mitten Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 i'm not talking about giving these lads a game tonight but in my view these lads are a 3 game opportunity away from either regular first team football or Sainsburys. The likes of Jackson, Edwards etc plus the much revered Medajoub, young Reid etc are a sniff away from the big time but unless they are given a chance, we will never know. Give them 3 games, they will either shine or fail but i see no point in the investment we have in the academy if we dont give the boys a game! Would Rose, Caulker etc be playing here if they werent given a chance? If they arent good enough, why are they at the academy? 3 games as i said, is all they need and right now, if the reports of their quality are true - why dont we let them have a go - trust them, put a shirt on and send them out on the pitch!! Alternatively we can let them go (in to the wrong hands such as Goldbourne) and they will never get the chance. A friend of mine's son had a one year contract at Cheltenham but due to 3 managers and a relegation run in where they shipped in 'experienced' players on loan, they never saw him play and alas, his contract wasnt renewed, and at 18 that's sh1t for the lad who really did have a chance to make it, given 3 games........... I dont want to hear 'oh, they're too young' - look at Ronaldo, Fabregas, Wilshere, Ramsey etc - no one quastioned their ages when they were thrown in at the seep end - i'm under no illusion that our lads are as good as any of the above but the age argument pi55es me off - its a cop out - come on city, lets see what quality we have please!!!! Oh, thats right, you'll never win anything with kids! COYR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCFC Jordan Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 It frustrates me too. I love watching local players come up from the youth team, but they simply don't get a chance at City. Like you said also, if they aren't good enough why are they even in the academy still at that age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Popodopolous Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 It's quite odd. Year after year we see the same names on the roster (Ball, Lennox, Edwards, Jackson and others) but not getting a game much at all. Henderson, though he was brought in from another club seems to be another. Then those who are there for ages but don't play and leave- Artus, JMW and so on. James Wilson is another who seems to have vanished off the radar- either play them and give them a fair crack, or release/sell them then maybe they can find their level if they are not up to the job. I just can't see how keeping them dormant is good for any party really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mosquito Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 i'm not talking about giving these lads a game tonight but in my view these lads are a 3 game opportunity away from either regular first team football or Sainsburys. The likes of Jackson, Edwards etc plus the much revered Medajoub, young Reid etc are a sniff away from the big time but unless they are given a chance, we will never know. Give them 3 games, they will either shine or fail but i see no point in the investment we have in the academy if we dont give the boys a game! Would Rose, Caulker etc be playing here if they werent given a chance? If they arent good enough, why are they at the academy? 3 games as i said, is all they need and right now, if the reports of their quality are true - why dont we let them have a go - trust them, put a shirt on and send them out on the pitch!! Alternatively we can let them go (in to the wrong hands such as Goldbourne) and they will never get the chance. A friend of mine's son had a one year contract at Cheltenham but due to 3 managers and a relegation run in where they shipped in 'experienced' players on loan, they never saw him play and alas, his contract wasnt renewed, and at 18 that's sh1t for the lad who really did have a chance to make it, given 3 games........... I dont want to hear 'oh, they're too young' - look at Ronaldo, Fabregas, Wilshere, Ramsey etc - no one quastioned their ages when they were thrown in at the seep end - i'm under no illusion that our lads are as good as any of the above but the age argument pi55es me off - its a cop out - come on city, lets see what quality we have please!!!! Oh, thats right, you'll never win anything with kids! COYR With regard to youth being 'good enough'. I'll never forget our sports master telling us that our school now has a pupil good enough to play rugby or football for England. That pupil was a 15 year old Gary Mabbutt - he was a few years older than me but that sports master was dead right. Surely, if a school sports master can recognize genuine talent then the people that take on budding footballers for the BCFC academy should be able to as well ?????!!!!!! Otherwise our academy is a complete waste of time and money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 It's quite odd. Year after year we see the same names on the roster (Ball, Lennox, Edwards, Jackson and others) but not getting a game much at all. Henderson, though he was brought in from another club seems to be another. Then those who are there for ages but don't play and leave- Artus, JMW and so on. James Wilson is another who seems to have vanished off the radar- either play them and give them a fair crack, or release/sell them then maybe they can find their level if they are not up to the job. I just can't see how keeping them dormant is good for any party really. He's been injured all season and only returned to training this week. Fact is