The demise of the Academy?

[OCD]

Barcelona's youth system would be something better to aspire to.

[NiiLamptey]

Could we buy walsall football club and use it as a B team?

That way the football philosphy could be managed across the 2, we get a 2nd team and all our players go out on loan together!

[dave.woodhall]

Could we buy walsall football club and use it as a B team?

That way the football philosphy could be managed across the 2, we get a 2nd team and all our players go out on loan together!

God foirbid that could ever happen.

[cjm]

Our academy is excellent and it will only be invested in more in coming years. Especially as our scouting system improves.
Some think it should be a machine spitting out wonderkids every few months, but that's not realistic.

The odd wonderkid will come along every now and then, but if we're producing good players that are either of use to us or are sold for decent money, it should be considered a success in my opinion. We have one of the best around and it should be developed further until its the best in the country and one of the best in Europe.

I think that's the thing. for clubs its about producing one or two players and hoping that get to first team standard. If not for us then for a lower league club. Money brought in vindicates the Academy. for fans its about getting a wonderkid which is rarely likely to happen. Every academy , or young player coming through is generally compared to Man Us youth-team of the 90s that churned out top players at premiership and international level. That was a perverse oddity and not likely to be seen anywhere again.

our Academy is bringing a lot of players through. Some get a lower league career some even play in the Prem. I think most clubs would look at us with more than a touch of envy/respect.

I would have to agree with this. Although we obviously would love to see dozens of first team regulars making it from the Academy, that's not realistic and the Academy system is about much more than that. Aston Villa are about more than just the first team, although that's what it's all built upon, it's also serves a wider purpose in the community and the Academy is a big part of that, giving youngsters in the area and from further afield a chance to get an education and a football education too which gives them a chance of a career in the game.

I bet if you spoke to any of the academy coaches they would be just as proud of those youngsters who have come through the system to then enjoy careers in the lower leagues or careers in or around football, even if they are not star names or earning millions, they are still making a living thanks to the upbringing they got through the Villa Academy. I think we should all be proud of the impact the Academy can have on the huge numbers of youngsters who come through it, even if they don't go on to have careers with Villa.

[Percy McCarthy]

You read my mind cjm, well put.

[Dante Lavelli]

The cost of running the academy (and other infrastructure costs) are excluded from the new Financial Fair Play.
Whether the FFP rules will ever be enforced is another matter but regardless it is another reason to plough on and possibly even expand our expenditure in the yoof.