Under 18's vs Pompey

[The Cat]

Anyone else going to this tomorrow?

 

Think I might take a trip down to Staplewood for it, good chance to see the youngsters while there's no first team game.

[trousers]

What time is kick-off?

[The Cat]

11am I believe. Website says games kick off at that time unless stated differently.

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/AcademyFixtures/

[Gemmel]

Cheers for that, didn't know it was on.

 

I guarantee it will be more intresting than the match at 19.30

[JRM]

Can anyone confirm they will let people in for it? Staplewood generally is behind close doors now isn't it? i fancy it, but don't want to go along just to be told can't do it.

could combine it with Totton v Bradford Park Avenue afterwards in FA Cup 1st round!! (i miss saints not being in that anymore!)

[This Charming Man]

Do you have to get a bubble bus to the game?

[DJ_TOAST]

Do you have to get a bubble bus to the game?

haha

[Sour Mash]

I thought we were meant to have a brilliant academy and the skates were a joke and had a nearly non-existent youth set-up?

Edited 13 November, 2011 by Sour Mash

[farawaysaint]

I thought we were meant to have a brilliant academy and the skates were a joke and gadgets a nearly non-existent youth set-up?

 

Erm yes, what's changed?

[spyinthesky]

Well beaten 1-0 today but hardly recognised any of the Saints team

 

Where was Luke Shaw and Ward-Prowse for example?

[benjii]

Well beaten 1-0 today but hardly recognised any of the Saints team

 

Where was Luke Shaw and Ward-Prowse for example?

 

International duty.

[Saint_lambden]

Booo Cortese out

[Griffo]

Skate c*nts.

[spyinthesky]

One thing it would be useful to know is how many of the Pompey team were second year Academy players compared to our team

 

I reckon we only had 4 second year lads in our team which obvoiusly makes a difference

 

Our keeper looked very assured and is only a depurty for Jack Dovey, who is on loan at Eastleigh, so a sign of strength in depth in this position

 

Very disappointed with our (non existent) passing but this may be due to inexperience

 

Ball was constantly hoofed up field to Jake Sinclair who was half the size of the Pompey back line

[Crab Lungs]

Expect Corp to predict a new dawn for South Coast youth football...

[Mowgli]

Personally I think it is a bit irrelevant whether we had first year or second year academies payers playing. We lost and probably should not have. Pompey wanted it more according to Dodd and there is a great picture on the OS of Dodd laying into the team after the match.

 

This is a key part of their development if they want to play for the first team. They have to understand how important these games are and how it is equally important to have the right mentality to cope with the intense physical and ​phycological that these games produce. I hope they are hurting a bit today but then move on and recover the form we know they are capable of. After all - they'e seen off both Man Utd and Chelsea academies this season.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

Personally I think it is a bit irrelevant whether we had first year or second year academies payers playing. We lost and probably should not have. Pompey wanted it more according to Dodd and there is a great picture on the OS of Dodd laying into the team after the match.

 

This is a key part of their development if they want to play for the first team. They have to understand how important these games are and how it is equally important to have the right mentality to cope with the intense physical and ​phycological that these games produce. I hope they are hurting a bit today but then move on and recover the form we know they are capable of. After all - they'e seen off both Man Utd and Chelsea academies this season.

 

It does if our best players were away playing for their country.

[1976_Child]

despicable. These kids should be birched for losing to Pompey.

[Turkish]

Well beaten 1-0 today but hardly recognised any of the Saints team

 

Where was Luke Shaw and Ward-Prowse for example?

 

This can't be true. We have the next David Beckham and Paul Scholes in our academy if you believe the pro-Cortese propaganda put out by Les Reid in the Mail today.

[Griffo]

We should have done this to the Pompey team.

 

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-230872-hooliganism-galatasaray-fans-attack-fener-u-17-players.html

[spyinthesky]

It does if our best players were away playing for their country.

 

I agree

 

There ias quite a bit of physical difference between a lad who is nearly 18 at the start of season (which presumably is the benchmark enabling lads to play U18 football) and a first year scholar who could be 16.

