06 Jan 2015 19:30:23
I think LFC needs to either start giving the youngsters a chance or scrap the youth program all together. Why buy Origi and Markovic when we have Ibe, Suso, Sinclair and Ojo etc playing well but not being able to get a look in yet we spend over the odds for players who will play the same or do worst than the youth we have in our ranks. Senseless spending and waste of youth IMO. If we have an academy were the future won't be looked at it must hurt their confidence, attitude and mindset towards the club and intern affect how they play. Apart from Sterling BR has not even tried with a youngster bar Flanagan.

{Ed002's Note - It is not allowable to scrap the youth system.}

1.) 06 Jan 2015
06 Jan 2015 23:00:10
I'd love to see our youth coming through as much as the next fan. But, many need to realise many, despite looking class at under 21 and youth level just can't make the progression over to top flight football.

You need to take into account what the coaches and manager (regardless of your opinion of them) see every day in training, and how they react when training with the senior side.

Whilst I'm sure many will go on to have good careers, maybe at lower prem sides, but likely in the championship or abroad. They won't make it here.

That said, we do have prospects with the potential to go places in the game, but how can you compare two international footballers with top flight experience to lads that are truth be told, probably still 2 seasons away from being truly ready.

Much of the decision in having them step up will be down to how their mentality is deemed. How would you like to be a 18 year old kid that has his dreams crushed by the fans and media because your debut didn't go to plan or you didn't burst on to the stage like Sterling has?

Yes we all want our club to prosper from the academy and bring our own lads through, but it's far too simplistic to suggest we should be using x player from the academy over players that have already been blooded in top flight football, which by the way also possess huge talent.

2.) 07 Jan 2015
Big E excellent post. I spent many years coaching in youth football, albeit at a much lower level, and your observations are spot on. Very few youth players make it through to their respective first teams at any level yet alone in the premiership.
I'm showing my age here but a number of years ago I spent a day at Melwood on a coaching programme. I remember Steve Highway, who was Head of The Academy at the time, saying that the hardest part of his role was knowing that less than 3% of the boys he had at the academy would make it in professional football at any level! It's easy for us to get carried away watching players like Suso, Wilson, Kent, Ojo etc who really catch the eye for U18's and 21's but believe me they are a long way from the finished article.

{Ed001's Note - sorry but Big E is coming out with the same crap that every manager uses to justify not giving kids a chance! Utter and complete crap. The dreams are crushed by not playing them, not by it not going well when they do have the chance.

These completely false kind of comments are why youth players don't get a chance in English football, we have the media card to play. Or the crap about how managers see the players play each week in training so know more about them. That one really rankles with me, every team has players that are incredible in training but can't play the game when it matters. Or those that are woeful in training then fantastic in matches. Training is not the time to judge players, it is the time to coach them and improve their game for the matches. There should be no other reason to training. If it is being used to judge which players are best, then it is being wasted. Probably explains why the technical level of English players is so poor compared to most of the world if coaches are wasting training sessions on picking players for the game, rather than just preparing them.

Steve Heighway also said consistently that the reason so few of the youth players made it was because the managers were scared to give them a chance. So perhaps you should stop picking quotes that have no relevance to this issue, just because they suit your argument, as he was very plain that he felt more should have made it and that was why he constantly bickered with Rafa until Rafa got rid.}

3.) 07 Jan 2015
Ed001 sorry for voicing an opinion that differs to yours. I foolishly thought that we were all entitled to one.

I didn't pick a quote I relayed part of a conversation that I had with Steve Highway. I was, obviously unsuccessfully, trying to get the point over that the youth system in England in general does not work well, not just Liverpool's and there are many reasons for that and surprisingly they are not all Brendan Rodgers fault. Ed how many of our young players who have been "Brendaned" or "Rafa'd" as per your reply have become stars elsewhere? I would love to see some of our youngsters come through and given a chance but the pressure and expectation put on them by the media, managers and particularly fans is immense. Look at the abuse Lucas and Hendo received from some of our more knowledgable supporters when they came into the team as youngsters. How many average games could Rossiter have before our next Stevie G was pilloried by his own fans and suddenly became our next Jay Spearing?

{Ed001's Note - so you start off by being an arse, then expect me to respond to your questions? Take your head out of your arse, I was giving an opinion too, I didn't delete yours did I? Then people wonder why we have no patience with you, when we get knobbish posts like this! Next time I won't waste my time on you.

That is another of those ridiculous assertions that is used to suggest a youth player was never good enough anyway, when it makes absolutely no sense. So a player not getting a chance at the moment he needs it to break into the game doesn't make it, what of it? That is just pointing out that they are failing to get the chances, it doesn't prove they aren't good enough, just that they never got the chance to show it.

Next you will be telling me that all those kids that didn't make it in the game didn't make it because they are not good enough. What about those cast aside because they are not big and strong enough? Is that a sign that the coaches knew their stuff because they never made it by another route? Or is it just possible that they missed their opportunity because the coach was crap at his job and just wanted the players best suited to winning now, rather than those needing development?

As for the abuse they take, how is it any different from what the foreign buys have to go through? Have you ever thought that just maybe it might help them build character to go through it? Maybe even make a stronger player who can take the abuse and lead the team to glory? Might toughen them up a bit and appreciate what they have when they make it even.

What is the alternative? Never giving them a game just in case it goes wrong? May as well just all give up and go home then! After all we might lose the next game, so let's just not bother playing it just in case. You have to take chances to progress or you just stagnate, like the English youth academy system is doing, except at clubs like Southampton who push their products into the team.}

4.) 07 Jan 2015
Bellamy said Rush was an awful trainer. Good thing we played him.

5.) 07 Jan 2015
Ed I apologise if the way I write makes me come across as an arse, I certainly don't mean to be and am never abusive to you or other posters. Unfortunately I just don't agree with you on a number of issues and I have just tried to put forward my view. Sorry if I have offended you in doing so. I'll keep any controversial views to myself in future

{Ed001's Note - I wasn't asking you to keep your views to yourself. I was just wondering why it is that you think your views are so superior that I am not allowed to disagree with them? Especially when you have a dig at me claiming I am not allowing you to have a different viewpoint. Fine, do what you want though. If you are that sensitive you are better off not bothering anyway.}

6.) 07 Jan 2015
I've never really thought about it before and didn't realize it was a requirement to have a youth system. Is that an FA thing? At what level does it stop being a requirement? Non-league? Genuinely curious if anyone happens to know. Here in the US we're just finally starting to get semi-proper youth setup a under the MLS sides (in a fashion anyway), such as the Galaxy II team.

{Ed002's Note - All ages from 9 up.}

7.) 07 Jan 2015
Ed sorry I promise I'll shut up after this. I certainly don't think my view/ opinion is superior to yours or anyone else's. I'll leave you in peace to carry on your good work with the sitE.

{Ed002's Note - No problem, have a great day.}

8.) 07 Jan 2015
07 Jan 2015 11:38:04
Fair enough Ed 001. I still believe there is an extremely fine line between giving players a chance when they're seen as ready and throwing them in because they excel at youth level. Not to say it wouldn't work in all cases, of course.

There are definitely more factors than just being technically and tactically ready to making a step up to playing in front of 40,000 people.

I'm not trying to justify youth not being given opportunities, but more trying to justify a proper development process in which they can truly become great without huge pressures from the ages of 17-18-19. Although I do also agree with the age old adage 'if you're good enough, you're old enough' but that applies to an extremely low number.

I realise this may look a bit contradictory, but most on here are smart enough to grasp what I'm saying!