Young Players

[PeterWithesShin]

And Ridgwell and Whittingham have had pretty decent careers to add to the list.

[OCD]

I see LV's point then Paul decides to remind us that we have in fact let a few decent young players go because we thought they were not good enough then they go on to secure premier league places and potentially prove they are better thn what we have currently.

Cahill is often quoted as being let go by Villa, but it was due to MON not doing anything to retain him and I understand Cahill was ambitious and wanted a guaranteed start and MON disagreed, so he let him go. Can't blame Cahill for wanting away.

O'Neill put a couple of obstacles in Cahill's way by buying Knight and Davies for the best part of £15m. Hardly encouraging for a young ambitious player. He had to go to Bolton to get regular Premier League football. Didn't Chelsea pay £20m for him? So that was £15m O'Neill's lack of faith in him brought us.

The reported figures are £7m.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16438701

His contract was running down. He had been linked with moves of £20m when there was still time on his contract.

[PeterWithesShin]

Being linked is pretty meaningless though. Ultimately no one bought him at those prices.

[footyskillz]

I see LV's point then Paul decides to remind us that we have in fact let a few decent young players go because we thought they were not good enough then they go on to secure premier league places and potentially prove they are better thn what we have currently.

Cahill is often quoted as being let go by Villa, but it was due to MON not doing anything to retain him and I understand Cahill was ambitious and wanted a guaranteed start and MON disagreed, so he let him go. Can't blame Cahill for wanting away.

Mon had a preference on defenders Collins and Dunne as well as money spent on them. Its also the case that Mon wanted defenders to defend first and leave the football to the midfielders and front runners. Cahill football style didn't fit with martins . This saw Cahill reluctantly leave. Cahill felt he offered something different and should be a centre back starter. He achieved this only by leaving . I would say he is now the best English international  centre back and having been developed by villa its a credit

[Leicester_Villian]

Clark, Baker, Albrighton, Gardner x 2, Cahill, Barry, Agbonlahor, Grealish, Weimann, All currently playing at PL clubs, all came through our youth set up ( yes I know we bought Barry).  That's 10, how many should we be producing?

How many of these are first choice players? The only one who is still up and coming but unproven is Grealish ....where are the others coming through?
How many of those would you select in a Villa side? OK Clark on current form and Cahill
My point is we sometimes kid ourselves that our youth set up is good ....it was but now seems to be going downhill

[Hoppo]

I agree with you Leicester Villian. I'm not anti Lambert on everything but the way he has mid managed the next generation winners is criminal.
Take Callum Robinson on loan at Preston scoring goals, brings him back not a minute of football, he even lets him get cup tied so can play no part tomorrow.
I know results are not everything at youth level but since Bryan Jones left the wheels seem to have come off.
It all comes under Lambers leadership.

[paul_e]

Clark, Baker, Albrighton, Gardner x 2, Cahill, Barry, Agbonlahor, Grealish, Weimann, All currently playing at PL clubs, all came through our youth set up ( yes I know we bought Barry).  That's 10, how many should we be producing?

How many of these are first choice players? The only one who is still up and coming but unproven is Grealish ....where are the others coming through?
How many of those would you select in a Villa side? OK Clark on current form and Cahill
My point is we sometimes kid ourselves that our youth set up is good ....it was but now seems to be going downhill

but the point is that we just don't know.  If in 2-3 years Grealish,  Robinson and Donacien are regulars then this 'batch' will have proven to be good as well, the issue is there's no point judging youth players until they hit 24-25, any earlier and you risk them either being a flash in the pan or writing them off too early.

[Dante Lavelli]

One thing southampton do is trust their youth system.  Their club has been geared to signing players marginally beyond their means but supplementing them with (and sticking by) homegrown players, which balances the costs out.  Tottenham on the other hand send loads of players out on loan and bring them back into the squad when they've had two/three seasons of experience.

I'm not sure what our strategy is.  We seem to build good 18 years olds but have not worked out how to ensure they're good player for us when they're 25 years old.

[Matt Collins]

For some reason the local area doesn't produce its fair share of outstanding players. Two ways to show this:

1) think about England's best ever players and then think how many had london, Manc, Scouse, Geordie and Brummie accents. We're well under represented. I can only really think of Duncan Edwards tho I'm sure there are Moreau

2) think about villa's best ever youth players. In relatively recent history of say these were: little (Geordie), cowans (county Durham / mansfield) barry (brighton) Cahill (sheffield) shaw (bham)

Don't know why and happy to stand corrected but it does seem to me the area hasn't produced what you'd expect