Koeman unimpressed by academy players

[Window Cleaner]

It would be the equivalent of Isgrove or McQueen suddenly becoming a key player and starter for us over the course of a season which just won't happen so why have we kept them? Yes they will have shown some promise in their time here but they haven't looked any closer to being involved than they were 4 years ago. Very similar to how things were panning out for Mason at Spurs until Poch put him in.

 

Mason had been out on loan a few times, Swindon, Yeovil, Lorient that sort of place. Think he actually got a few games as well, some sort of solid experience.

Perhaps we need to look more closely at the first team coaching role in our current set up.

[Tommog]

Why change the side just to accomodate a token youth academy product. When you start doing that you're on the rocky road to ruin. The situation is as it is, Koeman doesn't believe that the youth products are better than the other players. It's been obvious for a while that that is the case, now that it's been sort of officially confirmed some of you seem to have difficulty in accepting it. Of course those of us who told you that it was probably the case months back are still fools and heretics.

 

True. But im pretty uninspired by Tadic too.He has a label of technically strong play maker but apart from his flying start to last season I find he goes missing for long periods of the game. For every game he makes a big impact there are 1 or 2 when you never even hear his name mentioned you never know what youre going to get. Having Bertrand adding pace as well as defensive awareness on the left wont be any worse.

 

Also agree you can't put youth players in for the sake of having youth players. But its a fact they need game time to develop. You dont just turn up one day and find the finished article turn up for training one day.

 

But its just an idea... am a bit depressed the production line seems to have slowed down a bit of late.

[Dig Dig]

Mason had been out on loan a few times, Swindon, Yeovil, Lorient that sort of place. Think he actually got a few games as well, some sort of solid experience.

Perhaps we need to look more closely at the first team coaching role in our current set up.

 

That's the same as the likes of Isgrove who has played a fair few games out of loan over the last few years so has got game time.

 

I think there is definitely a case to say that the coaching set up needs to be looked at. We pride ourselves on the quality of our academy yet none of the existing coaches have a pedigree of someone within a best in class set-up. There has been a lot of change over the last couple of years which probably hasn't helped in addition.

[Wade Garrett]

Fair comment from Ron. Targett and Reed close, the rest not good enough at this moment in time. Maybe there are one or two Charlie BigSpuds who need knocking down a peg or two.

[ribbo]

You can draw parallel's for Targett + Bertrand with Baines and Galloway at Everton, with the understudy looking good to get 10-20 games a season, which is good development for someone under 23 in the Premierleague.

 

The issue comes when Bertrands out and Koeman's playing anyone but a fit and motivated Targett.

[Sour Mash]

I agree with Koeman's point, none of them look good enough to me. Some of our fans need to get their head around how rare it is to produce a good level Premier League player from the academy every single year.

 

However, I disagree with the way Koeman has said this, a bit too blatant and direct in public, even in the harsh world of modern football.

[david in sweden]

It's totally fair. Any player coming through now will have to be of the right standard, or at very least show they have the potential.

If they aren't ready for how RK wants them to play, they aren't ready.

 

AGREED. The present crop (at U21) ..are OK for their age group, but very few of them could come near holding down a place in the first team.

In the present situation.....one or two might get game time...in an injury crisis....but no more.

Koeman nows what he wants......and as someone who has nowhere near his experience in the game ....I don't disagree from what I've seen.

 

The idea that we have another Bale or Shaw lurking, unnoticed in the U21 .......is a total fallacy.

 

At present ... there's no-one good enough for Prem level football, and taking more chances by throwing them in now in a vain attempt to regain form isn't going to work.

 

Targett, Reed and hopefully Seager may get game time now and again, and that's positive, but there aren't many " hidden treasures " that are being ignored.

[Super_Uwe]

I like what he says in that article. It may come across as direct but I don't think he is lying there, Targett and Reed are the only two who have shown ability to be part of the first team squad on a regular basis.

 

Maybe individual players just don't have the hunger or desire to be the best they can? Who knows. Maybe RK is hoping that by putting this out there he will get some of them to really knuckle down, stay behind and do extra training etc. It's not like the first team is playing great at the moment, I am sure if one of the academy players was really knocking hard on the door then they would get some sort of opportunity.

[DT]

Subtext: please let me have some money to spend at the transfer window

[VectisSaint]

Hesketh was such a weird one - started a game, was very eager but didnt look out of place in his small cameo, got injured and then has never been seen in the squad again....would have expected himj to be on the bench every now and again since.

