It's Quiet - a new dawn

[Dobsy]

It's the only way it will work.

But as my previous reply said, the academy will be pointless other than to train and sell on. There will come a stage where kids don't sign on because there is no route into the first team.

I'm not sure you know, I think it maybe oversimplifies it to look at first team as such an overwhelming priority. The rags have been complaining that we're hoovering up all the local young talent and it's because City go above and beyond to cover things like relocation costs, a great education, the best facilities and medical care.

I'm really pleased to see City making sure they really look after people in a way other clubs don't. The difference between how City and Liverpool approached school fees for those kids recently is a good example.

I don't want to come across as always disagreeing with you for the sake of it. I really want to see some homegrown players break in. My one big regret over the last 5 seasons has been that Richards suffered those injuries and didn't remain a part of it. It would have added something more to it all for sure.

 

[Paladin]

To build on what jonmc is saying, Owen's career peaked at 24, by 30 he was finished. Similar with Rooney, because they are examples of early developers. Examples of late developers are Yaya, Ian Wright, Luca Toni, Klose.

Tony Book.

 

[mccity]

It's the only way it will work.

But as my previous reply said, the academy will be pointless other than to train and sell on. There will come a stage where kids don't sign on because there is no route into the first team.

I think footballers will still want to come to the academy. First team or not the training, development and facilities our academy provides is enough incentive.

 

[inchy14]

7 subs to compliment 11 starters when we've got a squad of 20+ quality players meaning several of the players i listed in my last post miss out. It boils down to a simple question really, is foden/diaz or whoever it may be better than the person that would be missing out? If so, they'll get in, if not they'll have to wait until they warrant their inclusion in the matchday squad or injuries gift them a chance. As Pep says, they won't get a chance because they're young, they'll get a chance because they've shown to him they're good enough. Exactly how it should be and seemingly exactly how it will be.

And how do they show him they're good enough without playing competitive matches? Training isn't the same.

 

[goalmole]

I agree for homegrown but he will buy youngsters of similar age if proven at roughly the same league level will he not.

 

[Danamy]

Probably. Sort of renders the academy useless though, other then the money it'll make.

The Academy is nothing more than a cash cow and the sooner people realise that the better, we'll obviously cherry pick the players we want but it's ultimately an investment machine, we buy, we sell, we make profit. :-)

 

[jonmcity]

Think Messi was around 19 years old before he started getting a run of games.

 

[SilverFox2]

Probably. Sort of renders the academy useless though, other then the money it'll make.

As far as ADUG concerned that would make two cost centres then.

With that in mind I am certain any future change of heart from Academy to PL for gradutes would involve some sort of transfer fee otherwise how can they survive independently ?
Perhaps Pep wants control of Academy because of exactly that problem ?

 

[goalmole]

Probably. Sort of renders the academy useless though, other then the money it'll make.

It's a fallacy that people have wedded themselves to that the academy is there primarily to provide players to the first team. It's not. It's a commercial enterprise in it's own right and it's primary purpose is to scout and recruit talent at a young age which it will then develop and sell on for a profit. However it will throw up a gem from time to time that is good enough for the first ream and that gem will then be promoted to the first team. The first team will continue to rely on buying in ready developed talent, certainly while we have the financial muscle to be able to do that.
That how it is and the sooner people get their heads round it the sooner they will stop raising their hopes and consequently being disappointed.
Edit: I see @Danamy has made a far more succinct post to the same effect as mine.
I obviously agree wholeheartedly.

 

[Danamy]

It's a fallacy that people have wedded themselves to that the academy is there primarily to provide players to the first team. It's not. It's a commercial enterprise in it's own right and it's primary purpose is to scout and recruit talent at a young age which it will then develop and sell on for a profit. However it will throw up a gem from time to time that is good enough for the first ream and that gem will then be promoted to the first team. The first team will continue to rely on buying in ready developed talent, certainly while we have the financial muscle to be able to do that.
That how it is and the sooner people get their heads round it the sooner they will stop raising their hopes and consequently being disappointed.
Edit: I see @Danamy has made a far more succinct post to the same effect as mine.
I obviously agree wholeheartedly.

