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The youth players/on-loan thread 2015-16

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Worth noting that 16 year old Kazaiah Sterling started for the u21s today rather than going to Belgium with the u18s so we obviously think a lot of him. Good to hear that Walker-Peters, Carter-Vickers, Winks, Onomah and Oduwa all played for the 1st team today as well, although a little annoying as I'd liked to have seen them at Peterborough.

I think he is quite well regarded by our academy coaches. But I would also guess that his selection owes at least something to the fact that we are very short of options up front at U21 level - especially with Shaq Coulthirst required for first team duty until Harry Kane is back up to speed. We have Shayon Harrison and........well, that's about it, really! Will Miller can play up front but he isn't really a striker. Ryan Loft, I guess, is in Belgium with the U18's.
 
Before I retired I worked in the academys of several Prem and Championship clubs for over 20 odd years, and I can assure you that some would be amazed just how many players who looked the bees knees in their early teens but never made it as pro players. A lot more then signings of players who are/still plying their trade.

I understand you are interested more then most in "Yoof" but if you can take the time to read a piece that Paul Hart wrote about just how many top youngsters fall by the wayside after being picked up by pro clubs. If I can find it among my paperwork I will give you the link.

It seems that your experience with youth football has left you with a negative outlook whereby until a player makes it, they won't. I prefer to judge on a case by case basis. I'm under no illusions that making it at THFC is incredibly difficult but we've seen an undeniable upturn in the amount of players our academy is churning out, the footballing education they receive at Spurs is as good as anywhere so why shouldn't some make it? All players past and present started from a youth team somewhere afterall and the coaching and identification of talent in England(not just at Spurs) has improved exponentially since then.
 
It seems that your experience with youth football has left you with a negative outlook whereby until a player makes it, they won't. I prefer to judge on a case by case basis. I'm under no illusions that making it at THFC is incredibly difficult but we've seen an undeniable upturn in the amount of players our academy is churning out, the footballing education they receive at Spurs is as good as anywhere so why shouldn't some make it? All players past and present started from a youth team somewhere afterall and the coaching and identification of talent in England(not just at Spurs) has improved exponentially since then.

Negative outlook my arse, the facts are that they are loads of young players who never make the final step up to become first team players, in fact many of them never get past the reserves. During my many years of being a youth coach I have seen many players with tears in their eyes after being told they will never make it.

No need to take my word for it take a look at some of the pieces written by those who have spent a lifetime trying to turn these youngsters into tomorrow heroes. And I am talking youth football at all clubs not just Spurs, you tried to make a link about lots of signings going wrong ( and they do) but once again nowhere near as many as the youngsters who have their dreams shattered. As i said negative outlook my arse its what happens in real life not what you perceive.

And I never said or indicated that some never make it so where you got that one from I have no idea.
 
Negative outlook my arse, the facts are that they are loads of young players who never make the final step up to become first team players, in fact many of them never get past the reserves. During my many years of being a youth coach I have seen many players with tears in their eyes after being told they will never make it.

No need to take my word for it take a look at some of the pieces written by those who have spent a lifetime trying to turn these youngsters into tomorrow heroes. And I am talking youth football at all clubs not just Spurs, you tried to make a link about lots of signings going wrong ( and they do) but once again nowhere near as many as the youngsters who have their dreams shattered. As i said negative outlook my arse its what happens in real life not what you perceive.

And I never said or indicated that some never make it so where you got that one from I have no idea.

You're right. The lower leagues are littered with ex-youth internationals.
 
This conversation reminds me of this article by David James from 6 years ago

http://gu.com/p/26z2q?CMP

I have not seen that before ( thank for posting it), he speaks a lot of truth and its happening all the time. As I say I spent over 20 years as a FA youth coach and spent time in various academys here and abroad and without doubt the English system is far behind ( even now although it is changing slowly).

As I mentioned earlier one of the best pieces written about the waste that goes on with youngsters is by Paul Hart, he built the Leeds and Forest youth set up which lead to both clubs having some of their best players coming from his youth teams. ( he was a great youth coach but like many before him and since was never able to transfer that into his full manager stints). I will try and find it and post it up because it explained ( in detail) just how many youngsters who have fallen by the wayside after being picked up by pro clubs, I used to show it to the parents of kids who were taken up to attend academys that the vast majority never go on and become stars.
 
You're right. The lower leagues are littered with ex-youth internationals.

So ironic that last season our PL squad was littered with massively expensive, big-name failures (Kaboul, Soldado, Capoue, Adebayor plus to a lesser extent Lamela and Chiriches) and peppered with a plethora of bright young successes from our academy (Kane, Rose, Bentaleb, Mason and to a lesser extent Townsend).
 
So ironic that last season our PL squad was littered with massively expensive, big-name failures (Kaboul, Soldado, Capoue, Adebayor plus to a lesser extent Lamela and Chiriches) and peppered with a plethora of bright young successes from our academy (Kane, Rose, Bentaleb, Mason and to a lesser extent Townsend).

It's great, we should be really proud of what we are doing but it is not the norm
 
You're right, I played with 3 England youth players in my works team over the years.

Indeed they are a lot, I remember one kid that was rated as the best youngster around and the things he could do at under 15 level was as good as I have seen and plenty of other judges thought the same. He is still in his twenties and did a round of several Lge clubs and is now playing in the Conference North.
 
The problem with any youth players is sieving every opportunity as though it's your last. There are so few chances now due to pressure on clubs to succeed that every opportunity should be seen as their last

Who honestly thought Masinnwould get a sniff last season? He was tidy pre season and then got injured. He had the chance a sub in the cup game and took it with both hands with a decent goal and hasn't looked back despite his critics

What does concern me is that players who have had a capital investment made in them get far more opportunities than a player who has had time invested in them yet that time equates to money in reality

We are moving towards that now and I love it as it's something all the others aspire too but really don't have the chance to take the risks on their youth due to the pressures of success. Our fans are actually now more patient with the concept generally and that can only be a good thing
 
More good news is that the first year academy intake is now posted on the official site - Marcus Edwards among them.

Which should calm a few jitters.
 
This won't get much press, but is a great signing, very pleasing. Like signing the best young talent from Southampton or wherever, we should be v pleased with this development.

Onomah signing a new deal was never in doubt, IMO, despite press rumours linking him elsewhere.
 
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