 

Pompey did seem more physically more mature especially at the back

 

Jake Sinclair never stood a chance with high balls played continually played up to him

[FMPR]

It does if our best players were away playing for their country.

 

Dont buy that as Sam Magri was playing for Portsmouth and hes off to England duty today

[benjii]

Dont buy that as Sam Magri was playing for Portsmouth and hes off to England duty today

 

It's a fact that some of our best players didn't play. Now **** off you nasty div ****.

[spyinthesky]

It would be of interest to learn who wasnt available for Saints yesterday and why?

 

Three of the better players ie Luke Shaw, James Ward-Prowse and Jack Stephens (all in the first team squad) were absent

 

Not sure whether Ben Reeves, Sam Hoskins and Ryan Doble are still eligible for the U 18's but I guess even the inclusion of the first 3 mentioned would have made a considerable difference

 

I guess the real test will be in FA Youth Cup games when most clubs field their strongest sides.

[Matthew Le God]

It would be of interest to learn who wasnt available for Saints yesterday and why?

 

Three of the better players ie Luke Shaw, James Ward-Prowse and Jack Stephens (all in the first team squad) were absent

 

Not sure whether Ben Reeves, Sam Hoskins and Ryan Doble are still eligible for the U 18's but I guess even the inclusion of the first 3 mentioned would have made a considerable difference

 

I guess the real test will be in FA Youth Cup games when most clubs field their strongest sides.

 

Reeves is 20

Hoskins is 18 and on loan to Preston North End

Ryan Doble is 20

 

A large number of players didn't play against Pompey because they were either on international duty or are skipping under 18 games because they are involved with the development squad. You really can't read anything into yesterday's game.

[Wes Tender]

This can't be true. We have the next David Beckham and Paul Scholes in our academy if you believe the pro-Cortese propaganda put out by Les Reid in the Mail today.

 

You obviously don't and I therefore have to bow to your expertise, being as how you are so closely connected to the Academy system at the club.

 

But the way I see it, it is a bold claim, therefore it probably isn't made lightly and without belief of some substance behind it. It is arguable that recently the likes of Bale, Chamberlain, Walcott and Lallana (and before that Le Tiss, Bridge, the Wallaces, Shearer etc) are the equals of Beckham, Scholes, Giggs and the Neville brothers at the same age, so why is it so incredible to believe that with the investment we are placing on the Academy infrastructure, we could potentially produce as promising a crop of young stars such as those. It isn't as if we don't have any commendable record in the past to point to.

 

Or do you believe that those Man United players mentioned were a unique exception, never to be repeated anywhere else?

[Turkish]

You obviously don't and I therefore have to bow to your expertise, being as how you are so closely connected to the Academy system at the club.

But the way I see it, it is a bold claim, therefore it probably isn't made lightly and without belief of some substance behind it. It is arguable that recently the likes of Bale, Chamberlain, Walcott and Lallana (and before that Le Tiss, Bridge, the Wallaces

Shearer etc) are the equals of Beckham, Scholes, Giggs and the Neville brothers at the same age, so why is it so incredible to believe that with the investment we are placing on the Academy infrastructure, we could potentially produce as promising a crop of young stars such as those. It isn't as if we don't have any commendable record in the past to point to.

Or do you believe that those Man United players mentioned were a unique exception, never to be repeated anywhere else?

 

We will see won't we, when like Beckham, Scholes, Giggs and Neville they win the champions league, numerous league titles and FA Cups and over 400 international caps between them. Whilst being regarded as some of the best players on the planet and premier league legends.

 

I know you think we it's only a matter of time before we dominate European football as the new Barcelona with our team full of academy graduates. I know anything is possible, they did say man would never walk on the moon afterall and we might have the basis of a team capable of world domination but seeing as the only teams to have done that in the last 30 years are two of the worlds biggest clubs I'll err on the side of pessimism about this happening down as ST Marys for now.

[The Cat]

I'll err on the side of pessimism about this happening down as ST Marys for now.

