ricky2tricky4city
Steffen Freund
It doesn't even need to be the philosophy.
If results matter, then the big young lad who can overwhelm attackers and hoof it will be a better bet. That means a smaller more skilled defender will get overlooked in young age groups.
Proper long-term player development needs to look at more than the short-term results. Hopefully the recent changes you hint at will make a difference. I fear that the changes are only at the elite clubs and that the vast majority of kids still face the old way. The Huths may no longer dominate the academies, but they will still be key in schools and at the park.
That's why we are so lucky (and it probably was just by chance) that Dier found himself in Portugal aged 10. I could see him being a Huth type defender if not for the fine work of the sporting lisbon academy.
We've ended up with the best of both worlds.