Independent Rs Messageboard

[ESSEXURs]

What a brilliant experience for our younger players last night and such a shame they couldn’t hang on in the second half.
Full marks to our Manager who obviously believes in youth and not afraid to play them.
There were some excellent individual performances in a backs to the wall game.

I know some will criticise the club for playing a B team but at least most of these players have played in the same team
unlike our usual collection of players we put out.

We should have warned fans who travelled in advance that we may put out a below strength team so early in the season
but that is my only criticism.

Any Rs team is an Rs team and worthy of support and you did us proud! I hope the travelling fans showed their appreciation
after the game.

[Steve Russell]

Although it was good experience for many of our young players I do think that they would
benefit more by playing alongside some of our regular 1st team squad as used to happen in the
old Football Combination.

[ESSEXURs]

Don’t get me started on the Football Combination!
Biggest mistake ever when that ceased. It provided that platform for young players to progress and
enabled players returning from injury to get match fit.

[Steve Russell]

I also think a stronger side would have given us more chance of
reaching Round 2 & some much needed extra revenue.

[Kerrins]

At the start I took one look at that line up and did not think we had much chance despite the fact
that Plymouth are certainly not the team they were relegated to League one last season.

I thought I was just going to play "spot the first teamer" during the entire encounter but instead
was pleasantly surprised when the QPR young guns went 2 nil up.
Such a shame we could not hold on.

[Tommy Cunningham]

I thought the lineup last night was an absolute disgrace, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the
1,000 supporters who travelled down to Devon on a baking hot day to see that squad of players.

It just plain and simply wasn’t good enough.

Whether it was Nourry’s or Stephan’s decision to go with this squad, it was unacceptable and surely
the integrity of the competition has to be questioned. In years gone by clubs would be fined for playing
such weakened lineups.

I am all for developing our own young players, but our squad last night consisted mainly of players
between 16 - 22 years old.

There has to be a balance, unfortunately last night showed different.

[Conor Campbell]

I thought that the line-up decision was based on the injury predicament more than the deliberate
will to play the younger players.

I agree with Steve re: loss of any potential cup run bringing in revenue.

I would have imagined that the passing of Mark Lazarus may have prompted an inspired attempt to throw
everything at recreating the 1967 cup journey. The exit was disappointing for me in that respect.

Good to see Kolli scoring and hope that kickstarts a positive scoring season for him.

We could always have a number of youth on the bench of any match and put them into the mix when we have a
cushioned lead in any game ---- I know, this is not standard fayre of late --- the only cushioning of late is in the
seating of C Club.

The exit is all the more frustrating having done the hard working of going 2-0 ahead with a penalty save to boot.
Lessons will have been learnt by the youth but is club leadership learning lessons as we go?