RinNY

So you're suggesting the idea was to showcase our own young players, so that we can then loan another team's young players and play them, help them develope, instead of our own? Does that seem logical to you then? I think you will find that the aim this year is no just to showcase our young players for some ulterior motive, but to actually develope our own young players into CCC, and ultimately some of them into Premiership players. Don't be expecting loan players from the Prem, unless one or two of our own younger players show clear signs of not being up to the challenge over the next few weeks.

Actually, that's not true: Perry is quite short, but Svensson, Davies, Thomas, and Lancashire are all tall players, well over 6 feet. Of course our FBs -- James, Surman, Hatch, Mills -- are on the short side, but that's quite norrmal for FBs. Overall, we have plenty of height at the back. *lol*

Bale was only 17; these guys are mostly 20-22. They are young and inexperienced enough to be still learning and improving, but they should be physically developed enough to last the season ok. Given that they held their own extremely well against a very good and physical side, playing away, and in bad weather, I think there's no reason to expect this team to fail to compete week in week out. Especially as we have some strong, experienced players waiting to come in (Davies, John) or on the bench (Wotton, Euell, Thomas).

So far during the pre-season, Holmes has played well on the left wing, while Dyer or BWP have shown they can also play there, and Surman has played very well at LB (which seems destined to be his true position) while Mills loks very promising as back up. Why disrupt that by bringing in an older player who has made it clear he doesn't see his future at SFC? If the young players don't work out well in the first few games of the season and/or Skacel recommits to being a Saints player, then it'll be time to think of re-integrating him into the 1st team.