 

That's exactly the sort of anti-Saints claptrap I'd expect from a plastic like you.

[Wes Tender]

We will see won't we, when like Beckham, Scholes, Giggs and Neville they win the champions league, numerous league titles and FA Cups and over 400 international caps between them. Whilst being regarded as some of the best players on the planet and premier league legends.

 

I know you think we it's only a matter of time before we dominate European football as the new Barcelona with our team full of academy graduates. I know anything is possible, they did say man would never walk on the moon afterall and we might have the basis of a team capable of world domination but seeing as the only teams to have done that in the last 30 years are two of the worlds biggest clubs I'll err on the side of pessimism about this happening down as ST Marys for now.

 

No, you don't actually know that I think it's only a matter of time before we dominate Europen football like Barcelona, because I've not thought that and certainly not said it. You are correct to accept that anything is possible though.

 

Your reasoning regarding Beckham, Scholes, Giggs and the Neville brothers is not sound, unfortunately. They achieved their status because they played for Man Utd and were young enough to forge an understanding together that made them an exciting and dynamic team capable of beating most other teams. They played together for long enough to achieve their legendary status as United players. I have already made comparisons with them regarding several recent Saints players like Bridge, Walcott, Bale, Chamberlain and Lallana who showed IMO equal promise at the same age as those United players. The comparison only has validity though if Saints were able to have kept those players to play together as United did. If that were to happen, we would be very hard to beat too and people might well talk about that legendary Saints team many years down the road. I don't see you arguing that those Saints academy products were not the equal of those United players at the same age, so we are as capable of producing star players as they are in recent times.

 

It hasn't happened that we have been able to keep that standard of player here previously, apart from the likes of Le Tiss, but when we are back in the Premiership and doing well, it will become easier and more frequent. Walcott, Bale, Chamberlain and Lallana might become legends as individuals, but it is not impossible that a future team could comprise several highly talented players who stay together at Saints. You read that the foundations of that team are being laid at our academy and sneer. I don't. Only time will tell who is right.

[Turkish]

/\ yep, much easier to keep top young players for clubs like us in topflight. Just ask Newcastle, Villa, Everton, Sunderland and Blackburn. I can't wait to see us rebuff all these bids for our world beaters and build this legendary Saints team you speak of. It'll be easy won't it, afterall all the clubs above managed to fight off bids from Man United, Arsenal, Man City & Liverpool for their top players.

Edited 13 November, 2011 by Turkish

[Wes Tender]

/\ yep, much easier to keep top young players for clubs like us in topflight. Just ask Newcastle, Villa, Everton, Sunderland and Blackburn. I can't wait to see us rebuff all these bids for our world beaters and build this legendary Saints team you speak of. It'll be easy won't it, afterall all the clubs above managed to fight off bids from Man United, Arsenal, Man City & Liverpool for their top players.

 

There's a lot you get wrong. You can't wait to see this team, but I'm afraid it will take some considerable time, several years of building. And no, it won't be easy.

 

But it might be assisted by other factors along the way, things like a level playing field being imposed by the football authorities. And the dynamics of the divisions themselves change over time. For example, a couple of years ago, you probably wouldn't have had Man City on your list, would you? And both Arsenal and Liverpool have had very forgettable seasons of late. And when all's said and done, there are only 11 players in these teams who can play on the pitch at any one time and probably another 11 back-up in the squad. And those clubs have all the players in the World to choose from, when there is a premium price put on home grown players. When we don't wish to sell, we can demand silly money, which might put off some when cheaper players can be had from abroad.

 

So for those reasons, I don't rule out the possibility that we might at some time in the future be able to keep more high profile players rising up through our academy than we have currently managed.

[Turkish]

There's a lot you get wrong. You can't wait to see this team, but I'm afraid it will take some considerable time, several years of building. And no, it won't be easy.

