sibierski express said:
It really is an embarrassment that we didn't have someone like Damien Camolli in place to pick out our signings. Was reading an article on him today and even though the guy gets some bad press the people he has brought to clubs are absolute bargains. He has brought Clichy, Eboue and Toure to Arsenal followed by Modric, Bale, Berbatov, Gomes, Corluka etc to Spurs.
Just to correct you Comolli had nothing to do with Modric or Berbatov, both those deals were done by Daniel Levy flying out to sign the players....
Comolli did bring Bale to Spurs, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Dawson....
But similarly he brought us Routledge, Bostock, Alnwick, O'Hara (came through the arsenal youth system and was released), Mido, Zokora, Taraabt and more.....
Does the good outweigh the bad...... in my opinion, yes, but he is no genius let me assure you..... anyone with half a brain could have seen talent in Bale, Lennon, Huddlestone.... we got them all for v good money and v young, that was the difference.....
Bale (17) Cost £7m
Lennon (17) Cost £1m
Huddlestone (17) Cost £2m
£10m for 3 players that if you wanted to buy them now would cost £50-£60m or more.....
If Milner is worth £26m..... and Carroll £35m (he must be cos someone paid it) then Bale must be worth the same (£35m), Lennon (£15-£20m), Huddlestone (£10m) based on the price of Charlie Adam after 6 months in the PL....
But the policy we put in place 8 or 9 years ago with Arnesen took around 4 or 5 years and into Comolli's tenure to bear fruits.... this is not an overnight 1 or 2 year quick fix....
We have 14 youngsters out on loan at the moment..... from Walker at Villa to Kane, M'Poku and Carroll at Leyton Orient.... all gaining vital experience.... some were bought (Walker, Bostock, Parrett, Naughton, Rose) the rest Mason, Obika, Kane, Carroll, M'Poku, Smith, Caulker, Townsend have all come through the academy system and are now getting proper football in the Football League.....
How many of those will make it??? 3 maybe 4..... but it has taken 5 or 6 years just to get to this point......
City had/have the most fantastic academy...... you were bringing players through and lots of them, Richards, SWP, M Johnson, Sturridge and more.... but having spent £1/2 gazillion on players..... what must the academy boys be thinking now?? We don't stand a chance?
Chelsea realised when Jose went and Roman stopped spending money (until this week) that they had produced one player from their academy in over 10 years..... John Terry.... and if they are to be "self sufficient" which is their ultimate goal, then they need to start producing..... as we have seen this season they are starting to bring a few through into the first team out of necessity....
Will City keep spending or will they plan for the future and assure the academy players that there is a future for them....... The difficulty for the manager is £30m striker (and ego) left on the bench for a 19 year old academy player (for example).... can Mancini afford to do that....
Spurs will see in the next 2-3 years if their work has been successful or not..... but then it would have taken almost 10 years to get that far.....
