I generally agree but I would maintain it’s important to have some Canadian content at the club. Give me 2-3 starters and some bench options and that’s reasonable.
That said, I don’t particularly care if we develop that talent ourselves or buy it.
In their defence, Bob gave young players an absolute ton of on-field minutes last year. Were the conditions always right? No. Could you argue his tactical rigidity made it difficult for some to shine (Shaff)? Sure.
But he gave them the minutes. And that’s literally normally the biggest stumbling block.
Forgive me for being so harsh in saying this but what I saw in our youth players was generally a bunch of naive, confused play, and a complete lack of understanding about what it takes to be an established pro. We’ve seen this sort of crap repeatedly through different crops.
First team coaches cannot be counted on to provide this much polish. I think Bob has been more than fair in providing game time. Vanney and others before him, probably not. But again, I think it’s on the academy people to start producing more compelling and game-ready options if first team coaches are going to use these players.