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Grant Hall, Alex Pritchard & Ryan Mason - Swindon Town

eddiebailey

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2004
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Thought it was about time we had a proper thread title...

Lost 3-2 today, with Mason scoring a 40 yarder in injury time. Hall and Pritchard also started, with Pritchard providing the assist for the first; also in the team were ex-Spurs Luongo and Kasim, the latter of whom has gone from clubless zero to cult hero. Byrne missed the game through suspension, a shame as he was just starting to win over the Swindon fans after being switched from left back to right wing.

Despite the result Swindon fans seem over the moon at the performance, both the classy, entertaining style of play and how effective this is enabling them to dominate opponents, as they apparently did today. From assuming at the start of the season that their ridiculously young team of loanees and rejects was doomed to relegation, they are now starting to talk about the play-offs.

This whole 'feeder club' thing is starting to look like a really worthwhile experiment. Hats off to Tim Sherwood for having the vision to making it happen.
 

Krafty

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2004
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Should add they were away to Wolves, so a 3-2 loss isnt that bad a result at all.
 

SlickMongoose

Copacetic
Feb 27, 2005
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Have they got any other loanees? If not they have another spot for somebody like McEvoy or Coulthirst......
 

eddiebailey

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2004
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From a Wolves forum:

I think we used up all that luck we haven't had the last few seasons in one match! Swindon played some scintillating stuff and I can't believe we got away with it, 4 top saves from Ikeme, the post, some last ditch blocks and a little wayward finishing from Swindon, we could have conceded 8 or 9 and I wouldn't have been surprised as they threatened us so often. ...Swindon were all over us like a rash. Great result but I don't want to see us out played like that again any time soon!
 

Spursidol

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2007
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From a Wolves forum:

Wolves are a very good side for League 1 - only side in the division to have games postponed last week due to the number of players away on international duty - currently 3rd in the league (Swindon are mid table).

DElighted that our loanees are playing regularly, but still a little worried that the calibre of most of the players in League one (Wolves and a few other sides apart) mean the players are not being 'stretched' enough - and also that next season they will at best be at a Championship club.

Think we'll need to review the success of the 'feeder club' plan in at least a year's time - the success criteria I giess being whether the loanees are playing regularly at Championship or higher level.

If this is the way forward, IMO we need to find another club to accomodate a few other of our youngsters, as Swindon would not be able to play them all regularly.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
Wolves are a very good side for League 1 - only side in the division to have games postponed last week due to the number of players away on international duty - currently 3rd in the league (Swindon are mid table).

DElighted that our loanees are playing regularly, but still a little worried that the calibre of most of the players in League one (Wolves and a few other sides apart) mean the players are not being 'stretched' enough - and also that next season they will at best be at a Championship club.

Think we'll need to review the success of the 'feeder club' plan in at least a year's time - the success criteria I giess being whether the loanees are playing regularly at Championship or higher level.

If this is the way forward, IMO we need to find another club to accomodate a few other of our youngsters, as Swindon would not be able to play them all regularly.

Did we manage to do a deal with any of the dutch clubs?
 

eddiebailey

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2004
7,452
6,672
DElighted that our loanees are playing regularly, but still a little worried that the calibre of most of the players in League one (Wolves and a few other sides apart) mean the players are not being 'stretched' enough - and also that next season they will at best be at a Championship club.

Think we'll need to review the success of the 'feeder club' plan in at least a year's time - the success criteria I giess being whether the loanees are playing regularly at Championship or higher level.

I think the idea is to get these lads playing regular competitive football and playing the right way. We could loan them out to clubs in the Championship who play hoof ball, but that would not help their development as Spurs players. The point about Swindon is they are a mini Spurs, where our youngsters can continue to hone their skills but in an environment where mistakes have real consequences. The reason most teams in League One do not play good football is that they are not good enough to win games playing that way, they get outfought and outmuscled and do not have the skill to rise above that. To win games at that level playing the right way you have to be something special. And that to me is what so exciting about this.
 

mill

Well-Known Member
May 21, 2007
10,385
37,100
Wolves are a very good side for League 1 - only side in the division to have games postponed last week due to the number of players away on international duty - currently 3rd in the league (Swindon are mid table).

DElighted that our loanees are playing regularly, but still a little worried that the calibre of most of the players in League one (Wolves and a few other sides apart) mean the players are not being 'stretched' enough - and also that next season they will at best be at a Championship club.

Think we'll need to review the success of the 'feeder club' plan in at least a year's time - the success criteria I giess being whether the loanees are playing regularly at Championship or higher level.

If this is the way forward, IMO we need to find another club to accomodate a few other of our youngsters, as Swindon would not be able to play them all regularly.
Best case scenario is that they excell first half of the season and more up to the champ in Jan, excell there and the prem next season. Unlikely I know, but we can hope
 

eddiebailey

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2004
7,452
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Best case scenario is that they excell first half of the season and more up to the champ in Jan, excell there and the prem next season. Unlikely I know, but we can hope
As I recall Steven Kelly succeeded in playing in all four divisions in the space of twelve months, so its possible...
 

mill

Well-Known Member
May 21, 2007
10,385
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As I recall Steven Kelly succeeded in playing in all four divisions in the space of twelve months, so its possible...
Dream scenario, Carroll impresses enough to move up to the prem in Jan, then Harry takes Mason or Pritchard as a replacement and Swindon get McEvoy or similar as their replacement
 

Spursidol

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2007
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Did we manage to do a deal with any of the dutch clubs?

