As we are linked with yet another youngster to come to the club on loan I ask the question “ what is the point of a teenager going to a top club when history tells us that they have almost no chance of getting a regular first team place? The last youngsters to come through the youth systems at the top clubs and be regular first team choices are
Chelsea – Terry
Utd – Giggs/Scholes
City – Richards
Spurs – King
Liverpool – Gerrard
The only club to buck this trend are Arsenal but they got their young players from other clubs; Fabregas (Barcelona), Wilshire (Luton), Walcott and Oxlade – Chamberlain (Southampton), Ramsey ( Cardiff)
What must McEchran and Bertrand be thinking as Chelsea brings in new players by the bus load (Moses next for £7.5m).
My own view is that young players will not develop fully unless they play regular first team competitive football; which will provide them with the final physical development and competitive edge and provide them with a high level of motivation. Try to imagine what the motivation is for a young player who turns up for training on a cold December Monday morning and only has the prospect of 10 minutes as a sub in a League Cup match or a reserve game behind closed doors every two weeks.
As the football press and radio pundits foam at the mouth criticising junior clubs for not teaching young players “tippy tappy" football as per Barcelona the fact of the matter is we should be looking much closer to home. The professional clubs take young players from 10 onwards, promise them and their parents the earth and then buy established players from elsewhere – so don’t blame the junior clubs.
IMO the current Barcelona squad is happenstance, just like the Utd youngsters of 20 years ago (Beckham et al) rather than any new revolutionary coaching methods.
Development of Young Players
posted on 31/7/12
Burnden63
Great post really enjoyed that and I agree with you.Until we have a system in place regarding playing under 22,23 players we will never develop any real youngsters in this country.
Man City in the early 80s consistantly brought young kids through eg our own Gary Flitcroft ,Lake,Redmond,White etc.I believe no youngster will ever get a chance at City again as the risk is too big for Mancini to take.
Closer to home we must have the worst youth set up regarding developing top players It has to be addressed.Back in the 70s we at least brought players like Reidy,Big Sam,Jones and Whatmore to name a few.We then had the Dean Crombie YTS years that brought absolute nothing to the table.Now we have Jimmy running the kids,and I know its hard to attract kids to our club when none of them ever develop or get any first team action.
Maybe time to change the rules although I accept its going to be hard to do.How can we develop and promote our youth team potential? I dont know the answer but we need to do something.
posted on 31/7/12
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posted on 31/7/12
I'd say it'd be another couple of years before we really start to reap the benefit of the youth restructuring set in place with the new academy building.
Though there'll always be a danger of the so called bigger clubs coming in and nicking a couple of the better players for next to nowt - so they can fester in their massive youth system.
posted on 31/7/12
Thanks for the feedback, the only comment I have would be that Sturridge has gone backwards since he left us, he should be an England regular but will be relegated to cameo roles on the right wing. He will join the long list of players who went to Chelsea to chase the money and glory and ended up in the wilderness - Parker, Sidwell, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Ben Haim, Cole and Torres !!
posted on 31/7/12
There is a flip side to parts of this. For example if a player sticks round at a lower placed club for too long there is a danger that they stagnate and never really reach their full potential. For players to improve they need first team football but the club as a whole has to be progressing at the same time.
posted on 31/7/12
Has anyone seen about the abolishing reserve football and having an Olympic style u23 league
posted on 31/7/12
I'm not sure I get the article?
The youngsters move on loan and eventually their skills will find a club that suits them. Big clubs swallow in bulk then spit out the ones not needed.. Smaller clubs grabs these who've usually had excellent training and education in fabulous academies...
Those that don't find a club were never good enough. Law of the jungle.
Those bought from teams like Southampton assist the clubs with massive transfer fees (in some cases), building the academies even more..
Evolution means the youngster will be loaned out until the peak player leaves... And if he ain't good enough, the club pays..
Not the perfect business model by any means, but players now are in a much better position to develop than 20 years ago..
The Spanish model is a good one and touched on by Petrov. In fact we have the Barca B coming to the Reebok.. Separate club for registration purposes, but in essence a feeder club to a bigger club. Competitive football and self financing.. Enough teams like this with age limitations, tours etc and development follows..
For every 1-2 players we recongnise in Arsenals team from their youth, there's another dozen heading to Barnet, Brentford and the like..
If you're good enough, you will rise..
posted on 1/8/12
if like sordell your ever given the chance.