Spurs Youth 2021/22

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I had thought last season that Spurs had finally recognised the insanity of the 'no loans' policy introduced by Poch, with Mourhino getting a number of loans, which were very welcome, although more lads could have gone on loan (including perhaps Makanday).

My general take on things is that one season playing in u23's is beneficial in competing at a higher level, but in a 2nd season youngsters learn little new, and a 3rd season (as Markanday was in) ........ just no, its time for a change in scenery as either the youngster is under performing (and should have been released) or is being held back through lack of competitive football (and playing L2, L1 against mens teams is a big step up from playing u23's against other youngsters)

So I wasn't best pleased to see how few youngsters went out on loan at start of this season (just Bowden, Etete, Parrott, Bennett and over age Whiteman) when there were probably 5 or 6 others who could/should have been loaned out. And with few minutes played in first team in the first half season, this has not been a productive season for too many of them playing u23's only.

Will we see more players going out on loan - with 25 players (including 4 goalkeepers) in the development squad, having say 10 players out on loan to gain league experience playing against mens teams whilst retaining a 15 man squad (plus academy kids playing up including Devine and Scarlett ) to play u23 football doesn't look too ambitious ?

As of today we just have two loans arranged for the 2nd half of the season - Parrott and Etete.

Meanwhile the u23's include Jack Clarke who was playing football in the Championship last season as was Harvey White playing in League 1 last season and plenty of others who could/should be out on loan.

Insanity.
 

I had thought last season that Spurs had finally recognised the insanity of the 'no loans' policy introduced by Poch, with Mourhino getting a number of loans, which were very welcome, although more lads could have gone on loan (including perhaps Makanday).

My general take on things is that one season playing in u23's is beneficial in competing at a higher level, but in a 2nd season youngsters learn little new, and a 3rd season (as Markanday was in) ........ just no, its time for a change in scenery as either the youngster is under performing (and should have been released) or is being held back through lack of competitive football (and playing L2, L1 against mens teams is a big step up from playing u23's against other youngsters)

So I wasn't best pleased to see how few youngsters went out on loan at start of this season (just Bowden, Etete, Parrott, Bennett and over age Whiteman) when there were probably 5 or 6 others who could/should have been loaned out. And with few minutes played in first team in the first half season, this has not been a productive season for too many of them playing u23's only.

Will we see more players going out on loan - with 25 players (including 4 goalkeepers) in the development squad, having say 10 players out on loan to gain league experience playing against mens teams whilst retaining a 15 man squad (plus academy kids playing up including Devine and Scarlett ) to play u23 football doesn't look too ambitious ?

As of today we just have two loans arranged for the 2nd half of the season - Parrott and Etete.

Meanwhile the u23's include Jack Clarke who was playing football in the Championship last season as was Harvey White playing in League 1 last season and plenty of others who could/should be out on loan.

Insanity.
Well said!

I wrote a big piece about Markanday this weekend and have also done a podcast about it and referenced in on the latest The Extra Inch too. A huge failing from Spurs.
 
I love Conte but I doubt if he will be interested in loaning the yoot.
What is the set up at Chelsea? Managers come and go there but their academy players are found great loans.
 
I love Conte but I doubt if he will be interested in loaning the yoot.
What is the set up at Chelsea? Managers come and go there but their academy players are found great loans.

No idea precisely at Chelsea, but what I think needs to be put in place right now at Spurs, if it doesn't exist now is :

1. A person who is tasked with setting up a series of relationships with lower league clubs who are persuaded that Spurs youth could be loaned to the lower league clubs - and perform well. I don't believe an exclusive arrangement would work well, and as a first stage we should have talked to majority of League 1, League 2 and probably Championship clubs so that all of them are aware that Spurs are in the game of loaning out young players to clubs.

These relationships will develop over time, but I'd expect the relationship manager to be talking to clubs frequently to understand what positions the clubs might want to fill - ultimately we can only loan out players that clubs want - but also be aware of the Spurs players coming through so we can see if there is a match.

Its probably true these days that most of the youngsters will have agents - so the relationship manager will also need to talk to youngsters agents, many of whom may already have explored potential loanee clubs for their clients (Spurs youngsters)

2 There needs to be a Loan officer/coach whose role is very much dealing with the youngsters, agreeing terms of the loan and monitoring the youngsters during the loan - both in terms of youngsters playing experience but also the youngsters well being (is accommodation appropriate, are they living well rather than being sucked into gambling etc - remember we are talking of youngsters aged 17/18/19/20 so may need a 'surrogate parent' )


Tim Sherwood exited Spurs with a dodgy reputation after being first team coach but he did a decent job before that setting up relationships with a couple of clubs who took a few youngsters on loan, and even before him Spurs had several clubs to whom we sent youngsters (eg Yeovil who I seem to recall took Mason, Townsend and Obika), so its been done before.


Without that kind of infrastructure in place, Spurs are waiting for clubs to approach them to ask if there are players waiting to go on loan ...... a very reactive strategy which is unlikely to get many youngsters out on loan.
 
There needs to be a Loan officer/coach whose role is very much dealing with the youngsters, agreeing terms of the loan and monitoring the youngsters during the loan - both in terms of youngsters playing experience but also the youngsters well being (is accommodation appropriate, are they living well rather than being sucked into gambling etc - remember we are talking of youngsters aged 17/18/19/20 so may need a 'surrogate parent' )
Great points in your post and this one about "keeping an eye on them" is one I hadn't really considered.
 
Great points in your post and this one about "keeping an eye on them" is one I hadn't really considered.

Thanks

My fear is that nobody at Spurs is tasked with all these things - really struggle to believe these issues haven't been thought about - and given the size of the development squad it would seem to be sensible to have it high on the 'to do' list' . Particularly as the first team has an HG problem in general (and the Club trained list isn't as great on quality as it might be) which the infrastructure outlined above producing maybe 1 - 2 youngsters pa for the first team would solve, and a stream of fees from those not quite good enough very welcome (remembering £100m was generated by Poch from youngsters brought through before he joined which he didn't want)
 
Thanks

My fear is that nobody at Spurs is tasked with all these things - really struggle to believe these issues haven't been thought about - and given the size of the development squad it would seem to be sensible to have it high on the 'to do' list' . Particularly as the first team has an HG problem in general (and the Club trained list isn't as great on quality as it might be) which the infrastructure outlined above producing maybe 1 - 2 youngsters pa for the first team would solve, and a stream of fees from those not quite good enough very welcome (remembering £100m was generated by Poch from youngsters brought through before he joined which he didn't want)
Ndombele is supposed to be on £200k pw.
A few "admin" guys looking after potential multi million assets would cost buttons in comparison.
But, as you said, someone or even a team forging good relationships with lower league teams could pay for itself or potentially earn the club a million or two.
 
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I love Conte but I doubt if he will be interested in loaning the yoot.
What is the set up at Chelsea? Managers come and go there but their academy players are found great loans.
IMO this is why we need an intelligent £10-20m injection into our youth structure.

Make it known we have layers of gems needing physical polish, by signing 5-8 very top players 16-19 who gap fill our other best youths.

Then top developers, like RB etc will be monitoring our youngsters for appropriate loans.

Bellingham’s younger brother, if he’s still showing high promise (but doesn’t go Dortmund), these types.
 
No idea precisely at Chelsea, but what I think needs to be put in place right now at Spurs, if it doesn't exist now is :

1. A person who is tasked with setting up a series of relationships with lower league clubs who are persuaded that Spurs youth could be loaned to the lower league clubs - and perform well. I don't believe an exclusive arrangement would work well, and as a first stage we should have talked to majority of League 1, League 2 and probably Championship clubs so that all of them are aware that Spurs are in the game of loaning out young players to clubs.

These relationships will develop over time, but I'd expect the relationship manager to be talking to clubs frequently to understand what positions the clubs might want to fill - ultimately we can only loan out players that clubs want - but also be aware of the Spurs players coming through so we can see if there is a match.

Its probably true these days that most of the youngsters will have agents - so the relationship manager will also need to talk to youngsters agents, many of whom may already have explored potential loanee clubs for their clients (Spurs youngsters)

2 There needs to be a Loan officer/coach whose role is very much dealing with the youngsters, agreeing terms of the loan and monitoring the youngsters during the loan - both in terms of youngsters playing experience but also the youngsters well being (is accommodation appropriate, are they living well rather than being sucked into gambling etc - remember we are talking of youngsters aged 17/18/19/20 so may need a 'surrogate parent' )


Tim Sherwood exited Spurs with a dodgy reputation after being first team coach but he did a decent job before that setting up relationships with a couple of clubs who took a few youngsters on loan, and even before him Spurs had several clubs to whom we sent youngsters (eg Yeovil who I seem to recall took Mason, Townsend and Obika), so its been done before.


Without that kind of infrastructure in place, Spurs are waiting for clubs to approach them to ask if there are players waiting to go on loan ...... a very reactive strategy which is unlikely to get many youngsters out on loan.
This was Ryan Masons job at the start of the season but he has now moved to the first team. Presumably someone else should be tasked with this.
 
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