Our new youth Policy

[Dr Spectrum]

Incidentally, our youth team's league record = Played: 22 Won: 17 Drawn: 1 Lost: 4. Pretty impressive.

 

MCFC U18:  P20 W16 D3 L1. Top of our section with most goals scored and fewest conceeded. And we're up against Liverpool, Everton, and the Rags...who we did 5-0 at the mini-swamp last week. Pretty impressive. :parky:

 

Curiousity killed the cat...NUFC U18 P22 W5 D4 L13....no wonder Carr still gets a game.

 

It should be easier to sign the best English/British young players. It looks like Fergie has given up poaching other clubs youth team players, Arsenal is a place that is no friend to the English/British youth teamer, Chelsea went ballistic a while back sigining youngsters like Bertrand, Philliskirk, Worley, Woods, Tawio, Sinclair & shed load more, but they have slowed down a lot, Rafa has singed half of Eastern Europe + the odd Spaniard as youth  team players.  So the domestic market place is a really decent place to look, although that means putting in road miles rather than more glamours air miles.

 

I just saw this post...two weeks old but its just got quoted so I noticed it...

 

I think you are right. There are good players at home (A lot of our academy graduates came to City from other clubs when they were 14 or so).

 

However, the big problem you have is the competition. If a NE kid has a choice where to go he isnt going to a place with no recent track record of bringing players thru, they'll go to Boro.

 

[ATB]

Well maybe why we appointed Wise and bought Kadar, Söderberg, Tozer, Zamblera.

[Thespence]

It should be easier to sign the best English/British young players. It looks like Fergie has given up poaching other clubs youth team players, Arsenal is a place that is no friend to the English/British youth teamer, Chelsea went ballistic a while back sigining youngsters like Bertrand, Philliskirk, Worley, Woods, Tawio, Sinclair & shed load more, but they have slowed down a lot, Rafa has singed half of Eastern Europe + the odd Spaniard as youth  team players.  So the domestic market place is a really decent place to look, although that means putting in road miles rather than more glamours air miles.

 

Arsenal? No place?

 

False. I predict that in about 8 - 10 years time around 60% of the England team will be Arsenal players.

 

Have you seen their teams from 18 below? The English kids that have been there from the age of 9 under the Wenger regime?

 

England will have a lot to thank Wenger for in the near future. You only have to look at how someone like Bentley is faring right now.

 

I was looking at the fact English players have had to leave the voyeur's regime to become establised players Premier League players, chaps like Bentley, James Harper & Sidwell.

 

 

Have you seen there teams below 18? No have you. I know they screwed Gillingham for 15 year old kid.

 

I had a glance at http://www.arsenal.com/squad.asp?thisNav=Reserves+and+Youth&lid=Reserves+Coaching+Staff&clid=4436  it looks packed with Englishmen

 

[Gash]

It should be easier to sign the best English/British young players. It looks like Fergie has given up poaching other clubs youth team players, Arsenal is a place that is no friend to the English/British youth teamer, Chelsea went ballistic a while back sigining youngsters like Bertrand, Philliskirk, Worley, Woods, Tawio, Sinclair & shed load more, but they have slowed down a lot, Rafa has singed half of Eastern Europe + the odd Spaniard as youth  team players.  So the domestic market place is a really decent place to look, although that means putting in road miles rather than more glamours air miles.

 

Arsenal? No place?

 

False. I predict that in about 8 - 10 years time around 60% of the England team will be Arsenal players.

 

Have you seen their teams from 18 below? The English kids that have been there from the age of 9 under the Wenger regime?

 

England will have a lot to thank Wenger for in the near future. You only have to look at how someone like Bentley is faring right now.

 

I was looking at the fact English players have had to leave the voyeur's regime to become establised players Premier League players, chaps like Bentley, James Harper & Sidwell.

 

 

Have you seen there teams below 18? No have you. I know they screwed Gillingham for 15 year old kid.