It was his second appearance he got injured, not his debut. He had already come on as a sub the previous week and Koeman was impressed enough to give him a start against Everton. His injury was actually quite serious and kept him out for a while, but he did come back much sooner than expected. It was bad timing, it did seem that he might have made a bit of a breakthrough otherwise. Still looks to me to be too slight, he needs to bulk up a bit, but he is a decent player technically. But its another indication that Koeman has changed this season, from last, and is now less inclined to give youngsters a chance, partly because he now has a bigger squad, but partly because he has changed his philosophy.

[aintforever]

As long as we have a decent team I couldn't give a monkeys if none or all our squad comes from our academy - it is not important to me in the slightest.

[Window Cleaner]

Sounds very fair. In the past the gap was less - its easier to get into a team playing in league 1 but the gap to the Premier league is big and widening all the time

 

I'd agree with you there but it does mean a bit of a U turn in club policy. How much have we spent on the academy thus far ?

[washsaint]

I would not trust Koeman with any more money this season to buy Dutch players who are no better than what we already have at the club.

 

He should look at his coaching......unfortunately MoPo was by far a better coach than Koeman and had no hesitation in playing younger players. Koemans brand of football is boring, negative and taking us backwards

[Ewell]

Hmmm hardly motiventional of Koeman! Maybe he needs to take a look at some of the coaching because last year the likes of Hesketh and Gape were considered by him to be good enough.

 

 

and whilst he is at it he should take a look at some of his ****e signings.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

I would not trust Koeman with any more money this season to buy Dutch players who are no better than what we already have at the club.

 

He should look at his coaching......unfortunately MoPo was by far a better coach than Koeman and had no hesitation in playing younger players. Koemans brand of football is boring, negative and taking us backwards

 

LOL...took us to 7th last season..higher than mopo.

[ant]

The cream of the U21 crop is long gone - shouldn't be much of a surprise that there's not really any others from that group that'll make it at the top level.

 

One or two of the U18s may still make the grade and I don't think it's unreasonable for them not to be quite ready for first team action yet. How long did Lallana or Schneiderlin take to reach prime playing ability and market worth? Apart from anything else, we can't keep churning out top class players every single year. There will be fallow periods.

[farawaysaint]

LOL...took us to 7th last season..higher than mopo.

 

With arguably worse players.

[shurlock]

It was his second appearance he got injured, not his debut. He had already come on as a sub the previous week and Koeman was impressed enough to give him a start against Everton. His injury was actually quite serious and kept him out for a while, but he did come back much sooner than expected. It was bad timing, it did seem that he might have made a bit of a breakthrough otherwise. Still looks to me to be too slight, he needs to bulk up a bit, but he is a decent player technically. But its another indication that Koeman has changed this season, from last, and is now less inclined to give youngsters a chance, partly because he now has a bigger squad, but partly because he has changed his philosophy.

 

Hesketh started against Burnley, not Everton.

[doddisalegend]

Some of you talk as if we're demanding we have world class youngsters coming through or pack the team with them each week. I hear cries of them not being good enough, not good premier league level, showing no regard for the fact that several of our signings aren't either.

 

The only thing that matters is whether those youngsters can offer the same level of competition or better than some of our reserves. Can Stephens cover Martina instead? Could Reed have saved us money on Romeu or Clasie? Could Seager take a few of the chances Long misses?

 

It's sad if we become yet another club that writes them off without giving them a chance. I guarantee you Pochetinno would have had them on the bench regularly. We sign average players, weaken the first team, bloat the squad and force out the youngsters. That just makes us like any other average club, which hasn't been our style the last few years. Yet some of you seem very happy to defend that and get on board with a struggling manager just wanting to bloat the squad even further.

 

I guarantee that no club at any level will buy a player if they think they have better player in the academy if the club bought a player it's because they didn't think the youth players were up to it simple as. Koeman has been happy to let Targett play so he clearly isn't adverse to playing a youth product if he thinks he is good enough but anyone who thinks we are going to be churning out two or three PL quality (even as just squad players) players every season is deluded.

 

How many academy products did we play regularly in the first team in league 1 and the champ Judas and Oxo? People are talking like the club has being bringing through huge numbers of youth every year.

[doddisalegend]

The cream of the U21 crop is long gone - shouldn't be much of a surprise that there's not really any others from that group that'll make it at the top level.

 

One or two of the U18s may still make the grade and I don't think it's unreasonable for them not to be quite ready for first team action yet. How long did Lallana or Schneiderlin take to reach prime playing ability and market worth? Apart from anything else, we can't keep churning out top class players every single year. There will be fallow periods.

 

They were kind of lucky to be around during the clubs rebuilding project and to get the chance to play regularly in the lower leagues in a way that any academy boys now won't really get.

