Brandon Barker for Navas?

[Damocles]

People like to point at Soriano and Begiristan and declare we're the new Barca or that we're following their model. We're nothing of the sort, we're the new Chelsea. We talk about youth for 10 years and produce Michael Mancienne then buy in a better defender.

That isn't such a bad thing maybe. Chelsea are showing huge profits on a lot of those players which has been incredibly beneficial to them with regards FFP. We are doing what they did but on an even bigger scale and long term the benefits to us could be even greater.

I think in terms of actually producing players for the first team, I've said to before, but more than anything else it's a lottery. You invest in a whole heap of young players knowing that overwhelmingly vast majority won't make it at City, but you do it for the one diamond. Even if one of the current EDS or Under 18's team makes it as a first team regular at City whilst we continue winning trophies then that will be success in my eyes.

The romantic notion of a generation like the golden Barca one or the golden rags one is far more about luck then about design.

Agreed with all of that, though if we only get a single player into our squad from this exceptionally talented group of youngsters then we have failed. Let's remember that City went through a period between 2008-2012 of bringing in every top youngster that it could get anywhere near, and many of our players turned down moves to proven youth systems in order to gamble that we were as good as our word. Additionally, we have 0 homegrown players currently that aren't coat stands and the regulations require us to have some. We should be looking at filling those 4 spots in the squad from this generation and we could do it too without much hassle in my opinion. 5 or 10 games a season for a couple of kids isn't going to decide a title but it could provide an enthusiasm that our squad lacks sometimes as well as increasing internal competition.

Is there anything more exciting in football than watching a young homegrown lad get on the pitch and make a name for himself? It's the type of thing that lifts whole clubs when it happens, the fans are more enthusiastic, the players are more up for it, the whole place buzzes around. Sturridge did give us a bit of a lift when he broke through and linked with Robinho in that Blackburn game. SWP and Johnson were another pair who gave the whole club a little boost. Nothing drastic and major but just a bit more enthusiasm from all involved.

My gripe is that to win the lottery you have to buy a ticket and I'm not sure if that's what we're doing.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

How many EDS players get on the pitch for more than two minutes v Boro will show how the 'project' is materialising. You don't have to start with them, just give one or, dare I say, two, a chance on the pitch. If they are good enough they will take their chance. Pozo was just a goal short of being hailed as definitely the latest and best thing from the Acadamy, and for Tim UpsideDown's legs he'd have got it. It's a bit of a joke to suggest that it might be 'too early' for any of them. By the time they are 'ready' they'll have had two seasons at another club. Boro are a decent side, they will be up for the game, they will want to put one over us, again, and it's a fine balancing act of wanting to progress in a tournament where you only have the one shot, barring replays, and blooding young talent.

I think I'll do what I've always done - leave it to the coaching staff!

 

[We're not really here]

I would love to have a smoke of what the OP is smoking. Navas was disappointing on Sunday with taking extra touches before any balls were crossed in as has been mentioned a few times on here, but Barker is not ready to replace anyone. Would be good to give him some 1st team experience, even if it is just being on the bench against Boro would do him the world of good.

Read my post! I am not smoking anything I said what you said. Give him a chance v Boro and let Navas have a rest! Christ before you have a pop read what has been written!

 

[Thenumber1blue]

How many EDS players get on the pitch for more than two minutes v Boro will show how the 'project' is materialising. You don't have to start with them, just give one or, dare I say, two, a chance on the pitch. If they are good enough they will take their chance. Pozo was just a goal short of being hailed as definitely the latest and best thing from the Acadamy, and for Tim UpsideDown's legs he'd have got it. It's a bit of a joke to suggest that it might be 'too early' for any of them. By the time they are 'ready' they'll have had two seasons at another club. Boro are a decent side, they will be up for the game, they will want to put one over us, again, and it's a fine balancing act of wanting to progress in a tournament where you only have the one shot, barring replays, and blooding young talent.

I think I'll do what I've always done - leave it to the coaching staff!

