Mandaric Confirms Interest in Scotland

[Jesus]

If we go for Scotland, can we assume we wont be going for Mellor too?

[edinburghowl]

If it's a choice between Mellor and Scotland I really think we are getting second best if Jason Scotland signs.

[tomhollywood]

One thing I would say about people flying the "younger players" flag is the mentality question.

Older players tend to be able to deal with pressure a bit more you would like to think.

As most people know, Hillsborough is an awful place to play when things are going bad. We have proved this time and again in the past with seemingly good young players not performing when the pressure is on.

It will only take a few moans and groans and these youngsters can quite easily hide in their shell and go missing in games.

[Guest highamowl]

if we brought in Giggs would people have a problem with him being old?? There is no point comparing this years signings to Clinton and Sedgewick, as they may be a complete different quality.

Also there are still plenty of other signings to come in, so what if one or two are old??? Look at all the best teams, they have a BLEND of young and old.

[Guest intercity0wl]

One thing I would say about people flying the "younger players" flag is the mentality question.

Older players tend to be able to deal with pressure a bit more you would like to think.

As most people know, Hillsborough is an awful place to play when things are going bad. We have proved this time and again in the past with seemingly good young players not performing when the pressure is on.

It will only take a few moans and groans and these youngsters can quite easily hide in their shell and go missing in games.

The ony thing i would say to go against that is, i lost count of the number of time last season, both home and away where our older more experienced, can handle the pressure more well known name players, were being out run and out played, and out fought by the oppositions younger, Hungrier players, who i had never ever hear of.

Remember seeing an interview with Paul Lambert the Norwich manager towards the end of last season where he was aske why he had brought so many younger inexperience players into the club rarther than going for experience, his answer was that he had found that the younger players with their youth and talent wee more likely to go that extra mile for him than players who had been there and done it before.

Whether that is correct or not it has certainly worked for him, and after feeling so confident at the beining of last season with the exprienced players we had signed, im i will be quite happy if some of our aquasitions this close season are younger and less experienced than those last time round, as it looks like that what you need at this level, horses for courses.

[tomhollywood]

if we brought in Giggs would people have a problem with him being old?? There is no point comparing this years signings to Clinton and Sedgewick, as they may be a complete different quality.

Also there are still plenty of other signings to come in, so what if one or two are old??? Look at all the best teams, they have a BLEND of young and old.

This bit in bold.

I'm also confident that Megson will know how to actually use players better and to their strengths this season.

[southportdc]

Vaguely disappointed, thought it was going to say Milan was buying the whole country as some sort of feeder system

[edinburghowl]

if we brought in Giggs would people have a problem with him being old?? There is no point comparing this years signings to Clinton and Sedgewick, as they may be a complete different quality.

Also there are still plenty of other signings to come in, so what if one or two are old??? Look at all the best teams, they have a BLEND of young and old.

Whilst your first sentence is correct, in terms of pedigree Clinton Morrison beats Jason Scotland hands down, and he failed in this league last season.

Experience is important in any team, but I think the way Morrison performed after promising so much is what people are concerned about.

[owls maniac]

I think our midfield is the fundamental problem. Sort that and our strikers will improve.

[Guest highamowl]

Whilst your first sentence is correct, in terms of pedigree Clinton Morrison beats Jason Scotland hands down, and he failed in this league last season.

Experience is important in any team, but I think the way Morrison performed after promising so much is what people are concerned about.

I understand the concern, and Morrison may have been a bigger name player at some stage in his carear, but that was a short while ago. Im not saying Scotland is the biggest name or has played at the highest level. but he has scored goals recently. He is also a very different player to Morrison, so cannot be compared directly in that sense. If he fits into the team and how we play he will score. If he doesn't e.g. heffernan, he wont. So it is not all about pedigree, but how people will play within the team. We need to find the right players and get a balance in all areas. Scotland may provide us with something we have not got

[edinburghowl]

I understand the concern, and Morrison may have been a bigger name player at some stage in his carear, but that was a short while ago. Im not saying Scotland is the biggest name or has played at the highest level. but he has scored goals recently. He is also a very different player to Morrison, so cannot be compared directly in that sense. If he fits into the team and how we play he will score. If he doesn't e.g. heffernan, he wont. So it is not all about pedigree, but how people will play within the team. We need to find the right players and get a balance in all areas. Scotland may provide us with something we have not got

I hope you're right.

