Everyone seems to believe this, but by what measure are we better now? Last time we were in the Championship we had more of our own youngsters actually playing in the first team than we have done in more recent times. We had a weaker first team then so maybe that's a reason, but given that the closest anyone has got since then is Greg Luer, who's what 21, signed him from somewhere else and doesn't seem anywhere near getting a real chance in the first team, how can anyone claim the gap has closed? That's my point.
The fact that we have products of our youth team littered around the 5th to 2nd tiers is evidence that things are slowly - but surely - improving. As had been said many times, it will be years before the academy is into full swing. That's kids benefitting from the better footballing education from a young age when they first enter. A year and a bit training at bishop burton and half a year playing against better development sides isn't going to turn the current lot into future premier league stars. We've a strong squad and a lot of competition for places. Does anyone really think any of the current lot are good enough to play in a squad like this and genuinely offer something? If they were, other sides would be queuing to take them on loan or whatever. Nobody is. I don't see the point in giving token gestures throwing kids in for a bit who aren't currently and likely will never be good enough. Who would pick Dixon ahead of Meyler, Livermore or Huddlestone? Who would pick Luer ahead of Hernandez, Diame, Akpom or anyone else who ever occupies one of those forward spots? Cairney and Cooper should definitely have been given more chance than they were showed by fatty admittedly. Cooper was ****ed off right away despite impressing over plenty of game time, and we all knew Cairney had magic ability but was constabtly shunned by Bruce in favour of bang average runners like Quinn. But Bruce does sign a lot of younger players so I don't think he's got an issue with giving youth a chance, the likelihood is they just aren't good enough at the minute.
I hope he can come through the set up, but I remember Max Clark getting a call up at a similar age, and his development has stalled massively. Has he even had a loan move yet?
