The academy hasn't been abandoned and anyone who thought it wasnt a major part of the project to bring through young talent is deluded. Smith that well known Watford lad, not!!! The academy will be modified and used to meet the clubs needs which is to bring through a large bunch of young talent to sell on a high percentage as well as keep a few jewels, its just we can keep the jewels longer and develop them further than we could in the past...
I'm still unsure on where we're going with youth development. If you're looking at getting players from under-9 level to the first team in isolation, then yes, the current setup is going to have a negative impact. But I've always seen it as getting players into professional football at the level they have the potential to succeed at (that's why I spent as much time as I did compiling this list). If the Harefield partnership continues then I don't think the Pozzo model does any harm at all on that front. Also, I've said this several times but I'll say it again: in my opinion Zola doesn't pick players out of charity. Cassetti and Doyley are completely different players. Yeates has improved somewhat this season, and his role in the squad is to plug gaps when Zola feels that other players need a bit more fitness work. Neuton is a more questionable one, but it's either play him, use Doyley or Dickinson at centre back, or recall Bennett or Thompson. Getting back to youth development, Zola is playing Tommie Hoban because he believes that Hoban is as good an option as the players I mentioned in the previous sentence. Zola is playing Connor Smith because he believes that his energy adds something to the team late in the game, and that he might one day be good enough to become a regular. Zola has given Lee Hodson a go because he believes that Hodson is well suited to playing as a wing back. Okay, Cassetti is one of his favourite players, and yet he keeps calling on Doyley because, despite his obvious flaws and lack of suitability in a 3-5-2, you know exactly what you're going to get from Lloyd, and if he screws up he'll probably score. For as long as the Watford manager takes that sort of approach to team selection, rather than looking at where the player comes from, local youngsters who have the drive and talent to play for this club have nothing to fear.
That’s exactly correct Dan and I also said that. I'm not yet convinced that it will not suffer in the future though. NNW’s list is excellent at pointing out exactly how successful the Academy has been for local lads to achieve Academically and hopefully as a professional footballer with many making the grade. He also points out that Watford start young and for me this is where I believe the Academy may change over the years and they may choose to take footballers only from an older age and from all over the world. Probably a good thing for the success of the 1st XI – and there is no doubt that we will have a successful 1st XI with or without the Academy. What would prove factually whether the new owners will continue to invest in the Academy from the early age that Watford currently do would be an analysis of this Academic years intake of students at all ages and compare against past years and the next couple of years to see if the numbers alter up or down and if the % of local children is cut or increased. I hope I would be pleasantly surprised if that information was made available and showed that it had remained the same or increased. The team is going in the right direction on the pitch of that there is no doubt and I have been encouraged by the involvement on matchdays of Smith & Hoban and hope that Murray can win his place back but I really do want them to hold their pledge to keep links to the community and the Academy is crucial to that.
Looking at their season so far they will need luck, but I will watch it on ITV4 to see which position they will want to strengthen from the pool of Watford super stars.
True - Liverpool will play some younger players too who have impressed more than some of the bigger high profile ones.
That's torn it, another home defeat. http://www.watfordfc.com/news/article/121020-family-day-posh-414091.aspx
Damn I was planning to make that my first match of the season I don't like families days though always a strange atmosphere Still want to go but will have to really think about it now!
There has been some comment above about where our youth development was heading. In this article Gino Pozzo himself sets out his vision. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...ride-says-the-clubs-new-owner-Gino-Pozzo.html I would take the point that to have really good youngsters on short contracts does send out a mixed message. Also I suspect that he may have realised to have a squad the size of the current one is difficult to manage.
He is making the right noises IMO, we cannot expect immediate success but I think we should be in the mix come the end of the season Yay 5,000 posts
See Britt got another couple of goals for Southend in their 3-0 win yesterday. His loan is due to end in January, but I can see him extending it to the end of the season, possibly with an option for them to buy him at the end of the season. The clue as to him extending his loan might be on 3rd November when Southend will have their FA Cup 1st round match.
Hope you're wrong there - he appears to be one of the more successful of the Academy Kids out on loan & I really can't see us discarding him like that. I suspect that he'll return here in January and be given the opportunity to make his mark here first - he's far too good for League 2.
Will Martin Samuel take note? Probably too high brow for him. Britt really does looked powerful in League Two which is good for a young lad.
He is by far the most successful of all our players out on loan. I would lie to ssee him come back initially in January and get a run of games, either from the bench or starting, then we can assess his ability in a completely different league. If he needs more experience them im certain there will be clubs cueing up to take him on loan. Preferably a league one side to boast his learning again.
