Can We Keep Up?

[holepuncture]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/sep/19/manchester-city-barcelona-premier-league

 

The new power brokers in English football, Machester City, are set to invest a breathtaking £100m into the development of a new training facility. The site will house a 7k seater stadium for the youth teams, 15 pitches, accommodation and so on as reported in the article above. To sweeten up the planning comittee they have planned to build a college and a swimming pool!

 

To me this demonstrates the serious long term vision of City becoming a global force up there with Real and United.

 

This is not a jab at the Saints at all but I thought it may be worth some debate or comparison, for example our new set up will be 21.5 acres against Citys 80 acres. Also, to our 100 or so academy scholars, they will have 400.

 

Can we compete with the bonkers money at the top of the game? I wouldnt ever expect NC or the Liebherr family to start investing funds on this kind of scale, however it does highlight what the top competitors are aiming for.

 

I feel bad even making these comparisons, as I believe we should all be greatful and excited about our own development plans. We have demonstrated that we are growing as a club and investing in an aspect of our club which is very important to the team and the business of the club.

 

Everything we are doing is foward thinking and bodes very well for the future, but can we keep up with this lot?

 

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1900274,00.html

[Saintandy666]

It seems just ridiculous. A 7,000 seater stadium?! Why...

 

Money isn't everything, as Chelsea have discovered.

[Window Cleaner]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/sep/19/manchester-city-barcelona-premier-league

 

The new power brokers in English football, Machester City, are set to invest a breathtaking £100m into the development of a new training facility. The site will house a 7k seater stadium for the youth teams, 15 pitches, accommodation and so on as reported in the article above. To sweeten up the planning comittee they have planned to build a college and a swimming pool!

 

To me this demonstrates the serious long term vision of City becoming a global force up there with Real and United.

 

This is not a jab at the Saints at all but I thought it may be worth some debate or comparison, for example our new set up will be 21.5 acres against Citys 80 acres. Also, to our 100 or so academy scholars, they will have 400.

 

Can we compete with the bonkers money at the top of the game? I wouldnt ever expect NC or the Liebherr family to start investing funds on this kind of scale, however it does highlight what the top competitors are aiming for.

 

I feel bad even making these comparisons, as I believe we should all be greatful and excited about our own development plans. We have demonstrated that we are growing as a club and investing in an aspect of our club which is very important to the team and the business of the club.

 

Everything we are doing is foward thinking and bodes very well for the future, but can we keep up with this lot?

 

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1900274,00.html

 

Personally I don't really care about keeping up with the excesses of Manchester Citeh ,some good football and an honourable place in the EPL will suit me fine. Citeh can spend all they like, they'll still finish behind Utd for at least 3 seasons out of every 4.

[Micky]

Planning for success is relatively easy, however the wise man, will also plan for failure.

 

Football can very quickly turn around, City of all teams should know that. I'm very happy with our (compared to thiers) modest investment, compared to most others, state of the art facilities.

 

Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

Edited 20 September, 2011 by Micky
ourselfs... ourselves... not sure - think it's the latter...!

[Lighthouse]

In short, no we can't keep up with Man City, nor will anyone else. Even Chelsea aren't capable of that kind of outlay on the accademy set up. However I do think we will invest in top level facilites, comparable to most teams in the top half of the Prem. We are not going to be spending out way to the top of the Prem, but we definitely have the capability to be up there, competing for European places. Comparisons with Man City really need a reality check.

 

As Andy said, 7,000 seater stadium for the youth team is absurd. I doubt youth team matches for any club regularly top a couple of hundred. Don't get me wrong, they will have a fantastic facility if this does get built as planned, but it is a tad extravagant.

[eelpie]

How to make inexperienced youngsters think they are stellar stars before they are.

 

Just what the game needs, not.

[stu0x]

...can we keep up with this lot?

No. No one can.

[Window Cleaner]

Utd have just announced that they're going to pay out over £5 million in staff bonuses because of their success in the last couple of years,about 9% of annual salary bonus for more than 500 staff. Citeh doing that? doubt it.

[CanadaSaint]

Youngsters (or, more to the point, their parents) make academy choices based on two things - A) Will this club help me to develop as a player and as a person?, and B) Would I have a reasonable chance of "making it" or would I just be buried in the system?

 

I think we've done so well in attracting youngsters because we can answer Yes to both questions - and we set out to do exactly that.

