This from the Small Heath Brum board. 'Southampton have sold their reserve right back to Villa, and brought our prized asset and made a profit. Get these clowns out this club.' Quite funny, and I don't mean in a cruel gloaty way.
They are a bit out of touch/thick. "Southampton were pretty desperate to strengthen their forward line and had outlined Che as their man many months ago. They also have ****e loads of money" I wish.
Always liked Targett. Not sure what kind of football Vila play these days, but Targett could do well for them, and the alleged up to £17m fee may seem like we under priced him.
I'd take £17m for both left back Targett and his fictional twin, the right back Targett if I'm being completely honest. He isn't a bad player, but neither is he someone I'm concerned about losing.
I think some Saints fans over value our players if they are homegrown, or at least don’t want them to leave because of that. I’d love Saints to have lots of homegrown players and be aiming for Nicola’s original target; there something special about one you’ve nurtured yourself. However we need to be careful. If they’re not good enough, or they’re only good enough to be ok and not take us forwards, then we need to be looking elsewhere. I think our famed academy has a little bit of myth status about it. I don’t believe it has been super special in recent years. Hopefully it is turning a corner again now.
Our Academy has two purposes....to turn out first team players (and indirectly save us money) and to provide us with income from sales (with ongoing money if they are a success and get sold on again). Not seen any sums done, but I suspect that we are more than balancing the books and we have had a few Academy players come through recently. Superstars are rarer creatures. I am also proud of the fact that a couple of managers have remarked on our youngsters being good people and no trouble....I like the idea that we are turning out decent people...young footballers with money can go down the wrong path. We can't compete with the big boys in the sense that there is glamour attached to being at United or Chelsea, but we have the USP that our youngsters have a decent shot at consideration for the first team. And that is where a manager like Ralph fits in.
They can also make us money if they are not a success (depending if your definition of success is “making it” in the first team), by being sold off to lower league clubs. Gallagher, for example.
It is a difficult one this - I'd probably say an academy player has been a success if they make it as a professional footballer. Then as you quite rightly say, all the players we produce and move on for a few million have at least recuperated what we have paid in wages.
Gallagher never made passed the stage of being a possible Premier league player. Given enough games and a decent run then maybe. However the desperate situation we have been in over the last couple of seasons has meant that we needed someone to hit the ground running. Something that hasn't really happened. If he does go then the best of luck to him.
I think that pre-season and the squad list for next season will give us a better idea of which youngster has a good chance of progessing here under Ralph.
There are way too many variables in an individual footballers career to prove or disprove an academies mystique As long as we continue to give young players chances then we’ll have a better reputation over Chelsea or Man City in this regard(even if they have the better talents)
From Wiki... "Since retiring from football, Moran has worked for an internet company and as a lorry driver based in Yorkshire."
