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McCarthy: Homegrown Players Starting to Come Through
Thursday, 24th Nov 2016 06:00

Blues boss Mick McCarthy believes a number of good, young players are emerging from the club's Playford Road academy and establishing themselves in the senior squad. While Josh Emmanuel and Myles Kenlock have featured in recent weeks, the Town manager says the likes of Kundai Benyu, Andre Dozzell and Tristan Nydam are all also making progress.

At the recent Supporters Club AGM McCarthy was asked a question about the number of first-team starts made by academy graduates with the figure having come down season on season since he took over as boss, although the long-term injuries suffered by Teddy Bishop, Luke Hyam and Tommy Smith have impacted upon those totals in the last couple of years.

The Blues look set to fall short of their target of 50 per cent of the first-team squad having come through the academy by the start of next season - the current figure is 31 per cent - which remains their aim, but McCarthy believes there is a promising crop of youngsters now breaking into the first-team picture.

“I think we’re getting to a point where we’re getting good players that are coming through,” he said.

“Myles Kenlock can play in the first team but unfortunately he’s got Jonas [Knudsen] in front of him. Josh can play there, there’s no doubt about that.

“I think Kundai now, he is a different kid, he’s pushing for a place in the squad. We’ve got Bish, certainly Dozzer.

“It’s just looking like we’re getting a few more players who are coming through and can play but can play and sustain that, not just have a game and then we don’t see them ever again.

“That’s been proven with Josh and with Myles, with Dozzer, certainly with Bish, and it would be lovely if we could get those homegrown players coming through.

“I don’t keep them out of the team because I don’t want them to play, I pick the best team that’s available to me.”

Midfielder Tristan Nydam became the latest academy youngster to sign a professional deal earlier this month when he turned 17.

“Tristan’s going to be a good player and I think they’re all improving with the strength and conditioning that they do with Lids [fitness coach Andy Liddell],” McCarthy added.

“I think we’ll know [when they’re ready], I’m not sure everybody accepts how tough this league is to play in but it is a very, very tough league and you’ve got to be robust and durable and they’re all getting there.

“Doz came back [from England U18s duty] and has trained with us, as has Kundai, and they don’t look out of place, they’re doing great.”

Having scored on his debut as a sub at Sheffield Wednesday last season and then made his first start against Fulham a few days later, Dozzell's only appearance this season was in the EFL Cup tie at home to Stevenage.

However, having impressed in the U23s in recent weeks, the 17-year-old may well in be in McCarthy's thoughts if he is looking to make changes to his midfield for Saturday's home game against QPR.


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BlueMachines added 06:16 - Nov 24
The proof is in the pudding. Start giving them some game time.
14

lightingblue added 06:31 - Nov 24
Apart from Bart the rest of the starting eleven should include when fit. Kenlock, Emmanuel, digby, smith, dozzell, ward, kundai, mcdonall and there are several more. Start I'm against the hoops on Saturday. Again only if they are got. What you guys think
-4

battyblue added 06:36 - Nov 24
A return of Douglas is more likely, Micks best team includes a few underpar performers in my eyes but they are probably proper blokes.
11

BrettenhamBlue added 06:45 - Nov 24
Blue machines is correct, they need to play or else we will lose them. Should be getting Dozzell. Benyu on the pitch most games, give Bishop time as a sub and play Morris, Nydam and Blanchfield before the end of the season. We should expect to lose players if we don't play them.

Offer Douglas out on-loan in January (a League 1 or 2 club will be interested), get McDonnell out on-loan (he could easily play in League 1) and agree a mutual termination for Coke (he's nowhere near the quality of Stewart or Tabb...both who have yet to find league clubs). Bring in a striker and we just might restart our season.
12

jas0999 added 06:53 - Nov 24
My personal hope for January is we sign a couple of quality permanent players, no loans - I see little relevant of bringing in a premiership youngster will little experience when we have our own promising players. Then we need to start bedding our players in so we are ready to challenge next season. Realistically we don't currently look like challenging this, so why not build a squad and get them playing together for a push next year?
12

Sir_Bob added 07:12 - Nov 24
More waffle.
Play them then. You don't even give any of then 5 minutes. They only get a game if one of your favs is injured.
I really can't see how he can say this when he cannot even truest any of them for a 5 min run out.
Then again, we're never in a comfortable position to bring these young lads on for 5 mins. We're either losing or struggling to hold on for a draw.
16

Dissboyitfc added 07:26 - Nov 24
Unlucky for miles that Jonas is in front of him, he shouldnt be but Jonas is a mate and a proper bloke so his form doesnt come into it.

MM please leave now!
14

blue75 added 07:33 - Nov 24
You play your best team!!! Chambers playing right back I think sums up playing your best team.
12

DurhamTownFan added 07:40 - Nov 24
Think we've heard this pretty much every season since MM arrived. But how many have established themselves during his time. Bishop? That's about it.

