[iwastherein68]

Deal for Harper to Ipswich has been held up due to Albion's on going search for coach. Now that is a sensible bit of news, player might have a role with new man installed.

Good news if that's true. As a player under contract of couse he should be assessed by the new man.

[Throstletown]

Let him go, he has flashes in games but his overall game for 90 minutes is poor, decent kid but not one to dig in and fight, busting a gut tracking and tackling. My observations   

[section5]

So does this mean the gaffer they had in place was happy to let him go or?
I’m so confused at who is making these decisions. Why even have the discussions until the new boss comes in with a player like Harper

[cads_ap_albion]

Same as Field - generating income in any way possible to fund transfers and/or manager wages.
Field went to get BIg Sam in.
Harper will go to get the new manager in.

[Maresca Was A Baggie]

Afraid I can't see the lad ever making the grade at Championship level let alone Premiership. Sell and bank the money for the new manager.

[BaggieNick]

Afraid I can't see the lad ever making the grade at Championship level let alone Premiership. Sell and bank the money for the new manager.

Another one not good enough unfortunately.

Time to move on if we have any sort of ambition in The Championship.

[Dudleylad]

Harpers big chance was at Birmingham last season where he had the chance to prove he was ready for that level and he failed.

The key is to keep the players who develop as they should and sell those that arent developing to the correct level, this may come back to bite the club but we cant keep players just because one day they 'might' reach their potential.

[Baggies]

Agree with Dudleylad, time to sell. Get a good fee and wish him luck. If he develops well at Ipswich, there is no guarantee he would have done so here.

[paulosull]

Think club and coaches are to blame for our academy players with potential not improving. In the case of Harper who had a taste of prem football under Pulis then you would have thought that Big Daves appointment would have been ideal for Rekeem a coach who had dealings with him in youth system but he trusted the senior pros than him. Club should have loaned the boy out if coach had no intention of playing him. Same problem has occurred with Field, Edwards and lad that went to bluenoses development stunted by coaches who arnt sure about their own decisions never mind player's ability

[LiamTheBaggie]

Think club and coaches are to blame for our academy players with potential not improving. In the case of Harper who had a taste of prem football under Pulis then you would have thought that Big Daves appointment would have been ideal for Rekeem a coach who had dealings with him in youth system but he trusted the senior pros than him. Club should have loaned the boy out if coach had no intention of playing him. Same problem has occurred with Field, Edwards and lad that went to bluenoses development stunted by coaches who arnt sure about their own decisions never mind player's ability

Totally agree - that season under Moore was such a waste for field and Harper when they had to watch two blokes knocking on 40 parading around in our midfield

We should have got them out on loan much quicker rather than stifling them by merely having them around the place.

Harper has quality but he looks more of a street footballer than a pro - doesn’t get involved and has no sense positionally. They should have been ironed out during loan spells

[wodenson46]

Think club and coaches are to blame for our academy players with potential not improving. In the case of Harper who had a taste of prem football under Pulis then you would have thought that Big Daves appointment would have been ideal for Rekeem a coach who had dealings with him in youth system but he trusted the senior pros than him. Club should have loaned the boy out if coach had no intention of playing him. Same problem has occurred with Field, Edwards and lad that went to bluenoses development stunted by coaches who arnt sure about their own decisions never mind player's ability

[/b]

So true! Unfortunately. But still a perfect description of the problem Paulo, especially the last bit

[MarkW]

Wasn't it under Moore when Harper had his first proper run of games in the first team? He came into the team in January and got a run of about eight or nine games.

It was Leko who got a look-in under Pulis, and Field has had cameos here and there.

Edit:

Career Appearances - https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/rekeem-harper/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/456877

Championship season (16 appearances) - https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/rekeem-harper/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/456877/plus/0/saison/2018/wettbewerb/GB2/verein/984

[Standaman]

I checked and Harper got a game against Barnsley in March so Ismael has seen him play last season which is more than most of us have done. Quite what he would have made of him is anybody's guess on the face of it Harper's performance was hardly eye catching and Birmingham barely got out of their own half so he has seen him playing in a low block.

It is sensible to pause the transfer until the new coach is in the building although I suspect the outcome is quite likely to be the same. Harper is still of an age where if he meets the right coach and critically gets a run of games he could develop.

