Of young players actually getting to 18 and pushing on at oakwell rather than ending up at Ventura how much of an influence on their development has the senior pros like hassel and to a lesser extent recently the likes of Moore and Gray had. For as good a coach Branson maybe he can only teach kids how to play football, he doesn't have the nous to teach them to win games. The last time there were a number of young players coming through was around 12 years ago with the likes of mark smith , walker, etc in charge of the coaching able to impart their knowledge to the next generation. Sheff utd and Leeds both stock their academy staff with ex senior pros and they seem to continually have produced young players to a varying degree of financial reward over the same time period.
Can only think of John Stones. Other academy players only been in the squad due to injuries and suspensions imo.
This myth that you have to be an ex-pro to run an academy, or be a manager is what holds back the game in my opinion.
Clark Rose RNL Digby are all rated at the same level by them who watch them at u18 level. Stones got lucky with him been able to play in a non vital area and Hill able to make more of a gamble on him. RNL been injured for the last 18 month since getting his first goal for the reds. Digby seems to be the highly rate one by Keith Hill but hes said good things about all of those above. When/if the club get all the first teamers fit i think the club should/ woll get them out on loan for a few months. FAO DeeTee, Ronnies a very good coach and it isnt about winning at u18 level and maybe not at u21 level really. although they have Burton whos the harsher one they do have former pro's. ones a full time u18 coach now.
I see what you mean about Stones, but to say he got lucky is a bit much. He got an opportunity and took it. Slightly different.
Apologies.Forgot about Digby. Think Clark,Rose,RNL will go the same way as others ie league2/conference level. Digby and Stones are very talented and have shown that at first team level.
Sorry tried to change what i said when dyson posted. Luckys the wrong word becuse hes very talented but so are the others.
A non-vital area? I would argue it was the most vital position on the pitch yesterday, because of Ince and Phillips. All the positions on the pitch are as important as the rest, it's a TEAM.
I agree. I know a couple of Sunday league managers who IMO would do a better job than some of the ex pro's who keep getting job after job after job despite consistent failure. The problem is that they will never get a chance.
So you advocate the sacking of the acadamy coaches and giving the job to a few sunday league managers? heaven help us.
