Comparison of Time Given to Young Players in the Premier League

[Finnegan]

4 minutes ago, Babylon said:

I'd say a lot, the club have obviously sat down and discussed how they want to go about things and I'd imagine it's very much his plan put forward to the owners for being a sustainable football club.

 

Plus, you'd imagine he was part of the recruitment of Puel himself who had a reputation for playing young players. 

[mozartfox]

Once Wes retires the average age of the Team will drop to 15

[Ted Maul]

2 hours ago, Larry_LCFC said:

How many of these decent youth players will we still have in 3 years time? We've seen how the big teams come in and poach our rising stars. All this could well be for nothing.

We might sell one or two here or there, but we are planning on paying out massive amounts on infrastructure in a short space of time so it might be in the club's interests to.

 

I'd say that we could get most of the money required to expand the stadium off our academy products alone- Chilwell, Barnes and Choudhury. 

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Bob Hazels shorts said:

I honestly can't see what the new approach is.

 

Admirable to play younger players bought for him and continue to play academy players that previously broke through.

 

I'd settle for someone to boss the midfield and pass forward regardless of age. 

Agree it's hard to define but we're gradually moving that way with the 433 formation, I believe he wants us to play the ball on the deck and more though the middle and I think we'll see less of the front players on the wings this will be the wingbacks job to get forward. 

It will take time to get the players playing this way and for the defence / midfield to be strong enough to enable a front 3 + 2 wing backs and an attacking midfielder for home/ 'easier' games.

[Xen]

1 hour ago, The Doctor said:

A few of them will be a year older (I think Maddison and Gray won't count to this next season), but if you were to look 23 or younger, next season with Wes probably gone, and maybe Maguire (I still think Soyuncu and Benkovic were signed expecting him to leave), we could easily line up with only Kasper, Vardy and Ricardo over 23 - or our starting lineup would be eligible for the U23s league.

Given that Amartey (24) and Ward (25) have both looked capable in the first team this season, and if we did get someone new upfront like Che Adams we could feasibly field a competitive XI with an average age ~22.5, which is incredible. Even more so when you consider how old our squad was just 2 seasons ago.

[TheLittleBigMan]

2 hours ago, Larry_LCFC said:

We've seen how the big teams come in and poach our rising stars. All this could well be for nothing.

We're not a selling club and not shy about playing hardball as with Marhez. Of all the clubs I fancy us to be 'The un-poachable ones'.

[Captain...]

It is great and applaud Puel’s faith in youth, I wish more managers put faith in youngsters.

 

The only thing I will say is we need to manage Ndidi better, he’s a virtual ever-present but probably one of our worst performers. Whether it is mental or physical fatigue or just struggling to adapt he needs a bit of time out the team and he’ll probably comeback better.

[TheLittleBigMan]

54 minutes ago, Dames said:

I have to agree with you on this point Babs. I've been guilty in the past of also assuming that if we don't kick on and start taking cups more seriously we could end up having our best young players harvested. The Hudson-Odoi situation over the past week has made me reconsider that stance. Chelsea are ready to chuck 80k pw at this lad and he doesn't want to take the money and probably play a bit part at Chelsea - he wants to leave for his own development.

 

There is currently a trend forming where young players are not prepared to sit tight at big clubs and not play, they want to be playing first team football and progressing and there is a gap forming in the market that we are well positioned to exploit.

We've witnessed a lot of young players having great success leaving big clubs as-well. Sanchez at Dortmund for example. Great to see.

[RumbleFox]

Great to see.  X

[Alf Bentley]

17 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

I think its a little bit misleading to use it to comment one way or another on Puel's performance to be honest. I wouldn't be looking to beat him up for playing older players if he was picking Wes, Silva, Iborra and Co or go nuts when he's picking kids because the squad is so thin there's no abundance of choice. 

 

Simply using young players means nothing, especially when (as is the case with Maddison, Ndidi, Chilwell, arguably Gray and now Barnes - only one of whom he signed) they're the best players the club actually has in their position and he doesn't have a lot of options. 

 

He has a record of trusting youth, which is nice, but I think there's a difference between trusting and developing. 

 

Chilwell is our only young player who has improved under Puel. Gray and Iheanacho look short of confidence and are chopped in and out of the squad on whim, Ndidi is in the worst form he's been in at the club. 

 

As much as he's public enemy number one round here, I actually do wonder how much Rudkin deserves some credit for the youthfulness of the squad. He's the only constant when it comes to our recruitment and he presumably played a part in the signings of Madders, Gray, Ndidi, Iheanacho and the chase now for Tielmans, not to mention I assume he was involved with the academy when Chilwell and Barnes were coming through? 

 

Just a thought. 

 

 

I wasn't trying to give a definitive judgment on Puel's performance. I was just saying that, because he is using so many young players, he deserves more time and leeway than if he were mainly using more experienced players. 