 

I had a glance at http://www.arsenal.com/squad.asp?thisNav=Reserves+and+Youth&lid=Reserves+Coaching+Staff&clid=4436  it looks packed with Englishmen

 

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/articles/680827.html not really the article i was after, but couldnt find the other one, basically, Wenger has been saying that within the next 5 years arsenal could be fielding whole british teams hes that impressed with the youth!

[Thespence]

It should be easier to sign the best English/British young players. It looks like Fergie has given up poaching other clubs youth team players, Arsenal is a place that is no friend to the English/British youth teamer, Chelsea went ballistic a while back sigining youngsters like Bertrand, Philliskirk, Worley, Woods, Tawio, Sinclair & shed load more, but they have slowed down a lot, Rafa has singed half of Eastern Europe + the odd Spaniard as youth  team players.  So the domestic market place is a really decent place to look, although that means putting in road miles rather than more glamours air miles.

 

Arsenal? No place?

 

False. I predict that in about 8 - 10 years time around 60% of the England team will be Arsenal players.

 

Have you seen their teams from 18 below? The English kids that have been there from the age of 9 under the Wenger regime?

 

England will have a lot to thank Wenger for in the near future. You only have to look at how someone like Bentley is faring right now.

 

I was looking at the fact English players have had to leave the voyeur's regime to become establised players Premier League players, chaps like Bentley, James Harper & Sidwell.

 

 

Have you seen there teams below 18? No have you. I know they screwed Gillingham for 15 year old kid.

 

I had a glance at http://www.arsenal.com/squad.asp?thisNav=Reserves+and+Youth&lid=Reserves+Coaching+Staff&clid=4436  it looks packed with Englishmen

 

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/articles/680827.html not really the article i was after, but couldnt find the other one, basically, Wenger has been saying that within the next 5 years arsenal could be fielding whole british teams hes that impressed with the youth!

 

You have been sucked in by a soundbite. Go & look at the link I provided from the Official Arseanl website & you will see it is packed with stacks of non-English. Are those players not good enough? Where are they going to be in 5 years time?

[Greg]

Bringing in these young kids is all well and good but I don't think our Academy coaching staff are good enough to be honest, hope to see some changes soon.

[Thespence]

Bringing in these young kids is all well and good but I don't think our Academy coaching staff are good enough to be honest, hope to see some changes soon.

 

I dont think the Academy system helps matters either.

[Greg]

Bringing in these young kids is all well and good but I don't think our Academy coaching staff are good enough to be honest, hope to see some changes soon.

 

I dont think the Academy system helps matters either.

 

It's not great but what realistic other options are available for the league / FA?

[Thespence]

Bringing in these young kids is all well and good but I don't think our Academy coaching staff are good enough to be honest, hope to see some changes soon.

 

I dont think the Academy system helps matters either.

 

It's not great but what realistic other options are available for the league / FA?

 

We dump Acadmeny status for the juniors the best players play in the reseves anyway & go into the  Football League Youth Alliance which operates the less resticive Centres of Excellence system that clubs used in 1980's & early 1990's.

[Greg]

Bringing in these young kids is all well and good but I don't think our Academy coaching staff are good enough to be honest, hope to see some changes soon.

 

I dont think the Academy system helps matters either.

 

It's not great but what realistic other options are available for the league / FA?

 

We dump Acadmeny status for the juniors the best players play in the reseves anyway & go into the  Football League Youth Alliance which operates the less resticive Centres of Excellence system that clubs used in 1980's & early 1990's.

 

It would possibly be a more productive system but sadly I simply can't see them dropping this 'Academy' method that we've got at the moment.

[Thespence]

Bringing in these young kids is all well and good but I don't think our Academy coaching staff are good enough to be honest, hope to see some changes soon.

 

I dont think the Academy system helps matters either.

 

It's not great but what realistic other options are available for the league / FA?

