Ambitious selection strategy

[bertieblade]

Seen the latest article in the star where NA is quoted as saying he would like to see the team comprised of 50% academy players. Wouldn't we all, unfortunately we have only a very limited number who are old, strong, good, experienced enough to step up to the plate.
Is this wishful thinking from NA or is he preparing us for next season when we will have minimal money to spend and subsequently have to bring in the kids?

Quote from the article :- Indicating the criteria will also apply to youth and under-21 team players hoping to progress through the ranks, he said: “Players have to be robust, athletic, quick, ball playing warriors. They have to be good for Sheffield United.”

 

[super_pig]

Seen the latest article in the star where NA is quoted as saying he would like to see the team comprised of 50% academy players. Wouldn't we all, unfortunately we have only a very limited number who are old, strong, good, experienced enough to step up to the plate.
Is this wishful thinking from NA or is he preparing us for next season when we will have minimal money to spend and subsequently have to bring in the kids?

Quote from the article :- Indicating the criteria will also apply to youth and under-21 team players hoping to progress through the ranks, he said: “Players have to be robust, athletic, quick, ball playing warriors. They have to be good for Sheffield United.”

it would help if he stopped releasing them all then
players have to be robust, athletic, quick, ball playing warriors?? that's a laugh.. so how come coutts(robust), athletic (jose), quick, (hammond) get in the team ?

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Because Mr Adkins talks a good game. . . .

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

The aim being to become Crewe?

 

[Blade56]

So the new strategy is cheap youth development players and players who are out of contract cause the Cambridgeshire of this world don't think they're good enough?

Like it, rushing to get my chequebook out and squander £1,200 watching that next season

 

[super_pig]

better try and get Willis, diMaio and Khan back then

 

[Smirth]

I hope not.

As soon as you start setting targets such as this it just inspires mediocrity. The academy players should only get a chance if deemed good enough. It's exceptionally rare and unlikely to field a team made up 50% academy graduates. The only example I can think of is Crewe. Even Southampton who are regularly praised for their academy, don't field that many academy players in their first team.

We all like to see academy players come through and progress, we've got a good track record, but it's not often, if at all, that we've had more than 2 come through and establish themselves as a first team player at once. To jump up to 5 or 6 suddenly is fanciful and unrealistic.

 

[derryblade]

Another strategy that's been watered down KM wanted a 1st team comprised entirely of academy players.

 

[Bath Blade]

The flaw is that it would still be a team full of League One standard players, as kids who come through with the ability to play at a higher level will generally move to a club in a higher division (which isn't a dig at the club for selling them, it's the way of modern football).

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Another strategy that's been watered down KM wanted a 1st team comprised entirely of academy players.

A team comprised entirely of home-grown players:-

___________Long

Walker Maguire Jagielka Naughton

Lowton Reed Calvert-Lewin S.Quinn

________Sharp Adams

 

[west_yorks_blade]

Not sure about Adams mate?

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Not sure about Adams mate?

Well he was only 18 when he signed, so I think we could count him as at least partially home-grown (and he's better than Ironside! )

 

[derryblade]

A team comprised entirely of home-grown players:-

___________Long

Walker Maguire Jagielka Naughton

Lowton Reed Calvert-Lewin S.Quinn

________Sharp Adams

My mistake, silly me I thought he meant all playing for SUFC on the same day.

 

[Kenilworth]

It's a statement based on the fact that the pot he normally pisses in has gone AWOL and no fucker at the club can be bothered to go find it or look to replace it.

That's all.



Move along now, nothing to see here.


Only wilderness and mediocrity on the menu.


Come on - move along.

 

[Deaneandagana]

Seen the latest article in the star where NA is quoted as saying he would like to see the team comprised of 50% academy players. Wouldn't we all, unfortunately we have only a very limited number who are old, strong, good, experienced enough to step up to the plate.
Is this wishful thinking from NA or is he preparing us for next season when we will have minimal money to spend and subsequently have to bring in the kids?

Quote from the article :- Indicating the criteria will also apply to youth and under-21 team players hoping to progress through the ranks, he said: “Players have to be robust, athletic, quick, ball playing warriors. They have to be good for Sheffield United.”

You'll never win anything with kids! - although with hindsight what he (Hansen) should have added was, unless those kids are Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, Neville etc.

