Developing Academy Players In The Championship.

[Redhyde]

While you're pissing around and failing to go up at the top of league one it's ok to throw a kid into a generally successful team and let him develop. This was fantastically successful IMO and you can reel off the names yourselves.

However if we're scrapping for our lives at the bottom of the championship, we simply won't dare to. Even at the crucial end of last season, out went Skuse and JMW and in came Russell and Smith. So when the pressure's really on we can assume (can we?) that GJ will favour experience over youth. I would shudder at the prospect of a Ribeiro or Artus being trwon into a competetive championship game at the moment.

Our academy seems to be getting better and better, but the crapness of reserve team football and the weather i worry that our young players won't have the opportunity to get the playing time they need to develop.

The obvious thing then is to loan them out, but loaning them to some hoofball jokers in conference (yes the same people who keep beating us pre season) seems counter productive as that simply isn't the way they're used to, or will need to get used to playing for us. Another thing to consider is whether our players are sort after in the loan market, Premiership youngsters are also becoming more available as the clubs also seem to agree that reserve team/academy football is rubbish preparation for the first team proper.

So our youngsters aren't desired and won't get the playing time here judging by the amount of senior pros we have... Quite a conundrum really.

So how best to develop our young players for the first team?

[Barrs Court Red]

Cardiff and Southampton have both done it, I fail to see why we can't.

I don't think what is a very poor reserve league helps. Yes it's great that the youngsters are playing premiership set ups while under 19, but the fact is at a crucial time they're suddenly playing a team of Rovers rejects. Hardly a challenge, as has been seen in recent years.

Now we're in the Championship, it's been said that the league isn't as physical as that of league one, so maybe there is more scope to play youngsters than perhaps there has in the past. Afterall, you don't throw in a 18 year old away at Chesterfield when there's something to play for. If we're in middle table then maybe blooding young players will be more agreable.

[Port Said Red]

It's true that introducing youngsters to a struggling side is always a problem, I do feel though that, if anything, it is harder in the lower leagues where the physical side of the game is more prevalent.

Mainly blooding young players becomes a problem when;

1. You have to use lots of them at once
2. You come to rely on that player because there is no one to replace him.

I don't think we should have either of those problems unless, we have a run of injuries or suspensions together.

One thing that has impressed me about the more recent academy output is that they have looked a good size. For a long time we only seemed to produce "good little ones" but these kids look much bigger and still have talent.

[Nibor]

While you're pissing around and failing to go up at the top of league one it's ok to throw a kid into a generally successful team and let him develop. This was fantastically successful IMO and you can reel off the names yourselves.

However if we're scrapping for our lives at the bottom of the championship, we simply won't dare to. Even at the crucial end of last season, out went Skuse and JMW and in came Russell and Smith. So when the pressure's really on we can assume (can we?) that GJ will favour experience over youth. I would shudder at the prospect of a Ribeiro or Artus being trwon into a competetive championship game at the moment.

Our academy seems to be getting better and better, but the crapness of reserve team football and the weather i worry that our young players won't have the opportunity to get the playing time they need to develop.

The obvious thing then is to loan them out, but loaning them to some hoofball jokers in conference (yes the same people who keep beating us pre season) seems counter productive as that simply isn't the way they're used to, or will need to get used to playing for us. Another thing to consider is whether our players are sort after in the loan market, Premiership youngsters are also becoming more available as the clubs also seem to agree that reserve team/academy football is rubbish preparation for the first team proper.

So our youngsters aren't desired and won't get the playing time here judging by the amount of senior pros we have... Quite a conundrum really.

So how best to develop our young players for the first team?

Reserve team and academy football are two entirely different things. Reserve team football is regional and there is little of it because it's a loss maker. In our region it's terrible. In the North West it's better for example. Academy football is guaranteed by the FA programme for excellence so top clubs are obliged to support it. It's north/south divided and there are a limited number of places in the system. That means the standard of opposition is better because we get to play London and Midlands sides.

I don't think the problem of introducing young players is any different at any level. You only play them in the first team if they're good enough or will be, you can loan them if you think they need first team football to develop, or release them if they've not got it.

IMO It's no more difficult to chuck young players in when struggling than it is when being successful, a great deal rides on either. You might do it earlier if you're mid table and going nowhere but at some point in a young player's development the manager has to decide whether he is good enough for first team football (is he better or will he shortly be better than what we have?) and act on it.

