An Academy 11

[The Fish 8989]

It was a reference to your beard

.. I know, I was doing the "21 or 28" chant.

 

Nevermind, I now know how Van Gogh felt like. Unappreciated in my own time.

[Alex 30385]

Didn't think we were ruling out the juniors that went before the official academy's.   

The reason I thought he was was simply because I thought it was to demonstrate the dearth of talent we've unearthed since the initiation of these supposed 'centres of excellence', rather than just pedantry. Also, take away that bit where we obviously lucky in having a load of players coming through at once - Robbie Elliot, Steve Watson, Lee Clark, Alan Thompson and Steve Howey and it's been fucking dire for years. I suppose a lot of lads from the 85 FA Youth Cup winning side became professionals but, Gazza apart, they weren't great.

[Rayvin 4964]

I can't recall us ever being great at getting youth through the system. Certainly most of the younguns we talk about these days never seem to be able to make it in the end. Maybe under Rafa that will change a bit.

[The Fish 8989]

It's especially frustrating when there's quite a few of North East players who've gone on to have top flight careers. Given our respective standing in the game, why haven't we been able to attract kids who've chosen sunderland or middlesbrough instead?

[strawb 3659]

Boros academy is class and they regularly promote players and give them a chance.

 

Sunderlands academy hoovered up thousands of kids then kept any they thought had a chance.

 

Ours never got mentioned by anyone, at least when I played in the academies

[Alex 30385]

The daft thing is you'd think that, along with employing the right manager, getting the academy set-up right must be about the best way of recouping any investment in a football club. 

Edit: There's also more chance of a local player coming through the academy having an affinity with the club and its fans etc. I.e. actually giving a shit about the shirt

Edited October 18, 2016 by Alex

[The Fish 8989]

Even if the standard of player you produce is below Premier League, you can still flog the players to go towards paying for the running of the academy they came through.

[Alex 30385]

Even if the standard of player you produce is below Premier League, you can still flog the players to go towards paying for the running of the academy they came through.

Exactement, Davide

[Rayvin 4964]

Even if the standard of player you produce is below Premier League, you can still flog the players to go towards paying for the running of the academy they came through.

 

Yeah that's true - I suppose it's easy to think '£500k isn't a lot of money' in a footballing sense, but it'd be a big contribution towards the academy.

 

Also, we've had some amazing success stories on that front (Carroll) so we should really see the value in it more than others.

[The Fish 8989]

I suppose a risk is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on facilities, staff and support, but if the kids don't come through the ranks to any standard, it's money down the drain?

 

If 2 years of prospects haven't the ability to play professionally, there's little you can do about it?

 

/DevilsAdvocat

[ewerk 26298]

I suppose a risk is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on facilities, staff and support, but if the kids don't come through the ranks to any standard, it's money down the drain?

 

If 2 years of prospects haven't the ability to play professionally, there's little you can do about it?

 

/DevilsAdvocat

 

As has been said, hundreds of thousands is nothing in footballing terms. 

 

Which PL clubs are currently successful at producing first team players?

Edited October 18, 2016 by ewerk

[Howay 12452]

I would say Southampton for sure, even the lads they've had come through the past 18 month like Harrison Reed and Matt Targett look like okay players.

 

Besides them no one really is with any consistency. A lot of the current England internationals are from lower league sides academies like Alli, Hart, Walker, Rose, Lallana/Oxlade-Chamberlain/Walcott (at the time anyway), Jagielka, Stones, Smalling.

Edited October 18, 2016 by Howay

[The Fish 8989]

As has been said, hundreds of thousands is nothing in footballing terms. 

 

Which PL clubs are currently successful at producing first team players?

Depends, there's a few clubs who produce footballers not up to the standard they need, but who go on to represent other top flight sides. Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool certainly seem to provide squad players for the lower reaches of the Premier LEague.

 

In terms of clubs who produce players capable of representing their own club? Not sure, maybe Southampton, Boro, Everton, Spurs? 

[ewerk 26298]

Well yeah, more the latter. Southampton academy players have made a grand total of 11 appearances for the first team this season. Then I lost interest and started wasting my time on something else.

[Howay 12452]

Aye if you're meaning currently playing for them there's not really anyone, maybe Boro have the most at the minute? But I've no idea where their players started their careers I think a couple of their defenders are from their academy.

[The Fish 8989]

Well yeah, more the latter. Southampton academy players have made a grand total of 11 appearances for the first team this season. Then I lost interest and started wasting my time on something else.

The fact they have 11 appearances between them is a cause for praise, rather than scorn.

 

Southampton have consistently produced players of a sufficient standard to play in the Premier League, sometimes they're too good for where Southampton are now (or at least show sufficient promise to be considered too good), players like Chambers and Shaw. Sometimes they're not the type of player Southampton need, but go on to represent another Premier League side. 

 

Now, they've benefited from a huge catchment area thanks to Bournemouth and Portsmouth being a bit shit at that time and the investment from their owners. We should have made the Academy our focus years ago, we know it's harder (and costlier) to attract players to the North East from London or wherever, much easier if they grew up in the area. 

[ewerk 26298]

The fact they have 11 appearances between them is a cause for praise, rather than scorn.

 

Out of at least 121 potential appearances it isn't that great. Not that I'm pouring scorn on them. I'm just saying that their academy players aren't featuring heavily in their current team.

[Rayvin 4964]

Suppose it depends on how favourably it compares to elsewhere. Let's be honest though, the PL has always been shit at this with a couple of exceptions.