If those kids happen to be part of our crazy club, then I suspect Hansen's words may come back to haunt us.

Welcome (back) SUFC to the wilderness years.

 

[Barney]

50% academy players. And there's me thinking he couldn't get any worse.

 

[vorpal blade]

"warriors" - how silly

 

[BushBlade]

You'll never win anything with kids! - although with hindsight what he (Hansen) should have added was, unless those kids are Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, Neville etc.

If those kids happen to be part of our crazy club, then I suspect Hansen's words may come back to haunt us.

Welcome (back) SUFC to the wilderness years.

With hindsight Hansen was correct. It happened once, a long time ago, and hasn't happened since.

I think NA needs to stop talking about pipe dreams and the long term future and concentrate on winning some games or he won't be here to see the kids come through.

 

[Revolution]

It's the old self sufficient strategy again. Back to the start of 2013-14 we go. Expect lots of cheap crap to come in during the summer.

Don't worry. When we hit bottom place in about October 2016 and Adkins gets canned, new manager will get some money to get us out of trouble as Clough did.

 

[Esablade]

It's the old self sufficient strategy again. Back to the start of 2013-14 we go. Expect lots of cheap crap to come in during the summer.

Don't worry. When we hit bottom place in about October 2016 and Adkins gets canned, new manager will get some money to get us out of trouble as Clough did.

Yep, from memory, this is what McCabe was putting out before the arrival of Princey and 'investment'....make of that what you will...

 

[nopigfansintown]

This is a delusional strategy, especially as the club's owners have so far given no sign that they will pay to move our academy up to category one status.. While we continue with the category two academy, our best kids parents can be bribed by PL club's. SUFC will get the princely sum of five grand per year they've been in our system (this has already started to happen). There is very little we can realistically do about it - unless the academy is upgraded. With this being the case, logic dictates that the average graduate from United's academy will be of a lesser standard. If we want 50% of our first team squad to be academy players, we will be playing at a low level because the best will already have been cherry- picked.

 

[Silent Blade]

Seen the latest article in the star where NA is quoted as saying he would like to see the team comprised of 50% academy players. Wouldn't we all, unfortunately we have only a very limited number who are old, strong, good, experienced enough to step up to the plate.
Is this wishful thinking from NA or is he preparing us for next season when we will have minimal money to spend and subsequently have to bring in the kids?

Quote from the article :- Indicating the criteria will also apply to youth and under-21 team players hoping to progress through the ranks, he said: “Players have to be robust, athletic, quick, ball playing warriors. They have to be good for Sheffield United.”

Very risky

 

[BushBlade]

This is a delusional strategy, especially as the club's owners have so far given no sign that they will pay to move our academy up to category one status.. While we continue with the category two academy, our best kids parents can be bribed by PL club's. SUFC will get the princely sum of five grand per year they've been in our system (this has already started to happen). There is very little we can realistically do about it - unless the academy is upgraded. With this being the case, logic dictates that the average graduate from United's academy will be of a lesser standard. If we want 50% of our first team squad to be academy players, we will be playing at a low level because the best will already have been cherry- picked.

It's not a deluded strategy. It's bullshit, plain and simple. Adkins is just as aware of the reasons why it wouldn't work as we are.

 

[Treeton Blade]

Seen the latest article in the star where NA is quoted as saying he would like to see the team comprised of 50% academy players. Wouldn't we all, unfortunately we have only a very limited number who are old, strong, good, experienced enough to step up to the plate.
Is this wishful thinking from NA or is he preparing us for next season when we will have minimal money to spend and subsequently have to bring in the kids?

Quote from the article :- Indicating the criteria will also apply to youth and under-21 team players hoping to progress through the ranks, he said: “Players have to be robust, athletic, quick, ball playing warriors. They have to be good for Sheffield United.”

Adkins runs the rule over next seasons squad

 

[finlaytheblade]

This is a delusional strategy, especially as the club's owners have so far given no sign that they will pay to move our academy up to category one status.. While we continue with the category two academy, our best kids parents can be bribed by PL club's. SUFC will get the princely sum of five grand per year they've been in our system (this has already started to happen). There is very little we can realistically do about it - unless the academy is upgraded. With this being the case, logic dictates that the average graduate from United's academy will be of a lesser standard. If we want 50% of our first team squad to be academy players, we will be playing at a low level because the best will already have been cherry- picked.