If you're serious, just play them, and I think you'll get a lot more credit from the fans when/if we do lose
7

Swn98 added 08:03 - Nov 24
Doubt it Durham it's easy for keyboard warriors to air their hypothetical views different story in reality.
-10

Bluebell added 08:05 - Nov 24
“I don't keep them out of the team because I don't want them to play, I pick the best team that's available to me.”

Hmmmm.....I'm not convinced that is true Mick. If it is, then the ones playing all need a kick up the bum!

Unfortunately players like Ward seemed to have had the ability to get forward and make a difference, trained out of them. The same with Bishop at the moment, he can only move and pass backwards. Exactly what happened with Maitland Niles last season too.

Saturday, when we were 0.2 down and not likely to win, would have been an ideal time to give Dozzell 20 minutes. He is likely to be moving on in January, and who can blame him.
9

MicksZzzTactics added 08:14 - Nov 24
Well that all "sounds" ever so lovely &rosy .......... Ohhhh wait a minute!!! "ESTABLISHING themselves in the senior squad"?!
Hmmmm "ESTABLISHING" ...... in your twisted world view MM does that generally speaking equal = only really getting a chance to play some quality meaningful minutes -- let alone start!!! -- if some of them ever soooo lovable 'proper blokes' & 'pet favorites' of yours are out fully injured, not remotely close to 100% or suspended oh Sire??? :-) lol

Exactly like @BlueMachine so delicately put it "The proof is in the pudding" Sherlock, and thus in this regard, and speaking of equaling "=", here is my 'THE DINOSAUR BEFITTING VERB OF THE DAY':

Deluded

Deluded = To mislead the mind or judgment of; As in making someone believe something that is not quite true!
9

grumpyoldman added 08:42 - Nov 24
Is it soon time for mini season tickets to go on sale? Isn't this a rehashed statement made just before season tickets went on sale earlier this year, or am I being cynical.
One more point Swn98 are those making hypothetical statements any more or less a keyboard warrior than you! What makes you different from them, not your different opinions but their method of expressing them, using the expression "keyboard warrior" just because they disagree with you is a bit silly.
7

rinkydinkpanther added 09:11 - Nov 24
@lightingblue I think your English lessons are coming along well. A few more and you'll just about be there.
2

markytitfc66 added 09:13 - Nov 24
Definitely half season ticket sale time soon.
Same bull manure as said during the summer.
MM we are not as stupid as you think we are!
Just leave and let someone more talented than you to look after these lads
3

peewee added 09:17 - Nov 24
And we're off the spin to justify no major investment again. Evans it's time to sack Mick of back mick. If you don't bk him please sell up and F®®K off. Swn98 really keyboard warriors please you're a clown. Boycott the game don't buy the beer and Pie's time to make the jokers at the club see the fan are not an easy pay day for every little in return.
3

eMeM added 09:46 - Nov 24
I hink Mick is right here. They are not good enough. There is a reason why you don't see a queue of League One and League Two clubs trying to loan our youngsters. There is a reason why even best of them didn't become football stars in recent years. Let's face it, our academy is poor standard.
0

TR11BLU added 09:59 - Nov 24
Shut up and go away please...
1

OwainG1992 added 10:00 - Nov 24
Unless they play they aint going to grow here and will leave and in a couple years time we'll see them pushing on at another championship side or even a prem one! Now this is just (my opinion) but if everyone was fit and we played say 4231 i'd go: Bart Josh Webster Smith Kenlock (Knudson needs time out of the team to earn his place again) Bish and Dozzell. Williams ahead of them with Lawrence and perhaps still Ward on the right but i think he needs dropping for a few games too. Up front hell put Morris there. If fit I'd have Pitmann and 2 years ago definately Sears!!!
0

muccletonjoe added 10:12 - Nov 24
Knudesen should not be ahead of kenlock on current form
9

blueblood66 added 10:19 - Nov 24
there lies the problem, Kenlock is a better player than Knudsen.
7

Ipswich24 added 10:46 - Nov 24
The problem I have is when they do get a chance and that is only because one of the favorites is injured or suspended, they then have to immediately make way the next game even if they have a good game. This sends out entirely the wrong message. You cant just give a kid one or two games here and there they need to establish themselves it may take 10-15 games before they get used to the pace and fitness required.
5

Lightningboy added 10:54 - Nov 24
Mick doesn't trust youth - one mistake and you're out of the team for months (possibly for good).

Mick should be managing one of those over 50s walking football teams.

8

MattinLondon added 11:11 - Nov 24
If a younger player had had exactly the same games as Chambers, Skuse, Douglas, Berra, Sears and Knudsen then they would have been dropped, frozen-out of the first team and loaned out to some non-league football outpost in Kent.

5

dugoutdave added 11:31 - Nov 24
Happy to be corrected by Phil, but this report is based on what he said at the Supporters club AGM on 27th Oct. He's had a whole month during which time he probably hopes we forgot he said that.
5


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