Readers comment in the MEN regarding our Academy

[True_Blue69]

First of all I'm a blue through and through my hatred for the rags runs equally as deep.However our academy and facilities compared to everton Liverpool and ushited are the worst by a mile,thankfully next year we will have the best,by a long way.
However in my opinion there has to be a massive culture change at our club,there are too many rags employed and too many sycophants who are creeps to say the least,interested in there selves and there position that's how they survive.
Our club should find city people as best they can and employ blues throughout the club and create that unique feel of being a blue and working for their club,most coaches at the academy aren't blues and neither are the people who manage it,they don't care enough,the way they do things are not good enough,and certainly aren't interested how they can improve,only self interest about there position and EGO matter most,not very child friendly,and parents are expected to be docile,and have no mind of their own.
We need an overall change next year and like the previous poster mentioned people like dickov boater,brightwell and others get Jim cassell back and Alec Gibson back, could say loads more but not for now. We need the right people and being a blue should be 90 per cent of the criteria,not jobs for the boys,

Being a blue doesn't qualify you to be a top level coach! If we were to use that as our main criteria the Academy would be 10 x worse. Do you really think the coaches at all other clubs support the team? Mancini isn't a blue, should his position have the same rules?

 

[kalouk]

First of all I'm a blue through and through my hatred for the rags runs equally as deep.However our academy and facilities compared to everton Liverpool and ushited are the worst by a mile,thankfully next year we will have the best,by a long way.
However in my opinion there has to be a massive culture change at our club,there are too many rags employed and too many sycophants who are creeps to say the least,interested in there selves and there position that's how they survive.
Our club should find city people as best they can and employ blues throughout the club and create that unique feel of being a blue and working for their club,most coaches at the academy aren't blues and neither are the people who manage it,they don't care enough,the way they do things are not good enough,and certainly aren't interested how they can improve,only self interest about there position and EGO matter most,not very child friendly,and parents are expected to be docile,and have no mind of their own.
We need an overall change next year and like the previous poster mentioned people like dickov boater,brightwell and others get Jim cassell back and Alec Gibson back, could say loads more but not for now. We need the right people and being a blue should be 90 per cent of the criteria,not jobs for the boys,

Being a blue doesn't qualify you to be a top level coach! If we were to use that as our main criteria the Academy would be 10 x worse. Do you really think the coaches at all other clubs support the team? Mancini isn't a blue, should his position have the same rules?

I agree with the above, club allegiance shouldn't come into it, we want the best coaches no matter who they support. If they are Blues then it should just be an added bonus.

 

[mikeyk07]

Being a blue doesn't qualify you for being a top coach. However supporting the shite, clearly allows for possible potential conflict of interests no matter how small. Under no circumstances should any of that lot be employed in a role that exposes them to our youth. Anyone but United employment policy should be adopted!, if they were that good at what they did, why are they not working for them?

 

[burning blue soul]

Being a blue doesn't qualify you for being a top coach. However supporting the shite, clearly allows for possible potential conflict of interests no matter how small. Under no circumstances should any of that lot be employed in a role that exposes them to our youth. Anyone but United employment policy should be adopted!, if they were that good at what they did, why are they not working for them?

coaches are primarily concerned with doing the best for their employers and themselves. it is not in their interests in any way to do a shit job just so utd have a better youth team. you must see the folly in that suggestion?
getting a gig at city in any level at the moment is an achievement, no one in their right mind will toss it off, especially when the worlds foremost training facility is 1 year away from opening its front doors.
maybe what people are seeing is the slow wind down of the training facilities at platt lane.
give it a couple of years and then make comment, we are owned and run by the best people we could possibly hope for and they will know what they are doing.
results are a bit iffy at the mo, but its the long term that is being planned for.

 

[Vienna_70]

The main mantra of the Academy is that results don't matter; the important thing is player development.

And at the moment, the oldest players don't seem to be developing to their obvious potential at younger age level.

I'm sure this will be corrected with time, even if we have to wait until we move to the new development.

 

[True_Blue69]

The main mantra of the Academy is that results don't matter; the important thing is player development.

And at the moment, the oldest players don't seem to be developing to their obvious potential at younger age level.

I'm sure this will be corrected with time, even if we have to wait until we move to the new development.