[EBS1980]

I can see quite a few being released in the summer. Maybe we just have to accept that the current crop, haven't progressed. You can't expect there to be a Bale, Ox, Shaw or even JWP every season.

 

If you did then surely other clubs would be producing a youth player a season into their first team, but they aren't.

 

Our expectations are high, maybe we just have accept that the next one might not come along for a couple of years.

[Window Cleaner]

Hesketh started against Burnley, not Everton.

 

And the game before Koeman subbed him on at a free kick from which RvP scored the winning goal, not that it was probably any of his fault of course but as a rule most managers avoid subbing players at set pieces.

[ant]

They were kind of lucky to be around during the clubs rebuilding project and to get the chance to play regularly in the lower leagues in a way that any academy boys now won't really get.

 

Absolutely.

 

I guess my point is that not all those that slip through our net will have been (or will be) without their merits. It's simply that in our current situation it's very difficult to give them all the playing time they'd need to develop further - short of turning out a starting XI entirely comprised of academy graduates and never releasing anybody until they reach the age of 25.

 

As such, I think Koeman's comments make perfect sense. With regard to him coming out with them publicly, I think there's a bit of sensationalism in the headline here. Fully fleshed out and read as quoted, his comments aren't nearly as stark or harsh.

[simo]

When our youth players get given a chance in the first team and they let us down , Then I'll say they're not good enough ! If you show no faith and don't empower players with confidence you wont get anywhere!

[Chalkboy]

I like Koeman's honesty, I find it refreshing, but in this case I can't see the value in telling the local press that he's not impressed by the academy players. He's in the perfect position to speak face-to-face with players and coaches to tell them exactly what he thinks. Why the need to let the the rest of the world know that the "famed" Southampton academy is running a little dry? It's just negative and unnecessary imo and can't see what good it will achieve.

 

Wonder what Les Reed makes of it.

Edited 8 January, 2016 by Chalkboy

[Graffito]

I would not trust Koeman with any more money this season to buy Dutch players who are no better than what we already have at the club.

 

He should look at his coaching......unfortunately MoPo was by far a better coach than Koeman and had no hesitation in playing younger players. Koemans brand of football is boring, negative and taking us backwards

 

This is the "Mopo" that left to join a more ambitious club.

[Window Cleaner]

I don't disagree with the sentiment but when we finished 8th in the League we had a Manager who would play many of the kids who Koeman has just declared not good enough. I'm convinced that Reed can contribute to this team more than he is being allowed to.

 

But honestly I think that Pochettino had far less at stake than Koeman plus the nucleus of the Saints side under MP was

pretty stable and at times pretty good. Above all I think you need to look at the relative abilities of D'Agostino and Kluitenberg when considering the question because it is not irrelevant.. Under MP the lads trained a lot with the first team, I've no idea whether that still happens now.

[angelman]

and whilst he is at it he should take a look at some of his ****e signings.

 

 

VVD - good

Clasie - jury out

Romeu - OK

Juanmi - jury out

Soares - ok/good

Caulker - loan so doesn't really count and was backup but superfluous given we signed VVD

Martina - OKish esp when taking price into account.

Stekelenburg - loan but OK at best.

-----

Mané - good

Long - OK/good

Tadic - good

Bertrand - good

Forster - good

Pellè - good

Gardos - who knows?

Taider - loan that lasted lasted a day

Alderweireld - loan, good.

Djuricic - loan not great, but wasn't dreadful and had some skill

Elia - loan to bolster squad.

 

So which were the ****e signings of his?

[simo]

When our youth players get given a chance in the first team and they let us down , Then I'll say they're not good enough ! If you show no faith and don't empower players with confidence you wont get anywhere!

[BotleySaint]

Something RK's demeanour lately suggests he is sulking a bit. I doubt he has written off the entire academy, probably just fed up with being asked the question and wanted a quick get away.

[Window Cleaner]

Something RK's demeanour lately suggests he is sulking a bit. I doubt he has written off the entire academy, probably just fed up with being asked the question and wanted a quick get away.

 

What's he got to sulk about ?

It's nothing new, he was totally dismissive of Gallagher last winter as well, even when Pelle couldn't buy a goal he told the press that he had no need of Gallagher.

[Charlie Wayman]

He is right in saying that the required standard has improved.

 

But as has been mentioned above, he also lacks the capability to be able to develop a player via giving them first team minutes. That is the most disappointing thing given his record at Feyenoord. He'd rather play senior pros with known ceiling caps on their ability than see if a youngster can make the step up. I never thought that was the 'Southampton Way'.

