George Kift and future of the academy

[There when Franny scored]

A few will have already seen this:

My friend who lives in North Devon knew him well and told me when he moved to Saints he would be phenomenal. I think Saints relocated his whole family even when he was age 11. Apparently he has extraordinary confidence, something like what we see with Bellingham. 

By all accounts this is a generational talent who in times gone by would have presumably gone through to the first team and been sold for millions.

I don’t know how much compensation we will get, but if we can’t bring players through and sell them for huge sums you have to wonder whether the academy model can continue to be successful? 

This obviously applies to most of the teams in the pyramid as well.

Does anyone know if anything is being done about this?

I guess not given, as we have seen with Spygate, the elite run football but I’m surprised it doesn’t create more noise! 

 

[CSA96]

Reminds me of these comments from the Wolves technical director Matt Jackson at the end of last season

 

[AlexLaw76]

3 minutes ago, There when Franny scored said:

A few will have already seen this:

My friend who lives in North Devon knew him well and told me when he moved to Saints he would be phenomenal. I think Saints relocated his whole family even when he was age 11. Apparently he has extraordinary confidence, something like what we see with Bellingham. 

By all accounts this is a generational talent who in times gone by would have presumably gone through to the first team and been sold for millions.

I don’t know how much compensation we will get, but if we can’t bring players through and sell them for huge sums you have to wonder whether the academy model can continue to be successful? 

This obviously applies to most of the teams in the pyramid as well.

Does anyone know if anything is being done about this?

I guess not given, as we have seen with Spygate, the elite run football but I’m surprised it doesn’t create more noise! 

 

If the system was totally fair, he would have been brought on by Exeter, Plymouth or one of the Bristol teams....

such is life.

[There when Franny scored]

3 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

If the system was totally fair, he would have been brought on by Exeter, Plymouth or one of the Bristol teams....

such is life.

Take your point, but if he isn’t in an academy already and we spot him, and are prepared to buy his family a house I think that’s fair enough. 

If City did that I wouldn’t complain because they aren’t taking someone else’s investment at a huge undervaluation (although I say that without knowing what competition we got, if any).

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, There when Franny scored said:

Take your point, but if he isn’t in an academy already and we spot him, and are prepared to buy his family a house I think that’s fair enough. 

If City did that I wouldn’t complain because they aren’t taking someone else’s investment at a huge undervaluation (although I say that without knowing what competition we got, if any).

I get it, it is shit. But if the South West clubs were able to match life our financial settlements for 11 year olds (and their families), maybe they would have a chance.

 

[There when Franny scored]

9 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I get it, it is shit. But if the South West clubs were able to match life our financial settlements for 11 year olds (and their families), maybe they would have a chance.

 

Fair point, and we did take Stephens from Plymouth academy I think so not like we’re not also guilty of it. 
 

Just seems to be getting worse and they are going at such a young age we never even get to see them play for Saints which is a real shame. Same for the lad that went to Lyon.

[Patrick Bateman]

I actually think clubs should be limited to how many players they have in total for each 'team' or age group in the unders. Chelsea still have a ridiculous volume of players and them and Man City seem to be the worst for hoovering up all the talent from everyone else. It just means more talent gets forgotten about.

It would flow downwards, if clubs were limited to say 16-20 kids per age group (of the right age), then those deemed "not good enough" at the best clubs would flow down to other clubs, say Southampton or Coventry, then Oldham or Exeter etc. Gives the kids more chances to play and develop rather than sit in HUGE pools of players thinking they've already made it as they're at Man City.

Simplistic view maybe, but something needs to change. 

[sockeye]

I wonder if players (their agents) would be so desperate to go to Chelsea or Man City if they weren't able to leapfrog other clubs in terms of wages. Certainly they would continue to have a massive draw due to their status, but an academy-level salary cap could go some way to level the playing field here.

Edited 58 minutes ago by sockeye

[SW11_Saint]

Depressing…and he’ll never get a look in at City. 

[Cuddles]

42 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

Depressing…and he’ll never get a look in at City. 

We could loan him in a couple of years 👀