Appy keen to shield the young guns
Sam Magri
Pompey boss Michael Appleton admits he could destroy his young players if he has to turn to the youth team to ease the burden on his squad.
The Blues boss has seen his squad stretched to breaking point this week ahead of today’s trip to Barnsley – and has even considered playing the whole youth team during the injury crisis to allow him to get his first team fit.
While he could be forced to delve into the youth ranks to help him fulfil the fixture list if the Football League will not sanction any emergency loan deals, Appleton knows it could wreck the development of the club’s youngsters if they are thrown in too soon.
Appleton said: ‘I’m not sure what the legal parameters are on playing the whole youth team.
‘We may be within our rights to field half a team and youth team players because of the position we are in with the injuries.
‘We just want the Football League to come up with a sensible solution. We’re not asking for favours and we haven’t got our begging bowls out – we’re just asking for common sense.
‘Psychologically, if you throw the kids in you could actually destroy them for a couple of months, so I have got to look after the whole integrity of this football club and how I go about it.’
He added: ‘I am not prepared to put young kids at risk like that.
‘Honestly, none are ready, apart from maybe Adam Webster. I am not sure if Sam Magri is ready 100-per-cent and that is why I have probably just had him as standby.
‘Hopefully, they have got a good future in the game but I genuinely feel that Adam is the only one who, if I had to throw in, I would throw in.’
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 25 comments to this article
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blueshirt
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:29 AMre post 24. you make my point exactly! we have not learned from previous mistakes, which is why the club is going through the mess it presently is.. we have allowed our club to be taken control of by parasites and villains, and we are paying for that, believe me, we are paying for it........all genuine Pompey fans know that, and so to would all genuine football fans allover the country, unfortunately, the same villains who have dragged our club through the mire over recent seasons have also lumbered us with a reputation which will be hard to get rid of, as are the villains themselves. if you are a saints fan, you know what it feels like to fall into administration and face an uncertain future.. happily for your club you have come out of it fitter and stronger, for the sake of football and of continued future friendly rivalry I hope we can too.... I saw no cause for delight or gloating when you were in financial disarray, so why do you sound so smug and happy that we are......?
Ted Bates
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:03 AM@23 Blueshirt...Classic mate! "...learn from the mistakes of history or you're condemned to repeat them..." you sagely opine. So how come you fishy friends find yourselves in the doo-doo for the THIRD time??!! I, 4-1, cannot wait, as I hear chickens coming home to roost...
blueshirt
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 05:15 PMAppleton is quite right, and those who mindlessly cry "put in the youngsters' havent a clue about professional football at Championship level. First of all, to all those advocating throwing in untried kids....look at the 24 teams in the league and tell me this.. how many 16 or 17 year olds are playing on a REGULAR basis in those 24 teams?? NONE! why? because physically they are not capable of competing or playing on a regular basis, even if they were technically skilled enough Secondly, its a surefire way to destroy the confidence and potential of a young trainee or youth player by putting him up against seasoned and experienced senior pros.. example, for the benefit of the unconvinced.....imagine a 16o r 17 year old central defender trying to play against Billy Sharp, or Rickie Lambert, or Carlton Cole or either of the Ipswich strikers we saw tuesday night.they'd be outclassed, outmuscled and demoralized, it wouldnt be fair on the paying customers who are watching, it wouldnt be fair on other teams in the league, and it sure as hell wouldnt be fair or proper for the kids themselves to be subjected to such an unequal task.........even a superstar like Ryan Giggs, when he burst on the ccene at 17 was kept "under wraps" and played sparingly and in selected situations, he wasnt thrown into a struggling team against tough top professionals, was he? so will all those who are talking through their hats about "put 'em in to make up the numbers" listen to Michael Appleton, who surely knows far more about developing youngsters into professional footballers than they do, and stop talking rubbish, please? As a previous poster has already pointed out, when Ian st John did that in the 70's we crashed down to the 4th division because those kids were utterly out of their depth. and the negative and impossible position they were in and the ridiculous demands it made on the kids resulted in virtually none of them ever making it in the game because they hadn't been developed properly...... learn from the mistakes of history or you're condemned to repeat them........
blue bob
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 02:04 PMAppy go lucky & Fartside, get lost, you know f---k all, get back to the forum from whence you came, Appy is THE MAN.
Pompey Pedro
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:51 PMleo16 - lay off the Muppets!
leo16
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:49 PMYour right, miss piggy probably would of had decent to say
pompeylil
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:24 PMTime to dust off Kanu!!!!
leo16
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:17 PMSo if appleton fielded a weakened team and we got deducted points, thats fine as long as he doesnt talk about it before hand? Muppets
thereader
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:17 PMTo all you that get on Appy's back. Give it a rest! Yes you're allowed you're own opinion on matters but where does the negativity get you. He (Appy) barely moans, he gets on with the job and he's an honest guy. I think the he is great and without a doubt - the future of PFC. Yes we're not the only team to have an injury crisis, but we have the smallest squad in the football league and our injury crisis really is that - a crisis. Now stop your moaning, buy and ticket and get down to FP. These next few months are going to be hard going, so support the lads and fill that park. PUP be it Horndean away or United away, forever blue!
Sheffield Blue
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:58 PMEmbaressing...and i dont mean appleton.
julian123
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:53 PMP Peter Denyer Dave Pullar Peter Ellis Leigh Barnard
appy go lucky
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:45 PMLil noones on his back, he just needs to use less energy whining and more managing! hes becoming embarrassing!
pompeylil
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:38 PMWell it didn't take long for some of you to get on Appy's back, did it? The bloke is doing a great job under VERY difficult circumstances. Give him a break & get behind him, or are you Sc***ers???
Englandsfc
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:20 PMAppy crying again...We had to play most of our youth team for a whole Season..Just get on with it, if there good enough play them...
Pompey Pedro
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:18 PMI heard from a relative of one of the Burnley team that when we played at Turf Moor, the Pompey players had to make their own way home...things were already on the slide then.
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