 

You are quite right, RK seems highly risk averse when it comes to team selection. The kids lose both ways, if we are winning and fighting for a top six finish then he would argue we need our best players in a settled team; if, as we are, struggling to avoid a relegation battle then it would be too risky to take a punt on a young player.

 

All we'll end up doing is ensuring that in future highly talented kids won't want to come here as they can see they would have no hope of ever making the grade - Koeman style.

[Roboze]

Maybe Ron's just to get them to up their game.......

[Chalkboy]

Maybe Ron's just to get them to up their game.......

 

The famous Ronald Koeman, approaching me personally and telling me I need to improve, would have more effect on me than seeing it printed in the local rag.

[benjii]

Let's just assume without qualification that Koeman is actually correct.

 

Now, is that at all surprising or a negative on the academy? I would say, "no", because quite simply this current generation has already produced some quality players; it's just that they don't all play for us any more.

 

Shaw and Chambers are similar age to the likes of McQueen, Gallagher etc. So is JWP. Reed has quite a few first team minutes. Targett has lots of first team minutes.

 

So actually, there are five players there from the same generation, more or less, how are either good enough to be signed by Man U and Arsenal or good enough to get minutes in mid-table Prem team. That's not bad at all. If Shaw and Chambers weren't so good they would be in our team now.

 

The key is for the younger members of the U21s to keep developing. Realistically, the older ones won't get a chance here.

 

We are bound to have the odd dip but how many academies have produced a current quality pool still in prime playing age as good as: Bale, Walcott, Shaw, Oxlade Chamberlain, Lallana, Chambers, Targett, JWP, Sparv, Dyer etc...

[farawaysaint]

The famous Ronald Koeman, approaching me personally and telling me I need to improve, would have more effect on me than seeing it printed in the local rag.

 

Agreed, I also disagree that youngsters will respond positively to criticism, they need to be built up, not shot down at that age. Sure, be firm with them but coming out and saying none of them are good enough will just destroy their confidence, not inspire them to improve.

[ART]

I have to wholeheartedly agree with Duncan and washsaint. The Academy coaching and training has been below standard ever since Jason Dodd and Willo left. It has been seen a long time ago as with Monday against Chelsea Under 21.s, the addition of one ore two first team players has usually got them a result i.e. winning the FA Cup) However, this has only covered up the fact that the players and/or their coaches are not good enough.

 

Koeman's statement does little to cover his own lack of development of our youngsters. I ask, what exactly is it that his brother Erwin does?

 

Also I ask SaintCharlie, just what credentials and authority does he possess, to write off in such an authoritative and arrogant manner young players. He is little older than the players themselves and doesn't even play the game, or yet to know about their careers and future. By all means express one's opinion and thoughts but certainly not in manner of a know all and self opinionated expert.

 

If the players are not responding, it is long time the club bring in new coaches, that Koeman makes use of these players for 15 minutes or so per game and make a huge change in policy of how the Academy is run , and how the young players are developed and retained.

 

*** I may mention quiet a few were considered by Koeman himself good enough to be given new 3, 4, 5 year contracts in the time he's been at the club.

[Matthew Le God]

I'm just not convinced Shaw would have got game time under Koeman, Chambers definitely wouldn't have, Gallagher isn't and did before, same for Reed and Hesketh.

 

So...

 

- If Koeman was the manager in 2012/13 and had the choice between Shaw or Fox; you think he'd pick Fox?

- If Koeman was the manager in 2013/14 and Clyne was injured, who from our squad that season do you think he'd play at right back instead of Chambers?

- If Koeman was the manager in 2013/14 and Osvaldo, Lambert and Rodriguez were our only senior strikers and combinations of them were missing at different points of the season, who do you think at the club he'd have used other than Gallagher?

 

Gallagher, Reed and Hesketh mainly got game-time due to injuries of senior players ahead of them in the pecking order. There are now more senior players (many of which are internationals) in the Saints squad than in 2013/14 under Pochettino or last season under Koeman.

[Sour Mash]

and whilst he is at it he should take a look at some of his ****e signings.

How many "****** signings" has he made?

[Sour Mash]

I would not trust Koeman with any more money this season to buy Dutch players who are no better than what we already have at the club.

 

He should look at his coaching......unfortunately MoPo was by far a better coach than Koeman and had no hesitation in playing younger players. Koemans brand of football is boring, negative and taking us backwards

All of the Dutch players Koeman has bought are better than what we already had at the club.

[Sour Mash]

I'm just not convinced Shaw would have got game time under Koeman, Chambers definitely wouldn't have, Gallagher isn't and did before, same for Reed and Hesketh.

Who would he have played instead of Chambers or Shaw?

 

Who in our current first team squad are Reed, Gallagher or Hesketh better than?

