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A highly patronising post and it’s not BS, it may be if it does turn out to produce, but at the moment after 4 years we have the fewest under 21 players playing first team football in the SPL All facts I’m afraid. I am fairly familiar with the youth process. I even know parents of boys that have played with teams at thistle-weir and although complimentary of the system, it ultimately doesn’t matter unless it produces first team players. Today at Castle Grayskull we won’t fill a first team bench. You suggest 10 years 4 plus the 5-6 years before we reap the benefits. That suggests you are writing off all players currently in the system. Nobody has a crystal ball so to look 5-6 years in the future isn’t practical. The ideology of the long term is admirable however so many other factors may ultimately affect this. It may actually benefit us if we do get relegated as the likes of Barton etc on decent money will have to be binned and hopefully progress home grown talent given a chance.

A fit Gary Fraser would walk into our midfield at the moment with the form of Edwards and Barton. Fingers crossed he can come through unscathed, Saturday would be too soon but maybe a bench spot next week at Hamilton or home to St Johnstone if the surface is an issue.

The above post I can take some points however.... Kevin Nisbet is 21 in a few months, likely will be freed. Mark Lamont will be 20, unlikely to break through based on evidence so far. Andy McCarthy is actually 19 is a few days, Penrice in a few weeks. As my post said McCarthy was used when we were beat on Saturday with 8 players missing. KJ's post about average age is pointless really, the age of our squad has nothing to do with our youth players more a policy that Archie has when signing players. If you look at the stats for Under 21 players in starting line ups I believe we are at the bottom in SPL terms. The point about starting from nothing I accept partly but remember Liam Lindsay came from this nothing and there were a couple of others who threatened to breakthrough but didn't get the chance or weren't good enough. Time will tell, but how many more years til we either have players good enough for the first team, or actually play them? It seems that Under 14-15s from the start of ThistleWeir upwards at the moment have failed overall.

10 years x 250k is 2.5 million. To sell one or 2 for a couple hundred grand? Aye that's worth it.....

None of the players you've mentioned are likely to feature for us this season though, it's all a bit average really. The reason perhaps the youth team are second is maybe because the rest of the clubs have their youth players already playing for their clubs. Results at youth level tend not to be a true picture. It's the fruits of the labour in the first team that show you, therefore at the moment ThistleWeir is yet to prove any level of success.

It's all very unsettling I'd say what's happening, there is a story there. I'd have been happy for Archie to stay even if we do go down, but the manner in how it's happening I can't see him lasting the month out unless we win the next 2 games sadly.

Lindsay doesn't count as ThistleWeir no he was 18-19 when it even started and already had made first team debut and Jack Hendry was a Thistle player for a year coming from Dundee United youth.

Just find it odd Turnbull was the one dropped when he's probably been our best player this season. Devine outpaced by Boyd was laughable and Keown has been a bombscare recently his distribution is awful and was it's anybody's guess what he was doing for the 1st goal. I'm not sure what's happened with Barton and Keown this season it's very puzzling.

I think there must be a story with Turnbull being dropped on Saturday. Something happened maybe after Motherwell game in dressing room and during the break? Banzo, Nisbet, Lawless too. All injured or unavailable? What does that mean? Maybe paranoia creeping in but something looked wrong with the body language of our team on Saturday, something is amiss.

So it's now 4 years since ThistleWeir, over a million pounds ploughed in. On Saturday we had 8 players missing due to injury and/or one or two being 'unavailable' (rumours of a story there). Kilmarnock had two teenagers in their starting line up. Similarly Motherwell, Dundee and Accies all play teenagers. We couldn't even fill out bench and seemingly our 'young' bright hope Andy McCarthy who is nearly 19 wasn't thought highly enough of to come on until the game was over. We appear to have the worst record in terms of the amount of under 21 players fielded from all 12 teams in the SPL. How long til ThistleWeir provides something. 4 years and a million quid. We continually hear of how brilliant a our youth teams have been doing over the last 4 years yet it seems there is no breakthrough. The Weirs must be wondering where the money is going you've got to think, the model at the moment is not sustainable. Questions must be asked as to why we have no players coming through when other teams at our level seem to have no issue blooding youth without a ThistleWeir backing them up. The new training ground whilst promising is perhaps papering over the cracks of the failure to deliver players to the first team squad. Also the loaning out of our best players seems to do little, 3 of our youth players loaned out last season freed, Penrice and McLaughlin out on loan just now seems almost pointless and Nisbet is a certainty to go soon. Maybe this post will seem premature by next year if we have a couple youth players as first team regulars but you've really got to doubt that will happen based on the start to this season and the early signs. I ll finish by saying that yes we probably have the best group of players on aper since Lambies team in the 90's but long term it's a worry especially with a larger wage bill and static crowds.

I said to my pal just after 60 mins the game would finish 1-1. We parked the bus and essentially had 4 centre backs in a line as Barton joined the 3. Edwards is not a footballer, he's a fit bumblebee that buzzes around looking busy but even he ended up almost in defence. That meant we had no midfield leaving Doolan and Storey isolated. Bannigan should have in there for Edwards. Storey is a 2 goal a season striker, it ll be up to Doolan, Spittal and Erskine this season. 10th is the target no doubt about that. Scully is rooted to his line, for a guys that loves himself so much to be a model he has no confidence coming for crosses, it was obvious the defence had no confidence in him. Turnbull and Devine were brilliant today considering the midfield in front of them letting Hearts forward. Keown will earn another 2-3 red cards this season. Still very raw and if we do go back to 2 Turnbull and Devine for me. Archie also has no faith in youth it seems. We are now 3 years in to ThistleWeir without a player in the first team. Looks good on paper but it's a failure at the moment. The fact he won't even fill the bench shows that. Has no faith in McCarthy who is Davie Wilson II and Nisbet will never cut it at this level. Saw a stat that we have fielded the least amount of players under 20 in the league. Says it all.

Great performance today, apart from Dumbaya special mentions to Seabourne and Bannigan who were solid, Banzo suits getting forward more good to see him on the left he's better there coming forward than sitting back. Lindsay grew in confidence a couple of dodgy moments distribution wise but he's still my pick over Frans. Points to pick at for me here might be based on fitness. Abdul was poor again for the first 30 odd minutes a few fouls and losing the ball where better teams might punish us. And I'm not sure about Pogba missed a sitter and didn't quite have the pace and guile needed at times. Doolan or Nisbet for me would have worked well the way Banzo Lawless and Amoo were supporting. We ll see what a few more games brings fitness wise. Edwards looked good in time he was on. Not sure Wilsons role to be fair can't see him starting when all are fit. And remember we still have Muirhead and Fraser to come back. Options are there now. Onwards and upwards.

Hipster bar based on what I've heard. By January they ll be begging for custom

Dan is our best centre half just a case of finding his best partner. Frans has been poor last 3 games and the jury is out on him. Cost us about 6 or 7 goals this season if you watch the highlights. Nice guy like Piccolo but that's not enough. Lindsay got caught a couple of times today but positional wise our shape at the back was better. Stick with these two Frans as back up. Perhaps even Miller might do well too.

Isaac English, Kevin Budd, Ian Cameron, John Buckley, Gerry Britton, Andy Murdoch.