Once in a generation

[Tony Currie]

In the 21/22 season the under 21's Blades won both the Professional Development League North and lost just 4 games all season (next best team lost 12). That group included Andre Brooks, Sai Sachdev, Will Osula, Sydie Peck, Louie Marsh, Sachdev and Arblaster.

In 23/24 they went on to win the third Professional Development League National title in four years. Including many of the same players, the rest had been promoted to the first team squad.

There is no doubt that these players have what it takes to go on to play elite first team football with some of them capable of playing for the national side. It is now up to the board, Wilder and Knill to make sure the club capitalizes on this golden era. Long term planning, better ground, more investment in scouting and youth.

 

[Bath Blade]

I’m not knocking the quality of the players in the youth team, but they are playing against lower quality opposition because we don’t have a top tier academy (and therefore don’t compete against other top tier academies), and therefore our results will look artificially good.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

I’m not knocking the quality of the players in the youth team, but they are playing against lower quality opposition because we don’t have a top tier academy (and therefore don’t compete against other top tier academies), and therefore our results will look artificially good.

It's not "artificial."
We don't have a CAT1 Academy so don't regularly play against CAT1 academies.

Somehow, we seem to be able to hold our own in the rare instances we do play CAT1s and smash everyone at our own level.

There's some fantastic work going on at the club and it needs appropriate financially resource as it could be even better.

 

[bornablade]

I’m not knocking the quality of the players in the youth team, but they are playing against lower quality opposition because we don’t have a top tier academy (and therefore don’t compete against other top tier academies), and therefore our results will look artificially good.

I'm not fully up to speed on how these academies work but in the past 2 weeks I think we have beaten Sunderland & Wolves (comfortably) and I believe they are in a higher ranking than ourselves.

In addition the kids that have represented the first team so far (Blaster, Peck, Brooks, Seriki) have not disappointed. Surely that's the most important measure.

 

[Ned the Donkey]

Can I just piss on everyone's chips by pointing out Peck, Seriki, Arblaster, Osula and the rest doing so well doesn't mean our Academy is any good it means it was any good.

For all anyone knows it could be in the process of turning out future donkeys right now.

 

[Westran]

Can I just piss on everyone's chips by pointing out Peck, Seriki, Arblaster, Osula and the rest doing so well doesn't mean our Academy is any good it means it was any good.

For all anyone knows it could be in the process of turning out future donkeys right now.

Its not really our academy though, it's our academy recruitment, brooks and Arblaster being the exception. The majority of our successful academy players come from recruiting players who have been let go or are playing at academies where we are able to sign their best prospects. We can keep doing that indefinitely

 

[Westran]

Steve Holmes deserves a lot of credit for our recent academy success.

 

[s20Blade]

We've produced top talent since the turn on the century tbh with Tonge, Jagielka and Monty (lol) but lacked getting the full adentage with not being in the Premier league (apart from one season of peak Jagielka)

 

[Hackey Blade]

Can I just piss on everyone's chips by pointing out Peck, Seriki, Arblaster, Osula and the rest doing so well doesn't mean our Academy is any good it means it was any good.

For all anyone knows it could be in the process of turning out future donkeys right now.

I think looking at the U18's we just might be able to carry this on for a few more years for now.

 

[Yogi]

Can I just piss on everyone's chips by pointing out Peck, Seriki, Arblaster, Osula and the rest doing so well doesn't mean our Academy is any good it means it was any good.

For all anyone knows it could be in the process of turning out future donkeys right now.

There’s some talented young lads who are a joy to watch in the 21’s and 18’s at the minute no idea how or even if they’ll translate to men’s football when their time comes but we’ve got some very talented groups of young lads.