I don't want to be the cause of this turning into another "Puel In/Out" thread, as my only judgment on his performance would be "imperfect but definite signs of promise" or "so far, so good, given it's a transitional season".

Come, say November, if we're below halfway and still often playing dull football, his performance might be open to question, depending on other factors (player retention, funding of summer recruitment etc).

 

I agree that there's nothing inherently wrong about picking older players or inherently right about picking youth. Though the size of the club and its budget mean that it makes sense to try to bring through a few youngsters.

We'd struggle to attract a squad full of ready-made top-tier talent - and even if we could, we'd end up in trouble due to FFP rules on spending vis-à-vis club revenues that are only medium-sized by PL standards.

 

Puel plays older players like Wes, Vardy, to a lesser extent Schmeichel & Albrighton, and rightly so. It would be unwise to bank too heavily on youth.

 

Maybe he has partly been forced into playing more youth due to circumstances, but it does also seem to be a deliberate policy....either way, it doesn't affect my view that it justifies more time/leeway, unless we nosedive towards relegation.

You're a bit under-generous, though, in claiming that Chilwell is the only young player who has improved. Choudhury has come from nowhere to start looking the part. Maddison has made the big step up from the Championship, not perfectly but having a positive impact over the season as a whole (poorer more recently). Even Gray was looking as if he was finally learning something earlier this season (though he's gone backwards again recently). Granted, Iheanacho's confidence seems to be shot and Ndidi hasn't been great this season by his standards (though not as bad as some claim)......overall, that's more than enough signs of promise to justify patience in my book.

 

Your reply suggests that you see me as some uncritical fan boy for Puel and youth. Not true, Finners. I wish we were playing less dull or frustrating football - I have to watch it, like you. On a trivial level, I even wish that Puel was better at expressing himself in TV interviews, though it's what happens on the pitch that really matters. I just see this as a transitional season - and a time of promise - and think we owe it to Puel and the club to be a bit patient (though not forever).

 

As for what role Rudkin has played, I haven't the foggiest! Well, as he has a youth background, is Director of Football and the club seem to have a strong youth policy, I'm sure he has played a role....but I don't have inside knowledge of how the club operates. 

[ThaiFox]

Whatever our fans think about Puel, he should be applauded for the way he has brought through our young players.

 

Apart from Nacho, who just doesn't look arsed to improve himself, Puel has overachieved and done a really decent job so far, and he's done this whilst keeping us well away from the relegation zone and being under huge pressure from our fan base.

 

Give the bloke some credit please, and look beyond the inconsistencies that have come with such a huge task of replacing the old guard whilst bedding in young players into a frantic P/L.

 

 

 

 

[Nickfosse]

6 hours ago, davieG said:

I'm convinced this is a strategy being pushed down from the top/Top and why I think all this talk of Puel being certain to get the push is pie in the sky thinking and will only happen if it looks like we're certs for relegation / this strategy is proved to be not working.

I think you are quite right that this is a top/Top strategy being implemented by the club. 

Be nice to support him and these remarkable statistics (given we are in the top 10 on 31 points with so many minutes given to young players) by not booing them off when we lose.

[Stadt]

8 minutes ago, ThaiFox said:

Puel has overachieved and done a really decent job so far,

He's done a reasonable job, it's pretty much on par so far but we've definitely not overachieved.

[ealingfox]

He has to stay.

 

Only bad thing is it's kind of pointless as if anyone actually develops into anything resembling a top player they'll be on the first bus out of Leicester. At least we'll make money out of it though.

[Grebfromgrebland]

This is ridiculous no wonder we're the worst Leicester side since 1946 we're playing frigging kids all the time.

 

If we want success now we need to get that average age up asap.

 

Puel out David Pleat IN NOW! (If he's still alive if not let's get Nigel Clough in he could do a job)

 

[ourla]

Not sure what this tells us to be honest in terms of either the way the club is run/managed and/or whether we are going to be successful in the short or long term.

The table seems to have no correlation with current league position or longer term prospects.

Also it's based on aged 22 or under. Why 22?

[Ian Nacho]

I really like our business model. Buy young and from a business perspective they're more likely to increase in value. I know we're not a selling club but ultimately the club can then fund itself. The club could have gone for an ageing Drinkwater who is unlikely to go up in value in the future, whereas, if this Belgian lad was eventually to become a permanent signing, he can go up substantially in value. 

[Hanan96]

Nooo  puel playing the youth only myth.. That stats only myth

[progmusfreak]

In view of the current team development, Puel is likely to discontinue U23 and launch a U15 instead.

[Vardinio'sCat]

 

This is the policy that Vichai and Top bought into when they hired CP, and I can't see it (or him) being ditched unless we are in danger of relegation.

