Now i'll focus on Pritchard just to use him as an example but Shaqiile Coulthirst, our goal scoring 18 year-old centre-forward, is a name frequently advanced as the answer to our striking woes. Possibly such suggestions come from people who have never seen a development game and are merely going on reputations. Alex Pritchard is a talented youngster, let's make no mistake about that.
Fortunately we have just had an Under 20 World Cup televised, with both Harry Kane and Alex Pritchard in the England squad. Harry Kane incidentally played 90 minutes in all three games, usually up front on his own and worked tirelessly in the heat. He laid on goals but unfortunately was not clinical enough in front of goal, something which constantly divides Spurs fans view of him.
Anyway back to Pritchard who made substitute appearances for England in the tournament. He had an impact on the games when he came on. He looked lively, tricky, skillful, he looked to have an eye for a pass, he looked very promising indeed. He understandably looked small, as if he had more growing to do, which obviously he has, and certainly not ready for playing against more physical men in the Premier League.
Some supporters often don't seem to see, or understand, the difference in standard and physique between development players and Premier League players.
Three of our youngsters have gone on loan to Swindon Town in League One, joining other former development players of ours. There will be a contingent of 6 there for the 2013-14 season. On loan are wide midfielder Alex Pritchard, central midfielder Massimo Luongo and centre-back Grant Hall. Former players who have signed for the Wiltshire club are defender Jack Barthram and fellow defender Nathan Byrne, who we released at the end of last season, joining another defender Troy Archibald-Henville already there.
The five new players are staying in a hotel at the moment while taking part in pre-season training and are all looking to find somewhere to live before the season starts.
Interviewed by the local paper Luongo had some revealing words to say to the local press, revealing to many Tottenham fans that is.
“I have been at Spurs for three years, but Nath, Pritch and Jack have been there even longer since they were youngsters,” he said.
“We’re all pretty close down there and shared the same changing room, and coming down here it’s like walking into a Spurs changing room which makes things a lot easier.“We all want to play and we all want first-team experience because none of us are anywhere near making it as a footballer, so this is the biggest challenge we have to prove ourselves.
“This platform is the best experience we can have and it’s great we can all be here.
“We are in the hotel for now, but I am looking for a place around here and I want to get settled as soon as I can. All the boys are going to find a place, because it’s so much easier to play when you are settled.”
Let me pluck out the relevant passage for us Spurs fans, 'none of us are anywhere near making it as a footballer'.
A development player telling you himself that development players are not ready for the Premier League.
Players in the Development squad are just that developing, loan spell, new experiences, first team football in the lower leagues is all a part of their development, both as players and people. Banging in goals against other youth players does not make a player ready for the Premier League, that will come in time, can we not just let them develop.
Throwing a player in to early can ruin him or stall his development, John Bostock it could be argued was a victim of this, becoming our youngest ever player when he made in debut in the UEFA Cup.
Let's have a bit of common sense and not suggest this season that we throw another one into the lions den.
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