U23s humbled by Hammers at home

Just when some fans are asking for Rhino to replace Allardyce for the rest of the season (I wouldn't be against that until the new manager comes in), our Under-23s are beaten 0-4. The very same score we beat West Ham in his last game in charge of the first team.

It's a funny old game.

Baningime being another who had a brief dalliance with the U23s between U18s and the first team. Right now, the U23s seems like a charity operation. We have hangers on who couldn't cut it in the Championship (Garbutt, Baxter, Grant) and a load of Steve Walsh misfits.

So what exactly is David Unsworth's remit? Is it to develop talent? If so, it is hard to credit him for kids who bypass the U23s or mostly develop while out on loan, eg, Walsh, Kenny. Or is his remit to win the PL2? In which case, great job last season... not so much this season. I am Inclined to think it is the latter.

If he wasn't primarily concerned with results, then I doubt he would have played Niasse and Garbutt so much last season. If he was concerned with talent development, he would have left them out and given more game time to say Sambou.

It is almost as if Kenwright has Unsworth set up in this gig so he gets to play make-believe Premier League manager. I don't see how it does any of us any good for Grant, Baxter and Henen to occupy spots that could go to younger, potentially better players.

Last season we fielded (at times): Hewelt, Kenny, Connelly, Holgate, Pennington, Williams, Davies, Dowell, Jones, Calvert Lewin. That's not even including Baningime or Browning.

Most of them had been together for a few years at various age groups and won the league because, at Under-23 level, they were peaking. Hence why all bar one are out on loan, in the first team squad or transferred.

It will be a couple more years before we challenge with this group again. However, players like Bowler, Markelo, Gibson, Feeney and the 16 year old whose name escapes me already look good at around 18 years old. Keep them together for a couple of years and they'll be challenging when they're 20ish.

The first team have shown this year that you can't make too many changes and expect success.

Unsworth will leave I'm sure as there is no strategy apparent for this age group. It doesn't use the experienced pros who cannot get 1st team games, a huge number of kids between 19-22 are out on loan, and the "potential goodies" like Kenny, Davies, Baningime, Holgate and Calvert-Lewin are fringe 1st teamers and who again don't go back down to help. It leaves Unsworth with dead weights like Henen, Grant, Garbutt and the far too many youngsters from the U18s.

I don't see the point of the U23s, like Kieran states above. Top level 18- and 19-year-olds are fast-tracked into the 1st team squad and the maybe's are farmed out on loan; what is the strategy for the U23s. It has to be a mix of experienced pros and kids who need testing to see if they can cut it.

As Kieran Dowell is finding out now, you might be considered with potential, but can you deliver with men – and we still don't know about him. After a good start with Forest, given a free role, he now needs to show he can be disciplined enough not to waste the ball.

The title win last season glossed over the real lack of product we are seeing from the Academy nowadays.

We produce mere robots that know only one way of playing which is sideways, hence why every young player seems to be a defensive minded midfielder that doesn’t possess a forward thinking brain.

Where are the young lads that have any pace in the ranks?
Where is the dominant tall future centre half or the mobile centre forward with a powerful shot?

There are none, we continue to produce steady Eddie types like Kenny, Davies, I believe Baningime is another holding defence minded player so another steady Eddie.

We haven’t produced any variety for a long time.