27 Apr 2018 08:37:11
Anyone else think that it's now fair to say that at the top level academy players will not get a chance. So to expect players like Kent, Ojo, Woodburn etc to get a fair crack of the whip at some point is wishful thinking. True there are some anomolies (Trent, Kane) but modern football comes with a demand for success. I for one do not expect 99% of our academy players to get a chance before being offloaded. I don't necessarily see it as a bad thing because if they're good enough they'll make it. But buying ready made quality is making top premier league teams academies null and void. What's the point?

1.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 09:16:22
It has been going like this at the highest level for a long time, sadly.

Hardly any of even the highest rated academy graduates tend to make it at the club they came through the system with. In our last 20 seasons, we've seen Sterling and that is it. Even he was signed at 15 so does it even count? Although most of the higher rated Players do tend to build a career elsewhere. Spearing, Ibe, Ince, Coady, Kelly, Gulacsi, Rossiter, Smith, Hammill, Wisdom, Robinson and Flanagan all look good enough for a strong level of football, but none have or will make it at Anfield long term unless we buy them back in the future. Sterling was the only one, and we sold him anyway.

Even out of the higher rated players, some don't even make it elsewhere. Adam Morgan is a prime example. Last I heard he got sacked by a non-league team and he was once dubbed the "new Fowler".

It has been going on for as long as I have been alive. You will get the rare exception such as the United class of '92 (Neville, Butt, Scholes, Giggs, Beckham), Liverpool's Spice boy era (Fowler, Redknapp, Macca, Gerrard, Carragher, Owen), or more recently the great Barcelona crop (Pedro, Messi, Iniesta, Pique, Alba) . Even some of them had to move elsewhere before they got their big move back to the side they started at though.

I guess my point is, this is not a new thing. There have been randomised exceptions in the last 30 years, but overall, very few players have broken through into the first team at the club they trained with as youth players.

The best top team in the Prem right now, contrary to media opinion, is actually Man United. Lingard, Rashford, McTominay and to some extent Pogba are all products of their academy who play regularly. Though keep in mind the embarrassing saga around Pogba being bought back for a world record fee 😂

The next best is probably Spurs who have Kane as their best player and Winks in and out.

Then probably Liverpool who have Arnold and Woodburn in and out (you can't include Gomez or Solanke because we signed them at 18/ 19) or Arsenal with Wilshere and Iwobi in and out.

Chelsea and City would rather spend on players who are already old enough to sign professional contracts (17+) . Which is a shame because they both have some brilliant players at youth level such as Foden and Hudson-Odoi who will probably never get a chance.

It is sad football has gone this way, but it has been gradually getting worse year on year, as the financial risks have increased.

{Ed001's Note - Redknapp was bought from Bournemouth, never came through the academy.}

2.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 09:23:53
I think you're kinda contradicting yourself there by saying that it's wishful thinking that the academy players will get a chance, but if they're good enough they'll make it.

It's only natural that at the top level, competition for first team places is incredibly fierce so you have to be both extremely talented and hardworking to get in. Most unfortunately will not make the cut, but I think we are very fortunate that we have a manager like Klopp who clearly likes to develop players so our academy players should have a fair chance to prove themselves worthy of wearing the badge.

Liverpool traditionally has had talented players coming through the ranks of the academy, so hopefully that will continue.

3.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 09:44:04
The wishful thinking comment was related to chances at Liverpool. When I say 'make it' I mean that they'll play football at a professional level. Just to clarify. I guess my larger point is that we spend 10's of millions of pounds a season on our academy. Which, as MK pointed out, has produced what once in the last 20 seasons (if you even count sterling) . Our academies at the top level still relevant for success and if not why have them? For historical and sentimental reasons? On the off chance you develop the next Messi? It may be controversial but my opinion is that academies at the top level are redundant and therefore top clubs should focus their money in other areas.

{Ed001's Note - is Trent not counting then?}

4.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 09:50:53
At the moment Ed Trent counts but I would've said the same about Flanagan when he broke through 😊.

{Ed001's Note - not sure I would compare the two at all. Flanagan got his opportunity because we had injury problems. Trent was a planned opportunity because he deserved it.}

5.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 10:01:05
Fair point! Would you say that Flanagan seized that opportunity though? at the time I believe even on here many thought he would be a mainstay.

6.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 10:09:59
Some clubs can't financially sustain academies anymore and have got rid, but if everyone got rid we'd have no youngsters coming through. Even if we don't produce youngsters for our team, a lot of them will play for other clubs and we'll take other clubs youngsters in return. Gomez and Sterling weren't our academy's products and they're doing alright. We'd like more talent produced through the academy but if they're good enough, they'll make it.

7.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 10:17:17
Once we are 2-0/ 3-0 up that's the time klopp needs to start giving our academy boys 1/ 2 a run and see how they cope.

8.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 10:25:44
Understand what your saying Bardzo but the very top clubs rarely in my opinion produce top top talent. So they should scrap academies. For example Hazard, Silva, Vidal, Lewandowski, Pastore, Sanchez and many more top quality players barely see a top side until they've done the business elsewhere. It's all well and good giving Woodburn 15 mins to see how he copes but long term that's not sustainable.

9.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 10:51:59
Cheers Ed, didn't know that about Redknapp! That is just one less player to come through in the last 30 years then.

I am hoping that Trent and Woodburn both go on to become regulars and buck the trend. Curtis Jones seems to be held in very high regards too.

Question Ed001, do you think (in your opinion) that Ojo, Kent or Wilson can come back and be part of the squad next season? They were once a fantastic front 3 for the u21's, but it looks like the ship has sailed to me. Wilson maybe has an outside shot I suppose.

{Ed001's Note - I would think only Wilson has a chance, but he needs to put in more effort tracking back and pressing to really stand a chance.}

10.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 11:25:09
You could say the same about trent. Would he have got the chance he had this year if Clyne was fit? I prefer trent all day but hindsight is a great thing.

People say clubs would rather buy an established player over an academy kid but established players don't sprout out of the ground at 24. If the academy kids have to step down a level and fight their way back up them that's fine and probably good for them and the game. So much effort is being made by the fa to sort out our national team that I think more youngsters are going to be making it at the top level more and more.

11.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 18:33:11
TAA, has made the full back position his own, he is the best we have right now,
he will probably stay there for another season before moving into midfield,
its unreal to see how Klopp gave him his chance, and now TAA and Salah are forming a great partnership down the right hand side,
at 19 yrs of age, he is giving Salah great support, he is going to be a great great player for us,
young players get their chance, and they sometimes make it .

12.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 21:00:29
Salah, Trent already got chances last season and Klopp already wanted him to play more even last season. He would have gotten his chances regardless of whether Clyne was fit or not. The boy has earned it and frankly, he is the FB Clyne wishes he was.