Simmonds heading back

Unsurprising. He’s shown glimmers of talent but ultimately hasn’t really worked out for either party.

Don't think he's had anywhere near enough of a chance to be honest, but then I can't say I was ever enthused by what I saw with him.  

In different circumstances he might have been very useful, coming onto offer fresh legs for a more experienced strikeforce. But largely he wasn't what we needed.

All in, we need to bring in better than what he can offer at present.  Same can be said for Pepple and Richardson too.

Strange one, think he's potentially got quite abit about him but, as always with young players, they need the game time - sadly we couldn't give him that.

Personally I think Wearne is a better player and yet we shipped him out to Torquay and had Simmonds in the squad. Would like to see Wearne come back in to the fold now.

Hopefully Pepple will be heading back soon also and a new forward or forwards enter the building

Quoted from Stew0_0

Personally I think Wearne is a better player and yet we shipped him out to Torquay and had Simmonds in the squad. Would like to see Wearne come back in to the fold now.

Hopefully Pepple will be heading back soon also and a new forward or forwards enter the building

Think Wearne needed abit of game time to continue to develop (or that's what PH said at the time). Would like to see him come back and get a chance now after his loan spell.

Hopefully making way for an incoming.

Looked to have a bit of talent and scored a cracking goal in the cup that shall not be named, but it's not easy for young players to force their way into an EFL side.

I suspect his parent club will be lining up another loan for him.

He’s already gone back, won’t be available this weekend like reported

Much prefer Richardson... I honestly didn't realise he was still with us, I assumed he was injured

Looked great on debut against Newport and nosedived since. A lot of these young loanees don’t work out, scratch him up as another.

This lad was also an attacking midfielder in the mould of McAtee/Richardson, given it was only until Jan, I think he was always a short term McAtee replacement. With McAtee back fit, you only need him and Ricco for that role.

With BK likely going back, from the sounds of it, that at least frees up a couple of loan spots in the squad. Although, I'd much prefer a few longish permanent signings it at least gives us more wriggle room.

They need game time and a club that can give them that. Probably an injury crisis as a catalyst. Ultimately, it’s too risky for us to pick them a lot and if they don’t absolutely capitalise on the snippets of game time they get, probably by scoring a few, then their opportunities are very limited. The young lads are up against it at ambitious L2 clubs. Does make me chuckle when a few posters just write these lads off and declare glibly they’re ‘not up to it’ and ‘not good enough’. They’re at championship or prem clubs folks - there are professionals who know plenty about such things who know if they’re good enough. Certainly by the age of 20/21.
Ultimately, a loan of this type can’t really work if a young player like this gets 10 minutes every 3 weeks, or who doesn’t force his way into the league starting 11 despite scoring and doing ok in a minor cup game.  We need something different and so do they.

Quoted from chaos33

They need game time and a club that can give them that. Probably an injury crisis as a catalyst. Ultimately, it’s too risky for us to pick them a lot and if they don’t absolutely capitalise on the snippets of game time they get, probably by scoring a few, then their opportunities are very limited. The young lads are up against it at ambitious L2 clubs. Does make me chuckle when a few posters just write these lads off and declare glibly they’re ‘not up to it’ and ‘not good enough’. They’re at championship or prem clubs folks - there are professionals who know plenty about such things who know if they’re good enough. Certainly by the age of 20/21.
Ultimately, a loan of this type can’t really work if a young player like this gets 10 minutes every 3 weeks, or who doesn’t force his way into the league starting 11 despite scoring and doing ok in a minor cup game.  We need something different and so do they.

Don’t disagree that they get written off by some without really getting a chance to develop, but I do disagree that the prem or championship clubs necessarily know they are good enough.
One problem in the game at the moment is that those clubs have so much money they can afford to hoover up all and any youngsters who show a glimmer of talent, and just rely on the law of averages that a percentage of them will make the grade.
All you can really say is that if they are contracted to a big club they have the potential to be good enough, even at the age of 20/21.

Quoted from Mikey_345

Strange one, think he's potentially got quite abit about him but, .

I saw him in the Man city game for the first time and thought he looked a live wire.  Would have liked him to stay longer at Grimsby.

Though he looked good in his debut but hasn't had the game time to really show what he can do. If we aren't interested in using him beyond 5 minute cameos then better they sort out something else for him. Hurst seems to have settled on what his best midfield is now and with his aversion to using his bench unless he has to, a lot of midfielders we bought in have not had a sniff. Didn't we pay a fee for Hunt? He's just sat on the bench as an unused sub with a handful of appearances off the bench since he came in.

Richardson definitely looks tbe best prospect out of the 3 young loanees - not scared to run and put himself about for a young 'un and likes a tackle and battle, hence his recent booking. If he fine tunes his back side, he could be in double figures at Harry's expense by season end !

Quoted from AussieMariner

Don’t disagree that they get written off by some without really getting a chance to develop, but I do disagree that the prem or championship clubs necessarily know they are good enough.
One problem in the game at the moment is that those clubs have so much money they can afford to hoover up all and any youngsters who show a glimmer of talent, and just rely on the law of averages that a percentage of them will make the grade.
All you can really say is that if they are contracted to a big club they have the potential to be good enough, even at the age of 20/21.

Well, the staff at these clubs watch players over scores of games and analysis is rigorous. Probably trumps some old git on here going ‘he’s not good enough’. I’d trust the professional judgement.