 

If City keep spending crazy money on their squad, they can only answer yes to one of them.

[saints-cris]

I think the 7k seater youth stadium is hilarious. No way will that even come remotely close to being filled. Its only parents and the odd fan going along to watch who see them, unless im mistaken?

 

Ridiculous, they're guna have even bigger egos than the mongs that grace the field these days

[niceandfriendly]

How to make inexperienced youngsters think they are stellar stars before they are.

 

Just what the game needs, not.

 

Or another way of looking at it, get them accustomed to playing on proper pitches and in proper stadiums so the step up to the first team isn't quite as great.

 

It's the same as Barcelona have with the Mini Estadi.

[stevegrant]

I thought this thread was going to be a dig at Gus Poyet and Brighton. How disappointing

 

I think the big clubs will ultimately end up ****ing off to some breakaway league in the next 10-20 years, which will leave those who have prepared for such an eventuality (like ourselves) in a very strong position. However, in the meantime, we'll probably have to accept that a lot of players will fall through the system because the biggest clubs will hoover up all the best talent, tell them they've already made it and then act surprised when it turns out they can't handle the pressure at the age of 15.

[saints-cris]

Or another way of looking at it, get them accustomed to playing on proper pitches and in proper stadiums so the step up to the first team isn't quite as great.

 

It's the same as Barcelona have with the Mini Estadi.

 

I knida see the point, but surely 7k empty seats cant prepare you for playing infront of 50k packed out.

[holepuncture]

Or another way of looking at it, get them accustomed to playing on proper pitches and in proper stadiums so the step up to the first team isn't quite as great.

 

It's the same as Barcelona have with the Mini Estadi.

 

I wondered whether the mini stadium would be built with a view to having a second team competiting in the Football League in a similar mould to Barcelona and Real, however 7k would probably be too small! I wonder how many fans would go and watch Man Utd reserves if they could? They have 330 million fans, and many hundreds of thousands of fans in Manchester who cannot afford to watch the 1st team. I wonder if it were Utd that had a second stadium, could they fill it for reserve/youth games?

 

Didnt we used to play reserve matches at SMS with free entry when in the PL, getting gates of 5-10k?

 

I thought this thread was going to be a dig at Gus Poyet and Brighton. How disappointing

 

I think the big clubs will ultimately end up ****ing off to some breakaway league in the next 10-20 years, which will leave those who have prepared for such an eventuality (like ourselves) in a very strong position. However, in the meantime, we'll probably have to accept that a lot of players will fall through the system because the biggest clubs will hoover up all the best talent, tell them they've already made it and then act surprised when it turns out they can't handle the pressure at the age of 15.

 

Dont worry about Brighton, they are a decade behind us!

 

Perhaps your theory is more closely alligned to what City are trying to achieve, getting ready for the global galatico league.

 

and if we are preparing our strategy in anticipation of this, then we will be right up at the top of the English game, which would be marvellous, but also just!

[Benali Saint]

I thought this thread was going to be a dig at Gus Poyet and Brighton. How disappointing

 

 

This

[CB Fry]

The only thing a 7,000 seater stadium says to me is they eventually would plan to put a feeder club into the lower divisions. That kind of ground could grace League 2 no bother, and in fairness League one as well.

 

I know it's not technically allowed now (or is it?) but it could be one day. Next time Bury, or Oldham, or Stockport, or someone smaller like Altringham get into a financial mess, who would rule out a convenient "merger" with Citeh? Even if it's "we'll lend you a stadium. And maybe a couple of players". Handled correctly, it might just work.

 

Or just going the whole hog and sticking a feeder team into the Northern Counties whatever league and go from there.

 

Saints can't keep up with that, and frankly I have no interest in us even trying. Why anyone wants to see Saints in the Champion's League I'll never know. Scrapping for glorious mid table mediocrity in the Premier League and a few cup semis and finals. Lovely. Stick your Champion's League up your bum.

[Saint_clark]

Surely there's a point where money just starts getting wasted? I reckon you could get a similar set up for less than half that, perhaps just not as fancy looking.

It'll probably have all glass spires and man-made streams or some rubbish.

[cambsaint]

If you look at Saints record of bringing top class youngsters through we probably are second only to Man Utd. during the forty odd years I've been a supporter.

There have always been many richer clubs with apparently bigger and better catchment areas.

Of course we can't live with the City zillions but we can carry on doing very well indeed!

