Dave, all those bits in bold me and warky have been basically saying (although not as well put as KOPR), the fact that you and supers were too busy trying to get into points scoring mode and getting all unnecessary to understand that isn't my problem.
you jest i'm sure but in all honesty he's the best thing they've got at that club and the only person i feel sorry for over the cat1 failure
I doubt either club will be producing a conveyor belt of players because this whole category 1 thing will soon disappear following a few seasons in this league. Plus, coming from the FA it is bound to be a load of ill advised rubbish anyway. I personally think they should have started with the lower leagues and totally revamped how they play. Leagues One and Two should consider being semi pro, reduce the wages of the players and make the coaches the big earners to progress and move on. Those divisions are never going to be hotbeds of talented players as things stand, the priority should be a hotbed of bright young and innovative coaches. Allowed to change things to how they want it and allowed to focus on improving players as opposed to results. I always have the impression there are far too many dull and one dimensional people in far too many important positions, the British game is full of them
Although we would all love to see 11 local lads turn out for our respective teams, it doesnt really mean anything or matter does it. Theoritically we could do away with our academy, save loads of cash and just pick up players when they the big boys release them like they do with 10's of decent youngsters every summer. Realistically most years only 1 or 2 will progress into the first team picture anyway In addition it has been said that we would just get the dregs but just by comparing two of our players it doesnt really mean much. Tyrone Mings picked up from Chippenham Town & Vasseli picked up from Man Utd academy after they pinched him off Man Citys academy. In theory Vasseli should be head and shoulders above Mings but Mings is constantly around the first team squad and Vasseli has never featured. I also think the massive structure of some academies may also be seem as a disadvantage. If you read reports of the likes of Chelsea's academy then there are literally 100's of young players all going through the same system. They can and do sign the best of the best but most are lost through the system. If I had a promising son (or daughter) then i would much prefere that they spent their teenage years progressing at a smaller size club, as long as the facilities and staff were there rather than at one of the big boys. This isnt a dig at Norwich as I wouldnt consider you to be one of the 'chew them up and spit them out' brigade just that from my point of view whilst missing out on cat 1 by such a stupidly small percentage is both frustrating and seems somewhat careless I dont think it neccasarily means a major problem. We cant go and take players from a wider area but it also doesnt mean that we will automatically miss out on the ones that are within our reaches.
