The Echo report that 10 sports academies are planned for China building on Saints reputation in this area, so sounds like the owners are still seeing our Academy as a Saints USP.
I wonder if Rickie and Matt will get royalties for this...obviously they give up these rights when they play for us, but is this in perpetuity. Be nice to see SRL around the place if he becomes involved in promotions. Our glory days....let's all go and live in the past.
So basically their big plans for China depend on us staying up and they think we should be bringing in seasoned pros to help us get there? Not like there was a transfer window where they could've gone out and got a couple of them to help us stay up. "Extraordinary competitive PL season"
I'm taking a relatively positive stance because that is my normal fall back position which I am unable to achieve at the moment with regard to the league. Our immediate future is like standing with a broken umbrella in a thunderstorm, but there is someone with a candle standing on the horizon and I propose staggering towards him as the only option.
Relegation or not, questions need asking regards our ownership. If he does not have the right backing or plan, staying up would only be delaying the heartache. So, I'm hoping the silver lining is we find out we are in capable hands. I'd rather know sooner, than later.
Hojbjerg bednarek and sims have been highlights this season. It's the long contracts for our seasoned pros and selling our talent that's done it for us imo. Young talent has motivation, our current crop don't.
When I hear “seasoned pro” I hear old and near the end of their career. Since this is from China maybe that is not what they meant. Most of our starting 11 each week has experience. How many we have next year is a fine question but I certainly would not want to add 5 or 6 end of their career type players, unless of course Messi or Ronaldo wanted a new challenge. I’d rather keep a core of proven players we have and get more youngsters in either from the academy or outside.
Whatever division we are in, I like the idea of bringing in seasoned pros, so long as there is a decent balance with a few younger players. Having watched the U23s last night, (from the 30minute mark) I’m not sure many of them will be strong enough, physically, to make their mark in truly competitive games, because we seem to have cornered the market in small players. Small players need to be decent players to overcome their lack of physicality, and I’m not sure if the ones we have are better than League 1, with a few exceptions. I think we may have to change most of our squad, especially if relegated and the majority of decent players move on, because our U23s won’t be good enough.
That’s because they are U23 players. Gareth Bale was nearly let go because he was considered ‘too small’
The gamble over growth rate is mainly made, I would guess, when giving them their first professional contract, around the age of 16. I don’t have a problem with that. If they think they are good enough they take the risk and sometimes it pays off. I am only pointing out that many of the group we currently have in the U23s, have possibly finished their growth in regards to height, owing to their ages, and they are being bullied by players from their own age group who are physically superior. It’s just an observation.
Had a smile when I heard the Chinese interview on TV and their statement that it was unrealistic to expect to win the league but realistic to target a top 10 place. It’s a realistic statement (as was Ralph’s about us being a small club) but will undoubtedly upset some. Probably the same ones who got wound up by Les Reed talking of Champions League ambitions. I like to think they’ve spotted a flaw in our recent strategy of bringing in young foreign players to supplement our academy. One or two worked out well (Schneiderlin, Højbjerg and Mane) but far too many have underperformed having secured lucrative contracts - Boufal, Gardos, Ramirez and Lemina to name just 4 - there are at least 8 or 9 others. Incidentally, what happened to that guy Schneiderlin?
It’s an interesting debate. One which only time will tell if they’re good enough. I suspect, though, there is actually a training plan and diet that focusses on developing skills first and physicality second. Incidentally, I did hear a few years back that the under 14 group were the best the club has ever had and they will feature in some of th academy teams next season. Some may already be breaking through. Exciting times!
gardos is 29 and lemina 24, if you start naming them then you have to include the likes of wanyama, rodriguez and virgil. who were also around the 23 yrs mark when joining.
Gareth had issues with growing pains. He was never "too small", in fact, his body was growing at a rapid rate, causing muscular and bone problems. He was literally in pain when he played football. His talent was never in doubt, it was just the fact that he barely played and it was fortunate that when the decision was made to keep him, his body had settled down.
Fair point. The problem with Forums is you talk as you were down the pub and sometimes pick the wrong name (I meant Forren not Gardos - who admittedly wasn’t much younger but CBs often develop later ) but take your point on Lemina