Don't agree ,the project is still in very early stages,I don't really expect to see any properly breaking through for at least a couple more years .

 

[We're not really here]

Too many precious posters ffs, all the op suggested was maybe giving Navas a rest and starting with Barker in a cup tie. How can any fucker argue with that, he deserves it and it may be the making of him, not to mention Navas could do with a break before the chavs.

Thank you! At last someone reads the post! How will we know if he is ready or not if we don't try him out?

 

[Damocles]

How many EDS players get on the pitch for more than two minutes v Boro will show how the 'project' is materialising. You don't have to start with them, just give one or, dare I say, two, a chance on the pitch. If they are good enough they will take their chance. Pozo was just a goal short of being hailed as definitely the latest and best thing from the Acadamy, and for Tim UpsideDown's legs he'd have got it. It's a bit of a joke to suggest that it might be 'too early' for any of them. By the time they are 'ready' they'll have had two seasons at another club. Boro are a decent side, they will be up for the game, they will want to put one over us, again, and it's a fine balancing act of wanting to progress in a tournament where you only have the one shot, barring replays, and blooding young talent.

I think I'll do what I've always done - leave it to the coaching staff!

Don't agree ,the project is still in very early stages,I don't really expect to see any properly breaking through for at least a couple more years .

The takeover was 6 and a half years ago.

 

[IanBishopsHaircut]

Wouldn't it be nice to give the club time to get this youth thing off the ground?

The paint on the new multi million facilities is not even dry yet and you're on here slagging it off.

 

[Damocles]

Wouldn't it be nice to give the club time to get this youth thing off the ground?

The paint on the new multi million facilities is not even dry yet and you're on here slagging it off.

It's a building. We had one before it that was good aswell. Facilities are nice but they aren't the be all and end all of developing players, it's an attitude and commitment that makes it.

We haven't developed a player for 6 years. That is not good enough, I don't care if we buy 10 buildings worth a billion pound each.

 

[IanBishopsHaircut]

Wouldn't it be nice to give the club time to get this youth thing off the ground?

The paint on the new multi million facilities is not even dry yet and you're on here slagging it off.

It's a building. We had one before it that was good aswell. Facilities are nice but they aren't the be all and end all of developing players, it's an attitude and commitment that makes it.

We haven't developed a player for 6 years. That is not good enough, I don't care if we buy 10 buildings worth a billion pound each.

You think in the space of 6 years we should be turning around world class talent then?

And that's exactly it...they need to be world class talent if they are in with a chance of breaking into our first team

I have no doubt that we will be churning out Championship players on a regular basis with our new football factory...maybe even a few Premiership standard mainstays

But where we are going...to maintain being top of the pile both domestically and in Europe?

They are going to have to be very special kids indeed and consequently rare

If they are good enough...they will get their chance

And that's not for me and you to decide...as we are not gurus in football management

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

How many EDS players get on the pitch for more than two minutes v Boro will show how the 'project' is materialising. You don't have to start with them, just give one or, dare I say, two, a chance on the pitch. If they are good enough they will take their chance. Pozo was just a goal short of being hailed as definitely the latest and best thing from the Acadamy, and for Tim UpsideDown's legs he'd have got it. It's a bit of a joke to suggest that it might be 'too early' for any of them. By the time they are 'ready' they'll have had two seasons at another club. Boro are a decent side, they will be up for the game, they will want to put one over us, again, and it's a fine balancing act of wanting to progress in a tournament where you only have the one shot, barring replays, and blooding young talent.

I think I'll do what I've always done - leave it to the coaching staff!

Don't agree ,the project is still in very early stages,I don't really expect to see any properly breaking through for at least a couple more years .

The takeover was 6 and a half years ago.

Thank you, D. All I was suggesting was that if the 'project' was a little more than window dressing we should see SOME measure of progress. Very early days, yes, but I'm only suggesting a very small appearance for SOME, a couple, of the lads over the road!

I'm not exactly asking Mao-Zhedong what he thought of the French Revolution!