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Richard

Darnell Johnson

By Richard, in Leicester City Forum

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lgfualol

lgfualol

Posted
Posted
Some of those lads don't look 16. Newcastle and Stoke's players especially.

I think Darnell mainly plays right-back? Lets hope he goes far and can play in our defence one day.

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Thracian

Thracian

Posted
Posted

Our Academy and its facilities are to be envied but there's a world of difference between having good facilities and haviing a realistic pathway to the first team. 

 

In fact I think it will be increasingly difficult for the youngsters.

 

The more firmly we're established in The Premiership the better our recruitment targets are likely to be.

First team incomers are already costing multiples of the fees we used to be paying and you only have to look at our bench - and who we leave out nowadays - to see how fierce the competition for places has become.

 

The problem for Academy graduates is finding opportunities for them in the first place then giving them time to bed in. When you pay millions for an experienced national captain there's an inbuilt desire to get a return on him.

 

With a kid out of the Academy there's not. It's a good social service whatever and there's some satisfaction to be gained from training a youngster to earn a living in the game even if it's not with us. It's like mentoring really....and damned good for the club's image.

 

Unfortunately there are very few Southampton's who do seem to have shown the commitment to drive their youngsters through.

We just get them so far and then fall short in the main.

 

Even Schluppy's not progressed as much as I'd thought he would. He's still one footed, still hit and miss with his shooting and still decidedly iffy when it comes to crosses. A fast and dangerous player, yes. But technically better than a year or two back? Not often!

 

It will be interesting to see what chances our latest emerging proteges get.

Cos a couple of inconsequential pre-season friendlies and the odd Cup match - while encouraging - won't actually help much.

Moore seems to have come and gone. Dodoo had a sniff but nothing more and there was even less for that young defender people spoke so highly of.  

 

Kingy has somehow been allowed to lose his once highly valuable but now largely disregarded goal threat (though the Cup game offered a reminder) and is now slipping back into oblivion (through no fault of his own) and even Kasper, although not an Academy product, seems to have regressed to the point of being less certain now - and a less accurate/incisive distributor - than he's been in the past  

 

I don't blame anyone. It's the same at many clubs. But here, the bar's been lifted significantly.

Even at Academy level the standards we set have to be higher for everyone now.

 

I'm just disappointed not to see the progress and improvement I'd expect but at first team level opportunity is everything and I just don't think there's enough.

 

A development association with another club might help ...one that is prepared to act as a finishing school that mirrors our own ideals and attitudes.

                 

Cos I don't see under 21 football as providing the answer, more's the pity.

 

Young first team aspirants need real competition and a hunger for all-out combat and for winning things.

 

Not the sort of nonsense where competitive teams are disrupted just to accommodate trialists. I saw it happen in the Mandaric days and could have wept. It should be an honour to pull on a City shirt...any City shirt.  

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filbertstreet

filbertstreet

Posted
Posted

Our Academy and its facilities are to be envied but there's a world of difference between having good facilities and haviing a realistic pathway to the first team.

In fact I think it will be increasingly difficult for the youngsters.

The more firmly we're established in The Premiership the better our recruitment targets are likely to be.

First team incomers are already costing multiples of the fees we used to be paying and you only have to look at our bench - and who we leave out nowadays - to see how fierce the competition for places has become.

The problem for Academy graduates is finding opportunities for them in the first place then giving them time to bed in. When you pay millions for an experienced national captain there's an inbuilt desire to get a return on him.

With a kid out of the Academy there's not. It's a good social service whatever and there's some satisfaction to be gained from training a youngster to earn a living in the game even if it's not with us. It's like mentoring really....and damned good for the club's image.

Unfortunately there are very few Southampton's who do seem to have shown the commitment to drive their youngsters through.

We just get them so far and then fall short in the main.

Even Schluppy's not progressed as much as I'd thought he would. He's still one footed, still hit and miss with his shooting and still decidedly iffy when it comes to crosses. A fast and dangerous player, yes. But technically better than a year or two back? Not often!

It will be interesting to see what chances our latest emerging proteges get.

Cos a couple of inconsequential pre-season friendlies and the odd Cup match - while encouraging - won't actually help much.

Moore seems to have come and gone. Dodoo had a sniff but nothing more and there was even less for that young defender people spoke so highly of.

Kingy has somehow been allowed to lose his once highly valuable but now largely disregarded goal threat (though the Cup game offered a reminder) and is now slipping back into oblivion (through no fault of his own) and even Kasper, although not an Academy product, seems to have regressed to the point of being less certain now - and a less accurate/incisive distributor - than he's been in the past

I don't blame anyone. It's the same at many clubs. But here, the bar's been lifted significantly.

Even at Academy level the standards we set have to be higher for everyone now.

I'm just disappointed not to see the progress and improvement I'd expect but at first team level opportunity is everything and I just don't think there's enough.

A development association with another club might help ...one that is prepared to act as a finishing school that mirrors our own ideals and attitudes.

Cos I don't see under 21 football as providing the answer, more's the pity.

Young first team aspirants need real competition and a hunger for all-out combat and for winning things.

Not the sort of nonsense where competitive teams are disrupted just to accommodate trialists. I saw it happen in the Mandaric days and could have wept. It should be an honour to pull on a City shirt...any City shirt.

Even a Man City one?

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Finn Claw II

Finn Claw II

Posted
Posted

The system in Germany / Spain makes a lot more sense.  I'd much rather have a second team / youth team at a League II / conference level.   It's still a massive jump to the first team but the football is properly competitive. 

 

Have we really made an terrible decsions based on our youth?  Max Gradel is the biggest regret I can think of.  Moore has had a good stint to prove himsef and failed to take it.  Mckay hasn't really done it since we let him go.  Delaney possibly. 

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Dom_Harborough Fox

Dom_Harborough Fox

Posted
Posted

The system in Germany / Spain makes a lot more sense.  I'd much rather have a second team / youth team at a League II / conference level.   It's still a massive jump to the first team but the football is properly competitive. 

 

Have we really made an terrible decsions based on our youth?  Max Gradel is the biggest regret I can think of.  Moore has had a good stint to prove himsef and failed to take it.  Mckay hasn't really done it since we let him go.  Delaney possibly. 

 

In terms of seeing something like this actually implemented, I personally hope it never happens. The lower leagues should not be a playground for Premier League clubs! There are teams in League 2 & The Conference with rich histories and I think it would be completely disrespectful towards these clubs, as well as detrimental to their development, if this was to happen. 

 

Too much power already rests with Premier League clubs, and the league itself is marketed as if it is the be-all and end-all of English Football. This is despite the fact that thousands of people turn out week in, week out to watch their teams in the lower leagues, with just as much on the line for them, in terms of pride, prestige and bragging rights as there is for fans of Premier League teams. 

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