Saints Academy Thread

If we come in the top two (by accident, presumably), we would have to play a game on the 5th-11th December. We've got Crystal Palace (A) on the 4th, the last Europa game on the 7th, Middlesbrough (H) on the 11th and Stoke (A) on the 14th.

 

Yes but we won't be playing any first teamers in this competition.

 

This. It gives our youngsters some competitive football which they badly need.

 

My point is more that our U21s will be playing in the first team.

 

Rich greedy clubs looking after self interest. This is what all the fuss is about.

It's wrong.

If the clubs want good experience for players, re-create a reserve league.

 

Just bring B teams into the league structure

 

I suspect we'll be playing quite a young side in this tournament...just like we do in the Academy league.

 

The would ruin the football league in my opinion. Barely any fans will go and see the B team play.

 

Don't mean to disagree as we are on the same side FLT, butI think the Football League are mainly to blame, they came up with this hair-brained scheme to get PL clubs involved, and no doubt it will be marketed as "Crawley v Southampton in the cup!!!!"

If "competitive" experience is important, and I am not really sure it is, then this doesn't create any. If you want competitive experience, sign for a club where you can break into the first team.

Saints can also accept some blame though for agreeing to take part, at least we had a choice, and most European-qualified teams made the opposite one. I am not looking forward to the fixture congestion at all, but as a reminder when we are clearly tired in December, badly running out of players and our next game is Ice Station Zebra away, I did warn you.

 

I agree Qwerty about the football league and sadly put us in the greedy big club bracket on this.

 

I don't like that either.

Imagine our young strikers playing against third/fourth choice CBs in a reserve league. Good test.

 

I have the exact opposite view. Couldn't be happier we are involved.

Our u21's and young prospects barely got any decent matches last season. This gives them something to play for. It's harsh on the lower league teams, but... Its good for us so meh.

 

Which underlines my point. Greedy big clubs (us in this).

If Saints or other teams want the players having competitive matches, send them on loan.

 

Yeah it's greedy, but that's football isn't it. I think your idea of bringing back reserve football would be my preferred choice ("Premier League 2" looks like it's a step in the right direction).

Regardless, we have a lot of talented youngsters that never get a real test - now they will. I say let's be greedy.

 

Your right it's what football is like now. I just don't like that. While it is like this with such large squads, it won't change, but a proper restriction on squad size would mean more youngsters playing and therefore finding out if they're good enough.

It's what happens in the old days. I remember turning up at The Dell to watch games when a key player would be out and some youngster would play. That's how we found out about then.

 

Premier league clubs are not gaining financially from this. All their income is going to the football league.

This is an experiment and they were doing it anyway. Don't blame saints for taking part and giving the u21s three competitive matches to help with their development.

Will be interesting to see how the experiment pans out

 

Ok so let's say there is a team in League 2, looking for a LB. there are 20 PL teams, 24 championship teams all with at least 2 young LBs on their books. So 88 players to choose from, let's say 2/3rds of these aren't ready for L2 football, narrows it down to roughly 30. They then will pick 1 of these 30, another 4/5 L1/L2 clubs want a LB on loan, so left with roughly 25 players good enough for league footbal, young players not getting game time, B teams don't eliminate this, as the loan system will still be there, it is for the players left who have no competitive football. It is a win/win for everyone involved. The reserve league could be an answer but it no doubt will turn **** and the B team option is a better idea imo

 

That's fine it's your opinion. I don't agree. I don't see it as a win. Nobody is saying every young player should get time. Only those who can cut it get the time. If you knew the % of young players who don't make it in the game, you'd realise your post has no real touch with reality.

Every club has say 18 youngsters in the 16-18 age group. How many of those don't make it because they're not good enough, not determined enough or just don't want it anymore? Very high %, so what you've written above pales into insignificance.

A better idea would be to have smaller squads and then more youngsters would have to play.

 

I think the EPPP is stupid, that the big clubs are greedy, and the FA is awful.

But the JPT thing is a proposal I could actually live with. To me, it's just cross-promotion. The smaller clubs might get a lift by fans of large clubs who normally don't care getting a chance to see them play as they follow their youth. The games will probably increase their revenue a bit. People might get more interested in the Cup in general. It could work, if done correctly.

It won't be done correctly. Within the larger context of needing B teams/Youth Cup only because the EPPP allows the big clubs to hoover up all the good youth, and that in the end the money will always end up with PL, etc. I mean, yeah they are totally insincere and this will likely end badly. But that's true no matter what they do.

 

Take the Ipswich Town team that beat our kids in the 2005 Youth Cup Final. We had an uncommon number of players in that squad who went on to top-level competition. Ipswich didn't:

GK - Shane Supple. Played sparingly with Ipswich. Retired at 22. Making a comeback in the Irish league this season.
MF - Sammy Moore. Has had a fairly successful lower league career. Currently in League Two.
DF - Michael Synnott. Does not appear to have had a professional career.
DF - James Krause. Failed to make a first team appearance with Ipswich. Played non-league, appears to have retired.
DF - Michael Casement. Barely played with Ipswich. Has spent most of his career in the semi-professional Northern Ireland Football League.
DF - Aidan Collins. Barely played with Ipswich. Retired due to injury at 21, while playing non-league.
MF - Cathal Lordan. Seems to have played with Cork City. Can't find him now.
MF - Liam Trotter. Has settled in to a good career at the Championship/League One level.
FW - Darryl Knights. Cups of coffee with league teams have given way to a long career in non-league.
MF - Owen Garvan. Took this long, but we've finally found someone who saw quite a bit of the pitch for Ipswich. Even got two Premier League games with Palace, though he's now in League Two.
MF - Liam Craig. Has played his whole career in the SPL.
FW - Danny Haynes. Bounced around the Football League; now non-league.
FW- Blair Hammond. Does not appear to have had a professional career.
FW - Charlie Sheringham. Bounced between non-league and League Two.
MF - Ed Upson. Solid Football League career.
GK - Andy Reynolds. Does not appear to have had a professional career.
DF - Stuart Ainsley. Does not appear to have had a professional career.


The 17 players in their squad have combined for 2 Premier League appearances, as far as I can tell. Before the age of 30, I count 7 or 8 who retired (including the one making a comeback), and a further 4 who are plying their trade in non-league. That leaves 5 of 17 between the FL/SPL; Trotter, in the Championship or Craig in the SFL are playing at the highest level.

And that's not a random Academy...it's the Youth Cup winners.