Saints Academy Thread

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Gomes Rodriguez apparently choosing between Benfica and Arsenal. If he goes to Benfica then I think we get absolutely nothing
 
Yep. Literally no point in running an academy these days.

All the good ones leave, and the odd decent one who is convinced to stay doesn't ever get given a chance in the 1st team, instead preferring dross like Mara & Sulemana.
 
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We never bring through good GKs!! But yeah, there is no point in keeping an eye on any of them. If they’re considered a top talent they’ll be off.
 
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Saints Fan4Life said:
Literally no point in getting excited about any of these young lads. Not a single one will play for us.
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Yeah they need to fall into a very niche category of not too good to leave before they would play for us and not too **** to be able to play for us. Haven’t had anyone fall into that category for awhile
 
Saints Fan4Life said:
Literally no point in getting excited about any of these young lads. Not a single one will play for us.
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I've been to one youth match in my life - we lost on penalties, I think it was the 2005-06 SF, around the time of Bale and Lallana - and that's pretty much the full extent of my interest in our academy. Obviously I want youngsters to succeed in the game, and go on and fulfill their potential etc. But I can't say that I've ever found myself excited about who is in our academy.

I suppose it's partly because I couldn't really care less whether a Saints first team player comes from Bitterne or Barnsley.

I definitely wouldn't go as far as your earlier point in saying that there's no point in running academies. But I do think that, as a fan, it isn't worth focusing too much on what is being produced.
 
st_brendy said:
I've been to one youth match in my life - we lost on penalties, I think it was the 2005-06 SF, around the time of Bale and Lallana - and that's pretty much the full extent of my interest in our academy. Obviously I want youngsters to succeed in the game, and go on and fulfill their potential etc. But I can't say that I've ever found myself excited about who is in our academy.

I suppose it's partly because I couldn't really care less whether a Saints first team player comes from Bitterne or Barnsley.

I definitely wouldn't go as far as your earlier point in saying that there's no point in running academies. But I do think that, as a fan, it isn't worth focusing too much on what is being produced.
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See I'm the opposite. I've always been so proud of our academy and the pathway weve always produced, producing players for our first team. I used to love seeing players coming through and getting into the first team regularly. Seeing the likes of Bale, Walcott, JWP etc into our first team from boys to men, and onwards to bigger clubs.

Following these young lads from scholars to first team regulars has always excited me, and always made proud that our club was different to most.

But it just doesn't happen anymore. I just can't get excited about it anymore, knowing they'll either leave or just wont be given a chance.
 
My pennies worth ...

Football clubs will do everything in their power to source, secure and retain the best youngsters. It's a brutal system that treats kids (with stars in their eyes) as pawns in a much bigger game. I see no reason why any kid should be loyal to a club that develops them because said club is just as likely to drop them like a stone. It's a dog eat dog system. I wish it wasn't like that, but it is.

My youngest son is 8 and his best friend has now signed for Saints. He was part of the U9s team that was paraded at St.Marys during HT at the end of the season (I think the Stoke game?). Prior to that he was already part of the setup but having reached this age it's now contractual. He's no longer allowed to play football for any other team and therefore had to leave his Saturday and Sunday sides. They have guidelines on what he can and can't do outside of the Saints setup (not just football, other sports too) and he's expected to leave school early to travel to games. Effectively he's now 'controlled' by Saints. It's pretty demanding, he's just a kid at primary school at the end of the day! Will he 'make' it? He's amazing and I hope he does, but so much will change in the coming 10 years and we all know that the odds are stacked against kids making it.

Having said the above, being involved in grass roots football with my sons, I can say that everything has moved on leaps and bounds to when I was their age back in the 80s and 90s. Football is a much better place for children to grow, in safeguarded environments. As a country, I believe we're seeing the fruits of the labour that the FA put in place around 15 or so years ago. This is the wonderful side of it all, the parts outside of the academies, where kids just want to play football with their friends and to have fun. It's a joy to be a part of.
 
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Meghoma also playing, but not really a shock considering the arrival of Taylor and Larios back fit, similar to Ballard in that senior players ahead in his position, as I’m expecting us to only play one striker
 
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