and we should have made signings. In which case both he and the board are responsible.

Or he is right and they aren't ready in which case the board are wrong and they are doing Bielsa a disservice by forcing him to use unready players as part of his miniscule squad.

"Many January options requiring an eight-figure investment would not be a material improvement on the current performances of emerging players such as Bate, Hjelde and Gelhardt".

Those are Angus words.

Such impressive performances that Bielsa dropped Bate and Hjelde and Gelhardt immediately after and has consistently called for reinforcement in January?

As I said what the board say about our u23s doesn't match up with Bielsa and how he treats them.

So somebody is wrong?

Either Bielsa is wrong and he should be using the u23s more rather than only when he has to and we don't need first team signings.

Or the board are wrong, the u23s aren't ready to he used on a consistent basis and we do need signings.

The Two views don't measure up.

They can't both be amazing and worth millions of pounds as Kinnear seems to think and therefore very difficult to improve on for less than £10mil whilst simultaneously being only good enough as absolute last resorts and dropped as soon as enough square pegs return to make that possible.

Realise I am ranting but it really annoyed me and tbh I don't think I misunderstood.

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