Academy 1 Huddersfield Town 1

This was a dreadful game with 2 poor teams.

Huddersfield scored first after about 20 minutes. The ball was played to the edge of our box where the centre forward was able to flick the ball on to the Huddersfield 4 (Jack Hunt) who had lost his marker (Lee Bennett). One touch took him through on the keeper who stood no chance with the shot.

Our equaliser came at the start of the second half. Luke Federenko got through down the left and drew the Huddersfield keeper. Both players went down under the subsequent challenge, but the keeper looked to have touched the ball. It was therefore a surprise when the ref awarded a penalty which Jamil Adam converted off a post.

My complaints are the same as always. Our coach gets too involved with play. He issues a constant stream of instructions to the player with the ball when the player should be making his own decisions. Today, he told a player to run with the ball and then blocked him when he lost it. He told the keeper to throw the ball to the right back who also lost it in the subsequent challenge. He is spoilling my enjoyment of the games and after 5 years watching every home game, I am beginning to wonder if I should continue.

As for the team... it is getting worse. At the start of the season, I thought that 5 of the side were worth contracts. Now, I think that only 1 is certain with another possible.

 

Who's the one who you think will definitely get a pro contract?

Is the coach that Ronnie Branson guy? Has he got many qualifications?

 

The academy 2nd years are Mark Devonshire (RB), Danny Smith (RB), Luke Waterfall (CB), Ryan Jennings (CB), Jacob White (MF), Jacob Butterfield (MF), Liam Ormsby (MF), Greg McGrory (RW), Luke Fedorenko (RW). At the end of the season they will either be offered a contract or they will be allowed to leave. Jacob Butterfield has already been given a contract which leaves 8 others. At the start of the season, I would have said there were five good prospects amongst those eight. Half way through the season only Luke Waterfall and Luke Fedorenko look to have a chance. Liam Ormsby is currently injured. The question I pose is why have the other 3 apparently gone backwards? We only signed 1 player last year. Why are we getting so little from the academy?

1. I question whether the lads that we are signing as students are good enough. This year's first years are the poorest in a long time with only the keeper looking a decent prospect.
2. Is our coaching of young players wasting their talent.

I do not question that the club should have an academy. I do question why we get so little out of it.

 

I , for one , have always enjoyed reading your Academy posts

But it does worry me that , despite having wonderful facilities , the club seems incapable of producing it's own young players of a high enough standard . When we had the old Northern Intermediate team , there was always a steady stream of players coming through and capable of challenging for a regular first team place . Since the academy was built , the number of Championship standard players coming through has , at best , been negligible .
The best in the last ten years is Chris Morgan . Of the ones from last year's squad ( and who were released by Simon Davey in the summer ) , all are now playing in either Division 1 or Division 2 .
Until we start producing the quality required , Barnsley Football Club will have to continue it's current policy of signing it's players from elsewhere .
The days of producing the likes of Arthur Kaye,Duncan Sharp,Pat Howard,Stuart Barraclough,Mick Pickering,Anton Otulakowski,Mick McCarthy,Ian Banks,Joe Joyce,Andy Rhodes,David Hirst,Carl Tiler,Nicky Eaden,Andy Liddell,Dave Watson seem to be consigned to the past .
Very sad .

 

The player that you mention, Chris Morgan

served his apprenticeship before we had an academy.

This is the first season I can remember where we don't have any home grown players in the match day squad. I believe the only appearance by an academy player was the three minute cameo by Butterfield away at Newcastle.

 

RE: I , for one , have always enjoyed reading your Academy posts

Isn't that just coincidence though regards the Northern Intermediate/Academy?

What changes are there to how players are selected for the Academy? Surely it's more a case that the talent isn't there as it was before, or the scouting isn't working rather than it being the fault of the academy system.

 

You're right , mate , he did .

I shouldn't have used him as an example .

 

Is it just coincidence ?

