Academy Players in the First Team

Not seen Rico Lewis' name mentioned in any of this discussion so here you go:-
Rico Lewis
 
oldius said:
He looks exceptional. He is an absolute specimen though and that can mislead at youth level, as it has done at Chelsea's academy for several years. It will be great to witness his continued development because if he can take his dominance through the levels, we have an utterly exceptional talent.
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It can but he is already bigger (build and height by the looks) than Rodri at just turned 17 so his physical advantage will remain. He just needs to keep learning and there's no club better for him right now than one where Pep and Rodri both exist. Exciting times ahead.
 
We are the best team in europe, officially! Because of that, you have to be the absolute cream of the crop to make it here. we cannot drop standards just to bring in a few academy players that might end up good enough and save us some money, it would be a waste of valuable and limited pep time not to give him the very best tools we can to work his genius with.

If they're good enough, they will find a way to get in and stay in, it's very hard to do but not impossible as Rico Lewis showed. The likes of Bobb and McAtee are talented but if you ignore their academy status and judge purely on their ability, don't look like they are currently anywhere near good enough to play for the best team in europe.

Maybe they will be soon but we don't need nor should we be taking that gamble. the privilege of being the best around and having the financial security we have making money of minimal concern for us means risks arent neccesary, loan them out or sell with buy backs and remove the risk entirely.

If they show they're good enough, we get them back, if not we haven't sacrificed anything to find out. Whilst pep remains here, we should always be looking at making sure he has the best players we can provide him regardless of where they're from or how much they cost.

its a nice fairytale if we have as many local and academy players as possible but it makes no difference to the trophy haul if we win with half our squad being from the academy or if we win with none. The goal is to win everything we enter and nothing that's not neccesary should lessen the likelihood of that happening, I'm not even prepared to sacrifice a carabao cup to potentially develop a few first teamers.
 
oldius said:
My belief is that one of these players should start each game and one should be sub. In cup games, I would start 2. I think we tend to judge these players when they come into a weakened team, or in a game with a raft of substitutes. I want them to be judged as a starter in a full-strength team.
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Mcatee to start instead of:
KDB?
Bernardo?
Jack?
Rodri?
Phil?
Alvarez?
 
ninjamonkey said:
We are the best team in europe, officially! Because of that, you have to be the absolute cream of the crop to make it here. we cannot drop standards just to bring in a few academy players that might end up good enough and save us some money, it would be a waste of valuable and limited pep time not to give him the very best tools we can to work his genius with.

If they're good enough, they will find a way to get in and stay in, it's very hard to do but not impossible as Rico Lewis showed. The likes of Bobb and McAtee are talented but if you ignore their academy status and judge purely on their ability, don't look like they are currently anywhere near good enough to play for the best team in europe.

Maybe they will be soon but we don't need nor should we be taking that gamble. the privilege of being the best around and having the financial security we have making money of minimal concern for us means risks arent neccesary, loan them out or sell with buy backs and remove the risk entirely.

If they show they're good enough, we get them back, if not we haven't sacrificed anything to find out. Whilst pep remains here, we should always be looking at making sure he has the best players we can provide him regardless of where they're from or how much they cost.

its a nice fairytale if we have as many local and academy players as possible but it makes no difference to the trophy haul if we win with half our squad being from the academy or if we win with none. The goal is to win everything we enter and nothing that's not neccesary should lessen the likelihood of that happening, I'm not even prepared to sacrifice a carabao cup to potentially develop a few first teamers.
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Amen
 
ninjamonkey said:
We are the best team in europe, officially! Because of that, you have to be the absolute cream of the crop to make it here. we cannot drop standards just to bring in a few academy players that might end up good enough and save us some money, it would be a waste of valuable and limited pep time not to give him the very best tools we can to work his genius with.

If they're good enough, they will find a way to get in and stay in, it's very hard to do but not impossible as Rico Lewis showed. The likes of Bobb and McAtee are talented but if you ignore their academy status and judge purely on their ability, don't look like they are currently anywhere near good enough to play for the best team in europe.

Maybe they will be soon but we don't need nor should we be taking that gamble. the privilege of being the best around and having the financial security we have making money of minimal concern for us means risks arent neccesary, loan them out or sell with buy backs and remove the risk entirely.

If they show they're good enough, we get them back, if not we haven't sacrificed anything to find out. Whilst pep remains here, we should always be looking at making sure he has the best players we can provide him regardless of where they're from or how much they cost.

its a nice fairytale if we have as many local and academy players as possible but it makes no difference to the trophy haul if we win with half our squad being from the academy or if we win with none. The goal is to win everything we enter and nothing that's not neccesary should lessen the likelihood of that happening, I'm not even prepared to sacrifice a carabao cup to potentially develop a few first teamers.
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There’s nothing more to be said.
 
oldius said:
The discussion now is exactly why I made this thread. It is, effectively, a group who believe that playing academy players is too much of a risk, Vs those who are prepared to take it because they believe in the player/emotional engagement.

As I have said, I am in the camp of giving those players the opportunity. I need to add that it is because I believe that Bobb, Palmer and McAtee are exceptionally good, young players and only as much of a risk as bringing in a young player from elsewhere like Olise.
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Whatever camp you, me or anyone is in, counts (thankfully) for fuck all whilst we have Pep.
 
ninjamonkey said:
We are the best team in europe, officially! Because of that, you have to be the absolute cream of the crop to make it here. we cannot drop standards just to bring in a few academy players that might end up good enough and save us some money, it would be a waste of valuable and limited pep time not to give him the very best tools we can to work his genius with.

If they're good enough, they will find a way to get in and stay in, it's very hard to do but not impossible as Rico Lewis showed. The likes of Bobb and McAtee are talented but if you ignore their academy status and judge purely on their ability, don't look like they are currently anywhere near good enough to play for the best team in europe.

Maybe they will be soon but we don't need nor should we be taking that gamble. the privilege of being the best around and having the financial security we have making money of minimal concern for us means risks arent neccesary, loan them out or sell with buy backs and remove the risk entirely.

If they show they're good enough, we get them back, if not we haven't sacrificed anything to find out. Whilst pep remains here, we should always be looking at making sure he has the best players we can provide him regardless of where they're from or how much they cost.

its a nice fairytale if we have as many local and academy players as possible but it makes no difference to the trophy haul if we win with half our squad being from the academy or if we win with none. The goal is to win everything we enter and nothing that's not neccesary should lessen the likelihood of that happening, I'm not even prepared to sacrifice a carabao cup to potentially develop a few first teamers.
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Good post. I must have heard literally hundreds of names over the last decade or so where people have screamed that they "aren't been given a chance in the first team". Don't hear about any of them any more. None.

It's a huge gap to bridge and one player in one game who can't bridge that gap can cost you a trophy.

We "gave youngsters a go" under Peter Swales, not in this era. If they prove to be good enough they get transitioned slowly and step by step over several years. It's working well so far.
 
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