 

But it might be assisted by other factors along the way, things like a level playing field being imposed by the football authorities. And the dynamics of the divisions themselves change over time. For example, a couple of years ago, you probably wouldn't have had Man City on your list, would you? And both Arsenal and Liverpool have had very forgettable seasons of late. And when all's said and done, there are only 11 players in these teams who can play on the pitch at any one time and probably another 11 back-up in the squad. And those clubs have all the players in the World to choose from, when there is a premium price put on home grown players. When we don't wish to sell, we can demand silly money, which might put off some when cheaper players can be had from abroad.So for those reasons, I don't rule out the possibility that we might at some time in the future be able to keep more high profile players rising up through our academy than we have currently managed.

 

That sure put Arsenal off with Chamberlain didn't it.

 

Oh and Man City with Barry & Milner. Liverpool with Carroll, Henderson & Downing. Man United with Rooney, Jones, Smalling & Young.

 

It is a fact that the only clubs in England that have successfully and consistantly, ie not your one off club legends like MLT, held onto any is Manchester United and to a lesser extent Liverpool. Even Arsenal couldn't keep Fabregas when a better deal was on offer.

 

So for the reasons stated above. That only the biggest club in the country have held onto their young players and built a successful team round them. That clubs bigger than Saints have sold off their young stars for silly money. That for the last 100 years of football the top players have 99% of the time ended up at the top clubs and nothing suggests that is going to change. For those reasons i wont be joining you on planet championship manager, just yet.

[Wes Tender]

That sure put Arsenal off with Chamberlain didn't it.

 

Oh and Man City with Barry & Milner. Liverpool with Carroll, Henderson & Downing. Man United with Rooney, Jones, Smalling & Young.

 

It is a fact that the only clubs in England that have successfully and consistantly, ie not your one off club legends like MLT, held onto any is Manchester United and to a lesser extent Liverpool. Even Arsenal couldn't keep Fabregas when a better deal was on offer.

 

So for the reasons stated above. That only the biggest club in the country have held onto their young players and built a successful team round them. That clubs bigger than Saints have sold off their young stars for silly money. That for the last 100 years of football the top players have 99% of the time ended up at the top clubs and nothing suggests that is going to change. For those reasons i wont be joining you on planet championship manager, just yet.

 

So you really don't see the point I made, do you? You mention individuals to prove your point. Those top clubs took one individual from one club. The whole point of the article was that we would be able in future to bring on ultimately three players of the calibre of Chamberlain/Walcott/Bale. And at the same time, there are perhaps half a dozen other players appearing on the British scene elsewhere of decent potential. And players from countries around the World who have been identified by these top clubs' scouts. When you factor in that these top clubs are also able to attract top youngsters to their own academies, how many players do they need to bring in from elsewhere to warm the bench occasionally? Allowing for squads of 22, those 4 teams need 88 players. Mostly their teams comprise costly imports from around the World. There comes a point when they don't need to pay exhorbitant amounts of money for 17 year old kids, but if they did, we could sell three at once and net £45 million the next time around.

 

Oh, and even Man United can't hang on to players, Ronaldo for example. And when you are talking about the past 100 years, saying that the top clubs have taken the best players most of the time, I can well remember back half a century when the top clubs weren't all the same as they are now, when Liverpool didn't become a real force until Shankly, when Spurs were above Arsenal for example and as we both know, Man City certainly weren't were they are now. But if you think that the current situation is set in concrete for ever more, then ignore history. I didn't claim that things would change tomorrow, but I'm old enough to have some historical perspective that enlightens me to possibilities that appear to escape you.

[Sour Mash]

That sure put Arsenal off with Chamberlain didn't it.

 

Oh and Man City with Barry & Milner. Liverpool with Carroll, Henderson & Downing. Man United with Rooney, Jones, Smalling & Young.

 

It is a fact that the only clubs in England that have successfully and consistantly, ie not your one off club legends like MLT, held onto any is Manchester United and to a lesser extent Liverpool. Even Arsenal couldn't keep Fabregas when a better deal was on offer.

 

So for the reasons stated above. That only the biggest club in the country have held onto their young players and built a successful team round them. That clubs bigger than Saints have sold off their young stars for silly money. That for the last 100 years of football the top players have 99% of the time ended up at the top clubs and nothing suggests that is going to change. For those reasons i wont be joining you on planet championship manager, just yet.

