Ross Wilson discusses recruiting for the academy

Probably a full interview coming soon.

Is the Director of football operations a new title?

His lips and nose look like they’ve been taken from someone else’s face

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018-07-20/matt-hale-academy-structure-southampton

Pleased to see us slowly branching out into Europe for youth recruitment the last couple of years.

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018-07-20/matt-hale-academy-structure-southampton

 

Pleased to see us slowly branching out into Europe for youth recruitment the last couple of years.

Personally not a fan of it. Imo if you’re brought through an academy, it should be at the very least in the country of your birth/current residence.

But in the same light, appreciate that’s the way things have gone and that’s what we need to do to stay competitive.

Bringing in the best from abroad isn’t going to help the England national team and is something, if I worked for the FA, I’d be very concerned about.

Personally not a fan of it. Imo if you’re brought through an academy, it should be at the very least in the country of your birth/current residence.

 

But in the same light, appreciate that’s the way things have gone and that’s what we need to do to stay competitive.

 

Bringing in the best from abroad isn’t going to help the England national team and is something, if I worked for the FA, I’d be very concerned about.

I suppose it all depends on the quality of the lads you bring in.

Personally not a fan of it. Imo if you’re brought through an academy, it should be at the very least in the country of your birth/current residence.

 

But in the same light, appreciate that’s the way things have gone and that’s what we need to do to stay competitive.

 

Bringing in the best from abroad isn’t going to help the England national team and is something, if I worked for the FA, I’d be very concerned about.

I agree that the FA should be worried but is there anything they can do about it, as surely this comes under employment laws/EU laws. The FA probably cannot block clubs doing it due to free movement etc.

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018-07-20/matt-hale-academy-structure-southampton

 

Pleased to see us slowly branching out into Europe for youth recruitment the last couple of years.

If its good for the club then it works for me

Personally not a fan of it. Imo if you’re brought through an academy, it should be at the very least in the country of your birth/current residence.

 

But in the same light, appreciate that’s the way things have gone and that’s what we need to do to stay competitive.

 

Bringing in the best from abroad isn’t going to help the England national team and is something, if I worked for the FA, I’d be very concerned about.

What's it got to do with the FA. The Southampton Academy is for Southampton FC, nothing to do with England or the FA. If we have to get kids for the Academy from abroad because there are so few talented kids coming through in this country then so be it, do the best for the Club. Do you seriously think we should not have had Gareth Bale in the Academy? Saints have "always" thought outside the box a little because of the limitations put on us in the past of geographic location and not finding many good youngsters in the Solent. To be honest its difficult to name many kids who came through who made it who were from Southampton. If the FA want to ensure that kids are developed for the England team then they should set up their own Academy/ies without club affiliations.

What's it got to do with the FA. The Southampton Academy is for Southampton FC, nothing to do with England or the FA. If we have to get kids for the Academy from abroad because there are so few talented kids coming through in this country then so be it, do the best for the Club. Do you seriously think we should not have had Gareth Bale in the Academy? Saints have "always" thought outside the box a little because of the limitations put on us in the past of geographic location and not finding many good youngsters in the Solent. To be honest its difficult to name many kids who came through who made it who were from Southampton. If the FA want to ensure that kids are developed for the England team then they should set up their own Academy/ies without club affiliations.

When did I say it had anything to do with the FA or that we are breaching any laws etc... all I said was if I worked for the FA I’d be concerned that clubs are being youngesters from abroad and taking less people that potentially will go on to play for England.

This isn’t just aimed at Saints, I’m uncomfortable with all clubs doing it. As I said, I appreciate that the club need to do this to stay competitive, however I’m keen to see England do just as well as I am Saints.

As for Bale/welsh/Scottish lads, that’s a bit of a unique situation, when I said country I do mean Britain as a whole.

There is also the argument that it dilutes the talent of the league of the country they’re taken from.

Personally, I think fifa/the FA (for English clubs) need to Do something to stop it. My personal opinion.

When did I say it had anything to do with the FA or that we are breaching any laws etc... all I said was if I worked for the FA I’d be concerned that clubs are being youngesters from abroad and taking less people that potentially will go on to play for England.

 

This isn’t just aimed at Saints, I’m uncomfortable with all clubs doing it. As I said, I appreciate that the club need to do this to stay competitive, however I’m keen to see England do just as well as I am Saints.

 

As for Bale/welsh/Scottish lads, that’s a bit of a unique situation, when I said country I do mean Britain as a whole.

 

There is also the argument that it dilutes the talent of the league of the country they’re taken from.

 

Personally, I think fifa/the FA (for English clubs) need to Do something to stop it. My personal opinion.

I think one of the immediate problems they face is all the elite players at 17/18/19 not getting match time in the top league.

If the FA truely cared about English Youth they would invest more into grass roots football, Cheaper coaching badges etc.

His lips and nose look like they’ve been taken from someone else’s face

Or Ralph Krueger’s arse!...

Personally not a fan of it. Imo if you’re brought through an academy, it should be at the very least in the country of your birth/current residence.

 

But in the same light, appreciate that’s the way things have gone and that’s what we need to do to stay competitive.

 

Bringing in the best from abroad isn’t going to help the England national team and is something, if I worked for the FA, I’d be very concerned about.

Totally agree.

The FA should bring a rule in that all clubs must have 5 homegrown/English youngster starting a match.

Then we will see England winning something for once.

PS I know the FA won’t do anything because the champions league is more important to clubs.

When did I say it had anything to do with the FA or that we are breaching any laws etc... all I said was if I worked for the FA I’d be concerned that clubs are being youngesters from abroad and taking less people that potentially will go on to play for England.