 

We dump Acadmeny status for the juniors the best players play in the reseves anyway & go into the  Football League Youth Alliance which operates the less resticive Centres of Excellence system that clubs used in 1980's & early 1990's.

 

It would possibly be a more productive system but sadly I simply can't see them dropping this 'Academy' method that we've got at the moment.

 

Nobody would have the balls to but a system designed by Howard Wilkinson can not be the answer for youngster to develop.

[brummie]

I won't count Forrester cos you stole him from Watford!

 

I know, that's why i said "or developing, at least" get them in, work on them. He's still miles from any sort of finished product, and very young, but we can make him better.

 

He may be very raw but, as you say, he is still very young.  I've seem him play maybe half a dozen times, mainly with the England kids and always looked to be one of the brighter sparks in the team.  I know we were trying to get him as well but we got our own back when Spurs signed Dean Parrett, who was very much on your radar.

 

It's all well and good having a successful Academy but there also has to be the desire to promote from the youth/development squads rather than go out and spend another couple of million on another Johnny Foreigner.  Spurs traditionally have (though what they have brought through has been generally poor), Villa have and obviously the scum up the road, but generally speaking, I think there is a tendency to look abroad , presumably in the search for instant results.

 

Anyway, I should be having a look at your kids next week as they visit us tomorrow week.  It should be a good game, it was good in Brum earlier in the season when we lost 2-1.

 

 

I never got to go in the end (never went to Derby either) but Spurs got revenge winning 2-1 in a cracking game by all accounts.  Villa were by far the better in the first half, but by the end Spurs were good value for the win, making it 9 successive wins and 13 out of 15 going back to the beginning of October.  A lot of credit is going to Alex Inglethorpe who is Head Coach for the Academy, though Comolli ought to get some recognition for giving him the quality of players to work with.  Perhaps more pleasing is that we've got 2 players who'll be joining the first year of the Academy who had been destined to join the scum up the road but didn't think they would have a great future there as they're English!

 

Spurs have got Port Vale on Wednesday in the Youth Cup, Chelsea await the winners in the semi-final.  I'm hoping for a Spurs/Villa final, they would be well matched.  Got to get past Port Vale first though!!

 

 

 

Port Vale 1 Spurs 0 ............................ FFS  though I did half guess that!

 

Inglethorpe out.

 

Youth Cup doesnt mean owt....only YC game Ive been to best player on the pitch was Boro reject Andrew Davies...and thats only cos he was the biggest/strongest and won everything in the air. Dont think football at that level is a results business at all when games can be swung on a physical factor that just isnt there when the same kids play against grown men. Success at youth level is measured in graduates, not sales or tin pots....

 

That said....COYB. Got Plymouth in the Quarter final.

 

Tallest, strongest, fastest will always have an advantage due to age but skill and technical ability you hope will prevail irrespective of age.  About half of the Spurs group would be eligible to play again next year, but for most their progress by that time will be in Spurs' development squad (reserves to most clubs but that's what Spurs call them) or elsewhere having been shipped out. 

 

 

 

Ours won 2-0 at Carlisle tonight. Delfouneso, Bannan and Forrester starring again. Delfouneso will play in the PL before too long, man of the match apparently.

 

Port Vale or Chelsea in the semi finals.

 

Incidentally, our youth team's league record = Played: 22 Won: 17 Drawn: 1 Lost: 4. Pretty impressive.

 

Went to the semi final second leg tonight at Villa Park, finished Villa 2 - Chelsea 3, Chelsea through 3-4 on aggregate, they play Citeh in the final.

 

Some quality players on show, though. From our side, Barry Bannan, Harry Forester and Nathan Delfouneso. From theirs Kakuta looks absolutely superb.

 

Interesting though that barely an English kid in their side, and ours was mostly English. Some things don't change.

 

11,000 there, too. Youth football is really good. I'm going to start watching more of it.

