Darrell Clarke says

Wish he was my boss, I'd be inspired....

 

1.When did we ever have a prolific academy to compare with?

2. Do any clubs have a squad full of academy players?

 

Most of the players in the football league have been brought through someone else’s academy.

 

True or not if Clarke is being correctly quoted, it’s not really the way to run a professional football club. You don’t call young kids out in public like that and expect any good to come of it. If it wants to pint the finger he ought to have the balls to point it at the Owners/ recruitment team.

 

What Clarke said is true and I’m sure he’s let the players know that himself. It probably goes for some of the other more senior fringe players too. Re prospects and the academy, Jalo and Vimal stand out as two of the best we’ve had in years, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if both go onto play atleast in the championship. Think sometimes it’s forgotten that they’re both 18 and probably have 6 years or more before they peak.

 

I've always thought the Academy status we have was something to be proud of - trying to produce our own talent and providing a pipeline for the first team.
However it seems to have dried up completely, and was sporadic at best, I would love to know the numbers from other similar status academies - number of players produced in the last 10 years who have made 20 or more first team appearances for teams at the same or a higher level. I'm sure the club have that figure or something similar.

Can we list all the players we produced in the last 10 years? And do we include ones who we brought in when they were 16 or older?

 

He's fed up with digging out the first team so he's moved on to the youth now. If he thinks this he needs to speak to the the players concerned instead of saying it in public. Shocking management from a gaffer clearly out his depth.

 

Id agree with you if we were struggling in the league, but having lost only 3 games from 13 and being 4 points off 2nd place, I can’t.

He might be better advised keeping some stuff ‘in house’, or it might be that he’s been misquoted, but this is probably the biggest job he’s ever had. Might not be keeping pace with money bags Brum, but the league table suggests he’s not out of his depth, for now at least.

 

If he burned his toast he'd blame the playing squad.

 

Whether it’s wrong or right if he’s said it and in what context ? He’s not wrong is he

 

I don't think anyone is saying he's wrong. Just that it's questionable management to dig out players in public.

 

Lovely bit of honesty about our current batch. It's refreshing to see.

 

Yeah but is papering over the cracks or burying his head in the sand the alternative?

 

Can't argue with that, very disappointing the standard there at.

 

Thing is if the senior management of the club have said to him they want to see the academy players being blooded and featuring in the 1st team more and they aren't good enough then I don't know what more he's supposed to say?

Darrell Clarke will be judged on results if playing players that aren't either good enough or ready or both then that impacts his ability to get results.
Let's be fair to him he's been let down badly recruitment wise I think this is just a comment pre January window to say if people start getting ideas about featuring more academy players then forget it.

 

No.

It's obviously the language used. It's surely better for him to say rhubarb such as "they're still learning" or "left us with things to work on" etc - even if it's just manager speak.

You can't go round saying that they're useless - if that's what he has actually done like.

 

Does anyone have any connection to the full interview. Or was it just passing comments that were overheard. I can't find owt but would be interested to hear his full meanings on the matter. ? Over to you Sopwith. Where have you read or heard the comment.?.
As for blaming the coaches. It doesnt help that they have to work from the pressing game structure at ALL levels. Players chosen from a spreadsheet that may not adapt. How I long for the old scouting system that also allows players to show their skills. With freedom to express.

 

That’s not quite what he said though in the interview i saw. He said you can’t keep giving opportunities to players and them not performing to the standard required to become a first team player in time if the standards they are showing now aren’t correct already.

 

He's only hinting at what has been happening at the club for years. Why do we always go down this path, do we never learn or are we so bloody stubborn and pig headed as not to want to progress.
Other coaches have lost their jobs over such insinuation. This will not end well.

 

For those that havent read it, its a Stuart Rayner piece in the Yorkshre Post. Seems to me its not quite how it is portrayed on here.