I would add that the coach we need is the one that takes a player like Harper and works with them rather than walking into the club with a shopping list of "their" players.

 

[lewisant]

There have been a few players over the years that have broken the first team then just sat out, no loans or few appearances for us. I think we have successfully stunted the growth of Field, Harper, Leko and Edwards and killed their confidence. You can make a very strong argument that all may not be/have been good enough but each of them have hit a moment where they broke in, looked great and were then dropped and then absolutely no development plan in place beyond training.

I personally think we should give Harper one more season, with only Sawyers and Livermore in CM on the books and Harper sounding motivated and more dynamic than the other two - he has to have an opportunity. He may have failed by January but we have to give these players a chance, 5, 10, 15 minute appearances at the end of games are not that chance.

[KN22]

There have been a few players over the years that have broken the first team then just sat out, no loans or few appearances for us. I think we have successfully stunted the growth of Field, Harper, Leko and Edwards and killed their confidence. You can make a very strong argument that all may not be/have been good enough but each of them have hit a moment where they broke in, looked great and were then dropped and then absolutely no development plan in place beyond training.

I personally think we should give Harper one more season, with only Sawyers and Livermore in CM on the books and Harper sounding motivated and more dynamic than the other two - he has to have an opportunity. He may have failed by January but we have to give these players a chance, 5, 10, 15 minute appearances at the end of games are not that chance.

I think that the sentiment of your post is 100% correct. I would add though, and it is purely my own opinion, that the 4 players you mention are not good enough and will never make us wish they had been kept. Time will tell for sure.

[alex1]

Its only right that the transfer gets put on hold until the new manager has had a chance to look at him. I think we will need some very fit midfielders. Also when you look at the fee of just one million, we don't stand to lose a lot of money. If there are better midfielders who become available, we can always review our decision.

[lewisant]

I think that the sentiment of your post is 100% correct. I would add though, and it is purely my own opinion, that the 4 players you mention are not good enough and will never make us wish they had been kept. Time will tell for sure.

I probably agree with you but my main gripe is how all of them barring Edwards perhaps were handled at a crucial point of their development. Leko v West Ham, Field when he had a run with Megson and Harper when he broke the team all looked like players that could go somewhere and were then mishandled.

[KN22]

I probably agree with you but my main gripe is how all of them barring Edwards perhaps were handled at a crucial point of their development. Leko v West Ham, Field when he had a run with Megson and Harper when he broke the team all looked like players that could go somewhere and were then mishandled.

Can’t argue with this.

[Adder]

I don't think that many will have expected Chris Wood and Kemar Roofe to go on and develop the way they have.

I think Edwards, Harper and Field in that order have the ability to do similar. Sometimes it seems to need the right manager, regular game time, luck with injuries or just something to click in the brain for players to re-launch their careers. As a club we need to ask how that transition from England age groups to first team can be more productive for us.

[Maresca Was A Baggie]

The mere fact Ipswich want him says it all I'm afraid. He showed vert little whilst at Birmingham. We have an offer on the table. Take it before it's withdrawn.

[Mister AT]

Be interesting to see if Val keeps him.

His age and ability to work harder than RS and JL might mean he’s kept around for abit.

[KN22]

Be interesting to see if Val keeps him.

His age and ability to work harder than RS and JL might mean he’s kept around for abit.

Whatever we may say about JL I have seen no evidence at all of Harper working harder than him.

[BaggieNick]

The mere fact Ipswich want him says it all I'm afraid. He showed vert little whilst at Birmingham. We have an offer on the table. Take it before it's withdrawn.

If we're serious about mounting a promotion challenge then this lad shouldn't be part of it.

[Albionic]

I don't think that many will have expected Chris Wood and Kemar Roofe to go on and develop the way they have.

I think Edwards, Harper and Field in that order have the ability to do similar. Sometimes it seems to need the right manager, regular game time, luck with injuries or just something to click in the brain for players to re-launch their careers. As a club we need to ask how that transition from England age groups to first team can be more productive for us.

Spot on, I sometime think coaches take the easy option of using old players and not investing in the young lads, most likely because they are under such pressure to get results at all costs, Valerien has a 4 year contract so hopefully can allocate time and resources to getting younger players transitioned into the first team

[TheJacko2000]

Gone to Ipswich (undisclosed). So much for taking a look