I think it's all part of the endless search for reasons why our youngsters don't progress as well as the FA would like. The previous rules limited movement of youngsters..they were forced to train near home. The local academy could be good, bad or indifferent. The FA want defined standards for top academies and, hopefully, ensure that youngsters get the best possible training and education. The Status 1 academies won't take everyone in the country, so there will be plenty of other youngsters to train...giving a second chance to late bloomers. Only time will tell if compensation paid to smaller clubs is sufficient. Nicola rightly saw that it was essential that we achieved the highest status as this was the way things were going and he has a plan that involves a successful academy. There will be winners and losers, it is essential that we are one of the winners.
I'm sure flt wlll have something to say on this. With all the money and ****y new facilities in the world, if the archaic coaching techniques persist, nothing will improve. Probably why some of the lower-league academies with not much funding produce so much talent.
Even before our training facilitys were improved we were always going to get Catergory 1 status..., And now.. It seems ours is the UKS best academy
Would we have got it if we were not in the Premier League though? Also, didn't Crewe used to have a good academy? Anyway, hope we start to blood some of our superstars soon. No point having a wunderkid factory if we don't start using some of our wunderkids.