Is there a lack of talent ? Ipswich Town , for example , seem to unearth enough for their first team squad . So do Watford & Southampton .
Are the coaches as good as , say , Eric Winstanley when it comes to producing quality kids ?
Do we have the necessary scouting systems in place ? Is this not part of the Academy remit ?
I don't have the answers , I'm simply posing a few questions .
If the talented kids ARE out there , then they're certainly not being captured by Barnsley Football Club . Hopefully , the likes of Atkinson , Heslop , Fedorenko , Potter & Butterfield will prove I know bugger all about football ( if proof were needed ! ) .

 

That must mean then

that there's more poverty down south than in Barnsley!

 

RE: That must mean then

 

As I understand it, a young footballer must live within 1 hours travelling distance of the club in order from him to be signed on as a student. Within 1 hour of Barnsley there are academies at Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town and Leeds United. At a push, this could be extended to Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Manchester City and Manchester United. I do not think that there are any academies within 1 hour of either Ipswich or Southampton. However, if our youth training was not of academy status then all the above would be entitled to poach any young talent the district produces, just as Barnsley raid both Doncaster and Rotherham. Over all then, my conclusion is that we must have an academy.
I think that the problem of lack of talent is widespread in the game in this country in spite of the success of Ipswich and Southampton. I watched an academy game between Liverpool and Bolton the other day and it was amazing how few boys qualified to play for England, let alone came from within 1 hour of the ground. Nevertheless, I question whether the scouting of talent and the quality of coaching is up to standard at Barnsley FC based on the evidence in your posting and based on the quality of this years year 1 students and based on the lack of progress of the year 2 students.

 

I wonder how much our recent foray into League 1 has affected players looking to get signed on. 3 championship clubs competing for the same pool of players must have impacted

 

That is a factor I had not considered. I began watching the academy 5 years ago, when watching the first team was so difficult. Then we had a very good side. I remember that they beat Arsenal in the first game of the season. The team finished second in their league and the season after they reached the semi-final of the youth cup. However, as you point out, the fortunes of the first team are several seasons in front of the fortunes of the academy. I hope that you are right and that the year 1 students next year will be better. But one word of caution. Of the side that reached the semi-final of the youth cup, only Robbie Williams went on to play for the first team.

 

I think you can go back to the fourth paragraph of your first post to find the answer to lack of success in developing young talent.Even Huddersfield can attract and develop players who should be with us. The fault must be with the scouting and coaching personnel. I wouldn't let a lad of mine within a mile of the Oakwell set up. The youngest is 45 anyway but I'm making a point.

 

Why not... please tell me more.

 

It's the coaching.Too regimented.It's one size fits all and if that don't work, the lads not good enough.Get rid of him and bring some more in.Its been like that for years.Ex players(not very good) trying to bring youngsters on with no emphasis on encouragement to develop their natural talent but fitting them into a pattern.Why do coaches want to kick every ball.Let them play.If they want to beat 3 men let them.Thats the way to learn. I've not watched the academy for about 5 years- but I doubt if it's changed.

 

If you DO decide to pack in going

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your informative posts . They've always been a pleasure to read , mate .
(Y) (Y) (Y) (respect) (respect) (respect) (worship) (worship) (worship)

 

I've not watched the academy for about 5 years- but I doubt if it's changed.

???

 

No is has not. What you describe is just what happens as far as I can see. Ronnie Branson stands in front of the dugout and shouts instructions to the player with the ball. If the player does what he says and things go wrong then it is still the player fault. How is that possible when the player did not make the decision. They are told to pass. Nothing wrong with that. Keeping the ball is a high priority. But players are not told to move. The focus is on the player with the ball. If no player moves, the player with the ball can only pass backwards or hit and hope. I sit behind the oposition bench. No other coach has behaved in the way Ronnie Branson behaves. I fear for the future of the first team if player are not coming through from the academy. The club should not allow poor coaching at that level to continue.

 

If I honest, I would rather see a change in the coaching than stop going. The club really must do something.