MCFC U14s 9-0 RAGS U14s

[tonea2003]

Why Manchester City's set-up is built on Abu Dhabi sand despite their megabucks first team.

By Alan Nixon

Roberto Mancini raised a few eyebrows when he said Manchester City - the club with all of the cash - was running short of players.

But there was something deceptively deep in Mancini's comments and it is a problem that City have not addressed in their recent years of turmoil.

There are simply very few players coming through the ranks to push or even support the big-money buys in the first team now or in the next blue moon.

Two alarming scores and performances in the past few days have only confirmed that the current set-up is built on Abu Dhabi sand - and will be until they start bringing more players up in the traditional way

The City youth team were spanked 6-1 by Manchester United's kids last weekend -not an isolated result either as City struggle to turn their bright ideas into player power at that level.

Then, City's reserves were comprehensively beaten at home by Bolton in midweek with a side dubiously dubbed the 'development' team by one of their boffins.

Those who saw the matches report that there is an alarming lack of a supply line of future City players, which only means that their wealthy owners will have to buy ready-made rather than produce their own.

It is probably the result of so many regime changes - many of them with money for 'show' signings rather than the solid recruitment policies of the past.

There are also intriguing and increasing questions about who City use to find the next generation of starlets and whether the best kids want to go there.

All of these may appear minor details as City have their best season on the pitch in living memory, but if the spending dries up at any stage then serious troubles lie ahead.

Mancini has found out at first hand that there is nothing in the lower ranks worth promoting just now and, sadly, that may be the case for years to come.

There is no new Micah Richards or Daniel Sturridge around. The scouts who discovered them have gone too.

City get so many things right just now, but this is one glaring problem area.

wonder if this rag apologist will revisit this...think not

 

[Blue Llama]

Not seen it on the OS but MEN reporting that the U14s thrashed United last weekend. It must have been some game. Don't suppose the game was videoed, pity about that.

Sorry just seen this on the EDS & Academy forum. Still think it needs a higher profile on the main forum.

 

[Centurions]

Not seen it on the OS but MEN reporting that the U14s thrashed United last weekend. It must have been some game. Don't suppose the game was videoed, pity about that.

Sorry just seen this on the EDS & Academy forum. Still think it needs a higher profile on the main forum.

It's a thread about the U14s which surprisingly enough is in the EDS & Academy forum, why would it be in the main forum?

And there's not a chance of it being videoed because of the age range.

 

[Centurions]

So you are saying that if we can't farm 11 players per season off abroad, then we're fucked.
I strongly disagree. We start to use them in the first team squad. And we eventually use the best ones in the team regularly. If none are good enough, we sell. Some will be good enough. If we can't find one player in the next few seasons who can do what Navas or Fernando or Delph can do, for a start, we shoud close the academy down & build a boating lake there with a few bars.

I can't see where I said that...

 

[David Silva ole]

Under 14s are a great set of lads,most are local lads, couple of Yorkshire lads in the team, they are National Champions at there age group

 

[FantasyIreland]

Under 14s are a great set of lads,most are local lads, couple of Yorkshire lads in the team, they are National Champions at there age group

Yep,its brilliant for our future and flies in the face of the detractors who predicted and suggested otherwise - Marwood and Co aren't doing too bad a job eh....?

 

[Bob Hope]

Some really good kids in that age group. One of them being the grandson of two former City greats...

Just seen both goals he scored. The boy got talent.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I can't see where I said that...

Well I was suggesting that the only way to avoid a potentially dreadful situation re the young players was to actually start bringing some through & you suggested the only way to avoid it was B teams.

We can't get every season's graduates into a B team. We couldn't even do that now without loaning some out. It could help of course but we can't use 11 of our players in Spain or wherever. We still need to actually have a plan of trying to bring some of our kids through, at City.

 

[Maly]

Well I was suggesting that the only way to avoid a potentially dreadful situation re the young players was to actually start bringing some through & you suggested the only way to avoid it was B teams.

We can't get every season's graduates into a B team. We couldn't even do that now without loaning some out. It could help of course but we can't use 11 of our players in Spain or wherever. We still need to actually have a plan of trying to bring some of our kids through, at City.

I think what he was trying to say was that loaning our youth players out doesn't necessarily help & that having a b team playing in a competitive league would help us continue to nurture talent until they are ready for the 1st team.
That's how I read it anyway.
9-0 ha ha ha

 

[David Silva ole]

under 14s played Hull City away yesterday and won 10-1 another great performance from all the lads