Does it matter if a player comes from our academy into the first team more than if we buy a player

[KS55]

The chances of an academy product might be remote in terms of playering for this current city team, but they have a very good chance of making a living as a professional footballer. This is the key to the success of the academy not this often talked about ‘pathway to the first team’.

Yes. The purpose of an academy is to teach. I remember that twat Pleat saying on 5live:
"If i were a parent, I wouldn't send my son to City's academy becos he'd have no chance of getting into the first team."
Translation: Dont send your son to the best academy, give him a lesser education.

 

[aguero93:20]

I'd add that the intention of the academies much like at Barcelona is to form well rounded adults, a few end up professional footballers but they also end up going to university and pursuing advanced degrees in a variety of fields

Yes, but how dare they do that? Surely in a righteous world they'd go to the rags and become professional Muppets?

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

If you take the views of the vocal majority on here over the past decade then you'd have to assume having kids in the first team from the academy was the be all and end all. There's been countless threads bemoaning certain kids that evidently were nowhere near good enough, not getting a sniff.

In reality, it matters not one bit to the success of the team, it's simply another ultimately meaningless point that's been given significance by fans as a way of adding some pride to their team. Wouldn't be surprised if it really all started after Uniteds 92 team as a way of elevating their win above all others. In some respects it's not too dissimilar to people going on about attendance figures, another thing given a false sense of significance to make certain fans feel better about their team and use it as a bat to beat others with.

I want to be entertained, I want to win and everything else is an after thought.

You only have to look at all the " world class youth players " that the rags bring through to realise the utter bullshit which is projected about such matters .

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Remember the Lake.Brightwell,White,Hinchcliffe,Moulden etc., era , it was one of the few things that kept me following the club all over the country when we were at best just an adequate team , hoping for a decent cup run , 40 points and a Derby victory ,but we did have local lads giving 100% everytime they pulled a blue shirt on ,i didnt choose to support City because we won things , it was a birthright and i would still be supporting the blues boys if we were still in the 3rd tier , winning was not and never will be my holy grail.
No doubt winning is now a priority to some of our supporter base , because the goalposts have moved and we are attracting the more discerning supporter who want to reflect in the clubs success , which is necessary if we are serious about becoming the biggest and best in europe. But getting back to the thread , i would far prefer a couple of academy players in a successful team but that is highly unlikely , the fact i am witnessing the finest football in the world , with the best players , manager , coaches and owners is the greatest compensation possible , York City away was never all it was cracked up to be anyway , alongside the other 30,000 blues who were at Bootham Cresent on that cold Saturday afternoon :)

 

[Dazzle84]

Proper blue like Foden - yeah I care. Some lad we've poached from another academy at 15/16? Shame but wish them the best of luck and hope they remember us favourably

 

[chaddblue]

What gets forgotten is that academies are not meant to be sourcing just their own needs, but to develop players into professionals throughout the football family. As a parent of a child that has been through the system, his contract and development plan was to have a professional football career, not just necessarily for stoke, derby or burton where he has been. It’s extreemly rare that a player comes through the ranks to play for that particular club - even at a small club like burton. What I’m getting at is that city’s academy is hugely successful as it produces quality, well rounded players at clubs all over the world. Look at the players around the leagues that started at city, Chelsea etc. They are successes because they came through the system, no matter where they started off at. To have someone like foden come through is a once/twice maybe three times in a decade bonus. The football world is very lucky to have an academy like city’s to help produce so many great players.

This has crossed my mind before. Academies are effectively football universities owned and run by football clubs. When they graduate, they go into the big wide world and find employment in the industry

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

You can’t win anything with kids.

 

[mosssideblue]

This has crossed my mind before. Academies are effectively football universities owned and run by football clubs. When they graduate, they go into the big wide world and find employment in the industry

Spot on, just some I guess struggle to appreciate that concept

 

[Silvas' left eyebrow]

No. I don't care where a player is from as long as he gives his best effort when he pulls on the shirt.


All this one of our own bull gets me. Colin Bell our best player ever was born near Hartlepool. Hardly a Manc.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

I think a majority of blues, especially from the greater Manchester area do care. I think it’s important to have a local player in the team. Someone the fans relate to. We had it when Micheal Johnson first got into the team and with mike doyle.