chico's nose wrote:
Andy Last has continually but out a competative side at U20's level. If the head coach of the club doesn't have the foresight or balls to give some of the youngsters a chance to progress to the first team squad then there isn't much Last can do, but he certainly shouldn't shoulder any of the blame for that.
Reading about what Gentle has had to say about developing youngsters and giving them a chance I think Last's record will speak volumes and hopefully allow him the oppertunity to work with a coach who is prepared to give youth a chance.
I hear this argument a lot, but I don't think that it necessarily follows that getting good results at U20s level = good U20s coach. It's important to remember that Last's job is not to 'put out a competitive side at U20s level' (although obviously you don't want to be getting spanked every week) but to produce players for the first team, and in the time he's been in the job he hasn't done that enough. Most people now seem to recognise the Agar 'youth development guru' line for the utter myth that it is, but when you see, for example, the way Lynn has torn up the u20s yet looks like a fish out of water at SL level, then I don't think you can pin that all on Agar.
It's a similar theory to the one about why the England football team is so poor; youth coaches put all their focus in teaching the kids how to be competitive at that level, at the expense of allowing them to develop the skills required to be competitive at the very top level.
Obviously though, all changes to the backroom staff are now down to SMc & PG and I certainly trust them to make the right decision (I read that the 'conditioner' has already been given the boot which is very encouraging).
