UpweySaint

Nice list, hopefully it will change over the next few years. Though I think it's worth noting Villa had to give youth a chance due to precarious finances with their previous expenditure. It will be interesting to see how genuine we are next season with a few of the academy players certainly on the fringes of being a part of the squad picture. Chambers, Stephens (assuming you count him), Isgrove, Targett and, to some extent, JWP.

Fair, I'd say more optimistic then naive. We've had more sucess and could be more hopeful of it working then, lets say, Fulham or Stoke or even Norwich. I hope we can continue to produce a good level of quality but, of course, nothing to say it wont all go pete tong. I know finances was a huge factor but I remember the "dutch experiment" and shudder!

I imagine they'l stick with him. I dont even think he did too much wrong. Poyet has ambitions, the club did not spend as much as other clubs in the league, he used the media to say he'd consider his options. Naive yes but all he was doing was saying something that maybe was best being kept private. Above all else he seems to be a good for them. Even if he stays though I admit I have no idea how involved he is in player recruitment etc.

At the risk of sounding like a creep I think he was just saying lets try to be the best at it. Noubt wrong with aspiration even if its aspiring just to do what others may have attempted but with more sucess.

Fair point the ox was poor but he has looked good in an england shirt on previous occassions. Often being one of the few genuinely willing to run at defenders and try to make things happen. Hopefully next year he'l cement his place in the Arsenal side and that will put him in good form come the summer.

Buckley would certainly be a good option for plenty of reasons as others have already mentioned. Haven't seen too much of him myself but when I have more often the not he's impressed. I suppose it comes down to price, he may have a year left on his deal but Brighton (I think!) are fairly financially stable, they will be looking to target a promotion push next season and Poyet may still be a tad bitter so may be less then inclined to play ball with us. I do wonder if trading them Hammond as a part of the deal is likely, he played quite a lot for them and isnt exactly a bad player to have for a promotion push.

Ok yes they do, we would never be Ajax overnight but tradition has to start somewhere. No reason we couldn't one day by like an Ajax-light ...?

@Badger Cant see the black on yellow happening myself, looks too dortmund, anybody fancy mocking it up with white or blue in place of the black ? Still though its not my favourite but it looks ok, I would settle with it.

You can point to Ajax coming good once more recently as a product of their academy graduates, and some good coaching by a true legend, while the hype about Germany often talks about how their league focused on bringing through a number of their own talents ahead of expensive imports. Maybe being a club with a strong reputation for both sucess and nurturing young talent is key to attracting, and keeping, bright young talent. In theory we're just a cup win away then

@Avenue Saint, I wont reply to the link directly as otherwise we'l end up with multiple copies of the picture taking up pages. A really nice design, reminds me a little of an old school ajax more then anything but cant explain why! Did you do the mock up yourself? Either way looks good, ticks a lot of peoples boxes and seems like a realistic option. (Praying you work for adidas and have let this out on the sly!)

Wow I think you took something more out of that! I'd be delighted with mid table security for a while too as it goes but the question was about how to kick on to what swansea see as "the next level" which would arguably be competing for the top six. Where in my post did I sneer or belittle? All I did was point out that I was being an optimist and thats a part of being a football fan, its like when we play bigger sides, you accept a draw would be a good result and you'd go home happy but who doesnt hope for a win?

V different players. Lamberts link up play with somebody like felliani sat behind him making runs would be interesting.

Just to be pedantic academy grads may not always be British but you'r point still stands, we have set out ambitious goals.

On some time scale of course but I dont exactly see us going mad. Good scouting, long term purchases, charging top money for any player who goes out the door, getting the best out of players with good coaching, bringing in external talent to swell the academy such as our plans for recruitment in Africa ... Im not naive enough to think that buying ready made quality is cheap but I do believe that there are other options to supplement an effective transfer strategy. Of course I could be a pessimist and doubt that we could achieve much of that but where would be the fun? I may as well go and hold alpine's hand and shout out just how doomed we are and how life is essentially pointless

I'd throw in Forren and some of our academy grads, no telling how good they might be yet. A few of these really step up and it's starts looking more realistic.

I sense you're not entirely serious here ... hmmm

Ah but he might hang around if we're prepared to bring in quality through the academy and from elsehwere when necessary. The whole half a squad of class academy grads is optimistic for sure but not desperately unfeasbale that we'd move towards this level while supplementing the squad with the ocassioanal bit of quality from here there and everywhere.

I'd throw in that we could certainly produce some players capable of being in top six squads, how many and if they could be more then squad players is of course anyones guess. Either way I understand why Laudrup would say what he says and without doubt investment in the playing squad is a must for any rapid progression to be seen at Swansea or Soton.

Lambert has never been particularly mobile but his link up play is getting better, imo, even if he's asked to do a lot in our tactical set up. Could he do a job for england? Maybe, if he's fit. Only way anybody will ever know is if he gets a chance. Besides the lack of numbers in the squad if hes fit I cant see any harm in him going to brazil sunday!

Err what have you been watching this year? Ramirez's set pieces have been a nightmare, in fact they got him subbed off once im quite sure! Lallana's have been ok, he's not beckham but has set up a few decent chances and is often the best available option on the pitch.

Can passion coaching not be done alongside playing? I advocate giving him a large stick to motivate those players not showing enough passion!

Nope but i'd take Shawcross instead, think he'd make more difference.

Screw the kit I just want us to be sponsered by bimbo! Makes me smile on the Philadelphia kit

The gospel that is twitter ... in all probablity we will sell him on and accrington cant really afford him ... besides if he did go to there id fancy he'd hit more then easter would in the championship

I'l bet otherwise but entitled to that opinion. Sharp is a more proven player and is likely to go a club creating/scoring more as a team then millwall.