Jimmy Dunne

[boatshed bill]

Doing very well at QPR.

[Burnley1989]

Doing very well at QPR.

He is, really suits their system. Never a premier league centre half for me but hopefully he gets chance to prove me wrong, seems a great character and exactly the right sort of character you want in a player.
Good luck to him, Kev Long might be looking and wondering what if? I’m sure he’s not too bothered though

[Vegas Claret]

would have been a perfect Chris Wood replacement if all we are after is a big lad up front

[boatshed bill]

He could be a PL defender next season.
should we have tried to keep him?

[ClaretTony]

He could be a PL defender next season.
should we have tried to keep him?

We made him an offer but he opted to leave

[boatshed bill]

We made him an offer but he opted to leave

Then either the offer wasn't good enough or he saw a better future away.
Either way, best of luck to the lad for taking the opportunity and getting first team football.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Good luck to him but didn’t look good enough for the top level.

[Rowls]

Always respect players who move in order to play first team football. It's not always the right decision but it's never the wrong reason.

All the best to him.

[Lancasterclaret]

I think Kevin Long will regret what he decided to do tbh when he's retired, so fair play to him for moving

[boatshed bill]

Good luck to him but didn’t look good enough for the top level.

I always wonder how people come to these conclusions based on so few opportunities to see a player actually play.
We made him an offer so must have seen something.

[NewClaret]

Absolute proof that we have a lot of good players in our wider squad that can succeed in the Championship with a good run of games.

[BigChaCha]

He was an outstanding prospect before an injury and most of the casuals in here saw him post-injury, where he wasn't as sharp as was previously. Hopefully, he can carry on the trajectory from his pre-injury form... I think he can become a top-class payer if he does fulfil his early promise!

[ClaretTony]

I always wonder how people come to these conclusions based on so few opportunities to see a player actually play.
We made him an offer so must have seen something.

Or we made him an offer to ensure we received a compensation payment for him.

I always rated him on the occasions I saw him play live but they weren’t at first team level. He had some really good loans too but then some not so good.

Whatever we offered, fair play to him for looking to move somewhere that would offer him more first team opportunities.

[boatshed bill]

Or we made him an offer to ensure we received a compensation payment for him.

I always rated him on the occasions I saw him play live but they weren’t at first team level. He had some really good loans too but then some not so good.

Whatever we offered, fair play to him for looking to move somewhere that would offer him more first team opportunities.

Yes, that is a distinct possibility.
I think he should have stayed with Hearts TBH.

[BigChaCha]

I think Kevin Long will regret what he decided to do

I can never understand these types of comments... Fans complain when players normally show no loyalty whatsoever but will also say players like Kevin don't have any ambition... Fans can't have it both ways. Squad players that stay with clubs should be celebrated not chastised and wished away by fans. Sir Alex was a master at recognising the importance of squad players and keeping them loyal.

[boatshed bill]

I can never understand these types of comments... Fans complain when players normally show no loyalty whatsoever but will also say players like Kevin don't have any ambition... Fans can't have it both ways. Squad players that stay with clubs should be celebrated not chastised and wished away by fans. Sir Alex was a master at recognising the importance of squad players and keeping them loyal.

He played them too.

[jrgbfc]

Fair play to him, would have been easy to go down the Kevin Long route.

[Burnley1989]

I can never understand these types of comments... Fans complain when players normally show no loyalty whatsoever but will also say players like Kevin don't have any ambition... Fans can't have it both ways. Squad players that stay with clubs should be celebrated not chastised and wished away by fans. Sir Alex was a master at recognising the importance of squad players and keeping them loyal.

Finishing your career having spent 12 years at a club and only 63 first team league appearances, dress it up however you want, it’s very rare for a reason.

[Burnley1989]

He was an outstanding prospect before an injury and most of the casuals in here saw him post-injury, where he wasn't as sharp as was previously. Hopefully, he can carry on the trajectory from his pre-injury form... I think he can become a top-class payer if he does fulfil his early promise!

Casuals as opposed to what? Ultras?