the best of the academy do get their chance, if Ribeiro could ever stay fit for more than 4 weeks at a time he'd have played a lot more games this season and the ones quoted, Artus, JMW, have ended up where, exactly? Squad players at Cheltenham and St.Johnstone, that just proves they weren't up to it, same as Plummer another "star" who has ended up playing local football... Henderson is one I rate but what is better for him now, being sat on the bench watching David James all year or racking up experience one league down? We do need to make a decision on him at the end of the season though because we can't keep both him and Gerken next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Popodopolous Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 He's been injured all season and only returned to training this week. Fact is the best of the academy do get their chance, if Ribeiro could ever stay fit for more than 4 weeks at a time he'd have played a lot more games this season and the ones quoted, Artus, JMW, have ended up where, exactly? Squad players at Cheltenham and St.Johnstone, that just proves they weren't up to it, same as Plummer another "star" who has ended up playing local football... Henderson is one I rate but what is better for him now, being sat on the bench watching David James all year or racking up experience one league down? We do need to make a decision on him at the end of the season though because we can't keep both him and Gerken next season. Fair point, that explains that mystery then. I do like Riberio I have to say, others didn't make the grade as you point out but stayed on the books for a while- a bit like several I listed now. Henderson I also remember when he first came and when he played at the back end of last season a decent keeper and quite young too. There is a right time to give youth their head, problem is its hard to find! Maybe if we stay up with a month to spare, gradually blood some in the last 5 or 6 games of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcherryberry Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 That is IMO that needs serious looking at immediately if not sooner is John Clayton and his team of Academy coaches. The latest batch of kids all mentioned above are no where near the first team nor were the two batches before this. That is three years and no kids even close to getting any game action. Jackson and Edwards are only in the squad currently due to being down to our bare bones. Three managers in these three years and each of them purchased from other clubs kids ages 19-21 to bulk up our squad (Haynes, Nyatanga, Irish lads, Pitman etc.). Even our loan players Caulker 18/19 and Danny Rose just 20. Academy results are always up and down. The trend for the last few years seems like we score a few but let in more. No consistency in results. Our kids seem to be outmuscled allot by their Prem counterparts..Do we not have gyms at this club? Ive heard Clayton many a time each season saying something along the lines of "Player X will will be pushing soon blah blah" but yet nothing. Clayton OUT for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kibs Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 The bottom line is that if you don't give them a chance, you will never know and we never give them a chance. It seems a waste money to me and as previous posters said, it's something that definitely needs looking at. Saturday was a prime example - you have a kid striker on the bench but instead Millen decides to throw on a winger up front instead. What message does that send out to Jackson and the rest of the academy? I don't buy all this "well he didn't do much at aldershot" crap. Give the kid a chance in our team with better players. Many a player has gone on loan in lower leagues, not done a lot and returned to do well. Seems to me that we just have no faith in which case we may aswell scrap the academy and save some money as it would be better used elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_Lemon Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Personally As I have always thought might aswell close the academy as we have no talent coming through. Waste of money and may aswell look to invest in new players than an academy that produces nothing for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numbeast Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 I think having the play-off's hinders clubs "blooding" youngsters. Prior to their introduction most teams knew their chances of promotion or relagation by, more or less, the end of March. So a team in mid-table could afford to try out their youth players without much risk. Since the play-off system a team below half way is still in with a chance of a place in the end of season lottery thus they put out their strongest team for as long as they are in with even the slimest of chances. I'm not blaming the PO system for our failiure to introduce youth into our side but it does contribute to the failure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mosquito Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Personally As I have always thought might aswell close the academy as we have no talent coming through. Waste of money and may aswell look to invest in new players than an academy that produces nothing for us. It's a pity ashtonyate can't / wont post on this forum because he wrote the same thing about 6 years ago and has been proven correct. To be brutally honest, if our youth players were good enough then they'd make the first team en masse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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