It's blindly ridiculous. Clegg keeps talking about players from the north east for some reason. Darren Bent wasn't local and neither was Connor Wickham let alone Gazza and Ruud Gullit having trials as kids when Robson was at Portman Road. Clegg's way of running a business is so near-sighted if he'd started up Greggs he'd still only have one shop.
I really had no idea those two were at PR on trial! Why did they not get taken on, I would imagine they both had talent from a very early age!
Gaza was deemed to be too boisterous and not able to take instructions, Gullit at that young age was too small and didn't show enough talent! Just goes to show what a difference a few years can make! Mind you in Gaza's case when did ever do what he was told? Yorkie, Darren Bent comes from Huntingdon!
As Bobby once said there aren't many places in East Anglia to look at only the North Sea and there's only fish there! That's why we went over to Holland and formed great associations with the Dutch clubs like FC Twente, Alkmaar and Eindhoven. We have had some fantastic players from Holland over the years Arnie, Frans, Reuser, Petta and thats where we should be looking now!
I didn't realise but we actually got Frans and Arnie AND half a million in exchange for Talbot. All this stuff about needing to spend money on transfers doesn't ring true at all.
I think I'm right in thinking that we got Arnie for £150k and Frans for £200K! We sold Talbot to Arsenal for £450K so we came out £100k in profit! Bobby was an absolute genius!
Its so hard to believe now but Bobby only bought 14 players in 13 years that he was manager and he made a big fat profit! A lesson to be learnt in these financially austere times!
We rightly praise Bobby Robson, a tremendous manager, and motivator of teams, whose tactical knowledge was top class. However think we might not be critical enough of his failings, surely 14 players in 13 years caused a lot of problems, with bigger squads, we surely should have won the league in 1981, and we should have won it on other occasions as well. A bigger squad would also have increased competition, and given vital rest to players.
We should be looking further afield for young players and Holland would be a great place due to its location and there is great technically gifted young players who would definately be able to perform well overhere. Yes I am bothered that we have gone for the lesser option but we just have to get on with it.
jwm, you can add fabian wilnis to your list of great dutch players we have had. was and still is an absolute legend!
Can't say I'm surprised we went for cat 2. I just hope the money saved is invested into the playing squad to help us get promotion where, if we can consolidate ourselves in the prem, we will surely upgrade at that time. It doesn't spell the end of the academy but more put it on the back burner whilst we concentrate on getting out of the league.