Don't you think that clubs like Chelsea already pinch players from other academy 1 clubs it goes on all the time,.Any sensible parent would leave there boy with academy s where they have the opportunity to come through,its very difficult at Chelsea but some parents get there head turned by money (real world). United are using the media to tell prospective boy (parents) ;come to us the opportunity to come through is better;;;.
In my opinion that is a good sales pitch.Adkins is always on about a pathway for young players it's up to the club to make it happen.

 

[Roygbiv]

This seems to be McCabe's new ridiculous idea. Even if we did produce 11 players worthy of getting in the first team the better ones would be sold before we could build anything decent anyway.

I wonder if he is hoping to top all his bad decisions with one final game changing mental move before he sells up

 

[BushBlade]

This seems to be McCabe's new ridiculous idea. Even if we did produce 11 players worthy of getting in the first team the better ones would be sold before we could build anything decent anyway.

I wonder if he is hoping to top all his bad decisions with one final game changing mental move before he sells up

Simple economics. It's much easier to sell a club that's breaking even or making a profit than it is one losing money.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Don't you think that clubs like Chelsea already pinch players from other academy 1 clubs it goes on all the time,.Any sensible parent would leave there boy with academy s where they have the opportunity to come through,its very difficult at Chelsea but some parents get there head turned by money (real world). United are using the media to tell prospective boy (parents) ;come to us the opportunity to come through is better;;;.
In my opinion that is a good sales pitch.Adkins is always on about a pathway for young players it's up to the club to make it happen.

They do, but they have to pay the going rate. Before changing the rules we had a lot of leverage so elite youngsters would stay with us or big compo would follow, 1 million for Mellis I think.This is the big elephant in the room at Bramall Lane that is threatening the "up to now" sustainable financial model that our academy is built on (no more compo for stolen players, no more top class talent sold for big fees or in the team = no sustainability). Our academy may provide better opportunity, but so do the category one academies that are not run by the elite. There's always loans etc anyway if your not happy with the opportunities your getting and your family - who make your decisions - will be heavily remunerated. You also get to say I'm being trained by category one coaches at a PL/elite club. It may get to the stage were they have to decide to upgrade or scrap the academy.
The Manchester clubs have already taken advantage of the rule changes to take some of our kids.

 

[BushBlade]

They do, but they have to pay the going rate. Before changing the rules we had a lot of leverage so elite youngsters would stay with us or big compo would follow, 1 million for Mellis I think.This is the big elephant in the room at Bramall Lane that is threatening the "up to now" sustainable financial model that our academy is built on (no more compo for stolen players, no more top class talent sold for big fees or in the team = no sustainability). Our academy may provide better opportunity, but so do the category one academies that are not run by the elite. There's always loans etc anyway if your not happy with the opportunities your getting and your family - who make your decisions - will be heavily remunerated. You also get to say I'm being trained by category one coaches at a PL/elite club. It may get to the stage were they have to decide to upgrade or scrap the academy.
The Manchester clubs have already taken advantage of the rule changes to take some of our kids.

Mellis was £400k with add ons to take it to £1m if he made the first team.

But, as you say, we wouldn't get anywhere near that now.

And the reality is, if we don't produce a regular stream of professionals it's going to be difficult to persuade kids to go with us and not one of the PL clubs. Our key selling point is that you're more likely to make it with us than Man U or City.

 

[longinthe toothblade]

Seen the latest article in the star where NA is quoted as saying he would like to see the team comprised of 50% academy players. Wouldn't we all, unfortunately we have only a very limited number who are old, strong, good, experienced enough to step up to the plate.
Is this wishful thinking from NA or is he preparing us for next season when we will have minimal money to spend and subsequently have to bring in the kids?

Quote from the article :- Indicating the criteria will also apply to youth and under-21 team players hoping to progress through the ranks, he said: “Players have to be robust, athletic, quick, ball playing warriors. They have to be good for Sheffield United.”

Yep. You can't argue with the strategy, it sounds great. That said, as in business, it's got to be grounded and there's got to be some sense of realism (i.e. it's an achievable goal) otherwise it's just "pie in the sky".