Duncan Idehan

Quoted from arryarryarry

Would they have been twiddling their thumbs? If Bridlington only train twice a week wouldn't they have been training at Town the rest of the week?

That's what happens usually but the post I was replying referred to them moving away for the duration of the loan. I totally get the principle but we need a couple more promotions under our belt before we can adopt that kind of model properly.

Quoted from Maringer

Just to add that I'Anson is apparently playing in the Spanish 3rd division at present, which is semi-pro level. Well, I assume he's playing but there aren't any indications he's played a match since 2020 from his Wikipedia page. Whether this is due to injury or not, I don't know, but probably another indication that he perhaps wasn't up to the required standard after all, just like the other youngsters who left us.

Which would be equivalent to League One / Two level (it's the 3rd step below La Liga and La Liga 2, but split into East and West regional leagues). Appearance statistics on wikipedia profiles are inaccurate, he's been playing regularly for them including in the playoffs last season where they beat Barcelona B ([url=https://www.rfef.es/noticias/cronica-ucam-murcia-se-lleva-frenetico-choque-subcampeones-once-metros-2-2]match report[/url]) and narrowly missed out on promotion to La Liga 2 losing 1-0 to Ibiza in the final round ([url=https://www.transfermarkt.us/ud-ibiza_ucam-murcia-cf/aufstellung/spielbericht/3570545]match statistics[/url]).

Very clearly is up to the required standard.

It might be the 3rd tier, but it's still a semi-professional league. Many 'big' countries (including Spain and Germany) don't have the depth of professional leagues that we have in the UK. Whether or not the standard of the Spanish semi-pro 3rd division is higher than the lower professional leagues here is a different question. Spain has a population quite a bit smaller than England/Wales as well, of course.

I have to admit, I don't know whether his current club is professional or not. It probably is a decent standard (we've seen plenty of good semi-pro players in the Conference as well), but I don't think there is any indication that he very clearly is up to the required standard for league football. Could well be, and perhaps he's at a semi-pro club because he's got another good career on the side, or perhaps he is a pro at this club?

On the case of I'Anson, we're judging him now against when he left us, which was scarily ten years ago as an 18-year-old.

Probably not the best example of someone we didn't give a chance to if he wanted to return to Spain, although I do recall Rob Scott slagging him off a bit around that time which suggests he wasn't that well thought of.

It's hypothetical because there's absolutely no way of saying he would have developed further at any set rate, or indeed at all.  But after leaving us, I'Anson has gone on to have a pretty decent career at a level much higher than where he left us and that we're still at.  He's played in LaLiga.  I think we would be quite happy if we signed anyone from that level now, regardless if they were a fringe player at a struggling team or not.  

The argument of young lads we release not proving us wrong is a bit flawed to me, when they leave Town it's usually only a downward path for them.  Idehen and Starbuck are generally exceptions in that clubs higher up the ladder pick them up.  Once they leave a 4th/5th tier side it's usually to the regional leagues, once there they lose the level of development and professionalism that they had before (often the appetite too).  I think the question should be, again it's hypothetical, how well would these players have developed if they stayed with us until they were 20 rather than 18?

I thought I'Anson looked decent, especially considering his youth. Surprised he didn't stay, but then there was a lot of strange stuff going one when Rob Scott was involved with the club and I can see why the chance of a move to Spain would be appealing for a young lad with family roots there. Checking his career, I see that he made a couple of La Liga appearances but also a few more in their second division than I realised. This doesn't change the fact that he's in the prime of his career and has been playing in semi-pro leagues for the past few seasons.

Ah, well, a different case. Fact is that most of the young players we've developed who looked promising haven't made it at our level. Not surprising given the way the youngsters are hoovered up by the bigger clubs, but it would have been good to have one or two more make the grade.

I’anson is again, just another young lad that we’ll never really know if he could’ve been something here but he took the chance, went to Spain and now plays semi pro.

That level in Spain isn’t great, regardless of it being only two steps from La Liga.

Fair play to the lad and I’m sure he’s happy but I suspect he’s another that has improved in town fans heads than what we saw when he was here…

We’re not any worse or better off without him…