STUART Pearce has admitted that he would like to send young forward Ishmael Miller out on loan but cannot afford to do so whilst resources are so stretched by injury.
And the Blues' boss has also lamented the knee problem that has ended the season of teenager Kelvin Etuhu, the reserve team striker, who was busy enhancing his reputation at Rochdale when disaster struck.
Miller has made only three starts this term but Pearce insists he has been pleased with the 19-year-old's progress and the youngster could even find himself in possession of a new contract at the end of the campaign.
"This season has been fantastic for Ishmael because he has been around the first team all the time. He has been with us on the training ground all season, has travelled with the squad and made a number of appearances," said the manager.
"What he has to do is keep adding to that experience. I said the same things to him and to Daniel Sturridge and Ish is probably slightly ahead of Studge at the moment. He has to force his way into the 16 and then when he gets on the pitch he has to have an impact.
"I have given Ishmael a bed on which to flourish and now he has to keep nudging me in the right direction so that I cannot leave him out of the 16.
Explanation
"I make a point of talking to young players when they have been left out and explain why I have done what I have done and for what reason. I left Sturridge out of the 16 at Portsmouth although he had travelled with us. After that they have to ask themselves what they have to do to get on to the bench, then the team and ask themselves what I would expect from them as a manager.
"The better the player, the quicker what I am telling them sticks. The best players you only have to tell things once and they do it for a lifetime. Others you have to tell one hundred times for it to stick and if it doesn't stick after that, then they end up not playing in the top flight.
"Ishmael asked me a couple of weeks ago if I thought he would benefit going out on loan and I said yes but I couldn't afford for him to be away from the club at the moment."
Etuhu, who had scored twice whilst on loan at Spotland, had already proved the benefit of a spell down the leagues and Pearce will in future send out as many of his kids as is practical.
"Kelvin had a bit to do to give me a nudge for this season but what we wanted to do was put four or five youngsters out on loan in the hope that they would all come back better players than when they went out of the door," he said.
"It is disappointing that Kelvin picked up that injury because I know he was doing well there from the fact that Rochdale were ringing up way before the end of the first month asking if they could keep him for the rest of the season.
"Colchester have done something similar with Matt Mills who they want for another month so we know the lads are doing well. There is an absolute necessity for young Premiership players to go out on loan.
"Kelvin will be disappointed because injuries are the curse of footballers, but he will bounce back. He has time and opportunity on his side. He will have watched his youth team colleague Daniel Sturridge make a first-team appearance and been spurred on and rightly so. This club has a history of giving its young players a breakthrough and I have a belief in them and I am not afraid to put them in. That is his incentive."
Which of the young fringe players do you back to make it at City? Have your say.
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Pearce has no option but to keep playing the youngsters as his own signings have been such failures.
I'd send most of them out on loan so they can see how fortunate they are to be paid so well for playing so poorly! We could see if we could loan in most of Colchesters squad - cant do much worse! Can we loan in a decent manager too?
Pearce, what you say is undermined by what you do - you can talk all the sense in the world (Which you DON'T) but when it comes to picking teams and doing the right thing by the kids you act like the amatuer you are (look at this new Belgian crock to come in ahead of the youngsters), why don't you just be a little bit CUTER and button it, you BUFFOON?
Miller should go out on loan because I'm nowhere near convinced he's good enough at the moment. And if he is ahead in his development than Studge then I think a lot of City fans should wind their neck in about his first team credentials as well. Except for the thousands of people who seemingly turn up at every reserve game who obviously know what they're talking about.
I've got to agree with Gareth from Reddish. From what I have seen he is not Premiership class , sorry to say. For a big strapping lad that he is he doesn't put it about at all, fairly slow and cumbersome and he always looks knackered - even when he's only been on for 10 mins or so. Falls into the BWP, Croft, Flood category for me.
in an ideal world both sturridge and miller should have been sent out long ago, but now with no strikers who can score goals and both should have confident since theyve scored regular for reserves could have a real chance soon,
Never in a million years is Miller good enough for the premiership. But then Pearce in his wisdom decided to put him on the right wing in the Blackburn game. Genius at work.
miller is a good player, we just need to find his best position and stick to it. hes had dribs and drabs of playing time and i think it will take him at least a year before we see the best of him as long as hes playing regularly. please give him time to find his feet
Pearce talks utter drivel. Typical ex footballers speak. I wish he would practice what he preaches as we have been telling him for hundreds of times that Dickov, Corradi,Samaras and vassell cant hit a barn door with a banjo and he still picks them. I wish he would end up in the lower leagues mananging someone else. Out of his depth big time in the big league.
