http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17939607 What a complete idiot. It's this short sighted type of move that will help kill grassroots. No matter how bad our finances got, Murray always said we will do our best to preserve the youth (which we did), and I think thats the right thing to do. We've created sellable assets in players such as Solly, Wagstaff, Shelvey and Elliot. Taking average journeymen on 1 year deals spells nothing but trouble.
Westley is only saying what many managers have been thinking/doing in private, I think. Preston need to get out of League 1 quickly, and introducing untested youngsters is a risk. Although I agree that disparaging the youth set-up is deplorable, there's no guarantee that Preston's academy will produce a Solly, Jenkinson or Shelvey.
There is little incentive to run a youth academy now the Premiership can poach your best products for nominal fees. Blame the spineless wimps who run the Football League, not Westley.
There is no incentive in trying to get kids playing football at a high standard if they are unfortunate enough to be missed by the Premiership clubs?
I don't think its too bad what Westley is saying, perhaps he has worded it harshly but it makes logical and financial sense. Obviously if there are youngsters there who are good enough to get the team promoted then he'll keep them, but I'm assuming finances are an issue for PNE and so the priority for them is to get out of the league. If, with the money they'd be paying a handful of raw, un-ready youngsters, they could spend instead on players with Championship experience and who are good enough to get the team promoted, then that makes perfect sense. Think about it in terms of Charlton - for every youth player who 'makes it', there are probably around 8 who do not. If we were given the choice for example, of retaining Freddie Warren, Tosan Popo and Ben Davisson, or else signing Michael Morrison (or any of our pre-season signings), then what would we choose? I'd say most of us would go for Morrison. With all that said, I'm not sure Richard Wright was the best possible signing they could have made, despite his wealth of experience being a positive factor, the fact that he'll probably retire in a year or two creates instability and no long term prospect of him developing as the team progresses (a la Ben Hamer).
It's a backwards step for the club. They have turned their back on a youth system which has given them moderate success, so in the future youngsters won't be inclined to join them and go to other teams in the area. Both us and Crewe who backed our youth systems have been rewarded with promotion, so I don't understand his notion that doing this will bring success. Both clubs POTY were also picked from the youth team. It's not a guaranteed method of success, but tearing away a youth system from a club is ripping a very large part of it, ripping it away from the community and trying to aid the local kids. A terrible decision IMO.
Hmm I know its not ideal, but from what I can tell their club is in desperate financial need, and so the sole priority is to get out of the league. I'm sure they wouldn't just turn their back on the youngsters if there is some real talent in there, but if the kids aren't good enough then they can't afford to keep them all. Many successful clubs do not rely on their academy for success, and there are no bright young stars on the horizon for PNE then their only option is to bring in fresh faces. Personally though, I think its more to do with Westley wanting to stamp his mark on the club, than a lack of belief in any of their youngsters. Perhaps this is a shortsighted approach though, think of the number of our successful youngsters who when being interviewed praised Phil Parkinson for believing in them and giving them their debut. On a side note, what do people make of Westley's signings so far?
The problem is - neglect your youth system and try the route Westley is implementing. If it fails, you will then instantly have a situation where the wage bill will need to be cut again with no sellable assets (richard wright etc) and as you haven't progressed any youth you are looking at a very dark time and another upheaval of staff, or worse - players you can't move on nor afford. Thats why Murray would never give up on the youth system, as if we failed this season we could still field players such as Gough (who has now left), Cousins, Sho Silva etc. Add those with a few loans and you will stand a fighting chance as opposed to relying on players on the wrong side of 30 who no longer have motivation for the game. A huge risk, and an unnecessary one IMO. As for his signings: Laird - Good Huntington and Welsh - decent Holmes - potential, but equally this is kind of make or break for him. Candell-Sheriff - never lived up to potential. Amoo - not a striker As for the rest, I can't really say. But where as we were signing players like Hollands, Stephens etc, you have to say their signings are nowhere near the same standard and think they will struggle again.
You make some very good points Super, and I hadn't considered it in terms of the sell-on value of their youth players I agree with your assessment of the players they've signed as a whole - they spoke recently of their one aim to achieve automatic promotion - the signings they have made seem to be mid-table quality, with a number of them the wrong age to progress in the manner we expect Stephens, Green, Morrison etc to do. Add on the fact that League One next year is going to be another tough one, they don't seem to me 'promotion contenders' just yet. It will be interesting to resurrect this thread in a years time
