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Future first team players from the academy


ToreSF
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Sounds exciting but we are now talking about stepping up to the Premier League which is a huge ask. The Academy seems to be more like a regional centre for player development these days, a bit like a University so don't expect all graduates to want to ply their trade for Saints. The fact that Swansea have Monk & Dyer playing regularly suggests some of our youngsters will only find their breaks elsewhere.

 

Obviously we are very proud of stars like Bale & Walcott and the emergence of Luke Shaw can easily mislead as to the overall quality in the Academy. Truly exceptional players like Luke Shaw will be stars despite the Academy not because of it. Such talent is very rare and we should not expect to find players of his quality with every intake or indeed more than once in every few years.

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Yes our Academy maybe one of the best in the country, BUT it stands to reason that not everyone who is a " starlet " now is going to make it..well not with Saints anyway.

 

We see that former players; Walcott, Bale ....even Dyer and Alex O-C, all had that " stand-out quality " but it's going to be hard for all the current crop to get into / and stay in the future 24 squad.

 

Shame really, because many of them will undoubtedly make a career somewhere.... but it won't necessarily be at SMS.

The real difference will only come when they get a chance of a few games in the Prem. to show their ability. However, I'm all in favour of loan-outs because;

 

... it (1)..gives a young player the chance to get " proper games " even at a lower level, and up his game (as Reeves has done)...(and it didn't do Lallana any harm).

 

and (2)....if ....by some bad luck a player isn't retained by Saints, then at least there may be an opportunity to re-build a career with an L1/L2 club where he excels.

 

There genuinely is a search on for the ' X Factor ' amongst those Academy lads who are good now, but will see a change for the better / worse when they're 21 and not getting games.

Edited by david in sweden
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I guess it is becoming far more difficult to spot "stand out" talent as standards generally improve. I was watching some 5 a side footie at Lymington last night and what struck me was that these ordinary lads were all quite fit, reading the game well and moving the ball around in the Saints style and it was interesting enough to watch for a while; not at all like the apocryphal 'sunday pub football' we all deride so much in our ravings. ...and this was just a bunch of ordinary lads playing in an insignificant Tuesday night junior league game in 'nowheresville' on a cold February evening.

 

Talent scouts have to watch countless hundreds of these games to find even one kid of sufficient promise even to consider for the Academy. I guess word gets around but even so.

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I detect a problem with young CBs breaking into the team. Its such a critical position - where one error can easily lead to a goal - that it's hard to see how and when we might blood a youngster. Not in the Prem at least - Cup games being the only real opportunity?

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I detect a problem with young CBs breaking into the team. Its such a critical position - where one error can easily lead to a goal - that it's hard to see how and when we might blood a youngster. Not in the Prem at least - Cup games being the only real opportunity?

 

Indeed you're right ..Tony F.

 

A midfielder or winger drafted into the side, can drift in and out of a game, but CB's are involved much more than others - (even keepers) - and need patience and clean sheets to impress.

(which is why I haven't disregarded Aaron Martin yet), but getting a tough, commanding CB in his teens is almost impossible

I think ...the last young Saints' central defender who got people interest was called ...Ollie Lancashire .....I rest my case.

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Interesting thing about quite a few players is that they have to leave and go up/down the leagues before getting their break. In our team Morgan, Adam for example have been up with us through L1 to CCC to Premiership. Had we never got relegated would we see them in the team now as regulars or would it have taken them longer to break through. The same Walcott, OC and Dyer became regular starters for us in the lower leagues. Again had we not been down there would they have got the same game time and been spotted, maybe not?

 

I suspect there will be plenty examples of 'why did we let them go' when in 5 times their lighting up the Prem or foreign leagues elsewhere. Same with all football clubs, but will still give future SWers the standard 'the one that got away' thread.

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2016/2017...

 

Gazzaniga

Clyne Stephens Yoshida Shaw

Cork Schneiderlin

Rowe JW-P Lallana

Rodriguez

 

Subs: Cropper, Targett, Forren, Chambers, Sinclair, Ramirez, Seager,

 

Lol Ramirez still on the bench in 2017?!? I think there is more chance of him playing in the champions league than sitting on our bench in 2017!!!

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Lol Ramirez still on the bench in 2017?!? I think there is more chance of him playing in the champions league than sitting on our bench in 2017!!!

 

No apparently he's rubbish, he'll probably be back in Uruguay by 2017 playing for some part-time team......

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Forgot Isgrove, Young, Curtis...

 

Gallagher ..striker ..is tall and rated highly;)

 

I hope by now we have covered all prospects...:rolleyes:

 

All our youth teams are world class:D

 

Johns and Britt are up and coming GK...

 

There is also that Bartlett 12 years old who will be pushing for a squad place soon..;)

Edited by ottery st mary
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Anyone half decent will be sold off before they're 20 anyway. The system doesn't work. I don't get why people rave so much about our academy.

 

you wouldn't buy a vineyard, plant all the trees/plants and nurture them until the grapes are almost ripe then sell it to someone else to make all the wine and reap the rewards

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What about Sam Hoskins? I think he's been quite good and just because he's out on loan doesn't mean we don't have hopes for the future with him.

 

He was very good against them in the League Cup in the 5-10 minutes he got at the end of that game - in fact all but Shaw from our U-21s impressed in that match. For the last 10 minutes we had Shaw, Ward-Prowse, Chambers, Reeves and Hoskins on the pitch and they were running rings around their League One opponents.

 

However since he's signed for them on loan in January he's scored once in 8 games in their only win, and they've lost the other SEVEN matches. Hopefully he can keep his place and their results will pick up.

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Has Hoskins mainly been sub?