Spot on

 

[Matt Diablo]

The Academy is nothing more than a cash cow and the sooner people realise that the better, we'll obviously cherry pick the players we want but it's ultimately an investment machine, we buy, we sell, we make profit. :-)

Indeed and my love for the game diminishes every little bit of the way . . .

 

[Matt Diablo]

Think Messi was around 19 years old before he started getting a run of games.

Messi was pumped with growth injections at 9 yrs old - that the investment Barca knew was worth paying

 

[Danamy]

Indeed and my love for the game diminishes every little bit of the way . . .

Why's that, you're still getting to see the best young talent around either way, they'll either be good enough to come through to make the first team as hopefully Foden will prove or they'll generate profit to purchase the best young talent ala Jesus and Sane, everyone's a winner?

 

[Phil1]

It's mental how people think that the academy is anything but a long term business venture that will reap profits for years to come. Sure, we will benefit with the odd diamond breaking through and carving a career out with us but on the whole it'll be a conveyor belt of talent that brings the club millions.
I've no problem with that at all, I don't understand why anybody would.

 

[Danamy]

It's mental how people think that the academy is anything but a long term business venture that will reap profits for years to come. Sure, we will benefit with the odd diamond breaking through and carving a career out with us but on the whole it'll be a conveyor belt of talent that brings the club millions.
I've no problem with that at all, I don't understand why anybody would.

Me neither but hey ho

 

[DalbeyINUK]

Me neither but hey ho

I think it's a matter of people need a player that's come through and broke into the first team to hold onto. If just one breaks through it will make the whole proposition easier for them. They can tell the rags around them then when they start going on about "class of '92" or whatever, see we have X who was born and raised and came through the ranks. Once we have one of those in the team, and I do think it will happen, the whole thing will be easier for them to take.

 

[sir baconface]

No I don't need to look over his reputation as a whole. My argument was that the world and the league has changed that allows the elite teams the luxury of having a few off years where they can risk relegation or dropping out of the champions league or whatever, and where you could take the long term view - and it had changed to be one where every year counted and elite teams are very tough places for academy kids. You countered by saying that your namesake was the example that it could be done. I said that your namesake wasn't evidence that it could be done, because he stopped doing it at the end of his career in this modern era. We live in this modern era. Pep, back when he was competing with your namesake in the prior era, was playing with almost entirely academy kids in his squad.

No worries. We disagree on whether that could be replicated in the modern era if the stars aligned but that's OK. Just two opinions.

 

[waspish]

It's a fallacy that people have wedded themselves to that the academy is there primarily to provide players to the first team. It's not. It's a commercial enterprise in it's own right and it's primary purpose is to scout and recruit talent at a young age which it will then develop and sell on for a profit. However it will throw up a gem from time to time that is good enough for the first ream and that gem will then be promoted to the first team. The first team will continue to rely on buying in ready developed talent, certainly while we have the financial muscle to be able to do that.
That how it is and the sooner people get their heads round it the sooner they will stop raising their hopes and consequently being disappointed.
Edit: I see @Danamy has made a far more succinct post to the same effect as mine.
I obviously agree wholeheartedly.

Yep I wish the "whats the point of our youth system if we don't blood them" brigade would understand that.

 

[Proy]

I don't often sit on the fence but, reading through the last page or so, I'm definitely in the middle here.

I understand totally why the club would use it as a means to make millions. I have no problem with that. It will help us purchase the quality we need to stay at the top.

I also understand that some would like it to produce, although never to the extent that's being driven. I've had 1 in every 4 years in my head for a good while now. That represents success to me.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

So the latest is mbappe is injured and it could either help our chances or hinder depending in the seriousness of the injury and sanchez is looking less likely by the day so who else is on the list that is going to improve us?