[boatshed bill]

Finishing your career having spent 12 years at a club and only 63 first team league appearances, dress it up however you want, it’s very rare for a reason.

To be fair to Kevin Long his injuries may have affected his ambitions. Also he's been offered these contracts it's not as though he's called the tune.

[warksclaret]

Some times people flourish when they leave into new surroundings. Look at Scotty Arfield when he joined us

[tiger76]

Absolute proof that we have a lot of good players in our wider squad that can succeed in the Championship with a good run of games.

Hope you're right in that assessment, because I've got a bad feeling that's where we're going to be plying our trade next season.

[taio]

Hope you're right in that assessment, because I've got a bad feeling that's where we're going to be plying our trade next season.

Make your mind up

[boatshed bill]

Hope you're right in that assessment, because I've got a bad feeling that's where we're going to be plying our trade next season.

unfortunately it is proof of nothing.
If you watch the U23s you would have to accept that very few (if any) would be ready for the Championship.

[Paddy1882]

Situations like a Kevin Long is everything that’s wrong with modern football, no fault of his own by the way he kept getting offered deals and he accepted them so fair play to him but the lads a multi millionaire for doing let’s be honest very little to earn it.

[NewClaret]

Hope you're right in that assessment, because I've got a bad feeling that's where we're going to be plying our trade next season.

I’ve noticed you’ve either been hacked or swallowed or stopped taking your prescription BFC fan anti-depressants mate

[Mattster]

unfortunately it is proof of nothing.
If you watch the U23s you would have to accept that very few (if any) would be ready for the Championship.

2 left for regular first team football in the Championship last Summer. Neither looked the best we had in their positions. Glennon looks likely to follow in the next window with Boro and Hull apparently tracking him. Bedeau is looking very good in League 1 too so a step up isn't out of the question next season - he also didn't look the best we have at CB.

I think there's a lot more quality in the U23s than is given credit.

[arise_sir_charge]

The U23’s is an interesting one.

There seems to be no route to the first team with older players blocking the way.

Look at Leeds, is it the case that they have a production line of players ready to step up or is it more that Bielsa is prepared to throw them in and see what happens?

I don’t follow our U23’s close enough to know but it does frustrate me that even in dead games we plump for the older head over the youngster.

[Newcastleclaret93]

unfortunately it is proof of nothing.
If you watch the U23s you would have to accept that very few (if any) would be ready for the Championship.

I would argue the complete opposite. I’ve seen enough in a couple of them to want game time now.

I imagine a few of our U23s would start in the championship given they are better than Dunne and Benson are.

[claretandbluesky]

Mancini certainly looked to have something about him. You only find out about a player when you give them the opportunity and that should be easier at Championship level. The problem we would face would be the financial imperative to get back up which always tends to stand in the way of experimentation. That’s why Brentford were so good, their level of expectation was less hence their lack of fear in introducing young players. Sadly we expect too much of youngsters, they need time to settle and grow.

[claretandbluesky]

Basically your youngsters should be first team back ups, we just haven’t done that, and when we have their careers have been blocked.

[Papabendi]

U23s development this year will be key for us next year.

[Culmclaret]

At a simple level there are three ways to improve a team: buy; develop your own players through the youth set up; use the loan market. We have signally failed in the latter two, so we have had to rely on our transfer dealings in a market which has become progressively more difficult for a club of our size. That’s why we have ended up where we are. As more real money has come into the PL we have become priced out of the market.

[boatshed bill]

I would argue the complete opposite. I’ve seen enough in a couple of them to want game time now.

I imagine a few of our U23s would start in the championship given they are better than Dunne and Benson are.

Which ones are you referring to?

[CFS]

Proper coaching.

[ClaretMat]

Always looked to have a lot of technical ability to me, looked naive in our first team but definitely a very good player in there.
I thought league 1 or a smaller championship team (rather than QPR) might have been the right call for him to get the regular starts which he needs. Great to hear he's doing well though and sounds like he's managed to cement a first team slot at QPR.
Wouldn't surprise me to see him play in the prem in the future if he can build his experience and learn when/when not to take risks.