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Who will break through to the 1st team squad 12/13?


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Hey guys

 

As the title says, who are we predicting to get some action in the first team next season from the youth and reserves?

 

The obvious candidates you'd say would be Smallwood, reach, halliday, park, main, Williams. The maybe lesser so I would think ripley, wyke, pilatos, Gibson.

 

I'd love to see a couple of these really stake a claim next season, some fantastic talent in there.

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Indeed there is, I think we'll see a lot more of our youngsters next season, considering it's back to 7 substitutes again.

 

I suspect L.Williams wont get that much game time/sub appearances though, because if I'm not mistaken VB mentioned something about him having a clause in his contract granting him 3k for sitting on the bench(signed a new contract during the Strachan era).

 

The one I think is most likely to shine next season would be Main, all though he has kind of shown what he's capable of in parts of last season.

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Just looking at the guys you might expect to step up I got to wondering. Smallwood is either Baileys replacement or right back ?? I think he has to step up this year.

 

Gibson has had a good loan at York but he played left back !! Is he to move in the middle or stay out on the left ??

 

Adam Reach has been very good before his injury. Unless pre-season shows a massive improvement he might well be out on loan

 

Main is going to be involved

 

Ripley as it stands is no 2 gkeeper

 

Pilatos seems to have regressed not progressed this last year. Undoubtedly has the talent but will he use it ? Luke williams likewise

 

Park was a pale shadow of the man from the season before after his return from the loan at Barnsley. I just hope he's fully recovered and can recapture his form

 

Haliday went out on loan and didn't make the 1st team at Walsall. I had the impression he was cruising and I suspect that has crossed the mind of others. Lets see how he turns out this season. I'm not expecting a lot but I'd love to be wrong

 

Additionally is David Atkinson going to make the move to right back. Matt Dolan going to make a step up ? Jake Fowler to show us how its done. Wyke and Kneeshaw to form a devastating patnership for the Reserves or get up a bit further.

 

Lets hope thy can make some of the senior pros sit up and take notice

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I believe the plan is to get a 2nd keeper in so that ripley can go out on loan... not sure where i read that but think it was steele who mentioned it in an interview somewhere...

 

other than that nugget, main obviously, smallwood, i can't see any more than a sub again. park potentially from what mogga's said about him last year.

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Just looking at the guys you might expect to step up I got to wondering. Smallwood is either Baileys replacement or right back ?? I think he has to step up this year.

 

Gibson has had a good loan at York but he played left back !! Is he to move in the middle or stay out on the left ??

 

Adam Reach has been very good before his injury. Unless pre-season shows a massive improvement he might well be out on loan

 

Main is going to be involved

 

Ripley as it stands is no 2 gkeeper

 

Pilatos seems to have regressed not progressed this last year. Undoubtedly has the talent but will he use it ? Luke williams likewise

 

Park was a pale shadow of the man from the season before after his return from the loan at Barnsley. I just hope he's fully recovered and can recapture his form

 

Haliday went out on loan and didn't make the 1st team at Walsall. I had the impression he was cruising and I suspect that has crossed the mind of others. Lets see how he turns out this season. I'm not expecting a lot but I'd love to be wrong

 

Additionally is David Atkinson going to make the move to right back. Matt Dolan going to make a step up ? Jake Fowler to show us how its done. Wyke and Kneeshaw to form a devastating patnership for the Reserves or get up a bit further.

 

Lets hope thy can make some of the senior pros sit up and take notice

 

Im not sure Pilatos regressed last season, personally i think he came on leaps and bounds last season after the season before regressing.

 

Atkinson has to get over his injury problems, he really has struggled through no fault of his own and the dislocated kneecap late last season capped things off.

 

Reach suffered his injury very late in the season, i suspect he may be the one of all the kids to break through this season. (Main, Smallwood i dont count as they're first teamers now in my eyes)

 

Halliday wasnt cruising i think he was in a bad bit of form.

Basically i think those youngsters used over the last 2 seasons will be there or there abouts again this season.

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I expect Curtis Main and Richard Smallwood will have fairly big parts to play next season. Although I don't really consider them youths/reserves because they've made the step up and have been given a run in the first team at some point under Mowbray.

 

Besides these two I'd really like to see Andy Halliday, Luke Williams, Cameron Park and Adam Reach involved at some point next season. Ben Gibson too.. although I'm not sure if we'd be as likely to see him given a chance as we would the others simply because of his position. Sounds like he had a great spell on loan at York and didn't look out of place when he made his debut against Coventry the season before last.

 

Andy Halliday was signed with a fair bit of promise under Strachan. He was key to Livingston's promotion to the Scottish Division Two at a very young age and was quality in his first match under Mowbray when we played Ipswich away. Scoring one and setting the other two up if I remember correctly? Looking forward to seeing more of him.

 

Luke Williams was arguably our best player under Strachan when we started the 2010/2011 season. I was always very impressed with him when he played in the first team and I couldn't wait to see just how much he'd progress, especially under Mogga. Unfortunately it's all seemed to have gone backwards for him since Mogga arrived. Of course, his tender age, our league position and a couple of injuries didn't help.. but if it's true that there is a clause in his contract that grants him a pay-rise everytime he is named on the bench, that could seriously be hampering his chances of getting first team football and getting on the bench over the likes of Park, Reach and Halliday. :S

 

I haven't seen much of Park but I've heard some people compare him to Adam Johnson and Stewart Downing. He's still got plenty of time to grow and I look forward to seeing how he progresses. Maybe another loan move where he can actually get settled and play regular first team football will do him the world of good.

 

Reach is who I'm the most excited about for next season. It's obvious Mowbray rates him quiet highly too. He scored on his debut against Doncaster and in his few first team appearances since he really has looked the part. Highlighted when he came on against Sunderland in the cup and was full of confidence. Nearly scored from 30-40 yards out right at the end too!!

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See I've never been convinced by reach when I've seen him. Some great qualities no doubt, but he looks a bit gangely and clumsy at times.

 

The other players I forgot where kneeshaw and morris, both making big dents at youth level.

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