Look, what the f**ks wrong with you? Can't you see we're going to be the next Barcelona? Take your negative rubbish elsewhere please.

[Turkish]

So you really don't see the point I made, do you? You mention individuals to prove your point. Those top clubs took one individual from one club. The whole point of the article was that we would be able in future to bring on ultimately three players of the calibre of Chamberlain/Walcott/Bale. And at the same time, there are perhaps half a dozen other players appearing on the British scene elsewhere of decent potential. And players from countries around the World who have been identified by these top clubs' scouts. When you factor in that these top clubs are also able to attract top youngsters to their own academies, how many players do they need to bring in from elsewhere to warm the bench occasionally? Allowing for squads of 22, those 4 teams need 88 players. Mostly their teams comprise costly imports from around the World. There comes a point when they don't need to pay exhorbitant amounts of money for 17 year old kids, but if they did, we could sell three at once and net £45 million the next time around.

 

Oh, and even Man United can't hang on to players, Ronaldo for example. And when you are talking about the past 100 years, saying that the top clubs have taken the best players most of the time, I can well remember back half a century when the top clubs weren't all the same as they are now, when Liverpool didn't become a real force until Shankly, when Spurs were above Arsenal for example and as we both know, Man City certainly weren't were they are now. But if you think that the current situation is set in concrete for ever more, then ignore history. I didn't claim that things would change tomorrow, but I'm old enough to have some historical perspective that enlightens me to possibilities that appear to escape you.

 

 

 

Ahh history, i'm glad you've brought that up. So what in out 126 year history apart from our one season of finish second points to us EVER being able to repeat that feat? Surely if we took history into account Leeds, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, hell even Ipswich are well ahead of us on that score.

 

I love your simplistic view of squads as well. 4 clubs x 22 players = 88, except clubs are allowed squads of 25 and players under 21 dont count in this. Yet despite these restrictions it hasn't stopped top clubs hoovering up all the promising young players at the moment, history suggests this wont change. Although Jonjo Shelvey, Carl Jenkinson and AOC might disagree with you.

[Wes Tender]

Ahh history, i'm glad you've brought that up. So what in out 126 year history apart from our one season of finish second points to us EVER being able to repeat that feat? Surely if we took history into account Leeds, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, hell even Ipswich are well ahead of us on that score.

 

I love your simplistic view of squads as well. 4 clubs x 22 players = 88, except clubs are allowed squads of 25 and players under 21 dont count in this. Yet despite these restrictions it hasn't stopped top clubs hoovering up all the promising young players at the moment, history suggests this wont change. Although Jonjo Shelvey, Carl Jenkinson and AOC might disagree with you.

 

I love your simplistic view that just because we haven't managed to achieve higher than 2nd in all our history, that that means we will never ever do it again.

[Turkish]

I love your simplistic view that just because we haven't managed to achieve higher than 2nd in all our history, that that means we will never ever do it again.

 

It was you that started banging on about history. I am simply using your logic. of course using history as our guidelines this means Royal Engineers and Wanders who contested the first FA Cup final, it must mean it's possible for them to do it again, surely? Anything is possible isn't it?

 

So remind me, Not because man walked on the moon. Not because man climbed everest. What evidence is there that we can repeat or better the greatest postion this club has ever achieved and get at least 2nd again?

Edited 14 November, 2011 by Turkish

[Sour Mash]

I love your simplistic view that just because we haven't managed to achieve higher than 2nd in all our history, that that means we will never ever do it again.

No-one is saying that we'll never do it again, just that anyone living in the real world can see it is VERY unlikely.

[Wes Tender]

It was you that started banging on about history. I am simply using your logic. of course using history as our guidelines this means Royal Engineers and Wanders who contested the first FA Cup final, it must mean it's possible for them to do it again, surely? Anything is possible isn't it?