[James]

Whats the story regarding this Max Johnson bloke?

 

Isn't Krul, Forster and Soderberg enough in terms of reserve keepers?

[stozo]

Whats the story regarding this Max Johnson bloke?

 

Isn't Krul, Forster and Soderberg enough in terms of reserve keepers?

Max Johnson was here before Soderberg arrived but hadnt played for a while because of injury.

[captainhaircut]

Whats the story regarding this Max Johnson bloke?

 

Isn't Krul, Forster and Soderberg enough in terms of reserve keepers?

Max Johnson was here before Soderberg arrived but hadnt played for a while because of injury.

 

Looks like Soderberg missed out with a tight groin according to his post on Wesley Ngo Bahengs facebook page.

 

My word, my life is a joke.

[Disco]

Whats the story regarding this Max Johnson bloke?

 

Isn't Krul, Forster and Soderberg enough in terms of reserve keepers?

Max Johnson was here before Soderberg arrived but hadnt played for a while because of injury.

 

Looks like Soderberg missed out with a tight groin according to his post on Wesley Ngo Bahengs facebook page.

 

My word, my life is a joke.

 

I'm liking Wesleys jacket

[brummie]

Looks like Soderberg missed out with a tight groin according to his post on Wesley Ngo Bahengs facebook page.

 

My word, my life is a joke.

 

Ha ha, excellent, first laugh out loud moment of the day!

[Greg]

Mark Cook, Mark Bertram, Alex Francis and Alex Patterson released, or to be released at the end of the season.

 

12 months academy extensions for Darren Lough, Callum Morris and James Marwood.

 

Pro deals for Jonny Godsmark, Frank Wiafe Danquah and Mark Doninger.

[Pilko]

Godsmark is class. Lough quite good too. Can't really comment on the rest, haven't seen them enough to do so.

[captainhaircut]

How good is Doninger? Seems to be a canny set piece taker. Any other qualities? We can do with some quality in the middle of the park!

[robbo_11]

How good is Doninger? Seems to be a canny set piece taker. Any other qualities? We can do with some quality in the middle of the park!

 

I haven't been that impressed with Doninger. He has decent set pieces and thats about it. His passing is worse than Nicky Butt's and is more likely to turn out like Brittain.

[Martin Lol]

I won't count Forrester cos you stole him from Watford!

 

I know, that's why i said "or developing, at least" get them in, work on them. He's still miles from any sort of finished product, and very young, but we can make him better.

 

He may be very raw but, as you say, he is still very young.  I've seem him play maybe half a dozen times, mainly with the England kids and always looked to be one of the brighter sparks in the team.  I know we were trying to get him as well but we got our own back when Spurs signed Dean Parrett, who was very much on your radar.

 

It's all well and good having a successful Academy but there also has to be the desire to promote from the youth/development squads rather than go out and spend another couple of million on another Johnny Foreigner.  Spurs traditionally have (though what they have brought through has been generally poor), Villa have and obviously the scum up the road, but generally speaking, I think there is a tendency to look abroad , presumably in the search for instant results.

 

Anyway, I should be having a look at your kids next week as they visit us tomorrow week.  It should be a good game, it was good in Brum earlier in the season when we lost 2-1.

 

 

I never got to go in the end (never went to Derby either) but Spurs got revenge winning 2-1 in a cracking game by all accounts.  Villa were by far the better in the first half, but by the end Spurs were good value for the win, making it 9 successive wins and 13 out of 15 going back to the beginning of October.  A lot of credit is going to Alex Inglethorpe who is Head Coach for the Academy, though Comolli ought to get some recognition for giving him the quality of players to work with.  Perhaps more pleasing is that we've got 2 players who'll be joining the first year of the Academy who had been destined to join the scum up the road but didn't think they would have a great future there as they're English!

