Nepotism or Dynasty

[Juicebox]

After seeing another thread in the Spurs News & Views area about players you’d forgotten that had played for us, and then mentions of former players children that are now playing.

How many of these players would make it if their parent hadn’t been a professional player or are they there on merit and their family a footballing dynasty?

 

[ShipOfTheseus]

Citing of Redknapp in these contexts has Godwinesque inevitability.

 

[Juicebox]

Citing of Redknapp in these contexts has Godwinesque inevitability.

Undoubtedly, the whole Redknapp/Lampard family, although both Jamie and Frank Jr eclipsed their father's own acheivements.

Alex / Darren Ferguson (his assistant at Peterborough is Gavin Strachan...)

 

[MKSpur]

There’s only so far nepotism can carry a player, ultimately football is a results business. What you probably see is kids getting academy places initially based on their genes / connections. A kid becoming an agent or coach where there is less performance analysis / elite entry requirements would be more likely. Maybe even management but again it’s still a results business (Fergie pulled back players he’d loaned to his sons club when he got sacked, think his other son is an agent!)
If a kid has a better career than his father then I’d say that’s on merit. I think Lampard has talked about how he was abused because of suspected nepotism at West Ham and there’s a vid of a fan at a press conference saying to his face that he didn’t think he was good enough, Redknapp begged to differ and the rest as they say is history.
Kasper Schmeichel used to say how people would love telling him that he’s not as or never will be as good as dad. Doesn’t mean that he’s not earned his place as a small number of football professionals and an even smaller number who have contributed to a league title. He also had to leave City where it could be inferred he was given an opportunity not based solely on his ability and ply his trade at lower level teams before getting back to the prem by being promoted. He used to talk about playing with Tom Ince as young kids when their dads were at United.
I’d imagine for the true greats of the game the name wears heavy on the shirt, could you imagine the stick Ronaldo or Messi jr will get if they show any promise??
I’m waiting to see how Benjamin Aguero gets on, father is Sergio and maternal grandfather is Maradona!

 

[MKSpur]

When researching this:

Alonso looks exactly like his dad!


and gudjohnsen’s son looks like the daughter from Ozark!!!

 

[jts1882]

For players, it can get you a foot through the door, but they have to perform to make it at a decent level. I suspect there are journeyman players with a famous dads who probably wouldn't have made it otherwise.

Management doesn't seems as meritocratic. The little rednoses didn't do it on merit, although it probably helped that their dad used Man United youth players to give them a helping hand. But football is famous for giving names a chance (usually famous players). It's one area where football needs to get more professional.

 

[yiddo37]

The Allen's. All good/very good players, Bradley to a lesser degree perhaps.

 

[Juicebox]

There’s only so far nepotism can carry a player, ultimately football is a results business. What you probably see is kids getting academy places initially based on their genes / connections. A kid becoming an agent or coach where there is less performance analysis / elite entry requirements would be more likely. Maybe even management but again it’s still a results business (Fergie pulled back players he’d loaned to his sons club when he got sacked, think his other son is an agent!)
If a kid has a better career than his father then I’d say that’s on merit. I think Lampard has talked about how he was abused because of suspected nepotism at West Ham and there’s a vid of a fan at a press conference saying to his face that he didn’t think he was good enough, Redknapp begged to differ and the rest as they say is history.
Kasper Schmeichel used to say how people would love telling him that he’s not as or never will be as good as dad. Doesn’t mean that he’s not earned his place as a small number of football professionals and an even smaller number who have contributed to a league title. He also had to leave City where it could be inferred he was given an opportunity not based solely on his ability and ply his trade at lower level teams before getting back to the prem by being promoted. He used to talk about playing with Tom Ince as young kids when their dads were at United.
I’d imagine for the true greats of the game the name wears heavy on the shirt, could you imagine the stick Ronaldo or Messi jr will get if they show any promise??
I’m waiting to see how Benjamin Aguero gets on, father is Sergio and maternal grandfather is Maradona!

I agree with it in general that ultimately the players will only succeed if they are good enough. However, have they had a greater opportunity due to nepotism - didn't Jamie bunk off school to play football at Bournemouth as a kid?

I was watching some of the footage from Euro96 and Kasper Schmeichel was one of the mascots for the opening match.

 

[Grays_1890]

Loads who were dog awful.

Darren Ferguson has a Prem League medal I believe.

Paul Dalgliesh was awful as was Gavin Strachan

Jordi was pretty average compared to a normal player let alone against his dad but he he did have a decent end and earned cult status at Alaves I think it was.

Plenty of players get put into a youth system based on parents being at club, Zola played for my local club on loan and was terrible. Poch son is ordinary by all accounts.

Usually now footballs so cut throat you won’t have another Darren Ferguson getting to first team in Prem, so damage is low

 

[Grays_1890]

I agree with it in general that ultimately the players will only succeed if they are good enough. However, have they had a greater opportunity due to nepotism - didn't Jamie bunk off school to play football at Bournemouth as a kid?

I was watching some of the footage from Euro96 and Kasper Schmeichel was one of the mascots for the opening match.

Yeh I think that’s just natural though, having your kid at the training ground and him playing youth is a natural thing, It’s what they do with it now that matters.

I bet their are more that left game completely at 14/15 than those who gained a huge career out of the opportunity.

Thing is most of these things are first generational as the dads now earn so much the drive they had isn’t there for kids who had it all, neither is the same drive there to make it as a player as it’s not their be all and end all like their fathers, easier to be....easy come easy go.

What is funny is that it worked against Lampard in a respect that West Ham fans thought he was there alone because his old man, there is that famous video about Scott Canham (again another who played for my local side). He went on to be in my book to be one of the stand out Prem players ever, West Ham fans again too thick to see that

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

Loads who were dog awful.

Darren Ferguson has a Prem League medal I believe.

Paul Dalgliesh was awful as was Gavin Strachan

Jordi was pretty average compared to a normal player let alone against his dad but he he did have a decent end and earned cult status at Alaves I think it was.

Plenty of players get put into a youth system based on parents being at club, Zola played for my local club on loan and was terrible. Poch son is ordinary by all accounts.

Usually now footballs so cut throat you won’t have another Darren Ferguson getting to first team in Prem, so damage is low

I played against Ardiles son when in under 18’s football, he was pretty average, bless him.

 

[MKSpur]

Yeh I think that’s just natural though, having your kid at the training ground and him playing youth is a natural thing, It’s what they do with it now that matters.

I bet their are more that left game completely at 14/15 than those who gained a huge career out of the opportunity.

Thing is most of these things are first generational as the dads now earn so much the drive they had isn’t there for kids who had it all, neither is the same drive there to make it as a player as it’s not their be all and end all like their fathers, easier to be....easy come easy go.

What is funny is that it worked against Lampard in a respect that West Ham fans thought he was there alone because his old man, there is that famous video about Scott Canham (again another who played for my local side). He went on to be in my book to be one of the stand out Prem players ever, West Ham fans again too thick to see that

Yep definitely the drive could be an issue, McEnroe said his kids would never be as good as him at tennis because they suffered from a disease..affluenza

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

We can now add liam delap son of rory to the list. Smashing it up in Emirates Marketing Project's academy.

Interestingly his birth is listed as Winchester.

Was interesting to me. Wonder whether he would choose Ireland or England to play for. Similar to my lad if he had kept with his tennis.

 

[milo]

Marcus Thuram looks pretty decent but it'll be very tough for him to match his Dad's achievements