 

So remind me, Not because man walked on the moon. Not because man climbed everest. What evidence is there that we can repeat or better the greatest postion this club has ever achieved and get at least 2nd again?

 

Now you're just being ridiculous and you are not using my logic, you're using your logic, or your idea of what constitutes my logic. Historical precedent is not evidence that something will ever happen again, so asking for evidence is not something that anybody can provide. Historical precedent is an indication that something is feasible, not that it is likely. Even Sour Mash admits to the possibility, although sensibly he says it is unlikely. But unlikely as it seems, it is possible.

 

But we have never ever in our history been in such a position as we find ourselves in now in terms of our ownership and infrastructure, so at least some allowance needs to be factored in to any debate for that.

[Frank's cousin]

Ignore Turkish...if wnything positive is ever mentioned about aspirations and desires teh club has... he dismisses as 'Cortese propoganda' - sad.... he cant seem to differentiate between having high ideals and ambition and what we all know would be extremely unlikely from a pragmatic perspective. What the feck is wrong with him? Cortese bashing for the sake of it - looks like a Skate to me.

 

I bet Turkish was there shouting down Lowe every five minutes for lacking any ambition, yet here he is doom saying anything that comes from the chairman that at least shows some....

 

Cortese: Our aim and ambition is to model ourselves on the best

Turkish: (in a stroppy 4 year old voice) NO we can never do that we should model ourselves on ...er... NOrwich or ...er West Brom as that is surely more realistic..

 

Jeez...

[Wes Tender]

Ignore Turkish...if wnything positive is ever mentioned about aspirations and desires teh club has... he dismisses as 'Cortese propoganda' - sad.... he cant seem to differentiate between having high ideals and ambition and what we all know would be extremely unlikely from a pragmatic perspective. What the feck is wrong with him? Cortese bashing for the sake of it - looks like a Skate to me.

 

I bet Turkish was there shouting down Lowe every five minutes for lacking any ambition, yet here he is doom saying anything that comes from the chairman that at least shows some....

 

Cortese: Our aim and ambition is to model ourselves on the best

Turkish: (in a stroppy 4 year old voice) NO we can never do that we should model ourselves on ...er... NOrwich or ...er West Brom as that is surely more realistic..

 

Jeez...

Frank

I don't recall Turkish's name from the Lowe era, or on Keith's forum. I don't mind feeding the troll in an idle few moments for mild amusement.

 

Funny you should suggest that he's a Skate. Somebody else suggested that too, at the time that Corpse hinted that he posted on here under a pseudonym. He thought that the Turkish name was suggestive of the moon symbol on the Skate badge.

[trousers]

Frank

I don't recall Turkish's name from the Lowe era, or on Keith's forum. I don't mind feeding the troll in an idle few moments for mild amusement.

 

Funny you should suggest that he's a Skate. Somebody else suggested that too, at the time that Corpse hinted that he posted on here under a pseudonym. He thought that the Turkish name was suggestive of the moon symbol on the Skate badge.

 

;-)

[Sour Mash]

Frank

I don't recall Turkish's name from the Lowe era, or on Keith's forum. I don't mind feeding the troll in an idle few moments for mild amusement.

 

Funny you should suggest that he's a Skate. Somebody else suggested that too, at the time that Corpse hinted that he posted on here under a pseudonym. He thought that the Turkish name was suggestive of the moon symbol on the Skate badge.

Classic case when you're struggling in an argument on this forum to call someone a skate. Most Saints fans I know find it laughable that we're comparing ourselves to Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Man United. Yes we all WANT to be the best and I'm a big believer in aspiring to be as good as we can be, but targets also need to realistically achievable if they are to be worthwhile. If we make it back to the Prem lets see how things go from there before speculating any further.

[Wes Tender]

Classic case when you're struggling in an argument on this forum to call someone a skate. Most Saints fans I know find it laughable that we're comparing ourselves to Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Man United. Yes we all WANT to be the best and I'm a big believer in aspiring to be as good as we can be, but targets also need to realistically achievable if they are to be worthwhile. If we make it back to the Prem lets see how things go from there before speculating any further.