Not that I've seen - would be great to have an Eerste Divisie club as a club as a destination for some loanees. The idea of Carroll being loaned to Ajax as part of the dealk to get Eriksen would have been good too - but cannot think of too many other Spurs youngsters that Ajax might play in their first team from the start of the loan
 

Spursidol

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2007
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I think the idea is to get these lads playing regular competitive football and playing the right way. We could loan them out to clubs in the Championship who play hoof ball, but that would not help their development as Spurs players. The point about Swindon is they are a mini Spurs, where our youngsters can continue to hone their skills but in an environment where mistakes have real consequences. The reason most teams in League One do not play good football is that they are not good enough to win games playing that way, they get outfought and outmuscled and do not have the skill to rise above that. To win games at that level playing the right way you have to be something special. And that to me is what so exciting about this.

Agree with all that, but it would be better if some of those loanees could be doing that at a Championship club who play good fooball, and the loanees are playing against better players (and learning more from that).

Hopefully some of the Swindon loanees can step up in January (as Mill has suggested).
 

Krafty

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2004
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Agree with all that, but it would be better if some of those loanees could be doing that at a Championship club who play good fooball, and the loanees are playing against better players (and learning more from that).

Hopefully some of the Swindon loanees can step up in January (as Mill has suggested).

I think Ryan Mason personifies the potential problems with the loan system, and why I think the lads will stay at Swindon for the season assuming they are getting game time.

Apart from his stint at Yeovil (coincidentally when a load of Spurs youth were there) he has struggled to play games, struggled to play in his preferred position, and struggled to play the kind of football we (Spurs) would want him to play.

Unless we can develop strong ties with a club, there is always the problem that if results are not good, a new manager will come in and our loanee won't get game time because he is a young player who will make mistakes (see Luongo at Ipswich)

Its probably a little late for Mason to make it at Spurs, but I think we are hoping we help Swindon get promoted, and then we can loan them players in the Championship, playing football that mimics Spurs, with player positions that complement our style and therefore suit our youngsters more.
 

SlickMongoose

Copacetic
Feb 27, 2005
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http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=52489.180

Difficult to single out a MOTM but I'd probably have to go for Kasim. It would've been Mason had he not spurned so many chances, what a goal btw.

Interesting how Pritchard has picked up the most bookings. His general effort and commitment in the challenge have really taken me by surprise this season. You wouldn't have thought he was that sort of player to look at him, with his small stature, skilful feet and fluorescent yellow boots.

Highlights at 40 minutes, including the Mason goal:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03bjh7h/The_Football_League_Show_2013_2014_15_09_2013/
 

Spursidol

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2007
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I think Ryan Mason personifies the potential problems with the loan system, and why I think the lads will stay at Swindon for the season assuming they are getting game time.

Apart from his stint at Yeovil (coincidentally when a load of Spurs youth were there) he has struggled to play games, struggled to play in his preferred position, and struggled to play the kind of football we (Spurs) would want him to play.

Unless we can develop strong ties with a club, there is always the problem that if results are not good, a new manager will come in and our loanee won't get game time because he is a young player who will make mistakes (see Luongo at Ipswich)

Its probably a little late for Mason to make it at Spurs, but I think we are hoping we help Swindon get promoted, and then we can loan them players in the Championship, playing football that mimics Spurs, with player positions that complement our style and therefore suit our youngsters more.

But the reason why Mason struggled to play games was due to persistant injiuries - after half a season at Yeovil, then League 1, in which he looked a fantastic prospect at age 17 he gradually found himself being exhausted by playing and spent the second part of that season back at Spurs (possibly in the gym). The next season and a half were spent at Championship Doncaster where again he struggled with injuries and played only a few games (although when platying Donnie fans saif he looked very good). He was then moved to Championship Milwall when injured, but unbelievably with Kane, whose preferred position is as 2nd striker, and consequently when fit Mason was playing his 2nd/3rd position of CM/winger - and irregularly. After an excellent half season in Spurs u21 team he then went to FC Lorient where he never appeared in the first team - runoured to be because Sherwood had agreed the loan deal with Lorient's London based Chairman rather than the Lorient manager.

I'm not sure if Spurs have helped Mason's career as much they might as his injury problems have not been successfully managed or his loans - and IMO he's not a good example for you to choose.

Luongo's time at Ipswich came to an end due to the Ipswich manager changing - he had too many young loanees and the new manager brought in experienced loanees. Ironically at the end of the season a number of Ipswich fans said that Luongo had been as good as the experienced loanees who succeeded him.

I would agree with your general thesis that it might be better to develop good relations with a few clubs who then take several loanees from Spurs - we were doing that with Yeovil (Townsend, Obika, Caulker, Mason etc) and several others, but that relationship cme to an end with a change in Yeovil manager.

We appear to have a 'deeper' relationship with Swindon - but equally that too may come to an end in a year or two with changes in personnel. We'll just have to see. However IMO we need to try to find other clubs to put loanees into - we cannot put all our eggs into one basket (Swindon) and then find the relationship comes to an end due to changes in personnel again.
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
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This is Spurs B team is a high risk strategy as the manager change has put a clanger in the works but they have to get promoted this season for this to work
 

Spursidol

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2007
12,636
15,834
This is Spurs B team is a high risk strategy as the manager change has put a clanger in the works but they have to get promoted this season for this to work

Well Swindon are mid table after 7 games.

If Swindon need to get promoted for the strategy to succeeed, then its going to be a long haul !
 
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