Worried about the EDS

[yerwot?]

After an initial surge in interest buoyed by the infrastructure, I have lost a lot of enthusiasm for the youth teams. We play a lot of underage kids, but you have no connection other than the shirt. Without a meaningful league to play in , with a settled team to get behind...........could be the reality is that the board feel the bang aint worth the buck, the admin alone probably more than some club's total outlay...
Add that to the shambles of City TV .... points to a top-heavy approach to the business,
being a kfa it's just my take on the situation.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

Genuine question, in the last 10 years how many players have come through our academy and gone on to play regular football at a decent level? Not including players who were only here for a couple of years like Sancho and Matondo.

If they've been here, they've been here...

in addition to Sancho, Diaz, Foden, Angelino, Lopes, Maffeo, Adarabioyo, M Garcia, Gunn, Matondo, Iheanacho, Humphreys, Nmecha, Suarez, Helan, Denayer, Fofana, Ntcham etc.

George Evans (Derby)
Bersant Celina (Swansea)
Emyr Huws (Ipswich)
Jacob Davenport (Blackburn)
Greg Cunningham (Blackburn)
Albert Rusnak (Real Salt Lake)
Jose Pozo (Rayo)
Jordy Hiwula (Coventry)
Devante Cole (Motherwell)
Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers after some personal issues, but got his career back on track with an Ireland cap)
Kean Bryan (Sheffield Utd)
Ian Lawlor (Doncaster)
Ashley Smith-Brown (Oldham on loan from Plymouth)
Brandon Barker (Rangers)
Mathias Bossaerts (NEC)
Demeaco Duhaney (Huddersfield)
Rodney Kongolo (Heerenveen)
Javairo Dilrosun (Hertha BSC)
Shay Facey (Walsall)
Ed Francis & Sadou Diallo (Wolves)
Lorenzo Gonzalez (Malaga)

so many have had, or have the makings of a decent career.

 

[bluebanana83]

Someone I know said that Atalanta have arguably the best academy in Italy to be fair, but still...week in week out.

They do. When you think Atalanta qualified for the champs league and finished 4 the season prior despite having a host of their top players poached from them then it shows you they are decent at bringing youth through.

Gagliardini, Conti, Caldara, Spinazzola, Cristante, Mancini, Petagna and Bastoni have all moved on and are all Italy/Italy u21 national players and also Franck Kessie who went to AC a couple of years ago

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

They do. When you think Atalanta qualified for the champs league and finished 4 the season prior despite having a host of their top players poached from them then it shows you they are decent at bringing youth through.

Gagliardini, Conti, Caldara, Spinazzola, Cristante, Mancini, Petagna and Bastoni have all moved on and are all Italy/Italy u21 national players and also Franck Kessie who went to AC a couple of years ago

I often think that teams that live in that kind of second tier of a top flight league are better placed to make use of a good youth set up. A bit like Southampton here where they will never spend that much on transfers in and always take a good offer on transfers out. As a youth player at a club like that you know that a chance will come if your good enough.

 

[cleavers]

If you want any proof that nobody at the club really cares about the EDS just look at the actual EDS page - https://www.mancity.com/players/eds

No pictures, no stats and half of the players on there don’t play for us anymore.

I think that's more a case of the state of the website rather than whether City care about the academy, of course City care, but they don't appear to care much about web coverage other than the first team.

The recent release of an app, that most people can't even use is the perfect example of how poor the clubs web coverage is since Wix became a partner, and that app would be the perfect place to encourage interest in the academy sides for fans.

Despite how good we are on the pitch, there are still a number of aspects of the club that are run badly, and the web based stuff is up there with the worst.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

i think for a lot people including me. I've kinda given up caring about the youth team. for the last ten years or so none of them have made it or really been given a chance. (foden could be the exception). its kinda pointless watching youth teams every week knowing that.

also people may disagree, but with more non local/foreign players being bought into the youth team - there just isn't the same level of connection as with players like foden. when we got to the youth cup a few years ago we had players like mee playing, players that really connected to the fans. its great seeing players like diaz or sancho, but i couldnt really care less about whether they make it at city.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

i think for a lot people including me. I've kinda given up caring about the youth team. for the last ten years or so none of them have made it or really been given a chance. (foden could be the exception). its kinda pointless watching youth teams every week knowing that.

also people may disagree, but with more non local/foreign players being bought into the youth team - there just isn't the same level of connection as with players like foden. when we got to the youth cup a few years ago we had players like mee playing, players that really connected to the fans. its great seeing players like diaz or sancho, but i couldnt really care less about whether they make it at city.

If there isn't the talent amongst players in British players , in the opinion of our experts , we have to look further afield for potential surely .

But I know what you are getting at, a local lad is always going to have more connection with supporters , than a superstar kid from Bulgaria .

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

If there isn't the talent amongst players in British players , in the opinion of our experts , we have to look further afield for potential surely .

But I know what you are getting at, a local lad is always going to have more connection with supporters , than a superstar kid from Bulgaria .

I’m not just talking about foreign players. I mentioned sancho. We signed the young lad from West Brom- I think ?. It’s great we have such a talented player, but it’s the same I don’t care as much.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I’m not just talking about foreign players. I mentioned sancho. We signed the young lad from West Brom- I think ?. It’s great we have such a talented player, but it’s the same I don’t care as much.

Fair enough . It's an issue to which there isn't a simple solution imo.

 

[cleavers]

i think for a lot people including me. I've kinda given up caring about the youth team. for the last ten years or so none of them have made it or really been given a chance. (foden could be the exception). its kinda pointless watching youth teams every week knowing that.

also people may disagree, but with more non local/foreign players being bought into the youth team - there just isn't the same level of connection as with players like foden. when we got to the youth cup a few years ago we had players like mee playing, players that really connected to the fans. its great seeing players like diaz or sancho, but i couldnt really care less about whether they make it at city.

You don't want Tommy Doyle to make it then ?