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UniFox21

2020/21 Under 23's, U19's, Development ... thread

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Just now, Raw Dykes said:

I think there's a bit of a Mexican stand-off going on. I think Tavares wants a loan, but the club don't want to give him one unless he signs a new contract.

Assumed it was that, and he won't sign a deal unless given chances etc

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...for the third game on the trot, the opposition is a technically better team!!!

Either this is misplaced loyalty by the board in retaining Beaglehole but enough is enough, we can not continue to produce agricultural players hoping to get into our first eleven.

  Three our four touches to then move the ball poor decisions and even worse passing to their own men. There is a lot of money being invested in these players and you cant see where we are getting value for money.

  

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I do find it odd that we wave this group of players in their early twenties who will not command a transfer fee of any note and will not make an impression on the first team squad.  
 

I would far rather have the kids in their late teens playing U23 football and the over twenties who simply aren’t up to it moved on 

 

someone is responsible for this approach and they need to go!  We knew that chillwell, Barnes and hamza were going to be good when they were in their teens. we knew that most of the others wouldn’t and they haven’t disappointed....... I would rather miss out on the odd late developer and promote the teenage youngsters earlier than the way we are currently doing it ....

Edited by st albans fox
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38 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Yeah I imagine thst will be the likely reason but even prior to the pandemic I've not been happy with the way we run it. Our recruitment in the 16-19 age category is lacking. We pick up released players from clubs worse than us or on a par with us and the odd lower league player but we also retain players until they are 22-23 and I think the whole system needs an overhaul and quickening up.

 

We never seem to purchase some of the best academy players from around the world and then look to develop them, this is where I think there's a gap in our model. We happily buy the best young players aged 19 - 24 and look to turn profits as well as progress the first team immediately but there's also an opportunity to buy 16 - 18 year old for several hundred thousand or a few million and then do something equally as beneficial to the club. 

 

I cannot think of a single " academy " player we have signed in their late teens that has gone on to be a success either in our first team or where we have made a significant amount on. Hopefully Kamal Sowah, George Hirst and Daniel Iversen will break this mould but we can do much better. Stop retaining players with no chance of making it here until their early to mid twenties and recruit better quality to fill the gaps and improve the whole system. I like what Brighton are doing with their academy and something similar here would strengthen our entire footballing operation.

 

The current set up just seems way out of sync with the new training ground and how our first team model works. Time to consider if loyalty to the old guard who run the academy is actually holding us back. Dave Rennie has been cast aside after 20+ years of service to this club and I wonder if Rodgers is setting his sights on an academy overhaul. I know he doesn't run the whole show and rightly so but I hope the club listen to his ideas in this regard, Rodgers is just as experienced as Jon Rudkin when it comes to academies.

I agree. I get the sense that the club puts a lot of effort into being one step ahead in all areas where money isn't such a factor, in order to be as competitive as possible with those at the top.

 

It seems like we like to use an intelligent approach whenever we can't compete financially. Everyone knows we can spot a player. We also usually drive a hard bargain when buying or selling. We seem interested in being on the cutting edge of sports science. Yet, as you say, it seems like there's so much untapped potential in the running of the academy.

 

To me, it's both a shame and a reason to be optimistic at the same time. It's a shame because we could be seeing the fruits of a more productive youth system if it had been sorted out already. However, if we're doing this well as a club without a well-run academy, then we could go to an even higher level if it's better managed.

 

As for an explanation, I think you could be right. It's probably down to people too set in their ways who've become part of the furniture at the club. It could be that we have produced players like Barnes, Chilwell and Hamza recently who can be pointed to as evidence of a well-run academy, even though they could have made it to the senior squad despite the academy, and not because of.

 

I think Brendan probably would like to change things. I seem to remember him saying early doors that he wanted the youth teams to play like the first team. I expect it's probably not his decision to hire and fire the staff, though. Perhaps if Rodgers delivers a trophy or two, he may be handed that power.

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I'd like to think we're already doing something about this and that due to contracts/covid/transfer window for loans still open it's not  been possible to move the older lads on especially is no one wants them. They could just let them rot but I wouldn't like our club to do that. Every effort should be made to find alternative employment for these guys.

 

Hopefully the input at the lower age group is now looking at players that can play a passing game rather than the Championship/L1/2 guys we were probably recruiting when the current lot were taken on.

 

In that game last night too much of the basics were missing, 1st touches were poor and they seem to lack the ability, confidence and thinking to bring a ball down under control rather than heading or hoofing it aimlessly.

 

I stopped watching at half time same as the Blackburn game.

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...we could bring in the most mercurial players into the U23s and our problem would still exist!!!

Our coaching options are a barrier to any forward movement in the development of a more technical roster and we will continually fail with this set up in place.

  The new training facility is there to improve our catchment area, to encompass the midlands, and even further. We are looking to cherry pick the best around and therefore establish ourselves as an elite club in all but name.

  Perhaps a school should have been part of the plan where education could have been part of the package to encourage a player to choose our academy to enable them to have an option should they fail to make the grade in their football career. It is well known of the Ajax model, I am not sure if they continue to work in this fashion, but we surely can not have built a world class training complex for a second class vision.

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2 hours ago, sacreblueits442 said:

...we could bring in the most mercurial players into the U23s and our problem would still exist!!!

Our coaching options are a barrier to any forward movement in the development of a more technical roster and we will continually fail with this set up in place.

  The new training facility is there to improve our catchment area, to encompass the midlands, and even further. We are looking to cherry pick the best around and therefore establish ourselves as an elite club in all but name.

  Perhaps a school should have been part of the plan where education could have been part of the package to encourage a player to choose our academy to enable them to have an option should they fail to make the grade in their football career. It is well known of the Ajax model, I am not sure if they continue to work in this fashion, but we surely can not have built a world class training complex for a second class vision.

Surely better to use the 3 local universities more choice of subjects and levels. 

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I think it's a dream for many for your son to play for Leicester but I'd probably have to think twice about  entering mine on to Leicester City's conveyor belt. Think you'd have a better chance at a smaller club and working up the league on merit. 

 

 

 

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