 

This has all happened at breakneck speed, and whilst I have suggested on here that CP is brave to attempt it all so rapidly, maybe it is more correct to highlight that this is the club's policy, and the club (as a whole ) is being brave.

 

The last version of Vichai's plan (for LCFC) isn't going to get binned easily, even if we get rid of CP, so we may as well get used to all the ups and downs of players who are just a bit short of where we need them to be.

 

 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

35 minutes ago, Vardinio'sCat said:

 

This is the policy that Vichai and Top bought into when they hired CP, and I can't see it (or him) being ditched unless we are in danger of relegation.

 

This has all happened at breakneck speed, and whilst I have suggested on here that CP is brave to attempt it all so rapidly, maybe it is more correct to highlight that this is the club's policy, and the club (as a whole ) is being brave.

 

The last version of Vichai's plan (for LCFC) isn't going to get binned easily, even if we get rid of CP, so we may as well get used to all the ups and downs of players who are just a bit short of where we need them to be.

 

 

This

[The Doctor]

7 hours ago, Xen said:

Given that Amartey (24) and Ward (25) have both looked capable in the first team this season, and if we did get someone new upfront like Che Adams we could feasibly field a competitive XI with an average age ~22.5, which is incredible. Even more so when you consider how old our squad was just 2 seasons ago.

Interesting you should mention Amartey, because I think we could really be doing more up top if he was fit. The great thing about him is his versatility - he'd play RB, then be able to drop to CB at the tip of a hat. Watch what Mendy does next time he plays - every time we get the ball and the full backs go forward, he drops in as a third CB. Keeps us secure against the counter, but that comes at the cost of a CM. Given a 4-2-3-1, stick Amartey at RB, Ricardo at RW and all of a sudden Mendys role is superfluous and you can fit a more expansive CM in there. It's what we did opening day vs Man Utd and I think it's not a coincidence that that game is probably the most cohesive we've looked going forward.

[That_Dude]

9 hours ago, Bob Hazels shorts said:

I honestly can't see what the new approach is.

 

Admirable to play younger players bought for him and continue to play academy players that previously broke through.

 

I'd settle for someone to boss the midfield and pass forward regardless of age. 

It was explained countless times here and as well as in his last conference presses, but you and most of the Puel outers were too busy with the false outrage about the lack of ambition and disrespect towards the fans. 

 

Long story short, betting on youngsters to build a solid PL team, comfortable on the ball instead of the hoofball crap, able to regularly challenge for a european spot in the next seasons. If it's still unclear, then there's nothing we can do for you. I hope you'll keep your "Puel blooding youth is a myth" for yourself from now on though.

[knitro]

8 hours ago, Dames said:

I have to agree with you on this point Babs. I've been guilty in the past of also assuming that if we don't kick on and start taking cups more seriously we could end up having our best young players harvested. The Hudson-Odoi situation over the past week has made me reconsider that stance. Chelsea are ready to chuck 80k pw at this lad and he doesn't want to take the money and probably play a bit part at Chelsea - he wants to leave for his own development.

 

There is currently a trend forming where young players are not prepared to sit tight at big clubs and not play, they want to be playing first team football and progressing and there is a gap forming in the market that we are well positioned to exploit.

This has been my thought as well for a long time - we can become the club that young players know they'll get a fair shake at, sort of like Dortmund in Germany. If a few go on to greener pastures, that's the cost of doing business. It's a far stronger model than whatever other mid-tier approach is being done. 

[Guest Bob Hazels shorts]

17 minutes ago, That_Dude said:

It was explained countless times here and as well as in his last conference presses, but you and most of the Puel outers were too busy with the false outrage about the lack of ambition and disrespect towards the fans. 

 

Long story short, betting on youngsters to build a solid PL team, comfortable on the ball instead of the hoofball crap, able to regularly challenge for a european spot in the next seasons. If it's still unclear, then there's nothing we can do for you. I hope you'll keep your "Puel blooding youth is a myth" for yourself from now on though.

 

I'm not sure if that silly incoherent rant relates to my post.

 

I have read every piece of literature, watched most interviews  and watched every game under Puel and still maintain I'm no clearer. So i guess whoever 'we' is can't do anything for me. I may also whenever i feel mention in future that whist it great to build for the future quality experienced players in the mix wouldn't go a miss,

We'd have never had the pleasure of witnessing Cambiasso and we won the league with experienced players so it shouldn't be an issue mixing.

 

I read through all of the results early, reflected on the games and looked at the ever changing players often out of position put out each game and I'm worried. What you are stating is every premierships aim, only Cardiff stand out as hoofers

 

 

I honestly can't see what the new approach is.

 

Admirable to play younger players bought for him and continue to play academy players that previously broke through.

 

I'd settle for someone to boss the midfield and pass forward regardless of age.