 

3 starts, 5 sub appearances, 3 around the 65-68 minute mark (plus one on 78 and one very late on). Even Haber, who looked reasonably decent against Saints with his build up play if not his finishing, isn't starting at the moment either.

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3 starts, 5 sub appearances, 3 around the 65-68 minute mark (plus one on 78 and one very late on). Even Haber, who looked reasonably decent against Saints with his build up play if not his finishing, isn't starting at the moment either.

 

Only saw that weekend game where he came on.....not sure if he is making any headway..

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Anyone half decent will be sold off before they're 20 anyway. The system doesn't work. I don't get why people rave so much about our academy.

 

you wouldn't buy a vineyard, plant all the trees/plants and nurture them until the grapes are almost ripe then sell it to someone else to make all the wine and reap the rewards

 

Seriously? Are you on the wind up? Can only hope so, the academy is our pride and joy.

 

Even IF we lost a few of the better players (or grapes!) it wont be on the cheap and thats the kind of money that sustains the academy and allows us to be relatively "self sufficient" (long term). Besides it's simple math, lose some keep some, if there is enough quality the chances are we'l come out with a number of good first team players.

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Very hard to know who will and will not make it, even if an Academy team has a great season and compared against others of their age they look better.

 

Aside from the pathway to the first team that is required, and a spot being open for them to even play, its not as simple as taking a look at a Youth Team game and concluding the players who look better are going to make it. As much as anything at that age it is the players who are either physically able and / or mentally advanced who get the chances at a young age in the first team squad. Tricky wingers or players of ample talent on the ball find it hard to make the step up very early and they often need more seasoning and development before they start to get towards the first team fringes.

 

It appears that our Development and U18 squads have some very good players and as a team they are both doing well - it's difficult to pinpoint exactly who will make it from them as the other thing to consider is that not all players develop at the same rate, and the difference between Youth Football and First Team Football is so big it is never a case that a good player at Youth level is going to eventually be a good player at Senior level. Something which makes them stand out at Youth Level may not mean anything at Senior Level, likewise something hard to notice at Youth Level when watching a game may be something which translates well to the first team.

 

The only thing we can count on is that we have a pathway to the first team so if a player is deemed good enough by the club they'll definitely get a chance. The rest is down to the Gods, it's that hard to predict.

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Dunno what can be read into this, but Saints just put this on Twitter:

 

Southampton FC ‏@SouthamptonFC

PHOTO: Steven Davis and James Ward-Prowse with young defender Matt Targett, who joined training yesterday. #saintsfc

 

https://twitter.com/SouthamptonFC/status/307432452115275776/photo/1

 

Have heard a couple of times that Matt is as good or better than Luke but was less "mature" as a footballer at the start of the season.

 

Could be a better cover for Luke on the bench for tomorrow than taxi

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Matt Targett has an impressive pedigree and history for such a you man but looks like discipline may be an issue as well as a few back habbits picked up from when 'Arry was manager.

 

From Wiki

 

In 2006 and in his home town of Melbourne, Matthew Targett competed in the 50 metres butterfly, finishing second and placing above more experienced countrymen Michael Klim and Matt Welsh. Targett was later disqualified for twitching before the starter's signal.

 

 

 

He will have to reign the moonlighting as well, don't want a spice boy on our hands:

 

In 2012 Targett launched his career as a male model, signing with Melbourne editorial agency Chadwick Models.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Targett

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I only watched the second half and this thread is a bit like the "Emperor Clothes".

 

I dont know what happened in the first half, but from what I saw of the second half, I thought we were poor, touching on awful.

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He looked brilliant; a great set piece taker and some fancy footwork too. One to watch.

Sorry, but good as he is he gets pushed off the ball far too easily. Needs to develop, physically before he is anywhere near ready for first team. I didn't see anyone last night that was pushing for a first team place (including JWP who was quite anonymous, Gazza or Forren). I kept thinking we have something like 14 players out on loan, the u21s look very lightweight without them (Liverpool have the same issue according to their commentator). Forren does not look like he is better than what we already have, and I don't see any need to change from Fonte and Yoshi, as long as Fox is not playing there is not much wrong with these as our central pairing, and I would prefer Jos to Forren at the moment at least.

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I only watched the second half and this thread is a bit like the "Emperor Clothes".

 

I dont know what happened in the first half, but from what I saw of the second half, I thought we were poor, touching on awful.

You missed the good part, we were quite good in the 1st half, but we definitely tired in last 15 minutes and were fortunate to hang on at the end. Probably something to do with playing at SMS, the kids don't play there often enough imho.

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Sorry, but good as he is he gets pushed off the ball far too easily. Needs to develop, physically before he is anywhere near ready for first team. I didn't see anyone last night that was pushing for a first team place (including JWP who was quite anonymous, Gazza or Forren). I kept thinking we have something like 14 players out on loan, the u21s look very lightweight without them (Liverpool have the same issue according to their commentator). Forren does not look like he is better than what we already have, and I don't see any need to change from Fonte and Yoshi, as long as Fox is not playing there is not much wrong with these as our central pairing, and I would prefer Jos to Forren at the moment at least.
Agree with all that and Sinclair has had the same problem every time I've seen him. Also agree with your assessment of JWP, which makes it even more worrying that he came on for the first team when we were pushing for a goal on Saturday.
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Agree with all that and Sinclair has had the same problem every time I've seen him. Also agree with your assessment of JWP, which makes it even more worrying that he came on for the first team when we were pushing for a goal on Saturday.

 

A strange decision when we had Davis on the bench.

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Ben Reeves?

 

Aaron Martin?

 

Martin isn't under 21. Yes, he can technically play for them as an overaged player, but surely that doesn't count.

 

And Reeves, didn't he come back at the end of February?

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