Gustav Engall - £2m player on Loan..

Bournemouth made a loss in excess of thirty five million pounds, broke financial fair play rules and were fined seven million pounds,

 

Yeah my fault, I think I was referring to Southampton not Bournemouth.

 

Excellent parallel. Southampton at ea club that I would like to see BCFC attempting to emulate aspects of e.g. Youth development x selling. They were very much a develop, sell, fund XI model.

Regarding players here, using the above model would it apply to spend such a large % of resource on players who will not be playing in the XI. I think that is a no.

 

Probably got things wrong here, but if my understanding is right, Southamptons radar extends far beyond Southampton in youth recruitment. We have missed opportunities of young players,when they have lived on our doorstep. Sinclair and Butland are 2 that spring to mind. Did we miss them or are other teams more proactive and attractive? I dont know.

 

Bristol City have to compete against one of the best academies in the UK, possibly Europe on its doorstep - Bath/Keynsham. That will always be a challenge. Southampton can do that because of their Cat 1 status which means Southampton can have satellites centres anywhere, City cannot due to Cat 2 status. Anybody thinking that is unfair .... Well BCFC voted FOR that arrangement when the EPPP was voted in by football league clubs.

However Cat 2 status does give BCFC advantages versus other regional academies, and Southampton do not hoover up every talented kid in South Wales, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire.

I would like to see BCFC being more proactive. City have less development centres (level below academy) in the region than Exeter City do. The much heralded player pathway no longer has its satellite centres around Bristol formerly ran by the Community trust, shut by Bristol Sport(?), so the coverage of the region is patchy.

Kids do want to join BCFC, parents want their kids at academies, but other clubs do get in first, but the above is where BCFC need to compete more readily. Scouting networks are thorough through Bristol, beyond? But talent goes to where opportunity lies. City have to provide more opportunity and increase contact with its region and community.

 

something to do with coaching status or something... City is second tier?

 

Thanks Cliftonville, That's very interesting and informative. Something I was not aware. Rather concerning, your comment re Exeter!

 

It goes beyond Exeter. Development training/teams effectively pay for themselves. There is a standard to meet, but parents pay to have the kids trained by qualified coaches professionally versus, or in unison with junior club football.

Many clubs have large networks of development centres e,g. Reading running centres in Wiltshire including Swindon. Effectively they are groups of coaches under the banner of a club but working independently and if they unearth a talented player they can direct them to the parent club of the development centre.

I do not understand why City do not get involved beyond a female squad in this for instance - http://juniorpremierleague.com/clubs/ Its significantly West County based with multiple age groups - teams taking part often at one venue e.g. Yate.

 

Many things have changed with all aspects of the game since I left in 1975 and I read your comments with relish (not mustard) and wonder why Bristol City are so amiss in their approach. Am I getting the wrong impression or do you think City could go further up this food chain with more thought and commitment or is it just another example of us missing the boat? When I look at all the players over the years who have left us for better things it makes me ask what is so wrong down at Ashton Gate that makes them leave? Are the current issues on the pitch indicative of the same problem that we rarely seem to get it right in most departments, and why is that happening because if I didn't know any better I would say that we focus on the wrong things and forget the most important.

 

Sounds like a question of you reap what you sew- Cant have any complaints if we don't invest properly-

 

And we never will if every time we get a manager who gets results and win trophies is sacked for speaking his mind

 

But he wasn't getting results and we were lower in the table then we are now when he was sacked

 

Southampton have a proud history of reaching finals of major competitions, have played at the top level for much of their existence, and have supplied the England team with top players on a regular basis since the 1960s.
They are a very respected club throughout Europe, and currently one of our top 10 in England.

Their reputation is huge compared to ours as a club to be reckoned with.
If we were to be regarded as them we would need 10 years in the Premiership, and success in the major cup competitions, plus a couple of good runs in Europe. If we had put together a youth system that produced some of England's brightest Premiership footballers over 10 years, then we would be achieving what you (and I) would want.
But the reality is I'm afraid we are closer to Burnley than Southampton in that respect and right now probably closer to Rochdale in terms of the pulling power for players younger AND older

 

When we were finishing the season as champions of League one and double winners, Cotterill went to Lansdown and asked for some money to start bringing in new players for the coming Championship season. Lansdown refused him when Cotts could have brought in Championship class players at good prices, and when it became clear that we were heading for trouble towards the end of the summer transfer window, Lansdown panicked and opened his wallet with ridiculous bids for players who were outside our scope anyway.
Why would Andre Gray want to come to Ashton Gate when he knew his own worth ? It was a panic measure to save face because Lansdown knew he had cased us up.
Cotterill got short changed after bringing us silverware, and for me that is unforgivable

Possibly the second biggest mistake of Lansdown's reign

 

It all sounds like a good conspiracy theory but I've yet to see or hear any evidence that this actually happened

 

Cotterill himself said it in early May of that summer, just prior to going off on holiday.
Well there was no point in staying here was there

 

Southampton youth system has been very successful for thirty years plus, it was honed further by Marcus Liebherr’s when in charge. Mr Lansdown has the wealth to attempt similar.

If Southampton's league status is that youth systems pathway to success, then it should not work as cohesively. Southampton produce players for the XI regardless of division and proximity to London. Their very best in Shearer and Bale could hardly be described as locals.

One of Bales coaches lives in Bristol. Still coaches Who is he scouting/working for? It is not City. Need to get cuter BCFC.

Do not underestimate the pulling power of opportunity. Southampton start at the very bottom looking at six year olds. City?

Southampton start at the bottom with nine year olds and offer educational opportunities outside of football. City? Well they do to a lesser degree.

1v1 coaching hours in academies and development centres ? Southampton do more ... Already touched on Citys lack of opportunity for kids outside of academies ( that's the 99.9% of the population)..

The facilities and opportunity City offer are far closer to Southampton than a vast number of clubs. Get those opportunities wider and more widespread and City will benefit. Parents want their kids at academies, they want the best for them, where things feel right, they are welcome, and that can be at their local clubs instead of travelling eighty miles away regularly as Southampton's kids around Bristol initially based in Bath/Keynsham will be expected to do.

 

bet the poor sod doesn't know where he is, no sooner is he there then hes recalled and the swedes find out by twitter, laughable.!

 

He hadn't left yet? and the deal must have not been completesd .. earliest recall was in the summer?

 

http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/876759587?-1007:836:0 make of it what you will.