Academy graduate players

[NUFC Tiger]

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/spor...newcastle-united-stats-magpies-fourth-8260484

Read this article earlier on one of the local Newcastle news sites and it linked into something I've been thinking about this past week following the opening of Man City's $200m new academy.

• Man Utd, Spurs and Arsenal top 3 for games played by academy gradutates (the mighty Toon coming in at 4th!).
• Sunderland, Hull, QPR, Burnley all on 0 apparently.

Thought it was interesting to see the generally stronger teams leading the way. Perhaps its by virtue of having strong squads, they can afford to buy the best young talent/bring them on in games where any potential drop is lessened by the quality of the team around them. Additionally, having more resources available to spend on junior development and coaching would almost certainly play a part in producing more PL quality players you'd suspect.

At the other end of the spectrum, you have QPR and Burnley (2 promoted sides), Hull (looking to consolidate themselves in the top flight) and Scumberland (who flirted with relegation for most of last season) who are all yet to have any games played by academy graduates - is that perhaps an indication that in such pivotal seasons for those teams, they don't rate their youth coming through or have any players up to the required standard?

Just curious to get people's thoughts on how much value they think their club's put on their academies. With FFP and home grown squad registration requirements, seemingly it will only become more important for club's to have quality academies and junior development.

Some club's may see their academies as producing players for the first team whilst others may develop them with an eye on selling them later as a means to make money.

 

[SM]

I think it also depends on the quality of the Academy. I think ours is in the lowest tier, and we're the only club in the top two divisions with that status. However we've just pumped a huge amount into our Academy and are hoping to have our status upgraded.

We've been buying a lot of young guys from non-League clubs as well to raise the standard of our youth team, and we've had a few of those guys playing in Cup games the last few years, but I think there's a strong indictment of the club's set up that we haven't produced a decent youth player born in Hull for years.

Cairney I think was probably our last decent Academy product but don't think he's from the area.

 

[Redalert]

Cairney I think was probably our last decent Academy product but don't think he's from the area.

Well I know he's Scottish but that could be from his parents?

 

[SM]

Well I know he's Scottish but that could be from his parents?

A quick google tells me he was born in Nottingham.

Was at the Leeds academy from age 7, was released at 16 and we picked him up. So not totally sure if that counts.

 

[Loonerty]

Our first youngsters from the Roman revolution are coming through slowly now. Loftus-Cheek, Baker, Ake, Christensen and I think Kalas being the top prospects.

Jeremie Boga looking freakishly good as well.

 

[Tulip]

Mason, Kane and Bentaleb all first 11. Not sure if Walker counts, we took him from Sheffield United at 17 I think. Rose was from Leeds at 16.

 

[Tulip]

Also, is Jak Alnwick the brother of Ben?

 

[Bojan KantKick]

Very happy with United's Academy. Consistently produce good players and squad players. I saw the below graphic a couple of months ago and found it quite interesting. The criteria was that the players must have been at the club for 3 years between age 15 and 21. I am a fan of LVG and i'm pleased that the academy are now playing a more technical game than they used to. Youth football used be pretty ordinary across england for a while but is certainly improving.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Mason, Kane and Bentaleb all first 11. Not sure if Walker counts, we took him from Sheffield United at 17 I think. Rose was from Leeds at 16.

Wasn't Beckham from our academy?

 

[Bojan KantKick]

Wasn't Beckham from our academy?

He moved to United at 12 IIRC. not sure if he was with anyone before that.

 

[Jatz]

I'm pretty sure ours is quite good. Liam Moore is a local lad. I know our development squad has some decent talent in it atm.

 

[Nallad]

Our first youngsters from the Roman revolution are coming through slowly now. Loftus-Cheek, Baker, Ake, Christensen and I think Kalas being the top prospects.

Jeremie Boga looking freakishly good as well.

Pat Bamford, Dom Solanke and Izzy Brown as well...

 

[Bojan KantKick]

I'm pretty sure ours is quite good. Liam Moore is a local lad. I know our development squad has some decent talent in it atm.

Leicester's academy is at Carrington isn't it?

 

[Magma]

the problem is producing players who are good enough. we've produced a fair few academy graduates, but we're only just entering a stage in the next 2-3 years where those players will actually be good enough to properly challenge for first team spots. our youth team went 6/6 in the youth league, often looking bigger and stronger while more skillful than bayern, roma and moscow. whether they get the opportunities to shine is now up to both the players and the club.

 

[Jatz]

Leicester's academy is at Carrington isn't it?

Clever

 

[SM]

Leicester's academy is at Carrington isn't it?

That's certainly where Big Nige's is.

 

[mojito]

I can't remember the stat exactly, but there's been at least 1 academy graduate in the first team for every competitive game since the end of WWII. Amazing

He moved to United at 12 IIRC. not sure if he was with anyone before that.

I thought he was at Spurs? (again, off the top of my head)

 

[Bojan KantKick]

I can't remember the stat exactly, but there's been at least 1 academy graduate in the first team for every competitive game since the end of WWII. Amazing

I thought he was at Spurs? (again, off the top of my head)

Almost, it's at least one academy product in every matchday squad since ww2. It would make sense that he was at spurs as his grandfather was a massive spurs fan and they lived in London.

 

[Bojan KantKick]

That's certainly where Big Nige's is.

Sorry mate, that's gone straight over my head! What's the reference?

 

[Jatz]

Sorry mate, that's gone straight over my head! What's the reference?

Nigel Pearson loves a United reject

 

[Boro]

Is that whole article written just to let the local rag have a dig at Sunderland? Not sure how accurate it is, and also not sure if you can take half a season worth of data to try and make a point…lets face it, many of the Newcastle kids that have gotten a run have been because of an injury crisis…still, having a dig at Sunderland isn't a bad thing

 

[moomba]

Almost, it's at least one academy product in every matchday squad since ww2.

IIRC John O'Shea is counted as an academy product in that stat, he was signed as a 17 year old and pretty much went straight into the senior squad.

As for us, we're now at the stage where the players are there. They just need an opportunity. It has to be a conscious decision by the club, maybe to move on a top player to create an opening for a kid that isn't as good. The club talk about this ambition to have (I think) 4 academy products at least in each matchday squad, but talk is cheap.

Was good to see Pozo in the last few games, and Angelino on the bench as well.

 

[SM]

Sorry mate, that's gone straight over my head! What's the reference?

Brady, Dudgeon, Chester, Evans, Stewart, King, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head all came to Hull under Pearson's tenure, and looks like he does similar for Leicester.

 

[Shoei]

Very happy with United's Academy. Consistently produce good players and squad players. I saw the below graphic a couple of months ago and found it quite interesting. The criteria was that the players must have been at the club for 3 years between age 15 and 21. I am a fan of LVG and i'm pleased that the academy are now playing a more technical game than they used to. Youth football used be pretty ordinary across england for a while but is certainly improving.
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You can't compare clubs Internationally.

Britain, England in particular, have a much stricter immigration criteria when bringing in young players.

There is also huge restrictions on catchment areas to stop the "big four" from hoarding all the best talent, unlike some countries.

 

[Bojan KantKick]

You can't compare clubs Internationally.

Britain, England in particular, have a much stricter immigration criteria when bringing in young players.

There is also huge restrictions on catchment areas to stop the "big four" from hoarding all the best talent, unlike some countries.

What? It says more about the academies than where the players come from. Clearly your restrictions haven't stopped united from churning out talent.