Why can’t we produce a decent striker?

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LongsightM13

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One massive failing of our academy, and before that our youth team, is that we can’t seem to produce decent strikers/centre forwards. Who was the last one we produced who had a significant impact in the first team? Can’t think of anyone after Sheron or Moulden. Kelechi maybe though he was soon let go when it became apparent he wasn’t top class.
It is a real blind spot compared to united.
Had high hopes for Thierry Ambrose at one stage but a couple of terrible injuries at the wrong time seemed to stall his development. He has now left the club.
Hopefully Liam Delap can finally be the one, like what I’ve seen so far.
But what could be the reason? Poor scouting? Inadequate coaching? Do we prioritise other positions? Or just unlucky?
It’s a strange one for sure
 
Sturridge was decent enough.

The rags stumbled on Rashford in an emergency and he hit the ground running. Greenwood granted, but a lot of top strikers have their time at smaller sides playing regularly and flourish after a few seasons. The likes of Owen are far rarer.
 
I know what you mean. Other teams like Chelsea seem to produce physical specimens in all depts. We produce great little midfielders that don't go onto to anything outstanding. Maybe Delap will be ok, but he isn't massive. I have read we are getting a big lad from Rangers - 6ft 3in at 15!
 
PannickAtTheDisco said:
Sturridge was decent enough.

The rags stumbled on Rashford in an emergency and he hit the ground running. Greenwood granted, but a lot of top strikers have their time at smaller sides playing regularly and flourish after a few seasons. The likes of Owen are far rarer.
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Yeah we didn’t really see enough of Sturridge, he had been tapped up by Chelsea long before he left, wonder how his career might have panned out if he had become a starter with us rather than a benchwarmer
 
PannickAtTheDisco said:
Sturridge was decent enough.

The rags stumbled on Rashford in an emergency and he hit the ground running. Greenwood granted, but a lot of top strikers have their time at smaller sides playing regularly and flourish after a few seasons. The likes of Owen are far rarer.
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Yeah Rashford was a happy accident for them, a bit like Spurs with Bale (as a winger rather than a mediocre left back) and Kane, who has several underwhelming loan moves, they only really got a chance because of an injury crisis
 
Asa's left peg said:
I know what you mean. Other teams like Chelsea seem to produce physical specimens in all depts. We produce great little midfielders that don't go onto to anything outstanding. Maybe Delap will be ok, but he isn't massive. I have read we are getting a big lad from Rangers - 6ft 3in at 15!
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yeah, our academy isn't really churning at the same level given our profile type compared to Chelsea, who have brought through Abraham, Loftus-Cheek, James, Hudson-Odoi, Mount, Gilmour, Christensen before even considering their sales, so they're doing something better than us in that transition to first team or having better resale value. Feel we lost an opportunity with the trio of Sancho, Foden and Diaz to come through together but we obviously have a different philosophy. Don't think it serves us as well as it should.
 
Fwiw, I really do think Liam Delap is the real deal. He won't push on though without chances. If we don't give him room for growth, he's fucked. That's on us. I think largely clubs are a bit reluctant to give strikers a go from the academy. I think its because goals = points, and it's seen as a huge risk.
 
We've produced 1 player in 15 years.

Why not ask why we can't produce fullbacks, defensive midfielders or goalkeepers?
 
If you're including Kelechi as an academy player it seems to me that we actually have produced a decent striker (as opposed to almost every other position). He obviously isn't good enough to play for us but in general I think you'd be pretty thrilled to regularly produce actual Premier League quality players that sell for £20m.
 
cjn said:
If you're including Kelechi as an academy player it seems to me that we actually have produced a decent striker (as opposed to almost every other position). He obviously isn't good enough to play for us but in general I think you'd be pretty thrilled to regularly produce actual Premier League quality players that sell for £20m.
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What age was Kelechi when we signed him? Can’t remember but think he might already have been 17
 
domalino said:
We've produced 1 player in 15 years.

Why not ask why we can't produce fullbacks, defensive midfielders or goalkeepers?
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We’ve produced plenty of players in other positions throughout our history but strikers have always been a problem. Neil Young might be the only top class homegrown striker we produced in 50 years
 
Shirley said:
Kasper Schmeichel

Ched Evans

Daniel Sturridge

Michael Johnson

Stephen Ireland

Nedum Onuoha

Micah Richards
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Is this list suppose to prove something?

There's 2 players who came through after about 2005/2006 in that list and one is Ched Evans.

Foden is the first academy player to start 10 league games for City since Micah in 2012, and he came through the academy in 2005.

We can worry about why we haven't produced a striker when there's 3 or 4 kids in the squad.
 
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The bar is much higher, which is a long way to being part of the problem these kids have. Players like those in @Shirley's post above mostly came in at a time we were shit. Especially SWP. If we were skint and shit i'm sure a lot of our kids would be getting more starts, but as with most of those named above, they're not good enough at the very top level. It looks like only Phil is good enough at that level, in the history of the academy. Can't really include Garcia as he came from Barca.

It is an interesting point though, that considering most kids want to be a striker, English clubs haven't produced top quality strikers in quite a while. It's not just us.
 
markbmcfc said:
The bar is much higher, which is a long way to being part of the problem these kids have. Players like those in @Shirley's post above mostly came in at a time we were shit. Especially SWP. If we were skint and shit i'm sure a lot of our kids would be getting more starts, but as with most of those named above, they're not good enough at the very top level. It looks like only Phil is good enough at that level, in the history of the academy. Can't really include Garcia as he came from Barca.

It is an interesting point though, that considering most kids want to be a striker, English clubs haven't produced top quality strikers in quite a while. It's not just us.
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A lot of kids want to be playmakers and wingers now, assists were never a thing when I was growing up but I go to watch my nephew’s team and it’s all they seem to talk about
 
domalino said:
Is this list suppose to prove something?

There's 2 players who came through after about 2005/2006 in that list and one is Ched Evans.

Foden is the first academy player to start 10 league games for City since Micah in 2012, and he came through the academy in 2005.

We can worry about why we haven't produced a striker when there's 3 or 4 kids in the squad.
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Actually more than 2 but it's splitting hairs, I get your point.


Kasper Schmeichel Debut: West Ham United, A, 11/08/2007

Ched Evans Debut: Norwich City, H, 25/09/2007

Daniel Sturridge Debut: Reading, H, 03/02/2007

Michael Johnson Debut: Wigan Athletic, A, 21/10/2006

Stephen Ireland Debut: Bolton Wanderers, H, 18/09/2005

Nedum Onuoha Debut: Arsenal, H, 27/10/2004

Micah Richards Debut: Arsenal, A, 22/10/2005
 
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