Under 21s (?) coach appointed - and Henderson leaves

[Doctoroncall]

The reserve league is in a bit of chaos: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/7880181/Premier-League-to-reshape-reserves-league-structure-as-clubs-vote-with-their-feet.html

[Scudamore]

I assume the concept of an under 21 team is not set in stone?

 

How else are are players returning from injury supposed to get match fit without playing games?

[Doctoroncall]

What is being put in place at the club is NOT like what we had before. The academy has been completely restructured as has the reserve side, all under the development umbrella head by Les Reed. This is a continental approach where players will be coming through the various youth teams on a more regular basis to play in the first team. It's not to produce the odd player every so often. The bar is being raised to identify and produce players that go all the way to the first team, hence the focus of securing top coaches in the country.

[John B]

What is being put in place at the club is NOT like what we had before. The academy has been completely restructured as has the reserve side, all under the development umbrella head by Les Reed. This is a continental approach where players will be coming through the various youth teams on a more regular basis to play in the first team. It's not to produce the odd player every so often. The bar is being raised to identify and produce players that go all the way to the first team, hence the focus of securing top coaches in the country.

 

Of course it is not exactly what we had before as things change over time but the concept certainly is

[trousers]

What is being put in place at the club is NOT like what we had before. The academy has been completely restructured as has the reserve side, all under the development umbrella head by Les Reed. This is a continental approach where players will be coming through the various youth teams on a more regular basis to play in the first team. It's not to produce the odd player every so often. The bar is being raised to identify and produce players that go all the way to the first team, hence the focus of securing top coaches in the country.

 

Interesting. Like it. Another example of Cortese turning the club into a self-sufficient profit making machine.

[Pip]

If the club is going in the direction of continental teams and having every team within it playing the same way, does anyone else find it interesting that the team against Winchester was set up as 4-5-1? That could cause another lengthy debate on here!

[trousers]

Of course it is not exactly what we had before as things change over time but the concept certainly is

 

Arguably, the 'concept' is the reverse of before.

 

The original academy seemed to go for a 'quantity over quality' approach - i.e. If we get one or two first teamers out of an intake of, say 20-30 per year, then that was deemed a success. Cortese on the other hand looks to be going for 'quality over quantity' - i.e. Success would be the vast majority of the "U21s" set up making the first team squad.

[OldNick]

Arguably, the 'concept' is the reverse of before.

 

The original academy seemed to go for a 'quantity over quality' approach - i.e. If we get one or two first teamers out of an intake of, say 20-30 per year, then that was deemed a success. Cortese on the other hand looks to be going for 'quality over quantity' - i.e. Success would be the vast majority of the "U21s" set up making the first team squad.

 

Perhaps we should have some Dutch coaches, who know how the continental system works at clubs like Ajax.............Lol. I do hope Les Reed etc do know how to bring through players who are gifted at passing the ball, and comfortable with the ball at their feet. Bally used to revel in the 6 aside game with one touch. That is how kids should learn the game and not be so tied up with leagues until they are 14 or so. Learning to win a game would soon be learnt as they got older.

[Doctoroncall]

Of course it is not exactly what we had before as things change over time but the concept certainly is

 

The academy concept has been around for ~12 years. Things in football in this country do not change quickly over time, or certainly not progressive. You only need to look at the FA for that. There have been 3 or 4 initiatives since the PL were set up to help with the development of young players, only the academy concept has been used which has had a negative impact at grassroot level which the FA are responsible for, the others have either been ignored or dragged down in the politics of having so many interested parties - clubs, PL, FL and FA.

[VectisSaint]

The reserve league is in a bit of chaos: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/7880181/Premier-League-to-reshape-reserves-league-structure-as-clubs-vote-with-their-feet.html

So thats at least 8 friendlies that can be set up, Stoke, Spuds etc. This is all part of a restructure of football in this country that will happen with or without the support of the Blazer Brigade. I guess in addition a few games against the Hoddle Academy would be on the cards.

[Wes Tender]

The completely unrealistic fantasy world you live in know no bounds.

 

Complete joke that you think in 10 years we will be the envy of European clubs. Absolute fantasy land. We will never consistently challenge the top 4, never. The most realistic we have hope for is being a Everton ( at a push ) level in terms of league position and success. We are not being bankrolled, we will never be consistent challengers.

 

That's not a depth of despair, that's called living in the real world.

 

You do not possess a crystal ball. You might make a reasoned judgement call, but it will be pure conjecture. You cannot predict what will happen to Manchester United or Liverpool when Ferguson hangs up his tracksuit, or the American owners of both get fed up. The same with Chelski and Abramovich. You do not know what changes to the legislation of the game might produce, or whether the Sky money will continue for the next decade. It is only possible to live in the real World currently. It is not possible to live in the real World of the future when one doesn't even know what will constitute the real World then.

[Thedelldays]

So thats at least 8 friendlies that can be set up, Stoke, Spuds etc. This is all part of a restructure of football in this country that will happen with or without the support of the Blazer Brigade. I guess in addition a few games against the Hoddle Academy would be on the cards.

 

agree, good to get in on the act now rather than playing catch up..

 

those that oppose this do so because they dont like cortese...they want saints to follow the tried and tested "english" model for saints...the very model that is now defunct really

[Barry the Badger]

Funny that when Lowe tinkered around with something different, he was slaughtered.

 

 

I'm not convinced that he was, not at first. I think people were generally pretty positive about the idea of having the youngsters in the reserves playing the same system as the first team, and all the stuff that went with that.

 

It was only when he started sabotaging it by alienating the few experienced players we had at the time, and putting blind faith in young players that were clearly not ready, that people turned on the plan.

[Nolan]

Looking at the new league rules for next season this makes HUGE sense...

 

Under the home-grown rule, clubs' first-team squads will be restricted to 25 players over the age of 21, of which 10 must be registered in domestic football for three seasons before their 21st birthday. There will be no restriction on players under the age of 21, however.

 

A Strong U21 squad pretty much doubles the amount of players we have available on any given match-day. And with the "First Team" being a pool of 25, with any injuries would any club have a team available to play reserve matches?