I know he is a youngster but anyone know how good he is, what position he plays etc Just saw an article (probably bs) linking him to Man Utd and Arsenal and we rate him highly.
no idea and in all honesty I've given up on us producing anything because we never ever do it's getting ridiculous
Agree. It's a ********* mess. Who to blame ? Beardsley ? Haven't a clue who's responsible but nothing worthwhile coming through, and even to Championship level, thats appalling
Where in defence does Lewis Gibson play? We ought to be promoting 2-3 players a year to the first team and if this isn't happening something isn't right.
I mean if you look at Southampton for instance they are churning them out. What can they be doing that is so different as we literally bring no quality academy players through to the 1st team.
Southampton's academy seem to focus it's energy on developing the technical side of the player's game and that is what works so well for them.
Don't know if you mean squad as opposed to team but either are, in my view, unrealistic and unlikely. Don't even think S'ton have been doing that. I agree the youth set up is a mess but this is partly due to falling behind others on the Academy front which over the next few years we will hopefully start to make up. Notwithstanding last point I do agree more players should be coming through but even one a season would be a relative success.
Is he French? Can he do a step over? does he use a months supply of gel in his hair? If the answer to these questions is no, Carr don't rate him
Have to agree here too. Lets walk before we can run. Getting one a year would be a massive achievement for this club. It would also help us no end. The ideal of course is for them to break through in batches. That is massive for a club. It is not so easy in the way we are set up in England. We have so many foreign players from every corner of the planet. In Germany or Spain you might get one promoted in the top clubs each year, the lower down you get you may get a few more. They have a genuine commitment to development from within. They are concentrated more on football. Here it is more influenced by the business. The fear of losing out on money drives clubs to take the easier option of buying in a player who will probably be ready in 6 months if not sooner, rather than developing a player and accepting his mistakes. Risk and reward comes into it big time. There is not an easy solution to that outside of having a rule on how many must come from here. That rule looks unlikely and the PL would fight it with every fibre as they don't want anything damaging the product they have carefully constructed. The only other way round it is to have the situation in Spain or Germany where there is a kind of responsibility shown without a need for rules. A genuine commitment to sustainable growth of football talent in the country. The money swilling around in our game means it is sustainable without having to commit to such things. What you do need is flag bearers. Perhaps Armstrong and Gibson could be the first to lead the way. You get players getting opportunities, you then get a better class of player coming into your system too because you are then viewed as a club who give players a chance like Palace or West Ham previously or, Middlesbrough, or Southampton do. Players then want to come because you develop that reputation. You have to create that buzz that the facilities are top notch, the coaching is top notch and the opportunity is there. We don't have that reputation. Much is made of Sunderland's fantastic facilities and academy, but they have produced very little also. Pickford looks like he will make it. He could be the start of things for them. Middlesbrough on the other hand have a long term reputation through Woodgate, Downing, Cattermole, Wheater, Johnson, Gibson, Brunt, Graham, Morrison, Bennett, Turnbull - not masses and masses of high level quality, but a lot of players making their way in the professional ranks and at least 6 or 7 who go on to be full internationals doing a fine job at the highest level. Middlesbrough and Southampton is what the likes of Sunderland and Newcastle need to aspire to be. Even Sunderland are a little ahead of us. We're behind and it will take time to build the reputation but it can be done. Outside of football look at Durham Cricket Club. They have produced a production line of bowlers for England. The talent is out there locally - it just needs harnessed.
