Luca Williams-Barnett

[Muttley]

Complete true, but the real question is what is our strategy?

Are we Chelsea where we have no loyalty/interest in youth other than a mechanism to monetize? or do we have some real intention to always have a youth player in first team? (which would have dependencies, like x in pipeline, x on fringes)

I think our academy strategy will be latent to our 1st team strategy if that makes sense. I think I'm right in saying that our academy / U21s has paid for itself due to player sales whether that is early, mid or late career. We have a history of selling players out of our academy for decent money. Obviously Harry sits top of that pile and now we see a new phenomenon where a Visokvic can be sold for £50m before he kicks a ball.

For me there are 5 categories.
A) U18s to flood the academy - organic recruitment from young school age all the way up to the Mason Meila's who we pick off from other clubs.
B) 18-21s almost ready for 1st team, including loans but with potential
C) 21-25 year olds who are established elsewhere but need nurturing to greatness
D) 26-29 peak players who should hit the ground running
E) 30 somethings to bring experience and plus short term gaps

I think this year's strategy has moved more to CDE. It felt a little more like ABD previously to be fair. Now we have guys like Richi and Solanke staring down the barrel of their 30th b'days and not having fantastic 1st team contributions. That's the challenge with C.

I'm hoping we eventually get back to the pie chart where D and E are quite minimal and ABC are dominating. However, I'm not so sire with this manager.

 

[slimen75]

The problem is that we live in an era of "hurry, hurry, hurry."
I get the impression that the team was built with the expectation of being competitive right away. It feels like we want a squad ready for European football next season—or at least a mid-table finish—immediately. That seems to hang over the players and staff like a Sword of Damocles. That kind of pressure isn't good for anyone.
At the same time, you have academy youngsters who dreamed of careers like Kane’s or Winks’s—and, more importantly, grew up at the club wearing these colors. They love it here, and that love for the club, the city, and the fans is what matters most.
I would have preferred to keep the five or six young players who were either sold or loaned out and build the team around them.
I’ve really questioned the signing of Savio; it took over a year and a half to get him—what was that all about?
Why not play Mickey Moore, who had already proven himself under Ange and against Glasgow?

And then there’s Scarlett, being shipped off on loan here, there, and everywhere without ever really getting his chance.

But here we are now; we shouldn't expect too much this season. Let’s just get behind the team and see where we stand at the end

 

[afsoc4life]

I received a lot of stick on here in the summer when I kept on complaining that the kids in our youth team do not have a pathway into our first team squad, If I was LWB I would not touch a new Tottenham contract with a barge poll if I were not given a chance.

Loaning Mudryk to give him an opportunity to steal minutes from LWB is a dumb decision by management.

Exactly.

 

[MartyFunkhouser]

The problem is that we live in an era of "hurry, hurry, hurry."
I get the impression that the team was built with the expectation of being competitive right away. It feels like we want a squad ready for European football next season—or at least a mid-table finish—immediately. That seems to hang over the players and staff like a Sword of Damocles. That kind of pressure isn't good for anyone.
At the same time, you have academy youngsters who dreamed of careers like Kane’s or Winks’s—and, more importantly, grew up at the club wearing these colors. They love it here, and that love for the club, the city, and the fans is what matters most.
I would have preferred to keep the five or six young players who were either sold or loaned out and build the team around them.
I’ve really questioned the signing of Savio; it took over a year and a half to get him—what was that all about?
Why not play Mickey Moore, who had already proven himself under Ange and against Glasgow?

And then there’s Scarlett, being shipped off on loan here, there, and everywhere without ever really getting his chance.

But here we are now; we shouldn't expect too much this season. Let’s just get behind the team and see where we stand at the end

For me I am in the "at least try" camp

 

[slimen75]

Try out the young players in the first team?

 

[NoLimits01]

pretty sure he is in the latest video training with the senior team

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[Raziel]

pretty sure he is in the latest video training with the senior team

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He is, but he needs to be in squad, and get 10-20 minutes.

One of RDZ's flaws is his system is predictable, LWB could actually bring some of the unpredictability of youth to the system that could make an impact.

 

[billyiddo]

Might as well start him, not like there's anyone in his position playing well