 

Spurs have got Port Vale on Wednesday in the Youth Cup, Chelsea await the winners in the semi-final.  I'm hoping for a Spurs/Villa final, they would be well matched.  Got to get past Port Vale first though!!

 

 

 

Port Vale 1 Spurs 0 ............................ FFS  though I did half guess that!

 

Inglethorpe out.

 

Youth Cup doesnt mean owt....only YC game Ive been to best player on the pitch was Boro reject Andrew Davies...and thats only cos he was the biggest/strongest and won everything in the air. Dont think football at that level is a results business at all when games can be swung on a physical factor that just isnt there when the same kids play against grown men. Success at youth level is measured in graduates, not sales or tin pots....

 

That said....COYB. Got Plymouth in the Quarter final.

 

Tallest, strongest, fastest will always have an advantage due to age but skill and technical ability you hope will prevail irrespective of age.  About half of the Spurs group would be eligible to play again next year, but for most their progress by that time will be in Spurs' development squad (reserves to most clubs but that's what Spurs call them) or elsewhere having been shipped out. 

 

 

 

Ours won 2-0 at Carlisle tonight. Delfouneso, Bannan and Forrester starring again. Delfouneso will play in the PL before too long, man of the match apparently.

 

Port Vale or Chelsea in the semi finals.

 

Incidentally, our youth team's league record = Played: 22 Won: 17 Drawn: 1 Lost: 4. Pretty impressive.

 

Went to the semi final second leg tonight at Villa Park, finished Villa 2 - Chelsea 3, Chelsea through 3-4 on aggregate, they play Citeh in the final.

 

Some quality players on show, though. From our side, Barry Bannan, Harry Forester and Nathan Delfouneso. From theirs Kakuta looks absolutely superb.

 

Interesting though that barely an English kid in their side, and ours was mostly English. Some things don't change.

 

11,000 there, too. Youth football is really good. I'm going to start watching more of it.

 

Couldn't agree more, I often watch the Spurs' Academy team play, especially as a lot of first team matches on a Sunday means there's not the mad rush to get from one to the other!  Practically the entire Spurs youth squad is currently out in Germany playing in a good quality Youth Tourno.

 

Group A

 

Werder Bremen ................................ Spurs won 2-0 (Fraser-Allen, Mtandari)

Dynamo Moscow ............................... Spurs won 2-1 (Obika, Mason)

Sevilla ............................................... Spurs lost 2-0

Fortuna Dusseldorf ........................... Spurs won 1-0 (Rose)

Spurs

 

Group B

 

Bv 04 Dusseldorf

Bayer Leverkausen

Barcelona

Kaiserslautern

PSV Eindhoven

 

 

Semi finals being played early today

 

FC Barcelona v Dynamo Moscow

Tottenham Hotspur v Kaiserslautern

 

 

Final and 3rd/4th playoff being played this afternoon.  It's good experience for them (except for Dean Parrett and Andros Townsend who got called up for the England u17 squad) and I know Comolli is a firm believer in this type of european tourno.  We're off to another in Spain next month and Comolli is trying to host one next season or the season after. 

 

I still can't believe that we still managed to lose against Port Vale in the Youth Cup though!

 

 

[James]

Jol, Newcastle U18's beat the Italian elite to some youth trophy a couple of years ago, and none of the players have come through since.

[Martin Lol]

Jol, Newcastle U18's beat the Italian elite to some youth trophy a couple of years ago, and none of the players have come through since.

 

That can happen, it's good to get 1 youngster through to the first team squad, so there's no expectation that success in tournos means guaranteed progression to the first team for some.  But the experience will be good for them, the matches are usually pretty entertaining to watch and if they don't progress, they can still be a saleable asset to a championship team or below.  In Arsenal's case, those saleable assets included the likes of Bentley now at Blackburn,  Owusu-Abeyie at Spartak Moscow and Larsson and Muamba at Brum.  They did get the thick end of £10m for those players.

[Mowen]

They got £2m for Stokes as well.