Boz
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- 30 Sep 2005
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- Iain Hume
All I heard for years was Tranmere supporters moaning about Curran and Gornell not playing, then when Les brought both through properly, we couldn't wait to get rid of them. I think fans always have rose-tinted views of their own young players which are often based on nothing, whereas the managers and coaching staff work with them every day and see them play. Steve Jennings was a first team regular in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, making 100 appearences under Ronnie in those two seasons. Up until then he was a bit-part player, under previous managers too.
Mike Jones slipped through the net. It's a shame, and it was Ronnie's fault. But there still isn't that much basis for the argument that Ronnie stifled our young players IMO. The current crop coming through under Les is simply more talented.
Interesting viewpoint, but I don't entirely concur.
Steve Jennings had 20+ starts and a number of sub appearances in Brian Little's last season, but in Ronnie's first season he only got 3 games off the bench and was shipped off on loan to Hereford, while we endured the McLaren/Mullin central midfield pairing. Arguably, his development was initially held back by Ronnie. When Mullin's injury forced Ronnie's hand, Jenno took his chance and as you say was virtually ever-present in RMs last two seasons.
Curran. Never lived up to his explosive hat-trick start, but it must have been soul-destroying only being given a couple of minutes by Ronnie game after game. I'll always be grateful to Craig for the hour of hope his goal gave us at Scunthorpe and think he worked his socks off in the wide-forward position Les deployed him in. Shabby treatment by Les/the club offering him a contract on worse terms than his existing one meant he left for Carlisle. Never be a world-beater, but can do a job at this level.
Gornell. Has showed at Accrington that he is capable of scoring goals as a striker, but he was never going to function out wide as part of a front three. Les' weakness here was to try and force players into an unsuitable system, rather than picking the formation best suited to the players we'd got.
"Rose-tinted views" I think that's true of all clubs to an extent, wanting to see players coming through the ranks. Would stand by my view that the only way to know if a player can hack it is to play them. I'm not sure about the current crop of youngsters being more talented; of those only Max Power and Cole Stockton look likely to make the breakthrough. Though I'm not a reserves regular and you or others may be better equipped to judge that.