Academy Players In The Ipswich Side

[fka dagest]

Firstly, I'd like to point out that this post is only an observation and not really meant to prove a point about yesterday.

Now, I've always had a soft-spot for Ipswich on account of their great side of the early 80s, anyway, I've always kept an eye on them...

Now as far as I am aware, much of yesterday's Ipswich side was made up of their own internal academy graduates: Walters, Haynes, Garvan, Naylor, Roberts and Clarke.

I'm guessing that Ipswich have better facilities etc than us, but I've always swallowed the Academy rhetoric about "the best have yet to come" etc. I'm sure people associated with the club were saying that at least 3-5 years ago, so I'm wondering, where are they?

I imagine there are three possible reasons why we're not seeing them:

1) There not getting the right opportunities or not being brought into the team quickly enough

or

2) They're not ready or simply not good enough

or

3) The coaching isn't effective

[CaughtInTheBrambles]

Of the team that played yesterday for Ipswich

Alexander - Bosman free from Cardiff

Harding - swap deal with Leeds for Westlake

Bruce - Bosman free from Birmingham City

De Vos - Bosman free from Wigan

Wright - Bosman free from Blackburn

Garvan - Academy - FAYC winner

Miller - Academy failure - Hartlepool - Ipswich - Sunderland - Ipswich

Walters - £150,000 fee paid from Chester City plus ITFC team coach ( I kid ye not)

Clarke - Academy - FAYC winner

Lee - £100,000 from Cardiff

Counago - Bosman free

Legwinski - Bosman free

Haynes - Academy

Roberts - Signed from Accrington Stanley

On the bench were also

Supple - Academy - FAYC Winner

Casement - Academy - FAYC Winner

So not all academy players nor did they cost much, it can be done. Walters was spotted when we played Chester in last seasons FA Cup.

[Nibor]

I think once we're safe we'll see players like Wilson, Artus, Ribeiro etc involved. It seems to me GJ just brought some of the players in to get us out of league one (those that are now in the fringe) and we have a big squad as a result. Now we're out of league one I suspect as those contracts expire we'll see our squad gradually being built from a mix of academy pros and a few quality signings similar to Sproule, Elliott, McIndoe.

[RedLionLad]

I think once we're safe we'll see players like Wilson, Artus, Ribeiro etc involved. It seems to me GJ just brought some of the players in to get us out of league one (those that are now in the fringe) and we have a big squad as a result. Now we're out of league one I suspect as those contracts expire we'll see our squad gradually being built from a mix of academy pros and a few quality signings similar to Sproule, Elliott, McIndoe.

The U18's played yesterday morning against 2nd placed Reading.....

City had a comfortable win.....5-0

[Tom Fleuriot]

So, considering this, I would almost rather see City finish 9th or 10th and bring in our 4-5 youngsters with potential, than go up having bought in an extra 3 Marvin Elliotts in January. This isn't a dig at Marvin, who I want to stay here until he's old and grey, but I'd love to see the local lads getting a chance.

[Bristolface]

Or

before we got promoted we had to sell them on to champioship clubs, ?

[Henry]

We'd all like to see bristol born players in the team, but how do you get them into a promotion winning team, who are 4th in the league and have only lost 3 games all season.

Not easy is it?