The Dream Factory

St Mary's is the perfect academy for youngsters at the Southampton dream factory

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...ngsters-at-the-Southampton-dream-factory.html

Another good read.

 

So we're more fluid than Barcelona Interesting that other clubs, including from abroad, have visited to see what we are doing...yet not the FA!

 

The FA pride themselves with being a step behind it seems.

 

Very good read.

 

Excellent article, thanks HR.

 

What's the "link" with Villarreal

 

Wonderful read, enjoyed that.
Great to hear we have a defined long term strategy, football these days is so short termist [is that a word] the vast majority of clubs probably think that a youth academy is a waste of time and money?

 

Inspiring stuff! Enjoyed it tremendously. Sad that Lambert has dropped so far that he no longer makes our exodus list!

 

Yep, enjoyed that. I shall be interested to see how Birmingham City get on with Gary Rowett. Thanks HR

 

Explains why we went out there in preseason and the lads played a tournament out there, while using the facilities of Villarreal.

 

What a good heart warming article this is !

 

Gosh, the telegraph are in love with you guys, aren't they? And they can't even be bothered to write about us paying off all our debts, or the fans chipping in to fund a new training ground, or the new kit commemorating the Portsmouth pals (and memorial outside of Fratton Park) or any manner of positive stories to come out of Portsmouth recently (off the pitch mostly). Poor form.

 

Get to 2nd in the Prem with the best academy in England and then they might start writing stuff like that about you PL.

 

Every club is worthy of fair and reasonable coverage, not just a select few.

 

That's the same as saying that all singers are worthy of coverage, not just those in the charts. We had to put up with a half inch of coverage when we were in League 1...we had to live with it.

 

Nice to see that little dig at England. Their great policy criticised in public by a system that everyone can see IS working.

Les has said similar and it says something about Saints that many of the former England background staff are now at St Marys. The FA have pushed out those who knew what they were doing so they could install their own 'picks' to follow their own 'ideas'.

Have Pompey aid off all their debts? in £s not pennies in the £??

 

Hence fair and reasonable. I'd expect a league 1 or 2 club to get much less coverage than the Premiership, that's not a problem. When coverage goes from limited to non-existent, that's when we have a problem. It's the same in women's football to be fair.

 

Great article as has been said. Just one small caveat though, there are currently zero academy graduates in the first team and to be honest I can't see any forcing their way in in the immediate future.

Its interesting that Shaw only started playing because Fox basically wasn't good enough. All summer we tried to sign a decent left back and it didn't happen so Shaw got his chance and took it. This summer we got Bertrand and he's been exceptional but it has stopped Targett from getting a regular starting place.

It is incredibly difficult getting the youngsters through to the 1st team especially in the Premier League. I know the situation we have now was forced on us but at this moment in time, we actually have a pretty expensive, bought-in team.

That said I am delighted that it is still our stated aim to have 50% of our starting 11 come through the ranks. For the youngsters themselves, they are all getting a tremendous football education so they will get a job somewhere even if its not at Saints (and hopefully with a hefty price tag).

 

You do realise that you are only pandering to our sense of local superiority over poor old Pompey, don't you PL?. It gladdens the heart of Saints fans to know that our success is greeted with the green eyed monster amongst Pompey fans.....

 

The BBC used to be very good and have some great lower league articles, however its only the big clubs and sensational journalism now.