The demise of the Academy?

[LeeB]

I think Lambert will work harder to get promising players out on loan, so they can make that leap from the reserves to the first team.

He'll be the making of our academy.

[Steve R]

Whether we have produced a clutch of thoroughbreds or not, we'd be pretty fucked right now but for the contribution from the academy players over the last two seasons.

All the same, I'd agree with the notion that it has produced a higher than average number of PL players. Well worth it.

If there is a problem it is probably reserve team football. It doesn't extend players enough. Maybe things would have panned out differently for the Moore brothers - and on or two others - if at 19 they had faced stiffer competition more often.

Maybe the new u-21 league will help.

Wenger may make good use of the loan system, but his 'academy' tends to include a lot of players raided from elsewhere with physical strength seemingly one of the criteria for selection. It's a lot easier for such players to command a regular starting spot in as 19/20 year old loanees.

If I have one criticism of out academy it is that the best players from the area this last few years - Joleon Lescott, Sturridge and now Redmond - have slipped through our fingers for whatever reason.

Maybe it's bad luck or maybe we should look at recruitment/scouting.

[Caiphus]

Upping the scouting in Europe should mean we get a few more high quality youngsters into the academy that will raise the standard of the place too.  Theoretically it doesn't push local youth out it should raise the standard of the youth we have in place, especially if they are confident they will get a chance if they are good enough.

[Legion]

Sturridge's parents wanted an excessive amount of money for us to retain him. We refused so he went elsewhere.

[Walmley_Villa]

Sturridge's parents wanted an excessive amount of money for us to retain him. We refused so he went elsewhere.

Must follow in the family as he is greedy sod.

[Apyadg]

The academy just showed its worth off yet again today.

Lichaj, Clark, Bannan, Weimann and then Gabby all putting in excellent performances. We have one of the best academies around and it doesn't matter who's in charge or who that manager buys, the academy will always bring through talent for the first team. That's something we can really be proud of.

Lichaj and Weimann joined when they were 19, and Bannan at 18. I'm not sure how much credit our academy can take for them.

[AlwaysAVFC]

Sturridge's parents wanted an excessive amount of money for us to retain him. We refused so he went elsewhere.

Must follow in the family as he is greedy sod.

I've met Sturridge's Dad(albeit briefly), seemed a bit of a nob flashing his/his son's cash about and acting generally what you would expect from an arrogant modern footballer

[Mazrim]

The academy just showed its worth off yet again today.

Lichaj, Clark, Bannan, Weimann and then Gabby all putting in excellent performances. We have one of the best academies around and it doesn't matter who's in charge or who that manager buys, the academy will always bring through talent for the first team. That's something we can really be proud of.

Lichaj and Weimann joined when they were 19, and Bannan at 18. I'm not sure how much credit our academy can take for them.

Lichaj was 18, Weimann 16 and Bannan 14. So a fair bit.

[Boz]

Sturridge's parents wanted an excessive amount of money for us to retain him. We refused so he went elsewhere.

Must follow in the family as he is greedy sod.

I've met Sturridge's Dad(albeit briefly), seemed a bit of a nob flashing his/his son's cash about and acting generally what you would expect from an arrogant modern footballer

Not unusual with parents of a young sons elevation to the big money, they often seem to think they've earned some refected glory. Bit of a nob sums them up nicely 

[ktvillan]

I don't think anyone expects the academy to churn out superstars every few months. But it would be nice to unearth a genuine major star player every now and then, which many of the other major clubs have managed to do, some of them unearthing several.  The closest we've come is Cahill who is about the only one to be eventually) snapped up by a club competing at the top level and establish himself as a regular in the England set up.   

[paul_e]

I don't think anyone expects the academy to churn out superstars every few months. But it would be nice to unearth a genuine major star player every now and then, which many of the other major clubs have managed to do, some of them unearthing several.  The closest we've come is Cahill who is about the only one to be eventually) snapped up by a club competing at the top level and establish himself as a regular in the England set up.   

As I said earlier, the academy is about getting players to a certain point.  That bit is working perfectly, Starting from the back we have Lichaj, Clark, Baker, Gardner, Johnson, Bannan, Albrighton, Carruthers, Weimann, Burke and the Fonz who are all around the first team squad (bar the Fonz who was until he went on loan).

The issue that exists is in the converting of that potential talent into genuine quality.  Every player listed there has shown enough in flashes to have people think they can make it in this league, and most of that list will probably have at least decent premier league careers but, due to the issues in the club, I don't think any of them have come even close to their peak currently, if we can get 2-3 of that lot to close to their top potential we'll have done well, if we can get the system right for the next batch we could do even better going forward.

[OCD]

In terms of converting potential, they've not exactly been helped by a succession of managers who were either reluctant to give  young players a chance or were so crap that they mis-used them and the side was poor. Provided that Lambert can stick around for a good number of years and the philosophies and infrastructure that are put in place during his stay remain, we should see promising young players adapt to the first team.

[garyshawsknee]

Yeah,being thrown in at the deep end,in a team with an all time low lack of confidence,coached by a manager with very little coaching ability,must have really harmed the young-uns last season. We'll have a far better idea by the end of this season,who is gonna make it out of the Bannan era crop of players.

[Percy McCarthy]

It's been great watching the reserves sweep all before them the last few years, especially Bazza. I'd love them to all make it.

[sonlyme]

Am I alone in this.....

I can't see the point in this post?