Sonny Cox

[Bridgy 81]

Cox is two years younger than Jay Stanno, so I agree that next year will probably be another year of loans, ideally in the National League where hopefully he can get a good number of starts (and goals!).

A potential detrimental impact on us (for players like Sonny and maybe others) if both Torquay and Yeovil get relegated, which currently looks a distinct possibility, is that there is unlikely to be any clubs in the National League next season anywhere near Exeter.
Neither are those flirting with relegation from League Two or those looking good for promotion from National Leagues South and North.
Aldershot anyone, if we want them to remain local-ish, or start sending our youth up North or to London to get them battle hardened?

 

[Average Joe]

A potential detrimental impact on us (for players like Sonny and maybe others) if both Torquay and Yeovil get relegated, which currently looks a distinct possibility, is that there is unlikely to be any clubs in the National League next season anywhere near Exeter.
Neither are those flirting with relegation from League Two or those looking good for promotion from National Leagues South and North.
Aldershot anyone, if we want them to remain local-ish, or start sending our youth up North or to London to get them battle hardened?

It works out better for us if Yeovil and Torquay get relegated. Still are big clubs at that level, will be winning more games and our loaned players can still train with us. In the Conference Prem players on loan can not train with the parent club.

 

[SaintJames]

It works out better for us if Yeovil and Torquay get relegated. Still are big clubs at that level, will be winning more games and our loaned players can still train with us. In the Conference Prem players on loan can not train with the parent club.

You have missed the point of the prior comments. The issue for Sonny and his development is we need him to be loaned to a club at the Conference National level if he is to become prepared to bang goals in at L1 level. Conference South level wont aid that next season

 

[Spoonz Red E]

You have missed the point of the prior comments. The issue for Sonny and his development is we need him to be loaned to a club at the Conference National level if he is to become prepared to bang goals in at L1 level. Conference South level wont aid that next season

I'm not sure I totally agree with that.

I think there are broadly three elements to a City player's development once they are on the cusp of transitioning from academy to first team:

Natural ability - the club will have a very good idea of this having seen progress through the academy levels and factor this into the best next level development required.

Regular 'men's' football - plenty of game time needed to develop tactical awareness, team strategy, playing for points pressure etc. Ollie got his at Weston Super Mare, Cheick at Truro, Sonny seems to be doing well at Bath.

Continued coaching development at ECFC - not possible if placement is made at Conference level or above.

With that in mind I think Conference South experience is still adequate as part of the whole - even if aiming for L1 level.
It's important to remember that we are still talking about the next step up from Academy games.

Once Sonny has got games under his belt at Bath together with continued coaching from us he will be fully in the first team mix over the summer training period and pre-season games.

It may be that an extra level of in-house development could be achieved if we area able to enter a competitive U23 league.
I don't know if that's likely but I seem to recall Gary Caldwell mentioning it in one of his early interviews.

 

[SaintJames]

I'm not sure I totally agree with that.

I think there are broadly three elements to a City player's development once they are on the cusp of transitioning from academy to first team:

Natural ability - the club will have a very good idea of this having seen progress through the academy levels and factor this into the best next level development required.

Regular 'men's' football - plenty of game time needed to develop tactical awareness, team strategy, playing for points pressure etc. Ollie got his at Weston Super Mare, Cheick at Truro, Sonny seems to be doing well at Bath.

Continued coaching development at ECFC - not possible if placement is made at Conference level or above.

With that in mind I think Conference South experience is still adequate as part of the whole - even if aiming for L1 level.
It's important to remember that we are still talking about the next step up from Academy games.

Once Sonny has got games under his belt at Bath together with continued coaching from us he will be fully in the first team mix over the summer training period and pre-season games.

It may be that an extra level of in-house development could be achieved if we area able to enter a competitive U23 league.
I don't know if that's likely but I seem to recall Gary Caldwell mentioning it in one of his early interviews.

It is of course more than possible that Sonny or any other player could make the leap from Conference South football to League One. However, it's fairly standard practice for clubs to want to test their loan players at increased steps up the pyramid and 3 steps from Conf South to L1 is a big leap of faith. It would be the equivalent of Fulham loaning Stanno to a L2 club then expecting him to make the leap to the Prem in one hit. When we lent Ollie and Chieck out we were a L2 Club and the gap wasn't so big. Many ways though to develop players as you say

 

[Grecian2K]

I'd respectfully suggest that there could be a fourth element Spoons...attitude.
The history of youth development at ECFC (and almost certainly many other clubs) is littered with many examples of players who no doubt had the basic ability but, once they had a few first team appearances under their belt thought they were Billy-Big-Bollox world beaters (at least at lower league level) and trade on that for the rest of their careers.
The ones who pushed on had not just the skill but also the vision and determination.
An analogy might possibly be if the likes of Jobs or Gates, who, instead of pressing on, had been content on just soldering transistors onto circuit boards to sell to their neighbours.

 

[Spoonz Red E]

I'd respectfully suggest that there could be a fourth element Spoons...attitude.
The history of youth development at ECFC (and almost certainly many other clubs) is littered with many examples of players who no doubt had the basic ability but, once they had a few first team appearances under their belt thought they were Billy-Big-Bollox world beaters (at least at lower league level) and trade on that for the rest of their careers.
The ones who pushed on had not just the skill but also the vision and determination.
An analogy might possibly be if the likes of Jobs or Gates, who, instead of pressing on, had been content on just soldering transistors onto circuit boards to sell to their neighbours.

Good point G2K.

 

[andrew p long]

It is of course more than possible that Sonny or any other player could make the leap from Conference South football to League One. However, it's fairly standard practice for clubs to want to test their loan players at increased steps up the pyramid and 3 steps from Conf South to L1 is a big leap of faith. It would be the equivalent of Fulham loaning Stanno to a L2 club then expecting him to make the leap to the Prem in one hit. When we lent Ollie and Chieck out we were a L2 Club and the gap wasn't so big. Many ways though to develop players as you say

I'm open to correction on this but I think when Cheikh was on loan to Truro they were in the Southern League ie the 7th tier, a level below Conference South. So Cheikh on recall had to make the jump of 3 divisions.However I think you are right that it will be a big (too big) leap for Sonny who would be a year younger than Cheikh was when playing in City's first team.

 

[Hants_red]

Good lad

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1654044006249119746

 

[Banksy]

In between playing with his phone….