Boss Paul Jewell says he has told some of Town’s first and second-year professionals whether they can expect to be kept on at the end of the season. The Blues have 11 young players whose terms are up in June.
Striker Ronan Murray, who is set to make his debut for loan club Torquay today, and keeper Ian McLoughlin, who is with Stockport at present, are amongst 11 youngsters in that position along with Luke Hyam, Troy Brown, Tom Eastman, Jack Ainsley, Connor Hourihane, Reggie Lambe, David Cawley, Jamie Griffiths and Billy Clark.
Jewell says he has already indicated his intentions to some of them and in the meantime would like as many of them as possible to go out on loan: "I’ve spoken to some of them, so they’re aware of it.
"It’s difficult really because the reserve league we have isn’t testing the players, which is why I’m pleased that Ronan has gone out on loan.
"I’ve sent a memo out to all League One and League Two clubs that the young players are all available for loan because then we can see them for real. I’ve spoken to them about what may happen with them in the future.”
The Town boss says he’s liked what he’s seen of his younger players but that they need to play in a more competitive environment: "I’ve been impressed with all the young players since I’ve been here. In training they’re working really hard and they’ve played well in all the matches, but they haven’t been tested.
"They get tested in training to some extent but to actually see them in a real, live game where it means something is what I’m interested in.
"I remember when I was a young player at Liverpool, playing in the reserves every week and every week scoring goals. Then I went to Wigan for a month and went ‘Wow! What’s this about!’. It’s a huge shock to the system.
"It’s good for your education, it does broaden you and hopefully it’ll make them realise how good a club it is here and make them work even harder to get into our team.”
Jewell feels his squad is currently one of two parts, the senior pros and youngsters in the main not yet ready for first team football: "We have a bit of a void in our squad. We’ve got what you’d call first team players and then 11 first and second-year pros. There’s a bit of an imbalance in the squad.
"Next year, hopefully, I want 20 top Championship outfield players trying to get in the team. I want 22 players that are proven at Championship level, and above hopefully, trying to get in the first team and almost like a development squad on top of that. But at the moment we’ve got a bit of an imbalance.”
The Blues boss says some youngsters could find themselves farmed out for the entire 2011/12: "I would like some of the young players to go out on loan for the season next year because I think there’s nothing like playing football. And unfortunately you can get used to not playing. They turn up, they train, they go home. There’s no edge at the end of the week.
"I remember when I was a player at Liverpool, we used to play every Saturday in the Central League in those days. I remember making my debut for Liverpool reserves and Craig Johnston was playing, Avi Cohen, Kevin Sheedy, Ronnie Whelan, Steve Ogrizovic and David Fairclough. I played against Willie Morgan, I remember Willie Morgan because he knocked me out!
"It was a really tough environment, then they changed it from Saturday to midweek and there was no edge at the end of the week, even though it was only the reserve team.
"I think the edge has completely gone from reserve team football, it’s almost like a ‘carry me’ style football where there’s no tackling, there’s no tempo to it. I want the players to go out and learn what the game’s about.”
Jewell is a fan of Town’s academy but says it should be judged on the number of players who progress to the first team: "We all want to produce talent. Funnily enough I was just looking at a photo of the 2005 Youth Cup-winning team and thinking how few of those players are making a living out of the game now.
"It’s all right having a good youth team and players but can you develop them? It’s not about winning, although obviously we want win, it’s about developing the players.
"There’s only one result in any football club which counts and that’s the first team. Everything else is development.
"If you win a trophy that’s great, but if you don’t produce that many players out of winning that trophy to me it doesn’t mean an awful lot.
"How many in that team? Danny Haynes? Owen Garvan? Billy Clarke? Not many that have gone on to knock people’s lights out. There are probably six or seven who aren’t making a living out of the game. I’m all for the academy as long as we’ve got the right people in charge, and I think we have.”