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The Academy, NextGen, U18 & U21 Premier League and On-Loan Thread

No, Ive not heard about anyone being in for David Bentley, John Bostock, William Gallas, Jack Munns or Jake Nicholson, all of whom were released by Spurs in June.

Jake Nicholson is on trial at Crystal Palace, I've heard. Nothing official that I've seen, though.
 
...along with former Spurs players Troy Archibald-Henville and Jack Barthram.

Heard from a Swindon supporter that Nicholson was on trial at Swindon also but now seems to be at Palace. Also that they may sign Bostock or even get a loan done for Mason or Obika too.
 
Swindon town manager Kevin Macdonald has left the club by mutual consent. Considering weve just sent 5 guys there for the season....this is brick news for them
 
Swindon town manager Kevin Macdonald has left the club by mutual consent. Considering weve just sent 5 guys there for the season....this is brick news for them

It's a good thing if they go out and grab a manager who prefers playing short passing, quick football. MacDonald was always one for the direct, long passes.
 
http://hotspurhq.com/2013/07/12/tottenhams-academy-players-benefiting-from-new-training-facilities/?

Attract the best!

(1) ‘My son plays in the foundation group of elite players at the Spurs Academy at Bulls Cross new training centre. He is currently too young to sign with the club.
I’ve been able to see first hand that Spurs are indeed creating world class players for the future. The Under-9 to Under-14 groups are jaw dropping to watch, the technique and speed is hard to take in for kids so young. What will these lads be like at 18 years old? Exciting times ahead if you are a Spurs fan (I am not). The new training facility is world class and currently the best in the country no question so it will attract the best talent.’

Goalkeeping Talent

(2) ‘My son is in the Under-9 squad at Spurs. The facilities will attract the best talent and the coaching (although frustrating to watch sometimes) is consistent and very well planned.
What is also overlooked is the fantastic set up for Goalkeepers at Spurs. I have yet to see better talent at any other Academy. I guarantee they will produce a world class keeper in the next 10 years.’

1st Choice – Tottenham!

(3) ‘The new facility is already paying off for the Academy boys, in particular with recruitment at the foundation stage. Previously the club would fight the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea for the best players within their catchment area and this could be a real battle. Now with the world-leading facilities and the extensive recruitment of more qualified coaches they can attract the best players. Where as previously Spurs may sign 16 boys at Under-9, only 5 or 6 of these boys would have been on their initial hit-list, the remaining 10 would be the best of those left from not being signed by Arsenal and Chelsea. Now it’s the other way round – the best are picking Spurs, then leaving Arsenal and Chelsea to pick up the best of the rest.

I’ve seen first hand the current Under-7s and Under-8s (pre-Academy elite boys) at all of these clubs and trust me Spurs have the most impressive looking boys technically. They might not be match winners at this age but you can see their squad already have some kids that have core skills that would embarrass most decent adult players. With Arsenal and Chelsea they seem more attracted to bigger match winning players now rather than looking forward long term.

Ajax in their hay-day made a point of signing smaller technical players at a very young age to perfect their ball control under pressure, when they caught up in size at age 12 or 13, they destroyed any opposition in their way as their ball control was just too good and too quick for the opponents who didn’t have to work as hard as these smaller boys had to work because their physical size and strength meant they didn’t have to.
Spurs have picked up on this, look at the Spanish players now, none of those players would have been signed by EPL players at Academy level as they would have been too small and that’s a fact. We are years behind in this country in recognising talent early and progressing it for the long term results not short term rewards.
A good future ahead.’"
 

Interesting little read that.

Someone posted this on here two years ago, never forget reading it as showed that Tottenham really were leading the way and keeping their word on the importance of not just buying young players but also developing young players at the academy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/19/fa-plans-age-group-football

Like many on here I like Ajax a lot, they have many things in common with Spurs, the philosophy (Total football/The Tottenham Way) and of course the Jewish connection but for me the main reason why I like them so much is there academy, I have literally envied it all my life and at secondary school we would count the amount of world class players that had come from their academy - Cruyff, van Basten, Bergkamp, Davids, De Boer brothers, Kluivert, Seedorf etc. Even today they're still doing it, you never see them spunk 20m or more Euros on someone because they don't need to, recent graduates include the likes Van der Vaart, Vertonghen, Sneijder, Alderweireld and Eriksen.

Ajax set an example that I feel we should try better, it may seem like an impossible task but most of those who have risen to the top did so by exceeding expectations.
 
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i like psv too, but i think its because they don't spunk 20m on players that inspires the youths to step up.

I will get in on the dutch lovein because i do love the dutch but i will also make the point that those clubs never really make much money so i doubt even with champs league football they could spunk 20m on a player.

Do love the youth setup and am glad we are going down this path.
 

Former Chelsea striker and current manager of Royal Antwerp, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, tells Neil Ashton about John Bostock's move to the Belgian side:

He said: "John is an exceptional talent. He needs some work to be done and some love but he can be a really big asset to our club. He is a number 10 or can play on the left.

"He’s played his first 45 mins and did really well. I’m really excited about him."

When asked why the 21-year-old had to move abroad to find regular first-team football he added: "Not only do these kids need a chance in the first-team, the clubs have to work and develop players.

"Give them the opportunities in the lower leagues and then in the first team. At certain teams the set up is not right in England.

"Look at Swansea, they have got it right, they have selected their last three managers in a certain way, they are all, more or less, similar. The identity of the teams has not change, they have just got stronger. A lot of clubs in England don’t do that."
 
I will get in on the dutch lovein because i do love the dutch but i will also make the point that those clubs never really make much money so i doubt even with champs league football they could spunk 20m on a player.

Do love the youth setup and am glad we are going down this path.

I was awake one morning at about 1am and a Dutch game came on the telly. I was asleep in seconds.
 
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