Arsenal Academy released Harry Kane, Chelsea Academy released Declan Rice, Celtic Academy released Andy Robertson, Wednesday Academy released Jamie Vardy, it happens all the time, we picked up Tom Cairney after he was deemed not good enough by Leeds.
Even so, the reality is that if we're lucky 2/3 of the 21s squad each year will make the first team. But you still have to fill the 21s squad out.
Apparently We signed messi before barca but decided he couldnt be used for hoofing it So released him So they say
I see your point but they were all released by top academies, I’m not sure the same can be said for Bradford’s
Did Bradford actually release him? Or has he just signed for us instead of them at the end of his contract?
Released. Sellars is making a habit of picking up players from them now. We’ve had 3 in since he came in and 2 have since been released already
Just seems strange that he would be making appearances for their first team at that age and then released a few weeks later. As for the others, most players that age don't make it so I don't think it's a terrible failure if we've released two of them a year on. Tinsdale and Sellers-Fleming seem to be doing pretty well, not sure where they came from.
Vaughn Covil was released by Forest Green then became a key member of our championship topping team until he picked up that nasty injury.
I could be wrong but they’ve mentioned about turning the u21s into essentially Hull City B team similar to how Brentford have done.
The academy policy at the minute is bring in U21s/youth players that have played mens football at any level in. Harry Vaughan was one of these as was Sellars-Fleming. This Alfie Gaston would be one of them as is/was the young right backs we were linked with last year; Sam Curtis (went to Sheff U), Sean Brown (currently linked with), Gergo Bodnar (went to Hungary) and the two Derry players: Daithi McCallion and Conor Barr. I think I saw an article that implied that we would see quicker turnover of youth players. The idea is that is a smaller step up to the first team or partner club (Shelborne, Maribor etc). They either make it for us, prove the can play pro or move on. I think the club know that similar to the Bruce era, if promotion is the goal its much harder for kids to make it through. Remember we let Cairney and Cooper go in that era and brought it more established players. Might not completely agree with the approach but at least its a deliberate approach.
Brentford B don’t partake in the elite premier league development program. Theres a good article explaining their reasoning and practice here. I don’t know if we intend to do the same but we seem to be doing a lot similar in find older off cuts of lower league teams https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3355236/2022/07/18/brentford-academy-b-team/
Our U21s currently only has 11 players and with Tyrell Sellars-Fleming, Henry , Andy Smith Rocco Coyle and Sincere Hall training with the first team, we’re probably looking to pad out the numbers a little bit.
Speaking of Brentford, just seen that Arsenal have signed Raya on a permanent after loaning him from them last season. I suppose that deal is a precedent for what Barcelona supposedly want to do with Jaden. We've been wondering why City would agree to a loan first, and the same would've applied to Brentford agreeing to a loan first in this case. There must've been something in it for them.
Hull City taking a closer look at Liverpool starlet as Tigers eye deal - Hull Live (hulldailymail.co.uk)
