Just before the start of the season I wrote quite a long post about trying to be positive for the new season etc. And although not everything I was positive about has come to fruition (Sarge for example, although I was abig gelling fan and others aren't, and maybe the props) however at the end of my post I wrote the :-

"One Final thing though
I mentioned If Gildart had been a new signing the fans would be happier etc.
Wigan have took some stick in off season but we have to remember the "Youth" players brought through by the club and fully value their worth.
If We had to go out and Buy a Gildart, Burgess, Sutton, Shorrocks. Tom Davies, Wells, Marshall etc. it would cost us either in big transfers or inflated wages. yet I suspect the "Fans" would be happy as it would appear that the club was splashing the cash.
Well IMO they are splashing the cash, but they're doing it at the front end, investing in youth, investing in the future.

When these lads develop they renegotiate their contracts and when we then Improve their Pay due to advanced progression such as Williams/Gildart/Burgess/Sutton etc. in recent years we almost forget the clubs investment previously in them and I think some take these players for granted.
I've seen how Wire are being given credit for going out and signing new players and the fans are lapping it up, fair play to them, but I'm not sure going out every 2/3 years and paying big money/wages for players is the way to go as a Plan for the future? If these signings don't work out or get injured etc where is the infrastructure behind this plan?
Wigan are investing in these youngsters, they're rewarding these youngsters with Good 1st team money when necessary and for me these should be seen as signings, not taken for granted.
Anyway, onwards & upwards"

Now I just happened to stumble across a thread on the Wire board bemoaning the talent produced by their academy and a comparison was made with the Wigan production line.
Now when you look at the players wire have listed as products of their academy and compare it to Wigans it is frightening the difference in both numbers and quality.
Secondly you look at a lot of the wigan talent that wasn't identified by the Wire fans ot makes you realise how vast the sifference actually is.

It reminded me of my post where I tried to explain how I feel the club don't get the credit it deserves from it's speccies for producing these lads and I have seen lots of posts were some fans are stating that a lot of our lads are getting over paid (or they seem to intimate that).
I could not disagree more and I likened the contract extensions and signing of young lads from the academy over the last 4/5 years and the improvements In their contracts is akin to going out and buying 2/3 New players every year yet the fans want to say "Wire have splashed the cash, why don't we?"
I made a comparison to wire and how their fans were lapping up their new big name signings but wasn't sure it's the way to go.
I'm more than happy front ending some of our money/wages and paying our youngsters what theyre worth and providing an environment for their development.
In the long run and certainly given the current rules on salary cap etc. It's got to be the way to go.

Check out the Wire thread

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=613636

Just before the start of the season I wrote quite a long post about trying to be positive for the new season etc. And although not everything I was positive about has come to fruition (Sarge for example, although I was abig gelling fan and others aren't, and maybe the props) however at the end of my post I wrote the :-

"One Final thing though
I mentioned If Gildart had been a new signing the fans would be happier etc.
Wigan have took some stick in off season but we have to remember the "Youth" players brought through by the club and fully value their worth.
If We had to go out and Buy a Gildart, Burgess, Sutton, Shorrocks. Tom Davies, Wells, Marshall etc. it would cost us either in big transfers or inflated wages. yet I suspect the "Fans" would be happy as it would appear that the club was splashing the cash.
Well IMO they are splashing the cash, but they're doing it at the front end, investing in youth, investing in the future.

When these lads develop they renegotiate their contracts and when we then Improve their Pay due to advanced progression such as Williams/Gildart/Burgess/Sutton etc. in recent years we almost forget the clubs investment previously in them and I think some take these players for granted.
I've seen how Wire are being given credit for going out and signing new players and the fans are lapping it up, fair play to them, but I'm not sure going out every 2/3 years and paying big money/wages for players is the way to go as a Plan for the future? If these signings don't work out or get injured etc where is the infrastructure behind this plan?
Wigan are investing in these youngsters, they're rewarding these youngsters with Good 1st team money when necessary and for me these should be seen as signings, not taken for granted.
Anyway, onwards & upwards"

Now I just happened to stumble across a thread on the Wire board bemoaning the talent produced by their academy and a comparison was made with the Wigan production line.
Now when you look at the players wire have listed as products of their academy and compare it to Wigans it is frightening the difference in both numbers and quality.
Secondly you look at a lot of the wigan talent that wasn't identified by the Wire fans ot makes you realise how vast the sifference actually is.

It reminded me of my post where I tried to explain how I feel the club don't get the credit it deserves from it's speccies for producing these lads and I have seen lots of posts were some fans are stating that a lot of our lads are getting over paid (or they seem to intimate that).
I could not disagree more and I likened the contract extensions and signing of young lads from the academy over the last 4/5 years and the improvements In their contracts is akin to going out and buying 2/3 New players every year yet the fans want to say "Wire have splashed the cash, why don't we?"
I made a comparison to wire and how their fans were lapping up their new big name signings but wasn't sure it's the way to go.
I'm more than happy front ending some of our money/wages and paying our youngsters what theyre worth and providing an environment for their development.
In the long run and certainly given the current rules on salary cap etc. It's got to be the way to go.

Check out the Wire thread

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=613636