Soares and Watson
...a time to throw out the experience entirely and replace it with two inexperienced, but talented youngsters. Ben Watson, as I've said a million times before, has a superb range of passing, has a lethal shot, but needs to brush up his tackling a bit before I'd call him a regular fixture in the starting eleven. By all means, give him starts in the first team, I have no problem with that, he'll gain confidence and experience, but alongside an experienced head in the form of Hughes or Aki, rather than Soares. He'll gain more playing alongside an experienced pro than someone in a similar position to him in terms of experience. Tom Soares is similar, undoubted potential, undoubted ability, we saw flashes of what he's capable of last season - but the option of playing him with Watson every week shouldn't really be considered. Him and Ben will both gain more when alongside Hughes or Aki than with each other. I'm all for the two of them ...