I agree to a large extent

but young defenders aren't normally as exposed as they have been in our side, both in terms of the quality of the midfield infront of them, or the other defenders around them.

On the Cantwell v Hoolahan point, I don't think Cantwell has shown that he is as good as Hoolahan at this stage, but the reason someone might spend on him vs. Wes is that Wes was 29 when he first got a shot at the premier league.

My view on Todd is that he needs to have a season for us in the Championship next year like Emi did last season. Todd has been neat and tidy but unspectacular for the most part, scored some decent goals, but hasn't played many killer passes. On the other hand, overall he's done better than Emi who was incredible last season.

With Buendia, although I again agree about his temperament, his chance creation stats were phenomenal for the first half of the season. That kind of thing won't go unnoticed. In any case, if he goes I suspect it will be Spain rather than a prem team.

Overall, I think you're right that the youngsters aren't as good at the moment as some make out. But they all have significant potential, and Emi aside, count in the homegrown quota.

Posted By: SimonOTBC, Jul 26, 21:58:47