 

This isn’t just aimed at Saints, I’m uncomfortable with all clubs doing it. As I said, I appreciate that the club need to do this to stay competitive, however I’m keen to see England do just as well as I am Saints.

 

As for Bale/welsh/Scottish lads, that’s a bit of a unique situation, when I said country I do mean Britain as a whole.

 

There is also the argument that it dilutes the talent of the league of the country they’re taken from.

 

Personally, I think fifa/the FA (for English clubs) need to Do something to stop it. My personal opinion.

I think that's why more and more English players are going to academies abroad, Germany seems to be quite a popular destination.

Some countries have rules where under 18s or 19s can't be sold to foreign clubs, which I think should be implemented worldwide. FIFA, or certainly UEFA at least, needs to act, I don't think the FA can do this on their own.

In my opinion, as long as the majority of our academy players are from this country, I don't mind a few coming in from overseas.

Personally not a fan of it. Imo if you’re brought through an academy, it should be at the very least in the country of your birth/current residence.

 

But in the same light, appreciate that’s the way things have gone and that’s what we need to do to stay competitive.

 

Bringing in the best from abroad isn’t going to help the England national team and is something, if I worked for the FA, I’d be very concerned about.

What's wrong with bringing in the best from abroad if it benefits SFC, if they come from Scotland, Wales or Ireland it isn't going to benefit England. SFC is a football club set up for the benefit of Southampton FC, not England.......

I thought academy players had to come from within something like an hour's radius of the club, hence why we have the Bath academy as being on the coast limited this for us (although we do have 140,000 people in the IoW to the South).

I thought academy players had to come from within something like an hour's radius of the club, hence why we have the Bath academy as being on the coast limited this for us (although we do have 140,000 people in the IoW to the South).

Think that changed with the EPPP (elite player performance plan) cat.1 status.

This bloke is definitely part of the problem - way out of his depth and costing us as a club millions through his lack of talent. Fair play to him for chancing his way to this position, but any competent board would have stuck someone in above him by now to get the transfer/contract dealings to where they need to be. Very worrying with the uncertainty around our new owner and investment. I’d love to know what the strategy actually is - seems all over the shop and a load of waffle about the Southampton way - whatever that is. So what is this - we’ve finally realised that there are more talented players in all of Europe rather than just the UK ??

This bloke is definitely part of the problem - way out of his depth and costing us as a club millions through his lack of talent. Fair play to him for chancing his way to this position, but any competent board would have stuck someone in above him by now to get the transfer/contract dealings to where they need to be. Very worrying with the uncertainty around our new owner and investment. I’d love to know what the strategy actually is - seems all over the shop and a load of waffle about the Southampton way - whatever that is. So what is this - we’ve finally realised that there are more talented players in all of Europe rather than just the UK ??

What is your opinion based on, as it seems quite scathing.

If the FA truely cared about English Youth they would invest more into grass roots football, Cheaper coaching badges etc.

AGREED but fed up with grass roots football being blamed by FA for quality of players, all the decent kids are taken to academies by the time there 8. Their is a conflict of interest between professional game and national teams.

Grass Roots football just carries the costs of admin because the FA cannot control the Premier league

AGREED but fed up with grass roots football being blamed by FA for quality of players, all the decent kids are taken to academies by the time there 8. Their is a conflict of interest between professional game and national teams.

Grass Roots football just carries the costs of admin because the FA cannot control the Premier league

Had a rant about the above numerous times, especially the pricing of coaching qualifications here as opposed to other countries.

There is no common union between the FA and Premier League and until that is resolved, it won't get any better. We might get a golden generation again as its all cyclical but having two entities wanting two different things puts pay to any one common objective about improving the national team.

As for RW, he obviously isn't content with messing up the first team recruitment so he's moved onto the academy. Oh good.

My opinion is partly based on his very questionable experience to have such an important job. But mainly due to the fact he has overseen a dramatic fall in squad quality whilst spending all the money we got for selling our good players. Anyone think he is doing a good job ? - would love to hear a countering opinion.

His lips and nose look like they’ve been taken from someone else’s face

its not a real person. just some cheap CGI. weird

My opinion is partly based on his very questionable experience to have such an important job. But mainly due to the fact he has overseen a dramatic fall in squad quality whilst spending all the money we got for selling our good players. Anyone think he is doing a good job ? - would love to hear a countering opinion.

What are you basing your judgement of 'very questionable experience' on? What experience would you expect him to have?

Personally not a fan of it. Imo if you’re brought through an academy, it should be at the very least in the country of your birth/current residence.

 

But in the same light, appreciate that’s the way things have gone and that’s what we need to do to stay competitive.

 

Bringing in the best from abroad isn’t going to help the England national team and is something, if I worked for the FA, I’d be very concerned about.

We have been concerned but we’ve also highlighted to clubs that the talent is there, we’re world and European champions!

We have been concerned but we’ve also highlighted to clubs that the talent is there, we’re world and European champions!

I heard an interesting piece on Radio 5 Live this morning by the Manager of England U19s saying the same thing but also pointing out that many good players are not getting the chance to play for PL clubs so are not developing further

Something more than university, Scottish league one and league one. Give a bloke who has never dealt with million pound transfers £200m and what do you get ?. Look at our squad and you have your answer...although some may think the squad is good - in which case that opinion would be that he’s done a great job. Oh and all those long contracts to the likes of Forster, Long and Davis also on his watch..

He talks very quickly without pausing. I found myself nearly out of breath by the time the video finished.