Rudy Gestede - GONE

[JUAN PABLO]

Gary Cahill, Craig Gardner, Mark Albrighton, Barry Bannan, Gabby Agbonlahor, Steven Davis, Gareth Barry, Ciaran Clark, Nathan Baker, Jack Grealish, Callum Robinson, Gary Gardner and Boaz Myhill are all players making a living as part of a Premier League squad.

Add to that former England striker Darius Vassell, former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger and Championship players Andreas Weimann, Eric Lichaj, Jonathan Hogg and Peter Whittingham, are there many academies that boast a much better record?

No, there isn't a Bale or a Rooney amongst them, but if we ring-fence Everton, Southampton and let's generously go with Man Utd over the same time period are there any other academies who have a better record of producing players?

You could count Daniel sturridge

[ciggiesnbeer]

I think Crew is still worth a nod when discussing youth set ups even when you take points away for Robbie Savage.

[Legion]

Gary Cahill, Craig Gardner, Mark Albrighton, Barry Bannan, Gabby Agbonlahor, Steven Davis, Gareth Barry, Ciaran Clark, Nathan Baker, Jack Grealish, Callum Robinson, Gary Gardner and Boaz Myhill are all players making a living as part of a Premier League squad.

Add to that former England striker Darius Vassell, former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger and Championship players Andreas Weimann, Eric Lichaj, Jonathan Hogg and Peter Whittingham, are there many academies that boast a much better record?

No, there isn't a Bale or a Rooney amongst them, but if we ring-fence Everton, Southampton and let's generously go with Man Utd over the same time period are there any other academies who have a better record of producing players?

You could count Daniel sturridge

You can.

[Legion]

We like big number 9's who can terrorise opposition centre halves and rough them up a bit. 

This guy looks like he should be able to deliver on that front.

I am a wee bit concerned that he's 26 (27 in October) and moved as recently as January 2014 for £200k.  Not a veteran, but he's hardly a promising young player either.

That said, some players do develop later than others.

Cant think of any?

Peter Withe was a bit of a journeyman when he went to Forest and was a spent force according to many when Villa bought him from Newcastle.

stuart pearce

Yep, it will be more rare now when you hear stories of clubs getting 9 year olds on contracts  etc.

We do that.

[UK Redsox]

I think Crew is still worth a nod when discussing youth set ups even when you take points away for Robbie Savage.

I didn't know that Columbus of MLS had much of a youth setup

[Exeter 77]

I think Crew is still worth a nod when discussing youth set ups even when you take points away for Robbie Savage.

Savage was part if the ManUre youth set which included Beckham, Scholes etc. and ended up at Crewe when they let him go - a bit like David Platt. The same happened with Neil Lennon but it was Citeh who let him go.

[peter w]

Our biggest problem is we've had the wrong focus, we've produced very good academy teams but not very good players.  On top of that we've also failed badly in the 'transition' period with players either not progressing or stalling and then going backwards.  I'd put it down to a difference in style between the academy and the first team (which is a board level problem because we've not had anyone in there with that focus until this summer) but also to poor first team coaching.  Look at all the managers under Randy and the only one before Sherwood who looked like training was important was Houllier and him trying to get the players to care led to a revolt.  If the first team coaching consists of very little skills coaching you're going to see players go backwards, which has become a bit of a trademark for us, throw academy players into that from a fairly skills intense regime they're used to and you'll see them repeatedly fall off the cliff.

Agree with that and this is where my argument for B teams in the 4th tier comes in. It helps us as a club, it also helps the player, and also helps the national side.

[DeKuip]

Gary Cahill, Craig Gardner, Mark Albrighton, Barry Bannan, Gabby Agbonlahor, Steven Davis, Gareth Barry, Ciaran Clark, Nathan Baker, Jack Grealish, Callum Robinson, Gary Gardner and Boaz Myhill are all players making a living as part of a Premier League squad.

Add to that former England striker Darius Vassell, former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger and Championship players Andreas Weimann, Eric Lichaj, Jonathan Hogg and Peter Whittingham, are there many academies that boast a much better record?

No, there isn't a Bale or a Rooney amongst them, but if we ring-fence Everton, Southampton and let's generously go with Man Utd over the same time period are there any other academies who have a better record of producing players?

Leeds.

[ktvillan]

Our biggest problem is we've had the wrong focus, we've produced very good academy teams but not very good players.  On top of that we've also failed badly in the 'transition' period with players either not progressing or stalling and then going backwards.  I'd put it down to a difference in style between the academy and the first team (which is a board level problem because we've not had anyone in there with that focus until this summer) but also to poor first team coaching.  Look at all the managers under Randy and the only one before Sherwood who looked like training was important was Houllier and him trying to get the players to care led to a revolt.  If the first team coaching consists of very little skills coaching you're going to see players go backwards, which has become a bit of a trademark for us, throw academy players into that from a fairly skills intense regime they're used to and you'll see them repeatedly fall off the cliff.

Spot on, we always seem to do well in youth cups as a team but we never seems to produce any genuine top notch individual players.   We've never produced anyone of the calibre of , for example, Rooney, Owen, Gascoigne, or Bale.

[Toronto Villa]

I think Crew is still worth a nod when discussing youth set ups even when you take points away for Robbie Savage.

I didn't know that Columbus of MLS had much of a youth setup

I think he was referring to the Rock Steady Crew.

[simon ward 50]

I think Crew is still worth a nod when discussing youth set ups even when you take points away for Robbie Savage.

I didn't know that Columbus of MLS had much of a youth setup

I think he was referring to the Rock Steady Crew.

Hey you!

[thick_mike]

I think Crew is still worth a nod when discussing youth set ups even when you take points away for Robbie Savage.

I didn't know that Columbus of MLS had much of a youth setup

I think he was referring to the Rock Steady Crew.

Hey you!

Ayew!

[pauliewalnuts]

I think Crew is still worth a nod when discussing youth set ups even when you take points away for Robbie Savage.

I didn't know that Columbus of MLS had much of a youth setup

I think he was referring to the Rock Steady Crew.

Hey you!

Ayew!

Ayew, the Gestede crew
Show em Veretout
Make a break, make a move

[thick_mike]

I think Crew is still worth a nod when discussing youth set ups even when you take points away for Robbie Savage.

I didn't know that Columbus of MLS had much of a youth setup

I think he was referring to the Rock Steady Crew.

Hey you!

Ayew!

Ayew, the Gestede crew
Show em Veretout
Make a break, make a move

:clap:

[itbrvilla]

I think Crew is still worth a nod when discussing youth set ups even when you take points away for Robbie Savage.

I didn't know that Columbus of MLS had much of a youth setup

I think he was referring to the Rock Steady Crew.

Hey you!

Ayew!

Ayew, the Gestede crew
Show em Veretout
Make a break, make a move

:clap:

:brap:brap: