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Manager Thomas Frank

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Are you Frank Out or In?


  • Total voters
    623
Glad to see Frank wants to work with our academy that is a reknowned conveyor belt for talent . In my time as a Spurs fan, well over 50 years we have produced 4 truly top class players . Hoddle , Campbell🤮, King and Kane . I can’t think of any others that fit my criterior of elite level players. However after 25 years no doubt Daniel will provide Frank with a class of 92 type crop of youngsters . We bought Bergvall , Gray and Vuskovic to compliment this avalanche of talent we are about to unleash,, not to plug the lack of elite level talent being developed.

Mikey Moore might be great , I really hope he is but he ain’t a game changer right now

I think Crouchie is being under-represented here. Absolutely top class player with technique better than his body stature would justify.

As much as Jamie Redknapp is a total nob, he was also a very very good player at Liverpool.

David Beckham didn't do too badly, either
 
I'm looking to change my avi, what do you think I should change it to?
IMG_2729.jpeg
 
I think Crouchie is being under-represented here. Absolutely top class player with technique better than his body stature would justify.

As much as Jamie Redknapp is a total nob, he was also a very very good player at Liverpool.

David Beckham didn't do too badly, either
Not sure we can claim those that left our academy , but if you want to you can add Souness and Des Walker
 
Not sure we can claim those that left our academy , but if you want to you can add Souness and Des Walker

Well tbf most players who leave our academy did because either:
  • They aren't good enough
  • We aren't good enough
  • Poch (no development)
Crouchie left us at around the same age as Devine, and Becks/Redknapp left around Mikey's age. Of course Jamie only really left via nepotism.

I wouldn't not count them as academy because they all graduated from it and left as pros
 
Well tbf most players who leave our academy did because either:
  • They aren't good enough
  • We aren't good enough
  • Poch (no development)
Crouchie left us at around the same age as Devine, and Becks/Redknapp left around Mikey's age. Of course Jamie only really left via nepotism.

I wouldn't not count them as academy because they all graduated from it and left as pros

Where on earth did you get the information David Beckham left us at 16-18??

Are you on drugs??
 
That's true isn't it?

He and his family were always massive United supporters and it was always their intention to have David play there, but he did not leave his London home to join up with United until 1991, right?

Are you English? About 50?
Reason I ask is just whether you have any “hands on” knowledge of that time.

I’m a similar age to Beckham so went through the same type of process in the late 80s.

At 14 you could sign for a club on schoolboy forms.
I can imagine a number of people on here went for trials. It was a really big deal for any boy who wanted to be a pro.

Back in “my day” we had Lilleshall as well for the truly elite young players aged 14. Pretty sure Defoe came through that setup.


But for most you might train and play for the professional club at weekends - Kevin Phillips comes from my area and played for Southampton. That’s 100miles away!
No idea if Beckham drove up to Manchester. But he wouldn’t have been playing for Spurs when he’d signed for United.

You were still allowed to play for a local team and in the schoolboy / county set up.
The aim of playing for England schoolboys was the holy grail.

Then at 16 you would finish school, leave home and go and live in “digs”.

Very different set up to now where the pro clubs stop boys playing local football at a very young age and put them in their own development programs.


Short version you signed schoolboy forms at 14 and if you were lucky you got signed again at 16.

Here he is with Sir Alex. In 1989 aged 14. It’s in the Netflix documentary.
10945303_beckham_228691c.jpg


Decent article here too. Seems Gary Neville signed a 4 year contract at 14. But he was a local lad so maybe less risk to do that. Or maybe he was like a young Cafu.

 
Are you English? About 50?
Reason I ask is just whether you have any “hands on” knowledge of that time.

I’m a similar age to Beckham so went through the same type of process in the late 80s.

At 14 you could sign for a club on schoolboy forms.
I can imagine a number of people on here went for trials. It was a really big deal for any boy who wanted to be a pro.

Back in “my day” we had Lilleshall as well for the truly elite young players aged 14. Pretty sure Defoe came through that setup.


But for most you might train and play for the professional club at weekends - Kevin Phillips comes from my area and played for Southampton. That’s 100miles away!
No idea if Beckham drove up to Manchester. But he wouldn’t have been playing for Spurs when he’d signed for United.

You were still allowed to play for a local team and in the schoolboy / county set up.
The aim of playing for England schoolboys was the holy grail.

Then at 16 you would finish school, leave home and go and live in “digs”.

Very different set up to now where the pro clubs stop boys playing local football at a very young age and put them in their own development programs.


Short version you signed schoolboy forms at 14 and if you were lucky you got signed again at 16.

Here he is with Sir Alex. In 1989 aged 14. It’s in the Netflix documentary.
10945303_beckham_228691c.jpg


Decent article here too. Seems Gary Neville signed a 4 year contract at 14. But he was a local lad so maybe less risk to do that. Or maybe he was like a young Cafu.

Much I did not know, cheers.

But Becks was in the Spurs youth ranks as a kid, that has been widely reported.
 
Much I did not know, cheers.

But Becks was in the Spurs youth ranks as a kid, that has been widely reported.

Yeah maybe up to age 14. Then he signed for united.

But it was nothing like these days.
He would have just been doing a bit of training and still playing for a local team. Not like Joe where you train 3 times a week and play other academies.

Senrab FC was well known for having loads of kids on their books who went pro.

Totally different times to now. Evolution of the game.
 
Where on earth did you get the information David Beckham left us at 16-18??

Are you on drugs??

He was 16. He signed a contract for United at 14 but stayed with us until after he left school and didn't leave Spurs until 1991.

Just checked and it's even on their own page, you numpty.


image-2025-07-24-214530631.png
 
He was 16. He signed a contract for United at 14 but stayed with us until after he left school and didn't leave Spurs until 1991.

Just checked and it's even on their own page, you numpty.


image-2025-07-24-214530631.png

You’re clearly a bit stupid aren’t you.


They can’t sign an adult contract until they are 16!!

Find me any information about him playing for spurs between 14 and 16. I will wait…..
 
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