How do you get a game for the first team?

[Alfie Olek]

I ask this question in all seriousness regarding Brophy and our January signings. Here's what Alex said about Brophy last December in an STV interview:-

Alex Neil: “I've had Eamonn since U17s so it’s probably the best part of three or four years now. We brought him in full-time and he’s really kicked on, he’s done great.

“He scores goals regularly for the 20s and to be honest it’s only a matter of time before he breaks in to the first team.

“I gave him his debut against Airdrie and he scored, then he came on against Stirling and scored as well.

“He’s doing fantastically well, he’s only young though, he’s only 18 and his chance will come.

“The 20s are top of the league at the moment and have had a fantastic season so far so it should only be a matter of time before some of them are breaking into the first team.”

So far this season he has made 14 appearances in the first team most of them briefly as a sub, has scored 1 senior team goal against Alloa and 20 goals for the under 20's. The top scorer in the Under 20 league is Aberdeen's Lawrence Strickland with 23. So far this season he has made 11 appearances for Aberdeen's first team. I don't know if that's as a sub and for how long but in terms of breaking into the first team they seem on a par. Is it a case therefore that our coaches know what they are doing and think this is the best way to develop him and that to throw him on for 90 minutes or substantially more than currently might actually hinder his development. As for the Janaury signings I suspect Hasselbank hasn't been fit but it's anybody's guess re the rest. McDonald has got his chance through injury otherwise I'm not sure he would be featuring.

[Yummy Fur]

Eamonn Brophy and Lawrence Shankland is a good comparison - similar ages (Shankland is slightly older), both scoring for fun in the u20s but both getting very limited first team chances. I suppose the argument is that Aberdeen have a better quality of striker to displace than we do but interestingly in his 11 first team appearances in which I imagine most of them were from the bench he's failed to score. So I understand the clamour to start with Brophy but it's a huge ask for a guy who has just turned 19 to play up front on his own in the top league, it's not just Martin Canning that thinks so it's Derek McInnes as well and Alex Neil before them.

On the other signings, Lynch was brought in with next season in mind and although it seems strange now at the time we were flying and looking to next season looked a lot more sensible. Lucas was brought in purely as cover as we already have 3 good centre backs but with injuries and suspensions we could be left a bit short.

The signing that has been a disappointment is Sumsky as my impression is that he was brought in to make an instant impression. I notice that he was sub'd after 70 minutes of last night's U20 game so either he was hauled off after having a shocker or to rest his legs with Friday night's game in view. Unless anyone was at the game I expect we won't find out until the line ups are announced on Friday night.

[redandwhite1874]

There is the perspective of protecting the young player and playing upfront on your own is probably the hardest position for a young player to come into.

However, every single minute Scotland has had since his return from the potential reaches of the lower leagues is time wasted that Brophy could have had and I am certain he could not have added less that scotland

[accies1874]

Tbf Brophy hasn't showed much in the Premiership to justify a start. We consider him a saviour on forums but whenever he's came on he's looked fairly average. However, his attitude seems fantastic and he can't be as bad as Hasselbaink's been and even Scotland (despite scoring on Saturday).

[Accies4ever]

Simple....If he's good enough...he's old enough.

Wasn't James McCarthy 15 when he first played 1st team football with Accies.
Remember he had 15 on his shirt.

At least try Brophy. What's to lose?