27 Jul 2017 13:55:39
Ed001, il give you a break from the transfer questions. What I want to ask you is, are you worried or slightly concerned about the lack of acadamey graduates making it into our first team and being given a chance. TAA imo is the only one of recent times given the opportunity and maybe Woodburn. Is this down to the amount of money and on the line teams ironically can't afford to take a chance on them? Or is it out academies are failing, not just ours but more the football leagues in general.

Solanke comes to mind, not for a second am I judging him or slating, but we've paid 3mil say for arguments sake, is there no one in our acadamey who is as good as him? Just like to know your thoughts on the current state of Acadmies and players making it.

{Ed001's Note - yes, and not just with us, but across the entire Premier League teams are not giving youngsters the chances they should do. I mean look at what happens when one does get a chance, completely out of the blue, and he was not even the first choice to get the game. I am of course referring to Marcus Rashford, who only got his chance because Ashley Fletcher was ruled out. However since then, United have gone and spent hundreds of millions to ensure they don't need to try kids again! Youth development is a mess in England.}

1.) 27 Jul 2017
27 Jul 2017 14:41:05
Completely agree ed001.
We do have some excellent youngsters but don't give them a long enough run in the team. I take my hat off to spurs and Everton as they have, and reaped the rewards. Although Everton seem to be buying every affordable man and his did at the moment.

{Ed001's Note - I do fear for Everton's kids now. However instant success is not gained by a team of kids, they are too inconsistent. And for anyone going to bring up the class of 92 Man Utd team, go and have a look at the spine of that side. Schmeichel, Pallister, Bruce, Irwin, Ince, Cantona etc. They were not a team of just kids. However, if you want kids to come through and reach their potential, you have to give them chances. Fergie was very good at blooding them and using them as fringe players. Loads of them got 4 or 5 appearances to see if they had anything, then were let go for a decent price because they had Prem experience but were not quite seen as good enough for United.}

2.) 27 Jul 2017
27 Jul 2017 15:56:02
Get manager contracts turned into only end of season sackings and you will see the kids playing.

At no point in the season is the pressure ever off.

10 games winning streak at start of season and then 3 loses on the bounce, there will be calls for the managers head.

The kids playing is a risk and could jepodise the winning results needed.

Short term a win out ways a young player debut but long term the kid playing is the the win.

But there s no long term in the premier league.

3.) 27 Jul 2017
27 Jul 2017 18:14:36
A very good post wonderWoodburn, It's no coincidence that the manager sacking ratio increasing has come at the same time as less and less youngsters are given a chance.