Why is Marco reluctant to play our academy grads – and is that about to change?

Cameron Donaldson wonders why our gaffer doesn’t blood our youngsters, and looks at a potential change in that stance.

Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of Manchester United on the opening day, there was plenty to process about the performance, but also a glimmer of what can be deemed a change in management from Marco Silva. With the game drawing to a close, Marco introduced Jay Stansfield to try and find an equaliser, with the youngster playing a bit-part role in the game. Silva has typically been reluctant to blood our academy graduates too early (Fabio Carvalho aside) – is this about to change?

A steady rise

Before his appearance at Old Trafford, Jay had barely featured for the first team; there was his commendable performance on the wing at home against Brentford in Silva’s debut Premier League season with us, as well his goal-scoring appearance against Birmingham City in the Carabao Cup. In between these periods, Jay enjoyed an emotional loan spell at Exeter, before a quality loan spell at Birmingham last season, where he scored 12 goals, ensuring a return to our first team squad this season.

A familiar route

Another player who’s drawn plaudits within the academy, however, and whom is also yet to feature consistently for the first team is the Welshman Luke Harris. An energetic, yet tidy box-to-box midfielder, Harris has played seven times for the first team in the past two years, with mostly cameo and cup appearances, as well as a start last season at the Etihad as we suffered a 5-1 defeat in the Premier League. Harris has also had a loan spell at Exeter before recently sealing a loan move to Birmingham for this current season.

This means Harris is still on an upward trajectory in his career path, many might have expected more by now, particular those who remember Harris was touted to make a £30m move to our noisy neighbours at the age of 16 and has appeared in the Welsh senior national team, drawing the question does he not yet have the quality to play more consistently at a higher level.

A change on the horizon?

Within various pre-season fixtures and cup fixtures, other youngsters that have looked to have potential include Luc De Fougerolles and Adrion Pajaziti, however these players have been limited to one or two appearances in the senior team. Some may argue Marco only plays young players when he has to, with Tyrese Francois’s appearance at the heart of the midfield in Silva’s first game in charge coming due to the lack of central midfield reinforcements and Luke Harris’s appearance at the Etihad due to injuries. In fact, it’s notable that there are no obvious youngsters who have played a limited, yet consistent role under Silva, it’s only Carvalho who played a starring role in the Championship season.

The squad is notably thin at the current time of writing and thus, with players including Jay Stansfield and Josh King in and around the first team, Marco may look to utilise the players and many fans will be looking forward to seeing some more homegrown talent on display this season.