The trend you see with Prem clubs loaning out players is basically deferring that decision and allowing the player to carry on developing but even then the decision still gets made, just a season later. Man U for example kept Richardson, Fletcher, Eagles, Rossi, Pique etc but let others go. We could loan our youngsters to a league one side if we need them to get on the pitch experience in exactly the same way and a season in league one would be just as useful to JMW for example as a season with QPR will be to Sahar.

Plenty of teams at this level whether struggling or not will play their best home grown players. You have to be careful about how you introduce them but the bottom line is if you're good enough you're old enough. Players like Jarvis and Varney started at this level as they got too old for academy football to be good for them and were amongst the few bright spots their respective sides had during relegation seasons. Players like Bale, Nugent, Walcott, Jerome, Lennon, Huddlestone and many more all cut their teeth in the Championship. If anything using young players is easier at this level since the game is not as physical as in league one or league two and more based on technique. Younger players adapt faster, we saw that with Tommy Doherty and Aaron Brown last time we were here.

Artus, Ribeiro, JMW, Wilson and Plummer will make the first XI this season if they look to the manager like they're better than the players in their positions currently. Not all at once and not without guidance from senior players but the bottom line is it's about ability, you have to play them at some point if they've got it.

[solo1bc]

I think some long term loans will help... Now we're in the CCC then our younger players will be more attractive to L1 & L2 sides so I wouldn't be surprised if Riberio, Artus & Wilson go out on loan for a bit this year... I would imagine GJ will keep Plummer with the squad so that he can develop himself this year and we'll see more of him next season...

[Geoff65]

Scrap the play offs and let the youngsters play in the last 10 matches as we are safe from relegation and cant achieve 3rd spot - now back to the world of finance.

If we settle into this division then the academy can produce for us 1 or 2 players a season - whether they are the players we want at the time i.e. we might need defenders but the talent coming through this year are midfielders etc...

How do we consistently give the youngsters a go is the question I think you are asking and the only answer is we cant as it depends on

Whether we need a player in the position that the youngster is good at - if we don't can we utiulise him as back up for that position - this is quite a good option as it means we can lower our overall wage bill as a good young un will be on less than an average back up player - with only 1 or 2 youngsters coming through each year then this is ideal - but improvement will be required by that youngster so that at the end of his 2 year contract he is competiting for first team slot.

If we have surplus to that position then a loan is the only option - now a season long loan with a 2nd division side does mean that for a youngster he should have iproved in that 1 year to be considered for the 2nd year as a swuad player - if he hasnt then it's another year on loan and a free transfer the probable outcome - but the academy has been successful as it's produced a professional footballer who can make a living out of football - not with us but that's the way it goes.

Regardless of the youngsters postion if he is good enough for us he will succeed in either of the aforementioned scenarios.

As to first team oppertunities then he will get a chance if he is in the squad if injury hits the first choice or poor form by the first choice or we are in the luxurious position of not having anything to play for.

[Guest ashtonyate]

The thing with young player a lot of them think they have made it they sign there first pro contract and some of the agents lead them a stray buy tell them there better than they are and to move clubs.

We have seen it with Goldbourne and the kid who moved to Preston, they are still not in the first team yet, they would have been better staying and moving up the ladder here in stead of going to another club.

[Geoff65]

Aye we have to remember that the academy is there to help BCFC and with that in mind the first priority is always the first team with the academy coming second and supplementing the squad i.e. yes it would be nice to let all youngsters have a crack at the first team and give them oppertunities but not at the expense of what the club needs - so in times when we need results then the proven performers get the first team spot and not the unproven but talented mr academy player - it's a balance if we establish ourselves in the championship then the risks of putting untried talent in the side should become normal as we are safe from relelgation and as AY says youngsters get their heads turned and frankly if they do so then within the next 2 years they have to put up or shut up and they are putting an immense amount of pressure on themselves at a time when they should have taken better advice.

[chel10ham]

Can we (Cheltenham) have Jennision Myrie-Williams on loan until Christmas please?

[The Fat Controller]

Can we (Cheltenham) have Jennision Myrie-Williams on loan until Christmas please?

If it was my decision, id say yes.

But its not.

[Guest ashtonyate]

Can we (Cheltenham) have Jennision Myrie-Williams on loan until Christmas please?

I think that's where he will end up looked good at the start of the season lost he way a spell away would do him good

[chel10ham]

I think that's where he will end up looked good at the start of the season lost he way a spell away would do him good

Well i made up a rumour on the cheltenham forum (yes your not the only forum to suffer) that JMW will join Chelts on loan during August.