http://outsideoftheboot.com/2015/11...on-products-bale-walcott-and-shearer-feature/ Article about players who came through our Academy. I admire the author for at least noticing that our present situation has produced a hiatus in players coming through, but with hopes for some in the wings. Get a bit fed up when pundits talk about us getting Academy players into our first team....like it to be true, but at the moment it isn't...so just shows they are not really looking at us but talking about the past. P.s. Not overly worried about this gap because it has been created by a few Academy players being sold...in a different world, we would have Shaw, Chambers and Lallana still in our first team with JWP.
http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/arti...outhampton-professional-contract-2782031.aspx Tyreke Johnson signs professional contract.
You can see the target of 5 youth products in the first team is setting the bar pretty high, esp as Ron has the added pressure of beating last years position. The key is if we can keep hold of the really good prospects, I can see 4 or so on loan or in the u21 team that could be first team squad material. Some one said on here the u18 squad offered pretty thin pickings and they had a terrible start to the season, yet 3 players have caught my eye in the limited TV footage I have seen. I can see some u21 being added to the first squad from next season
Would they include Tyreke Johnson and Olomola? They certainly caught my eye for the u21s last time out.
Getting 5 into the first team has been mentioned. The gap at the moment has been created by losing our youngsters...Lallana, Shaw, Chambers and JWP would all be in our first team squad otherwise. Be better to judge in a few years time when hopefully a few more may be coming through and we may be in a position to keep some.
Y Yes, the Acadamy has been too successful in that it not only produced players good enough for Saints first team, but for Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool's first teams. It doesn't matter though, as we got top dollar and bought well. You can't force players to sign a new contract and stay out of gratitude.
http://www.skysports.com/football/n...e-most-youth-academy-graduates-in-their-squad Surprised but pleased that we are still up the top of the list of PL clubs with most academy players in first team squad. Shocking how low some of the other clubs numbers are. Hang your head in shame Man City.
The main difference is that most of our youngsters have been with the club since they were around 10 years old, Spurs and Arsenal cherry pick a lot of their 'academy' youngsters from other clubs when they are 16 or 17, the same goes for chelsea and city.
