JC and the Youth team?

[kippax neil]

There are two ways of looking at this.

1. JC was pushed out of the City youth development area to make way for a Hughes crony.
2. JC was given a fantastic opportunity to head up a global youth development programme based out of the UAE.

All I can say is, if my employer wanted to fuck me off, I wish he'd send me to Abu Dhabi on a fantastic tax free salary (presumably with free accomodation, servants etc) , with responsibilities for setting up a global training and development programme recruiting the very best of the worlds youngsters and working with them.

Doesn't sound like a demotion (or semi sacking) to me........

Absolutely. Doesn't sound like a demise to me. If JC didn't agree with the move he would have left by now.

Andy Welsh and hopefully Brian Kidd should be more than capable of doing a job.

 

[stockportblue]

There are all kinds of rumours going on about this one.Some strongly believe that the clubs policy has changed.No longer will the emphasis be on local youth talent the club will focus on bringing in the best 16-20 year olds from Europe snd further afield.Some say that this change in policy led to JC wanting to go because the academy as it used to be is now dead.Jim Cass and his team certainly have done a very important job for City especially if you remember what they inherited.

Others have told me that the conveyor belt has dried up after last years under 18 side.Certainly watching the under 18s last week the standard has dropped dramatically from last year-recently the under 16s have lost against Yeovil and burnley in pre-season games; last years under 16 results were certainly very poor.City have been quite busy trying to plug gaps but the overall belief is that its a good time for Jim Cass and his team to get out.

Depends which of the rumours you want to believe.

 

[Holcombe bloo]

Can someone please just make it clear? what the hell is going on?

Who the hell is this Welsh fella?

I can only answer about jim. HE IS NOT GOING TO ABU DHABI! He lives in local to me and i have spoken to him on this. He is being shoved out of the academy, i suspect at the bequest of Mr hughes. Whilst still at the club he will continue to offer his support to the academy, it seems not to be wanted though.

He is a true gentleman and i feel although pursued by other clubs, will stay at city as they look after him. A shame really as at present i think the academy is the only thing at City I am really not happy about particularly since the Kakuta news. Surely we just needed to continue the status quo at the academy?

 

[Holcombe bloo]

Can someone please just make it clear? what the hell is going on?

Who the hell is this Welsh fella?

I can only answer about jim. HE IS NOT GOING TO ABU DHABI! He lives in local to me and i have spoken to him on this. He is being shoved out of the academy, i suspect at the bequest of Mr hughes. Whilst still at the club he will continue to offer his support to the academy, it seems not to be wanted though.

He is a true gentleman and i feel although pursued by other clubs, will stay at city as they look after him. A shame really as at present i think the academy is the only thing at City I am really not happy about particularly since the Kakuta news. Surely we just needed to continue the status quo at the academy?

 

[Anonymous]

Whilst you can only go off what you hear or read it would appear that Cassell and Hughes didn't exactly see eye to eye last season over some of the youth players .... looks like a few rows took place between the two as they reportedly had differeing opinions on what was a subject obviously very close to Cassells heart .... and maybe Cassell told Hughes a few home truths , who knows?

Hughes appears very much in the Fergie mould ..... if he doesn't like your take on things , or he has differences with you of sorts , then he seems to find it hard to forgive and forget ...... as Elano found out!

Whatever has gone on it would seem that Cassell and allegedly two other coaches have been moved 'sideways' or 'upwards' into another area , hopefully still within the club sphere , although it wouldn't suprise me if they were actually in limbo ........ and a fresh coach has been introduced to the Academy in Andy Welsh ....... it all seems a bit mysterious as Cassell is so highly rated ...... but we can go off what we read (or hear).

Andy Welsh appears to back up the Cassell/Abu Dhabi story in his column in the Wolves matchday magazine ..... but then if he's been told to keep his mouth shut over the real reasons that he got the job then he would , wouldn't he?

Holcombe bloos seemingly genuine take on things shows that there could well be 'shady' things going on behind the scenes , and Mark Hughes is hardly likely to tell anyone the truth either is he?

It's only a few days back that he said Richard Dunne will remain a City player for the forseeable future !

 

[Half Pint]

Whatever has/is going on Andy Welsh was brought to the club by Jim Cassell and any organisation that stands still actually goes backwards as others it develop. So why not just watch and defer judgement. Changes are being made throughout the club - hopefully for the better. The club is now run by successful businessmen from the worldwide stage rather than local successful businessmen (to whom we should all be greatful), but to move to the next level evolution is necessary and changes HAVE TO be made. As one poster pointed out JC is nearing retirement age and so there has to be a line of succession and if we are looking worldwide why not put the top man on the job - particularly in view of recent events at Chelsea. Our cup is more than half full so lets embrace change, realising it is not always painfree and believe it will bring the success the club has craved for decades.

 

[stockportblue]

Under 18 lost 3-1 this morning to a Newcastle side that in its previous game lost 5-0 to Watford.