[gurujuan]

Scotland does offer something we don't have, that final third pace and directness. In an ideal world we might covet something similar but perhaps younger However, if such a player were available there would be many better clubs than us after him Perhaps the only other way would be to strike lucky with a premiership youngster on loan. No, Jason Scotland remains the most realistic option if we want to purchase someone with his attributes

[trevdi9]

fair comments Edinburgh ,but we took a punt on clinton ,Now has he lost it ,was the midfield the problem or did he just want a final payday ,i will go with the middle one to be honest, no striker will thrive on not getting the supply regular, Clinton seems to be a ball to feet man ,therefore if that is not happening he will struggle ,Mellor on the other hand can do the buisness from scraps ,all strikers have different approaches to scoring ,and that could be clintons problem,(I am only guessing mate ,but that could be the gist of it)

[edinburghowl]

I'm not sure where this idea of pace is coming from. He's no slouch but I wouldn't say he is quick.

He's strong, a natural finisher, and a good penalty taker, but he's not the best in the air, or lightining quick. The important thing is he has scored goals at this level previously. If he signs we need to hope he can do the business again.

[gurujuan]

From what I have seen of him he loOked pretty quick bursting into the area Could be just good timing and anticipation I suppose, no mean attributes anyway. He certainly doesn't have JJs pace over 50 yards though.

[4MinsOfTimeAddedOn]

However, if such a player were available there would be many better clubs than us after him

There are no better clubs than us. You mean currently better placed. :-)

[edinburghowl]

fair comments Edinburgh ,but we took a punt on clinton ,Now has he lost it ,was the midfield the problem or did he just want a final payday ,i will go with the middle one to be honest, no striker will thrive on not getting the supply regular, Clinton seems to be a ball to feet man ,therefore if that is not happening he will struggle ,Mellor on the other hand can do the buisness from scraps ,all strikers have different approaches to scoring ,and that could be clintons problem,(I am only guessing mate ,but that could be the gist of it)

I'm still hoping Clinton will come good. I agree that he needs ball to feet and I don't think we have seen the best of him. He has quality there is no doubting that. Hopefully after a fresh pre-season and in different circumstances he'll be a different man.

It's interesting too Trev that you say Mellor can do the business from scraps, and I 100% agree. I would also class Jason Scotland as this sort of striker but with a subtle difference. He's a predator and a box finisher. If he gets a sniff in the box he's a threat. If the ball drops to someone in the box he's a great man to be on the end of it. He has scored for fun at times in his career and that is a huge positive. The way he differs from Mellor IMO is he won't do the running that Mellor did.

[Lee A]

Whilst your first sentence is correct, in terms of pedigree Clinton Morrison beats Jason Scotland hands down, and he failed in this league last season.

Experience is important in any team, but I think the way Morrison performed after promising so much is what people are concerned about.

I agree, and Morrison was not the only one.

I was really happy and dare I say excited about our chances last season when I heard we had signed Morrison and Teale.

These 2 players turned out to be a nightmare, Teale started quite well in fairness but in the second half of the season he seemed to be trying to single handedly kill every attack we put together.

We cant judge every signing on what we saw last season, as Prutton and Jones will improve our team dramatically imo, but after being out paced, out thought and out played by younger, faster, hungrier teams, the concerns over older players are understandable.

[Paul..]

I'm not sure where this idea of pace is coming from. He's no slouch but I wouldn't say he is quick.

He's not Michael Owen at 17 quick but he's way quicker than any forward we've had for a long time (not including JJ who obviously is in no way shape or form a forward).

[Guest silvergusy]

But everyone has 20/20 vision in hindsight. For every Elliott Bennett there are 20 Wade Smalls / Adam Proudlocks / Michael Reddy's.

It really isnt as easy as you think it is to predict which players will sink or swim when released from clubs higer up the pyramid, which is exactly why there is always a risk attached to signing them.

By all means take a look at a few, but you cannot rely on a whole team of promising youngsters in case too many of them bomb and don't work out.

Like everything in life - Balance is the key!

Couldn't agree more with this and several other quotes I've seen on this subject, anyone who comes to wednesday in the close season will be watched closely in pre-season freindlies and the first few weeks of the new campaign to see what they're made of. Coming to a big club like this where the expectation will be to get promoted and get out of the blocks reasonably fast could be too much for a young squad to take especially if it was put together a few weeks ago and not had the benefit of a few seasons together.

If we find good young players that come in and do well then great but what we need is proven quality at this level and higher to get out of this devision because those are the type of players that will be best prepared to handle the pressures that go with being a Wednesday player.

That's a yes for Jason Scotland from me, he would be far too much to handle for most defences in league 1.