I repeat that, for their development, these young players need competitive games against players older and better than themselves. In this instance, we can’t offer Simmonds that. Somebody else might be able to.

Looks to have real quality but an utter lack of heart.

Quoted from chaos33

Well, the staff at these clubs watch players over scores of games and analysis is rigorous. Probably trumps some old git on here going ‘he’s not good enough’. I’d trust the professional judgement.

I repeat that, for their development, these young players need competitive games against players older and better than themselves. In this instance, we can’t offer Simmonds that. Somebody else might be able to.

This old git says he isn’t good enough.

There’s a huge difference between the safe and protected environment of a Premier League U23’s, and the much more physical competitive men’s football. I’d imagine it comes as quite a shock to many of them and takes time to adjust to. (I do realise that Birmingham are in the second tier).

Whilst Simmonds hasn’t been afforded much game time, he hasn’t shown enough during his time here to warrant any more. As such, it’s no surprise that he’s heading back to his parent club.

Sometimes loans work, and sometimes they don’t. Either way, he will probably be better for the experience when the next opportunity arises.

Quoted from chaos33

Well, the staff at these clubs watch players over scores of games and analysis is rigorous. Probably trumps some old git on here going ‘he’s not good enough’. I’d trust the professional judgement.

I repeat that, for their development, these young players need competitive games against players older and better than themselves. In this instance, we can’t offer Simmonds that. Somebody else might be able to.

Loads of a ademy players at these clubs are simply making up the numbers I'm afraid. If even 1 from a years cohort was good enough to make it as a regular in the premiership and save them millions in fees they're delighted. If the odd other one can be sold for money further down the pyramid to help with running costs they very pleased.

Regardless in order to have a chance of doing this they need loads of other players in that group to give the real prospects a team to play in and a squad to train with. Lots of these players are quite literally making up the numbers and just because they are in an academy squad doesn't mean that the academy staff have analysed them and believe they will make it as pros. Of course they will be trying to achieve the best successful rate they can  but even at the top end of youth football (u23s) most players won't be making it in the football league/premiership.

Quoted from chaos33

Well, the staff at these clubs watch players over scores of games and analysis is rigorous. Probably trumps some old git on here going ‘he’s not good enough’. I’d trust the professional judgement.

I repeat that, for their development, these young players need competitive games against players older and better than themselves. In this instance, we can’t offer Simmonds that. Somebody else might be able to.

As I suggested I tend to agree that some people, old gits for example, make premature judgements without expertise or evidence.
I still maintain though that the professionals you cite are often just taking a punt on a young player on the basis of a hint of talent. It’s lazy but they do it because they can. The risk/reward equation is in their favour, and it falls to clubs like ours to take the real risk in playing them when there are points on the line.
Pepple is a classic example. I’m sure Luton ‘watched’ him over scores of games and that their analysis is rigorous, but those games were in Canada at a much lower standard and they have no real way of knowing if he’ll make the grade in the Championship. He still might, and I hope he does because he seems like a nice lad, but the probability is that he’s earning a lot more than someone like Harry Clifton purely on the off chance that he’ll have not only the talent but also the persistence and character to make it.
I just hope that Luton and their ilk have safeguards in place to help the majority who don’t make it to cope with the inevitable mental health issues that arise when their dreams, not to mention their outrageous salaries, are taken away.

Quoted from toontown

Loads of a ademy players at these clubs are simply making up the numbers I'm afraid. If even 1 from a years cohort was good enough to make it as a regular in the premiership and save them millions in fees they're delighted. If the odd other one can be sold for money further down the pyramid to help with running costs they very pleased.

Regardless in order to have a chance of doing this they need loads of other players in that group to give the real prospects a team to play in and a squad to train with. Lots of these players are quite literally making up the numbers and just because they are in an academy squad doesn't mean that the academy staff have analysed them and believe they will make it as pros. Of course they will be trying to achieve the best successful rate they can  but even at the top end of youth football (u23s) most players won't be making it in the football league/premiership.

Absolutely right . Some parents whose children are in academys forget that . They need enough players to play matches . They have their eye on a couple and if another breaks through it's a bonus . Most Tottenham youth end up at Barnet I'd they're lucky

Had Harry Clifton come through an elite academy there’s no way he would have played 200 games and no way he would be the player he is now.

Quoted from Vance Warner

Had Harry Clifton come through an elite academy there’s no way he would have played 200 games and no way he would be the player he is now.

A bit of a generalisation. There’s several former elite academy graduates who are now playing in the Championship and League One. Josh Benson and Elliot Embleton to name but two. Both obviously as motivated as Harry. Admittedly, there are many others who fall by the wayside.

Quoted from blundellpork

There’s a huge difference between the safe and protected environment of a Premier League U23’s, and the much more physical competitive men’s football. I’d imagine it comes as quite a shock to many of them and takes time to adjust to. (I do realise that Birmingham are in the second tier).

Whilst Simmonds hasn’t been afforded much game time, he hasn’t shown enough during his time here to warrant any more. As such, it’s no surprise that he’s heading back to his parent club.

Sometimes loans work, and sometimes they don’t. Either way, he will probably be better for the experience when the next opportunity arises.

Hurst had a bit of a pop in a recent interview about players not physically handling the difference from youth/U23 football.

Good luck to the lad. Amazes me on how anyone can make a true assessment of him on what we saw.