[Saints foreva]

Has the construction work even started at Staplewood yet?

[Saint_clark]

Has the construction work even started at Staplewood yet?

 

There were temporary structures up during pre-season so I can only assume they have already been completed.

[gogo_saint]

hmmm, I'm sure West Ham, Leeds, Forrest and Crewe would argue with you there. We're very good though.

[gogo_saint]

If you look at Saints record of bringing top class youngsters through we probably are second only to Man Utd. during the forty odd years I've been a supporter.

There have always been many richer clubs with apparently bigger and better catchment areas.

Of course we can't live with the City zillions but we can carry on doing very well indeed!

 

 

hmmm, I'm sure West Ham, Leeds, Forrest and Crewe would argue with you there. We're very good though.

 

(thats what i meant)

[um pahars]

Youngsters (or, more to the point, their parents) make academy choices based on two things - A) Will this club help me to develop as a player and as a person?, and B) Would I have a reasonable chance of "making it" or would I just be buried in the system?

 

I think we've done so well in attracting youngsters because we can answer Yes to both questions - and we set out to do exactly that.

 

If City keep spending crazy money on their squad, they can only answer yes to one of them.

 

Although I agree with a lot of what you're saying and think how clubs will develop youngsters and whether they will get a chance in the first team is key to some parents & youngsters choice (making us well placed), sadly there is a C) as well.

 

C) How much will I get for signing on for this team

[Nadia Sllim]

I knida see the point, but surely 7k empty seats cant prepare you for playing infront of 50k packed out.

 

If you go out on loan to Portsmouth all those empty seats would not faze you surely?

[hutch]

It would be a tough job to manage those 95% of the 400 spotty arrogant teenagers who don't make the grade.

 

I'm not sure that size is everything

[svetigpung]

let them spend , spend , spend on this set up but it wont make any difference as long as they have unlimited funds. We all know they will buy , buy , buy a first team with maybee a youngster or two sitting on the bench but most likely in the reserves.

This just proves it will never be the overall success as compared to ours and the likes of West Ham,etc.

How will it all look in the future when the owners moneys dried up or its not fun anymore...disaster.

[S-Clarke]

Has the construction work even started at Staplewood yet?

 

Went passed there a few weeks ago, no building works or construction going on at all. They do have the temporary huts in place though, but the old buildings and pitches are still in place untouched.

[Huntingdon]

I'm assuming Markus Liebherr's death put Staplewood's development on hold?

I remember Cortese saying Markus was paying for it, he died and the work has never really started

 

Does anyone know what the future holds for the gasheads?

When can they eventually be pulled down, does it belong to the Council, and will Cortese see it as prime land to expand SMS?

[stu0x]

How will it all look in the future when the owners moneys dried up or its not fun anymore...disaster.

People have been coming out with this nonsense since day one of Abramovich at Chelsea, and there is literally about 0.1% chance of either of those things happening, for a host of reasons. There is literally *no* chance of them happening at City.

[Boris Karloff]

I think the 7k seater youth stadium is hilarious. No way will that even come remotely close to being filled. Its only parents and the odd fan going along to watch who see them, unless im mistaken?

 

Ridiculous, they're guna have even bigger egos than the mongs that grace the field these days

 

I don't think it's that ridiculous. It's within spitting distance of the main stadium. If they had the youth games at 12 on a Saturday and made it free for anyone with a ST or ticket for the maingame, I reckon a lot of fans would go. I wouldn't be surprised if they filled it TBH.

[Doctoroncall]

I think there are many ways to solve the puzzle of developing youngsters good enough for the first team squad. It looks like Citeh are going for volume input with 400 youngsters. Just how many are they expecting to make it in their first team squad each year with those numbers? There are going to plenty of disappointed boys that don't make it.

[Doctoroncall]

let them spend , spend , spend on this set up but it wont make any difference as long as they have unlimited funds. We all know they will buy , buy , buy a first team with maybee a youngster or two sitting on the bench but most likely in the reserves.

This just proves it will never be the overall success as compared to ours and the likes of West Ham,etc.

How will it all look in the future when the owners moneys dried up or its not fun anymore...disaster.

 

The new UEFA financial fair play rules will come into effect next season and although they are weak at the moment I would expect they will get tougher as the years go by and this is one reason why they want to produce there own rather than buy the talent needed. £100m is a huge amount to invest in youth development.