Winter 2025 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[Bosco81]

Yep, I am big fan of trying to sign the best talent before they’ve made it.  One success and you can build half a team.

However, when they do those “where did Bellingham” come from pieces the scouts from school are 100% sure “he was always going to make it” whereas I wonder how much of that is 20/20 hindsight. 

@Rotterdam - Can you genuinely spot the ones that will make it and the ones that will not?  How random is it?

I suppose the answer is 'yes and no'.
Top players like Grealish, Bellingham and Morgan Rogers standout as something special. A coach at work had Morgan for a couple of years and said he would win a game on his on if needed. He was so much better than all the others...so Man City bought him for their 'elite' group. Jack was another that was head and shoulders above everyone, same for 'St Jude'.

On the flipside, Tom Fellows was fairly average for WBA u18, Tim Iroegbunam was the standout for me in that group. Tim was highly regarded and Tom flew under the radar. Tom went on loan and blossomed. Tim picked up by us, didn't maybe develop but was sold for $. Jamal Jimoh in the u21 is another Tim potentially, but I know Unai likes him a lot. 

A further layer is the ones that have a high ceiling and are looked on as future stars, but for some reason don't kick on and develop. Could be injury related, growth or simply the others caught up. A lad called LC was sold by WBA to Chelsea. He was outstanding at u14/15 but through injury has barely played for Chelsea u18 and u21s. He is though on big money and has a two year pro guaranteed, he'll be a millionaire at 20.

Rico Richards is an interesting one. Contract from WBA on his 17th birthday, didn't develop and stalled football-wise. released after two years. Picked up by Villa, and a business based thought that he could evolve. If he doesn't, it's not a big financial gamble...think a Finn Azaz.

From what I've learnt, the ceiling is so high that few make it through. Being around L1 or L2 is fantastic...National League players can be on £1k a week easily. But they all want to be the next Morgan Rogers or Cole Palmer. Football is a business and players the commodity and academy's can be a big money spinner.   

That's really interesting Rotterdam.

I coach my lad's under 14's team, and my remit is for them to enjoy the game, and hopefully they will keep playing as adults, although I doubt any of my lot will get paid even £50 per week in the future, but we are playing at a competitive level for our ability, you don't want to win or lose 10-0 every week.

We played a JPL team in the County Cup, and fared pretty well against them but their extra fitness and physicality paid off in the end, but I would say there is only a couple of their team, who could possibly go on and play even lower non-leagues.

It just shows the different levels all these kids are playing in, I'm sure watching academy games at that level would be interesting, but even then they've got very little chance of making a career out of football, but it must be a great feeling to spot that Rogers/Grealish type who you know could/should make it.

[OCD]

Some of the things I hear about from a friend who's son plays for an under 8's team are shocking. Here's a quote from her after they played Sheldon.

"Awful, game got abandoned at 20minutes!! The other coaches were kicking off at the 16yr old Ref swearing at him, our player was on the floor after being nasty fouled and their player kicked him in the head & back from behind. Ref asked him to come over to apologise and he told the ref to F off and stuck his middle finger up! So the ref told their coach he had to leave the pitch. These are 8yr olds!! Then a parent started on the ref & our coach asking him to fight in the car park so our coach asked them all to leave the ground! The parents all swearing & kicking off!! Our boys were crying, the ref was petrified and crying!! It was disgraceful."

"How parents can defend that behaviour is beyond me!! They all walked off calling our boys f **king pussys 🙈"

[Somniloquism]

Just have to see the scenes at the Boldmere match last year.

[Dante Lavelli]

Yep, I am big fan of trying to sign the best talent before they’ve made it.  One success and you can build half a team.

However, when they do those “where did Bellingham” come from pieces the scouts from school are 100% sure “he was always going to make it” whereas I wonder how much of that is 20/20 hindsight. 

@Rotterdam - Can you genuinely spot the ones that will make it and the ones that will not?  How random is it?

I suppose the answer is 'yes and no'.
Top players like Grealish, Bellingham and Morgan Rogers standout as something special. A coach at work had Morgan for a couple of years and said he would win a game on his on if needed. He was so much better than all the others...so Man City bought him for their 'elite' group. Jack was another that was head and shoulders above everyone, same for 'St Jude'.

On the flipside, Tom Fellows was fairly average for WBA u18, Tim Iroegbunam was the standout for me in that group. Tim was highly regarded and Tom flew under the radar. Tom went on loan and blossomed. Tim picked up by us, didn't maybe develop but was sold for $. Jamal Jimoh in the u21 is another Tim potentially, but I know Unai likes him a lot. 

A further layer is the ones that have a high ceiling and are looked on as future stars, but for some reason don't kick on and develop. Could be injury related, growth or simply the others caught up. A lad called LC was sold by WBA to Chelsea. He was outstanding at u14/15 but through injury has barely played for Chelsea u18 and u21s. He is though on big money and has a two year pro guaranteed, he'll be a millionaire at 20.

Rico Richards is an interesting one. Contract from WBA on his 17th birthday, didn't develop and stalled football-wise. released after two years. Picked up by Villa, and a business based thought that he could evolve. If he doesn't, it's not a big financial gamble...think a Finn Azaz.

From what I've learnt, the ceiling is so high that few make it through. Being around L1 or L2 is fantastic...National League players can be on £1k a week easily. But they all want to be the next Morgan Rogers or Cole Palmer. Football is a business and players the commodity and academy's can be a big money spinner.   

I think the big 'unknowns' that make it almost impossible to be certain come down to 2 things:

1. How long does the desire to be the next Palmer/Rogers/etc drive them? Does th efirst pro contract make them think they've made it? Does a handful of first team appearances? The very best players are the ones who get a taste of it and want more and push themselves to be better and go further. They're not always the ones that have the most talent.