I've watched miller this season and like every city fan, I'm desperte for some fantastic talent to come through a la SWP and richards. but let's not kid ourselves about Miller, he looks a million miles from being a decent player and should be nowhere near the premiership at the moment.
I'd gradually include more and more youngsters, starting with Johnson, who is my pick of the bunch.Create a Blue Babes type feel for the club (oh, and get the original Acadamy great, SWP back).
Why so many negative comments on Miller - he's barely played, and when he's played, he's been out of position. He's a kid and has some learning to do - a loan would do him some good. At this point in time, apart from Vassell, I think he's the best option we have on the left - even though it's out of position.
on miller. remember the run from our defence to the oppositions. wow. he can do it see. cant remember the team though, sorry.
The site seems to be full of moaners on every question.
The subject here is fringe players who can make it with City.
Jim Cassell And Alex Gibson continue to produce winning U18 teams and from this years crop I can see excellent futuresfor Vidal, Mee,Marshall,Evans, Ball and Moore.
The U16 team under Paul Power are also on a wiining streak and will provide more talent to the next level.
Michael johnson would already have made more first team starts for me, add Daniel Sturridge to that list now that he is at last fit.
Add tese names to Nedum, Joey Stevie I, and Micah, and you have the makings of a team for the future.
Ishmael miller did impress me at U18 level but since Mr wigley tried to convert him to winger he has gone backwards ,stil a possibility as an out and out striker.
sounds like pearce is putting in place an excuse forward should we lose to pne.
Could anybody tell me if ASHLEY GRIMES is still at Manchester City because he never gets a mention.
how can anybody say that miller is not gonna make it at this level he has had 3 starts all out of position and has done quite well. 10 minutes here and there as sub is no good to anybody to make an impact. he needs to start games up front were he has played most of his life and not just one game at least 4 of 5 then we can all make a judgement on what he is like as a player. the bottom line is in cant do any worse than the rubbish we have up front now.
TP, Wilmslow what a load of rubbish he is one of if not the fastest runner at the club, he has not been played in the correct position or given enough time on the pitch. i strikers job is to score goals not run around banging in to people like dickvo, i suppose you think he is a great player!
The two that have impressed me the most are Johnson and Moore.
I know SP reckons a kid to be 24 years old (Barton), but Miller IS young with no experience. Most people with an ounce of footy knowledge will recognise this, but it is grossly unfair of pundits on this site to say that he is, or never will be a Prem player. Many questions must be asked, firstly, his best position is found, secondly he is given a sustained run in the first team. NO not ours neccessarily, out on loan would be ideal. Let him play week in week out, get match fitness and most importantly confidence. SP is not thick you know. He would love to send Ishmael and others, including DS, out to other clubs, but simply cannot afford to release them because our squad is paper thin. I would go as far as to say, in the last 3 or 4 years many young City players have been sold or released without truly knowing what they are capable of. BWP for example. Of course the draconian fiscal policies exercised by this board make sure of that.
Both Sturridge and Miller will make it. I would be tempted to give them both a run at the moment as neither Corradi, although he works hard, or Samaras, look like they can buy a goal at the moment.
Miller's not quite doing enough for me to be banging on the door yet and I'd like to see him get a loan deal somewhere. That said, the current crop are so awful that it's an impossibility. Sturridge and Johnson seem the most likely to make it at the highest level. Both need games though. I'm all for creating the previously mentioned Blue Babes team especailly considering the cash limitations we're currently facing.
Here's hoping Mpenza can be good enough to let us loan out some of these young uns and get them ready for first team action next season.
ASHLEY GRIMES!!