 

Who's struggling to win an argument? It was Frank who suggested that Turkish must be a Skate and nobody would accuse him of not being capable of holding his own in a debate, so it must be first class trolling to illicit that response from him. And who are these people comparing us to those elite clubs? Certainly not a comparison I've made. OK, Cortese states that he wished to emulate Barcelona's policy of bringing through their youngsters via their academy and I seem to recall that somebody mentioned that Ajax had that policy too, but if somebody reckons that is comparing us to clubs like like them, then they are a bit incapable of English comprehension somewhere along the line.

 

Perhaps when the Northam chants that it's just like watching Brazil, or that Lallana makes Messi look sh*te, your mates are taking it literally.

[Turkish]

Ignore Turkish...if wnything positive is ever mentioned about aspirations and desires teh club has... he dismisses as 'Cortese propoganda' - sad.... he cant seem to differentiate between having high ideals and ambition and what we all know would be extremely unlikely from a pragmatic perspective. What the feck is wrong with him? Cortese bashing for the sake of it - looks like a Skate to me.

 

I bet Turkish was there shouting down Lowe every five minutes for lacking any ambition, yet here he is doom saying anything that comes from the chairman that at least shows some....

 

Cortese: Our aim and ambition is to model ourselves on the best

Turkish: (in a stroppy 4 year old voice) NO we can never do that we should model ourselves on ...er... NOrwich or ...er West Brom as that is surely more realistic..

 

Jeez...

 

I think you'll find i was being ironic when i said it was pro-Cortese propoganda, due to the way everyone dismisses any negative article on here as *****r journalists peddling lies to destablise us.

 

It's all very well having ambition and wanting to match Barcelona and Bayern Munich but quite another to do it, in case anyone hasn't noticed these are some of THE BIGGEST CLUBS IN THE WORLD.

 

Quite frankly there is not a single piece of evidence to support the arguement that it can happen. In fact, everything points to the best we can do is what Villa did, get to a regular top 6 spot then have our best players sold off for inflated prices. Of course some people believe we are on an unstoppable march to the champions league and it's only a matter of time before Saints could be the new Barcelona and sweep all before us in our 50k stadium with a team full of academy graduates, anyone who says any different is lacking ambition.

 

No one has come up with anything realistic to suggest it is possible and achieveable, other than it might be, because. Well. Anything is possible, they did say man would never walk on the moon.

[Sour Mash]

Who's struggling to win an argument? It was Frank who suggested that Turkish must be a Skate and nobody would accuse him of not being capable of holding his own in a debate, so it must be first class trolling to illicit that response from him. And who are these people comparing us to those elite clubs? Certainly not a comparison I've made. OK, Cortese states that he wished to emulate Barcelona's policy of bringing through their youngsters via their academy and I seem to recall that somebody mentioned that Ajax had that policy too, but if somebody reckons that is comparing us to clubs like like them, then they are a bit incapable of English comprehension somewhere along the line.

 

Perhaps when the Northam chants that it's just like watching Brazil, or that Lallana makes Messi look sh*te, your mates are taking it literally.

Well what exactly is your point then?

[Wes Tender]

It wasn't a point; it was a few throwaway lines. Don't you know the difference?

[Sour Mash]

It wasn't a point; it was a few throwaway lines. Don't you know the difference?

So you don't have one. Fair enough.

[wightman35]

Under 18's v Pompey? have I missed this thread?

[Frank's cousin]

FFS - Cortese is talking about emulating the MODEL not the clubs themselves - The only way we will EVER have a fleeting CL bash is IF by some miracle we do hold on to a crop of talent - now how a club does that is anotehr question.... in Germany young players tend to stick around until they are 21-22 or so, so you get teh odd Leverkusen, Schalke et al having a bash... here the 'big clubs' are desperate to sign any talent at 15, 16 in hope of beating the others to the name... The only way any club of our size could try an emulate that in teh Prem is to install a different clutural mindset etc in the academy kids... which given the current UK cultural of 'I want it now' may mean we need to attract foreign youngsters...?