Chief Exec News from Torygraph

[Anonymous]

I think it's rarer than rocking horse shit to have an academy which regularly produces top drawer players. What we need from our academy is to continue to nurture and produced players who can be sold on for a profit. More than anything, the link between the academy and the first team needs to be built around a footballing philosophy. From youth teams upwards if the kids are taught to play exactly as the first team are drilled (ala Barca and Arsenal) then that ensures that if a player has enough potential, they can be integrated into the first team to see if they can take the step up.

I actually think Guidetti is an excellent example of how our academy should work over the coming years. He can learn in Holland, raise his profile, improve his all round game, all the while we retain his registration so that we can either a) sell him on for a big profit or b) integrate him into the first team if he's good enough.

Spot on, although I would add that you get more for the player if you can loan him to a Prem club than a foreign league, Wilshere and Welbeck being two prime examples of players that have significantly higher market values because of it.

I agree in some instances it's certainly more beneficial but I think it depends on the player somewhat too. For example, had we loaned Guidetti to Bolton or Wigan I can't imagine he'd have had the impact he's had at Feyernoord and I can't imagine his profile would've been as high across Europe. Similarly I think the loan of Weiss to Bolton did nothing for us - whereas at Espanyol he's getting plenty of playing time.

 

[big malc]

after the game in villarreal,saw the developement squad play barca the following night.with the money being spent on the academy,and these two guys coming from barca.i do not feel andy welsh and scott sellars will survive.seemed out of their dept that night.

 

[Boots_]

I still think the club may try to find a role for Potts. His experience of retailing and the Asian marketplace could provide some opportunities for the club.

With regards to the academy, one of Jim Cassell's gripes whilst in his role as head of academy (or whatever the job title was), was that he wanted to be responsible for academy graduates even when they became part of the first team. I think he advocated "looking after" them until they were 20/21. Whereas the reality was that once a player made a first team breakthrough they became a first teamer. I think that has maybe changed slightly recently but I don't think we've got it right yet, in terms of developing them as players and as people. Hopefully, any re-structure can accomodate such a role so as to make the transition from youth/reserve level to first team as seamless as possible and to continue their development rather than let them stagnate.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I still think the club may try to find a role for Potts. His experience of retailing and the Asian marketplace could provide some opportunities for the club.

With regards to the academy, one of Jim Cassell's gripes whilst in his role as head of academy (or whatever the job title was), was that he wanted to be responsible for academy graduates even when they became part of the first team. I think he advocated "looking after" them until they were 20/21. Whereas the reality was that once a player made a first team breakthrough they became a first teamer. I think that has maybe changed slightly recently but I don't think we've got it right yet, in terms of developing them as players and as people. Hopefully, any re-structure can accomodate such a role so as to make the transition from youth/reserve level to first team as seamless as possible and to continue their development rather than let them stagnate.

Interesting post, Boots. I thought the disagreement between Hughes and Cassell was about the physical condition of the Academy graduates: didn't Hughes want them to be stronger and fitter? I guess Stevie Ireland was a case in point (one I forgot from my list of graduates earlier on). He was a lovely footballer but lightweight when he graduated.

I still think Potts may figure too. the "Lifelong ambition" thing seems to fit almost too well.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

I still think the club may try to find a role for Potts. His experience of retailing and the Asian marketplace could provide some opportunities for the club.

With regards to the academy, one of Jim Cassell's gripes whilst in his role as head of academy (or whatever the job title was), was that he wanted to be responsible for academy graduates even when they became part of the first team. I think he advocated "looking after" them until they were 20/21. Whereas the reality was that once a player made a first team breakthrough they became a first teamer. I think that has maybe changed slightly recently but I don't think we've got it right yet, in terms of developing them as players and as people. Hopefully, any re-structure can accomodate such a role so as to make the transition from youth/reserve level to first team as seamless as possible and to continue their development rather than let them stagnate.

Interesting post, Boots. I thought the disagreement between Hughes and Cassell was about the physical condition of the Academy graduates: didn't Hughes want them to be stronger and fitter? I guess Stevie Ireland was a case in point (one I forgot from my list of graduates earlier on). He was a lovely footballer but lightweight when he graduated.

I still think Potts may figure too. the "Lifelong ambition" thing seems to fit almost too well.

not sure it was a fair comment if you look at the likes of Nedum/Micah even way, way back to the likes of Dickson Etuhu, we do produce strong, fit lads.

My gripe with the academy is that the ones that come through, well some of them haven't tended to be the most mentally mature/stable, if you look at Barton, Ireland, Sturridge and Kaspar, 4 there, 1 is a loony, the second rather odd, and the last 2 had ego's way beyond their stature at the time.

