Which is what we need to do. We have the best facilities in the league. Our approach is too passive. They're obviously not getting the same coaching either. It needs toppled and rebuilt. Much smaller sides than us produce plenty more HG talent than we do.
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Player Alfie Devine
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Maybe the best but Chelsea’s is just much bigger. So they have more players at a younger age. More smaller pitches etc etc.
They can stream them and discard them. Like Declan rice as a well known example.
Unless you can find a way to magically double the size of our training facility I don’t think it’s as easy as you make out.
In my experience Woolwich are also just a more popular choice in north London generally. There is more clout with youngsters to be training with Woolwich than spurs.
Like I say we feed off the scraps. And have done for quite a while now.
Although I think our model is quality over quantity and trying to get players when they are a bit older. But that’s just a guess from what I see in terms of players we pick up at an older age.
Well we don't get much quality in. Our academy, Kane aside basically is pretty awful.
That started to change when Mourhino started to show an interest in Spurs academy playing Devine and Scarlett - suggesting to youngsters that a path to the first team was possible (something destroyed under Poch).
It takes about 5 years for players to come through academy to an age when they are of interest to a first team coach - hence Spurs now have a number out on loan (Devine, Abbott, Ajayi, Moore et al) and ew have a few highly talented lads coming through U18's of whom Frank has included16 year old Byfield inn a first team squad as did Amge with 15 year old Williams- Barnett last season in an EL squad.
So there are reasons to believe that your statement is no longer true - although clearly that will only be proved when we consistently see one or more youngsters being involved in first team squads and getting minutes
None of those guys look like they're going to do anything, with all due respect to them. Maybe Mikey, but that remains to be seen.
It’s always a weird one to judge.
After McDermott left I felt there was a bit of a hole in the academy, they seem to have a bit more of a purpose / agenda again.
Mourinho and Conte were not coaches who showed much interest in the academy structure as they are short term coaches.
Following them Postecoglou said our academy players were not up to scratch.
But as a sample it’s always worth looking at England squads for European and world cups and see where the squads started out.
10 - 15 years ago I think you will find a very varied bunch of clubs. Southampton and West Ham were always well regarded for their academies. Shesrer and Bale spring to mind immediately.
Now the big boys are using the academy system as a way to make money. Especially Chelsea.
But if you use Kane as a yardstick you’re going to fail. That man is a one off. His goal record should tell you that. He’s not your standard professional footballer.
Other more recent England CFs.
Solanke, Toney, Watkins - where did they all start?
How many CFs entered academy football and those are the 3 who got to play for England.
Next bunch - Delap?
Who else is there right now?
But Solanke is a great example. He started at Chelsea. Never played a league game for them. Liverpool played 21 times in the league.
So is he a success in your eyes for Chelsea? They didn’t play him. Liverpool? They got rid of him relatively quickly.
One of the really backwards parts about the current situation is that, despite constantly sending hundreds of millions on first team players, both Chelsea, and to a lesser extent Woolwich, manage to find opportunity to play their most talented kids fairly routinely.
It should be harder for a youngster to see a pathway to the first team at those two clubs, meaning it should be easier for us to attract those youngsters.
Even those not getting into the first team squads seem to get good loans where they generate buzz and then get bought up for £20m+ by other top division sides, whereas we'll maybe send them out to Grimsby or Rotherham to flounder.
There are two obvious potential reasons, we are diabolical at presenting our youth in the best light, or our youth just aren't very good.
If Luca Williams-Barnett were at Woolwich, he'd probably be getting minutes in the first team right now, and they're CHampions elect according to plenty on here.
Nwaneri is just very good. Physically he’s ready. Which always helps.
Not seen our youngster play tbh.
Hopefully will get to see him at the Lamex this season. Couldn’t make our first game there. Now they are not back there till late September.
This weeks game is at hotspur way.
Looking at it only two more league games at the lamex this calendar year. That’s a bit shit!
Although then 3 in 2026 by the 06th Feb!! Under 21s games clearly similar to buses.
Dowman got on when 3-0 up and game over. Hasn’t happened much with us the last few years.
That's true, hopefully there will be a few more of that kind of opportunity this season.
Just looked on BBC and saw the other assist was "T. Carroll"
Thought it was Tom.
Is actually Theo.
Young Tom Carroll is now 33 and played for 11 clubs.
I'm sure many fans raved about him at least as much as every other academy player.
This is the Championship?
Some left foot. Absolute shitpinger
Cracker wasn't it?
Have we let him go or can he be brought back?
Loans (like other forms of transfer) can only begin and end in a transfer window.
So the first time Devine could return to Spurs and play is January
Preston have a buy option so it'll be full season with no recall option for Jan.
crazy to give the buy option as I doubt its for anything like Chelsea would sell any of their players.
Really frustrated this kid hasn’t had a chance. Looks every inch the style of player that looks better with better players.