2. Who do they have around them and how do those people react to the money and fame of their son/brother/mate/etc. The wrong people can very quickly become a distraction/bad influence.

Almost every example of someone looking like the world is at their feet but then failing sees them fall down on 1 of those 2 points.

Thanks both.  I find it encouraging that there are patterns because the club can actively educate the players about the two risk Paul mentions. The physical bit is harder to manipulate.

I hope the club continue to fund this strategy and that Emery et al are open to promoting players.  The benefits way outstrip the risks and cost in my opinion.

[VILLA MOLE]

Just have to see the scenes at the Boldmere match last year.

I coach my lads under 12s in Mid Warwickshire Generally it is good but you hear some horrible stories and it seems to be further up the tiers.  These parents need to remember what and who  they are there for

[Rigadon]

Some of the things I hear about from a friend who's son plays for an under 8's team are shocking. Here's a quote from her after they played Sheldon.

"Awful, game got abandoned at 20minutes!! The other coaches were kicking off at the 16yr old Ref swearing at him, our player was on the floor after being nasty fouled and their player kicked him in the head & back from behind. Ref asked him to come over to apologise and he told the ref to F off and stuck his middle finger up! So the ref told their coach he had to leave the pitch. These are 8yr olds!! Then a parent started on the ref & our coach asking him to fight in the car park so our coach asked them all to leave the ground! The parents all swearing & kicking off!! Our boys were crying, the ref was petrified and crying!! It was disgraceful."

"How parents can defend that behaviour is beyond me!! They all walked off calling our boys f **king pussys 🙈"

Quite shameful.  If you ever wondered how some kids grow up to be idiots as adults, you only need to watch youth football at how some parents act.   

[Dave]

Just have to see the scenes at the Boldmere match last year.

I coach my lads under 12s in Mid Warwickshire Generally it is good but you hear some horrible stories and it seems to be further up the tiers.  These parents need to remember what and who  they are there for

Yeah, I do various stuff under-7s level. I've not seen anything problematic at that age group, but it's very easy to see how it could develop as they get older.

[Exeter 77]

I was reffing an U13 game as a favour a couple of weeks ago. Just over a minute from time the manager of the side 3-0 down took exception to an innocuous decision I made an decided to start screaming in my face. I've known the guy nearly 30 years (he was even my boss for a couple of months) and his 14 year-old son was running the line. He really lost it when I quietly suggested he should be setting an example. A quiet apology a few minutes after the game wasn't enough and I told him so - the damage had been done with the seed planted in the mind of the parents watching that what he did was OK and normal. I won't be doing him a favour again.

[paul_e]

Just have to see the scenes at the Boldmere match last year.

I coach my lads under 12s in Mid Warwickshire Generally it is good but you hear some horrible stories and it seems to be further up the tiers.  These parents need to remember what and who  they are there for

Sadly for a lot of parents what they are there for is a possibility of a big pay day, especially once their little gold mine gets picked up by a pro club. I know someone who had her son picked up by Brighton for a couple of years and it had a huge impact on the family because suddenly her husband and his brother saw the £ signs and started being twats. Ended up with a divorce and her kid losing interest in the sport.

[Bosco81]

I think in 6 seasons we've escaped relatively unscathed, but in a way it probably helps we have tended to lose more than we win, so the opposition don't kick off if they beat us, and we're not bellends. This season we are breaking even but we've still not had too many problems.

We tend to get allocated a ref every week which helps, even if it is a 16 year old turning up on his bike, I had to ref our first game and there were some real gobshites on their team, which I gave short shrift to, I couldn't ref every week otherwise I'd lose my shit with the way players talk to refs.

Since having to ref occasionally over the last 6 years it does give you a better understanding of refs and how you should react to them, as much to set a good example to your players, as learning from my later years of playing, that being nice to refs tend to get you more decisions., which is the opposite of how we think the Premier League seems to be run, in that the more you moan the more decisions you get

[paul_e]

I think in 6 seasons we've escaped relatively unscathed, but in a way it probably helps we have tended to lose more than we win, so the opposition don't kick off if they beat us, and we're not bellends. This season we are breaking even but we've still not had too many problems.

We tend to get allocated a ref every week which helps, even if it is a 16 year old turning up on his bike, I had to ref our first game and there were some real gobshites on their team, which I gave short shrift to, I couldn't ref every week otherwise I'd lose my shit with the way players talk to refs.

Since having to ref occasionally over the last 6 years it does give you a better understanding of refs and how you should react to them, as much to set a good example to your players, as learning from my later years of playing, that being nice to refs tend to get you more decisions., which is the opposite of how we think the Premier League seems to be run, in that the more you moan the more decisions you get

The difference being that if you make a decision someone doesn't like at grassroots level the absolute most they can do is put in a complaint against you. In the premier league the game ends and they can go on TV and tell everyone that you're shit and then a few later a bunch of ex-players can do it again, and then the press can do it the next morning and suddenly you're getting death threats on social media. If you know one team are going to be respectful and accept your decisions and the others are going to kick up a stink over everything I can see why siding with the latter becomes easier.

[Drummond]

We should have a separate thread for Junior football, experiences, help and advice?.... I'll start one.

[FatSam]

Just have to see the scenes at the Boldmere match last year.

Are you referring to a specific incident? What happened?

[Somniloquism]

Google search Boldmere St Michaels fight to get video of the fighting in the stands.

[dcdavecollett]

Many years ago I ran the line in a 'friendly' match to help a mate out.

When I started getting abuse from some of the players over my decisions, they looked quite shocked when I gave them some back!