Michael Spellman

So another player under 24, little or no 'mens' football.

I make that eight players now brought in under 24, five essentially not played above Academy level. We shouldn't be worried about workload, because these kids should be able to run for 90-100 minutes no problem. But whether they'll be running around like headless chickens is another question. My concern is that it'll be like going to watch 7 year olds playing, where they all run around the pitch in two packs after the ball.

This coming season is certainly not going to be boring. There has to be some excitement about seeing a mainly young team attempting to achieve their potential, tempered with anxiety about them not doing so. It feels as if HJ has collected up half his savings, taken it to the casino and decided to go on either red or black. 50/50. Play-offs or relegation.

I look forward to seeing which under 24 year old player I've never heard of will be signed tomorrow. Who knows maybe he'll mix it up and choose to unveil a Head Coach tomorrow that I've never heard of...

As well as those youngsters we have Townsend, Wildig, Clarke, Morris, McLaughlin, Jephcott amongst others with plenty of EFL experience to guide them along.

County exile wrote:As well as those youngsters we have Townsend, Wildig, Clarke, Morris, McLaughlin, Jephcott amongst others with plenty of EFL experience to guide them along.

Absolutely. Add Evans to that and if they all play then it's only four youngsters. Baker and Jameson would take that down to two. But a few injuries amongst that number and the reliance on untested youngsters increases. And of course I'm not expecting County to put out a whole team of under 24's from the off, or indeed at any point during the season, unless they all prove to be incredible footballers.

And I do say it's partly exciting and partly a bit scary to see all these youngsters being brought in. It's a bold policy, one I'm broadly in agreement with, and I think it's a sensible policy for a club of our size and with one of the lowest budgets in the league. I think it's generating plenty of interest and that can only be a good thing...

Yes interesting times ahead. Can't wait for the final piece(s) of the jigsaw to slot into place and roll on Cheltenham.