To Those Who Know About The Academy...

[Portland Bill]

I agree about the training being standard to a degree at Academy level. My post was not knocking City's Academy training and City were at one of the 5-a-side Futsal tournaments my Grandson played in. And I also agree that the real problem moving forwards for our Academy will be RECRUITMENT. How do you persuade parents with no ties to the club to send their kids to a League 1 outfit when Southampton especially and potentially Cardiff are sniffing around as Premier League clubs?

City have always been a bit hit and miss in the recruitment stakes anyway - my Grandson was spotted by both Cardiff and Rovers scouts with City never turning up at any game he played in for his club (which is based in North Somerset). And trust me when I say his mate who is also a City supporter from North Somerset playing for Cardiff is one of the best players in his age group in the country.

Cynic's point about the County FA's is not a million miles away unfortunately. A lot of County Games are about "winning" at the youngest age groups and I've watched County games myself where the football is atrocious in terms of producing proper players whereas Academies are teaching kids to be footballers first and "winners" slightly later.

In any event you find that most kids at Academies are naturally competitive anyway - it's just that the clubs are not putting pressure on them to win when they deliberately play them out of position to teach them more about the game and how to play in unfamiliar areas of the pitch (City do this just like Cardiff do from experience). It's unpopular with parents who are embarrassed when their son is having a less than perfect game but it's the parents who think they know better than the Academy Coaches that need educating in this country.

This is very true, I've seen coaches after games that have been lost by 4 or 5 goals, still praising the boys. Because the boys have done exactly what has been asked if them.

Results aren't important to these coaches ( most if them!) its all about developing footballers.

[Bedminster Born And Red]

This is very true, I've seen coaches after games that have been lost by 4 or 5 goals, still praising the boys. Because the boys have done exactly what has been asked if them.

Results aren't important to these coaches ( most if them!) its all about developing footballers.

I would even go as far to say that most Coaches probably couldn't tell you the exact scores after games.

What I will say in my experience of seeing what is going on at these Academies is that Youth Football at that level IS heading in the right direction in this country (City included obviously). However it will take a number of years before people notice the improvements in kids technique generally. It is important that the Development Centres and County teams one tier down from the Academies preach the same philosophy to make sure that a massive gap doesn't appear. And some enlightened coaching from the Dad's at club level would help too rather than breeding 9/10/11 year old "winners" who take the safe option of booting the ball fifty yards into touch rather than passing it back to their own keeper and moving into space to get the return pass. The other issue is whether First Team "Coaches" (I use the term looseley in some instances) knock everything they've learned at Academy level out of the boys. "You don't play out from the back in Big Man's football, sonny!!".