Even Micah struggled for a good while and imo Nedum went off the rails a bit, so I think we really need to work harder at keeping the academy prospects firmly on the ground.

 

[Matty]

I still think the club may try to find a role for Potts. His experience of retailing and the Asian marketplace could provide some opportunities for the club.

With regards to the academy, one of Jim Cassell's gripes whilst in his role as head of academy (or whatever the job title was), was that he wanted to be responsible for academy graduates even when they became part of the first team. I think he advocated "looking after" them until they were 20/21. Whereas the reality was that once a player made a first team breakthrough they became a first teamer. I think that has maybe changed slightly recently but I don't think we've got it right yet, in terms of developing them as players and as people. Hopefully, any re-structure can accomodate such a role so as to make the transition from youth/reserve level to first team as seamless as possible and to continue their development rather than let them stagnate.

Interesting post, Boots. I thought the disagreement between Hughes and Cassell was about the physical condition of the Academy graduates: didn't Hughes want them to be stronger and fitter? I guess Stevie Ireland was a case in point (one I forgot from my list of graduates earlier on). He was a lovely footballer but lightweight when he graduated.

I still think Potts may figure too. the "Lifelong ambition" thing seems to fit almost too well.

not sure it was a fair comment if you look at the likes of Nedum/Micah even way, way back to the likes of Dickson Etuhu, we do produce strong, fit lads.

My gripe with the academy is that the ones that come through, well some of them haven't tended to be the most mentally mature/stable, if you look at Barton, Ireland, Sturridge and Kaspar, 4 there, 1 is a loony, the second rather odd, and the last 2 had ego's way beyond their stature at the time.

Even Micah struggled for a good while and imo Nedum went off the rails a bit, so I think we really need to work harder at keeping the academy prospects firmly on the ground.

Dickson Etuhu would also fit into the "ego bigger than ability" group as well.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Interesting post, Boots. I thought the disagreement between Hughes and Cassell was about the physical condition of the Academy graduates: didn't Hughes want them to be stronger and fitter? I guess Stevie Ireland was a case in point (one I forgot from my list of graduates earlier on). He was a lovely footballer but lightweight when he graduated.

I still think Potts may figure too. the "Lifelong ambition" thing seems to fit almost too well.

not sure it was a fair comment if you look at the likes of Nedum/Micah even way, way back to the likes of Dickson Etuhu, we do produce strong, fit lads.

My gripe with the academy is that the ones that come through, well some of them haven't tended to be the most mentally mature/stable, if you look at Barton, Ireland, Sturridge and Kaspar, 4 there, 1 is a loony, the second rather odd, and the last 2 had ego's way beyond their stature at the time.

Even Micah struggled for a good while and imo Nedum went off the rails a bit, so I think we really need to work harder at keeping the academy prospects firmly on the ground.

Dickson Etuhu would also fit into the "ego bigger than ability" group as well.

indeed.

but he's turned into a good player for Fulham, which makes me think that if we'd managed to manage the mental side of things better for many of our academy graduates, then maybe more would have prospered, certainly the likes of Stevie who just went off the cliff, not sure Kaspar would ever have displaced Hart again, but would have been a good #2 and Sturridge has a lot of potential.

only one you can genuinely say was unlucky was MJ, because those injuries have just killed his career pretty much, and he was a great talent.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

With regards to Sturridge, I was told that we let him go because the club academy staff felt that his ego and attitude meant he would never fulfil his potential. All this "greedy bastard" stuff is just fan myth-making as usual.

It looks increasingly like that was a bad call by someone.

 

[Anonymous]

With regards to Sturridge, I was told that we let him go because the club academy staff felt that his ego and attitude meant he would never fulfil his potential. All this "greedy bastard" stuff is just fan myth-making as usual.

It looks increasingly like that was a bad call by someone.

He'd been tapped up by Chelsea LONG before anyone at City could make a call on keeping him or not. City had no control over the situation.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

With regards to Sturridge, I was told that we let him go because the club academy staff felt that his ego and attitude meant he would never fulfil his potential. All this "greedy bastard" stuff is just fan myth-making as usual.

It looks increasingly like that was a bad call by someone.

He'd been tapped up by Chelsea LONG before anyone at City could make a call on keeping him or not. City had no control over the situation.

I know that happened before he'd even broken through, but I was told when it came to the crunch he'd have stayed if we'd offered a similar package to Chelsea. We refused to for the reasons above.

It is hearsay, I grant you.