The Academy

[SouthEssexBlade]

In 2009 you would have signed for championship play off finalists SUFC rather than relegated to the the third tier Norwich.

Aye, things soon change. Unfortunately, you have to work very hard and be very successful for a long period at producing players you then sell-on, to get any sort of reputation as an academy outside the PL. Crewe is the stand-out in that regard. Under some criteria, they'd be deemed a failure, but not many around football would think that. We are by reputation, a club that sits in the 2nd tier of English football, with the odd daliance either side (though more up than down). As a reputation, it isn't exactly appealing to the cream of young English talent. Add in to that, the fact that we are now entering our 4th season in the 3rd tier and personally, I'm amazed the academy has produced what it has in the last 5 years.

 

[Darren]

Aye, things soon change. Unfortunately, you have to work very hard and be very successful for a long period at producing players you then sell-on, to get any sort of reputation as an academy outside the PL. Crewe is the stand-out in that regard. Under some criteria, they'd be deemed a failure, but not many around football would think that. We are by reputation, a club that sits in the 2nd tier of English football, with the odd daliance either side (though more up than down). As a reputation, it isn't exactly appealing to the cream of young English talent. Add in to that, the fact that we are now entering our 4th season in the 3rd tier and personally, I'm amazed the academy has produced what it has in the last 5 years.

You are easily satisfied

If someone does do a proper survey, I would be very surpirised if United did not rank way down on producing top two tier players in the last 7 years.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

You are easily satisfied

If someone does do a proper survey, I would be very surpirised if United did not rank way down on producing top two tier players in the last 7 years.

In view of my regard for our standing, I reckon we'll be about average.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

You are easily satisfied

If someone does do a proper survey, I would be very surpirised if United did not rank way down on producing top two tier players in the last 7 years.

You appear to have time on your hands. Knock yourself out

www.soccerbase.com

 

[RedandWhite]

It is great to see/hear about all these fine young players that we have coming through the system at the moment, whether it be Reed, Diego, Diamio, Khan or a couple of the others that are on the fringes of the first team.
Is this the Clogh effect, that he is actually giving them a chance and thus raising our awareness of them or is it because this is realistically how long it takes for the Academy to really start bearing fruit?

Either way it is great to see and adds to the positive feel about the club at the moment

Yeah until we sell them at the first bid.

 

[Silent Blade]

Quinn? Sharp?

We signed Quinn from an Irish club when he was 16

 

[Silent Blade]

Nobody, including Man Utd, compares to Southampton in terms of high quality players from the academy (I had a vested interest in this, my uncle retired last year from running their centre in Devon). They have a fantastic set-up, not just the academy facility but the network looking for talent to feed that academy.

As for the rest, I've no real idea. Leeds had a great system a few years ago, but that's gone tits up. Derby is great, thanks mainly to Clough! Forest, not sure. Leicester, same as Forest. Norwich did have a good academy, but downscaled it a bit when they got into the PL.

I do think Clough is trying to improve our Academy. His brother, Simon, seems to know a lot of good young players elsewhere in this country and only 2 players from last season's u16s squad have got scholarship so it looks like there have been a lot of changes from u 11s to u16s over the summer. I do not really think our Academy (since it was started in 2001) has been a real success because a) we are now in the 3rd division and not making profits and b) the only successes were the two Kyles, Maguire and maybe Lowton (he was about to be released but improved after a spell on loan to Ferencvaros). We may see a higher number of good players from our Academy in the new few years under Clough's management. Fingers crossed!

 

[Grecian2000]

Ok. Spare half hour to select 3 more Premier League clubs at random and the provenance of their Brit/Irish players.

Everton.
Hibbert, Barclay, Osman (Everton)
Baines (Wigan)
Jagielka (Blades)
Stones (Dingles)
Barry (Villa)
McGeady (Celtic)
McCarthy (Hamilton)
Gibson (Man Utd)
Naismith (Kilmarnock)

Sunderland.
Brown, O'Shea (Man Utd)
Jones (Crewe)
Bridcutt (Chelsea)
Catermole, Johnson, Graham (M'boro)
Larsonn (Arse)
Fletcher (Hibs)
Wickham (Ipswich)

Stoke.
Wilkinson, Shotton (Stoke)
Bardsley, Shawcross (Man U)
Butland (Birmingham)
Huth (Chelsea)
Wilson (Pompey)
Whelan, Ireland (Man City)
Adam (Rangers)
Sidwell (Arse)
Walters (Blackburn)
Crouch (Spurs)
Jermome (M'boro)

Only 40 more to do . . . . Man Utd looking good already though!

 

[SelbyBlade]

yes there is another significant difference, PL clubs can give a trial to any of our Academy players at anytime and if they want to sign the player(s), the compensation fee is now very small compared to the £1M fee we received from Chelsea for Jacob Mellis a few years ago. See link for the compensation fees http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_Player_Performance_Plan

I was talking about standard of facilities and coaching not the twisted rules of the EPPP. The other poster claimed there is a significant difference in the standard of facilities and coaching meaning they would encourage a young lad to go there. But the real difference is the accommodation. However as we have shown last season and also with Harry and George Long there is more opportunity to get into the first team at a non-prem Academy to develop.

 

[Silent Blade]

I was talking about standard of facilities and coaching not the twisted rules of the EPPP. The other poster claimed there is a significant difference in the standard of facilities and coaching meaning they would encourage a young lad to go there. But the real difference is the accommodation. However as we have shown last season and also with Harry and George Long there is more opportunity to get into the first team at a non-prem Academy to develop.

Our standard of facilities is better than at Middlewood Road but I have not been to any of the other Academies. As for coaching, I dont know about that as I have not watched any Academy training sessions, have you?

 

[Bergen Blade]

Youngsters often have to be given first team football at an early age if they are to make the transition from youth to senior football. The age from 17-20 is vital to a youngster's development and if they're stuck in the U21s or at best filling a gap for the odd month at a conference club, they may not be able to fulfill their true potential.

Obviously there's an element of risk when playing a teenager. This requires first team managers who are not too scared to do it. Kevin Blackwell and Danny Wilson lacked balls.

If you look at the youth products we did give a real run in the first team, they were:

• Stephen Quinn
• Billy Sharp
• Kyle Walker
• Kyle Naughton
• Matt Lowton
• Jordan Slew
• Harry Maguire

They've all done enough to attract interest from higher placed clubs and generated millions in income.

George Long apart (who may not peak in years still), isn't it strange that we haven't seen a single youngster graduate from the academy, have a run in the team, and at least end up as a continuity bearing (and inexpensive) squad player? I think part of the reason is that we had managers who were too afraid to play youngsters until it was blindingly obvious that they were outstanding talents who couldn't be overlooked.

Thankfully we have a manager in place now who seems very very different.