That's the same with any academy. I have had quite a lot of conversations with various coaches and directors of football academies and for them the team losing every game but producing 1 player who goes on to be a regular for the first team is more of a success than the team winning every game but no players making it.

 

[Why Always Ste]

Many on here are just too much of a Fan of the sport to see.

Yes, many coaches will support a club but actually coaching individuals to partake effectively in a sport is completely different than sat in a stadium (or in their case in the pub) cheering on your team.

I use my own experiences of another sport where I recall lads who were best friends with one another coaching other fighters to knock the shit out of their best mates... it's just a sport - nothing personal.

Too many posts don't see past the results either. Just because a team is losing doesn't mean they aren't progressing.

Yes winning is everything at the peak of the game, but whilst kids are developing to play the sport winning does not mean shit - it's about improving and ironing out the errors.

The best footballers are allowed to play, enjoy the sport and not constantly worry about the demand of winning by their parents and coaches.

When I see an Academy team has lost I don't think- Damn...I think: how did they improve today or how can they improve from this match and what did they learn?

Yes I don't like Rags being involved in our Youth progression but if they are the best coaches then why not?
if they produce the best players then this will speak for itself.... if they produce awful players the rag coaches will only gain bad reputations and it would be a career suicide.

 

[Zabbasbeard]

Won't be long before Rekkik Suarez Henshall all disappear like Roman Angel did. Pozo and lopes look the best. Loads of hype but not substance. Was never sure on Rekik . Still young but despite what the more hopeful and positive blues amongst us say he is never ever gonna play for us despite the hype and hefty transfer fee. Bit sad when blackburn sign him on loan for substitute cover. Who actually signs these players??? I don't like not seeing our boys get through to our first team and that we end up developing for other teams and I know that is part of the harsh system we see from our opinion houses. But why oh why oh why do we continue to lose EDS games and youth games? Surely if our first team arent using our players then we should have really strong EDS teams and youth teams with positive results? We don't have that many on loan do we. Three questions for me would be are the players good enough? Are the coaches good enough? And do the coaches work hard and care? If it is no to any of these then our Academy is going to continue to plumit. I do still believe we can rescue it though and get things right. Despite my concern I have faith. CTID

My mate is a Rovers fan and said Rekik has been awful for them, Not sure if anyone can back that up on here. I thought Helan looked a good prospect but he couldnt break into Carlisles team not sure how hes doing at Sheff Wed. I agree with Lopes, I think he could be our 1st 1st teamer from the youth along with Evans but i think it will be a while yet until they are.

Helan is doing very well indeed at Sheff Wed - he is well thought of by the management and the fans. A few of my mates are Wednesdayites (I work in Sheff) and they have liked him from the word go.

However this is his 2nd loan spell at Wednesday and Dave Jones said that Watford were close to buying him outright (between the first and 2nd spells) and that for some reason (probably the fee), this did not happen. So it could be that he is not thought of highly enough at City to make it here. That said, he is clearly improving (not making Carlisle's team to being an automatic pick at Hillsborought represents an upturn in anyone's language). Also, I know for a fact that City have sent people over to talk to Wednesday about his progress ever since, and like all parent clubs, he is watched by City staff. I think he is a better bet than Kolarov myself (though that's not hard is it!), is certainly quicker and looks like a footballer, and he is cheaper to hire.

 

[decmancity]

Our "youth" teams are actually pretty good. Our u14 especially, they won the national championship recently I believe.

I think however our EDS is a mess.

You have to give Txiki time to fix it though, Marwood I think will be eventually completely removed and let go on gardening leave or something and I think we will see a lot of new staff coming in in preparation for moving to the new academy.

Also you have to give time to the players we have brought in to gel with the culture and there teammates, you can't expect them to just click straight away. I think this is why the u14's are so successful, they have probably played together since u8's or something.

No point building an academy then having the best staff and just telling the lads don't come to carrington next week just drive to the Etihad and meet your new coaches for a training session.

The transition has to be made now I think.

I am not a qualified coach or anything but I think, shift the deadwood out of the first team. Loan out Suarez, Razak and Rekik if possible to a team who will guarantee they start.

Lopes, Pozo, Ntcham, Fofana and the rest of the u18's make up our youth squads, scrap EDS. We then go all out for the NextGen and youth leagues next season. I think this is possible.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

I'm pretty sure Ted Knott writes to the Viz as well