New approach for City Academy

Saddleworth2

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 Jan 2014
Messages
20,466
There is an article in the MEN today with Jason Wilcox ‘unveiling a radical new approach’ for the academy. I have read it a couple of times and don’t know wether it’s badly written or the guy is just not being clear, but I am at a loss at what this new approach is. Can any blues who know about the academy setup shed any light?
 
The article isn’t very clear, but I think the approach now is to move players up the age groups quicker, even if it means not winning as many games as before. If you look at the EDS team now, almost all of them are 18 or under (whereas the Utd reserve team we played on Saturday seemed to be full of players in their 20’s)
 
Although it doesn't mention it explicitly, I think the article is alluding to the fact that when the players play within their own age group there isn't enough challenge, which is shown in the statistics about winning 80 percent of the games. Wilcox is going to try and push the players, whether this is moving them up an age group, like Tommy Doyle, or playing players in different positions to put them under pressure and test their mental strength. But you are right, the article is a non event
 
The article isn’t very clear, but I think the approach now is to move players up the age groups quicker, even if it means not winning as many games as before. If you look at the EDS team now, almost all of them are 18 or under (whereas the Utd reserve team we played on Saturday seemed to be full of players in their 20’s)
Haven't read it yet but theory is that winning all the time, isn't good when you're young. Better to win say 60% of games and toughen up mentally by losing 40% instead of winning 90%.
Means moving players up 1 or 2 levels compared to age groups.
Also means pressurising the older lads to shape up or ship out. If you're 19/20 and not pushing the first team you're unlikely to make it.
Worth noting how many young players at other clubs come through after being in average/poor youth teams where they've had to be tough to survive. Like city in the 80s/90s.
 
It's a really poorly written article tbh that doesn't make the point of the new approach clear at all.

Basically, in terms of pure age, we have the best of the best. We're too good when our 17 year olds play other team's 17 year olds and we end up with a win percentage of 90 odd percent. Bear in mind, Sancho, Foden and crew, if the former was still here, could still be turning out for u18s as second year scholars. Last year Sancho and Foden, along with Matt Smith, Latibeaudiere, Dele-Bashiru and more absolutely walked the u18s league, despite only being first year scholars.

Likewise, at the start of this season our first year scholars included Taylor Richards and Rabbi Matondo, and it became immediately clear that they found it too easy for u18s football too. So they were moved up to the EDS immediately.

The plan now is to basically push them up as soon as they can. The two stars of this year's first year scholars (matondo, Richards) have basically bypassed the 18s entirely to learn with the EDS despite being 16 turning 17. This year's u18s team is mainly new first years mixed in with u16s as well - take Tommy Doyle as an example. He's 15 and playing fir the 18s this year cos there is nothing he could learn at 16s level as he's miles better. We're playing very, very young teams compared to our rivals. This will of course result in some games not being won, but as Wilcox says, its more realistic and we're having to battle to win games a lot more, and that is evident watching this u18s team. You could throw Matondo and Richards in if you want, evne Foden/Latibeaudiere and Dele-Bashiru in technically, and they'd win every game 4/5-0. But what's the point?

If this method existed last year Foden and Sancho would have basically skipped u18s football entirely and gone straight to the EDS, but that didn't really happen.

I like this approach. It's testing them. It's why all last year's first year's are now with the EDS instead.

So long story short: we're moving up players very very quickly, which challenges them more and will see a lower, more realistic, win percentage.
 
Haven't read it yet but theory is that winning all the time, isn't good when you're young. Better to win say 60% of games and toughen up mentally by losing 40% instead of winning 90%.
Means moving players up 1 or 2 levels compared to age groups.
Also means pressurising the older lads to shape up or ship out. If you're 19/20 and not pushing the first team you're unlikely to make it.
Worth noting how many young players at other clubs come through after being in average/poor youth teams where they've had to be tough to survive. Like city in the 80s/90s.
If thats the case my lads team is going to be so mentally strong
played 6 games and conceded over 50 and scored 2 its like watching City in the 90s
 
I have to say I agree entirely with the new approach. If young players are so used to winning then being thrown into difficult matches where things can go wrong can cause problems as they're so used to everything going their way. Now at least players will have experience not only of bad days but more importantly working through them and getting results despite having an off day.
 
I have been wondering what's the point of these games where we're regularly winning something stupid like 10-0. After a season of this, you can also imagine they get into the way of thinking that says they just have to turn up and they'll win, which isn't going to serve them well when they're old enough for the first team.
 
So if they are getting pushed up what happens when they hit the EDS, does it mean that they could play together as a team for 3 years building team chemistry
 
So if they are getting pushed up what happens when they hit the EDS, does it mean that they could play together as a team for 3 years building team chemistry

I think we'll see them in the EDS until they're 19 at most and then loaned out. Matt Smith is 17 now, will turn 18 this season. I think he'll stay with the EDS this year, and possibly next, and then go on loan. I think we'll see loans for lads as young as 18 too.

It's worth bearing in mind that they're not ALL moving up early. Mainly the stars of the generation.
 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top
  AdBlock Detected
Bluemoon relies on advertising to pay our hosting fees. Please support the site by disabling your ad blocking software to help keep the forum sustainable. Thanks.