[Saint Charlie]

I have to wholeheartedly agree with Duncan and washsaint. The Academy coaching and training has been below standard ever since Jason Dodd and Willo left.

 

Also I ask SaintCharlie, just what credentials and authority does he possess, to write off in such an authoritative and arrogant manner young players. He is little older than the players themselves and doesn't even play the game, or yet to know about their careers and future. By all means express one's opinion and thoughts but certainly not in manner of a know all and self opinionated expert.

 

My opinion is that Gape, Isgrove, Little, McQueen etc are not good enough for the PL.

 

Not slagging them off, just saying what i think when I have seen them.

 

Interesting you have pretty much done the same regarding the quality of Academy training.

 

I have watched those players. Have you ever watched an Academy training session?

 

Maybe Dodd and Williams worked with better players like Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers?

[Window Cleaner]

But Hunter is in charge of academy coaching assisted by Jaidi, Dodd and Williams were charged with the U18s I believe.

I however believe that main difference may be that the U21s do not spend much time with the first team nowadays, perhaps someone who still looks at the training galleries and videos could confirm that (or not).

[MarkSFC]

Lallana, Walcott, Bale, Oxlade, Shaw, all "progressed to the first team" when the first team was playing at a lower level, League One, Championship of fighting to stay in the Premier League. Despite our "current form) our teams level of performance and standard is now the highest it has been for a very long time, and the goal of the club is to move regularly into the top 6. By definition the standard required to get into the first team squad let alone the team is higher than ever (excluding early 80's) ad as such players need to better than the players mentioned at the same age....extremely difficult if not impossible. Some on here have mentioned the statement by Les Reed regarding not sending players out on loan and at the time it was the right stance, now as the club has improved and players need to be better as mentioned to break through, our internal process does not do everything needed and so a loan is needed. Look at Stephens and Turnbull, rated by many as the next ones coming through but they are not good enough to play even at Championship level. They need a bit more time. The reality is though that very few of the top 6 teams produce players who at 19-22 are coveted by the top 6 teams or are playing regularly for them, they inevitably buy them from lesser clubs who's system has allowed for the specific development players need from 18-22 and that is playing regular first team football against older men and not their peers. Arsenal have a reputation for developing players when in fact they buy players in the 18-22 age group and turn them into decent players (or not...). Currently we are in between being able to produce decent 18-22 and needing to buy 18-22 year old. I anticipate the next few years we will be needing to buy more 20-23 year old than those who come through our system to play for us. We are more likely with the current 18-22s to produce decent low level Premiership or Championship standard players which is still a positive.

The players who shine early are generally those who develop physically quicker - they have maximised their "strength window" and or their "speed window" in earlier year and so stand out. Once players get to 17/18 they have missed these windows and so development in these areas are slower or even static and it is then more about the sport specific skill set, and learning consistency. They key to getting high class 18-22 year olds is more to do with what happens at 11-16 than 17-20 or older and the rate of improvement will be seen in 17-20 if 11-16 has been excellent. One point of this is that there seems to of been some changes at lower level academy over the last couple of years so maybe this has been the problem, but I do not think that one first manager is necessarily better at producing the youth than any other they are merely the beneficiary of the academy development. Pardew and Adkins were lucky we were competing lower down, Poch got lucky with Chambers even though its clear he moved too soon in his development, and Koeman is unlucky. I doubt we will see a "youngster break though" for a couple of years....Slattery perhaps, maybe Little.

 

Until then we will see players go out on loan and be sold to lower level teams. We've had a great cycle over the last 5-6 years, a 2-3 year lull is almost inevitable.

[adrian lord]

A pretty brutally honest assessment from Ron.

[david in sweden]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVvVOhoAGAI

 

yes this was a great goal..but it was only one. How many times have people in general been "overimpressed " by one super goal that was never repeated.

 

Many fans will spend the next season or two expecting Coco Martina to repeat his effort against Arsenal, and criticising him - when he doesn't. It may never happen.

 

David Beckham (not my favourite player btw) ....did at least have the ability to score " unbelievable goals " and not just once or twice either.

 

Many on here are being very shortsighted and a bit unfair to Sam Gallagher. He's still quite young, and played much ofhis best football last season, halfway through this season - he's more or less back to square one. Four months of " loan " without any regular game time.

 

Give him another 18 months before we start making judgements about being " good enough for Prem./or not going to make it".

[derry]

I just don't get some of the comments on here. Usually there are probably only one or two that progress to the first team squad each year and a lot more at various ages go out the door. It's the way it works. There is a lot of talk about various players.

 

Really how good and ready are they. Forget the usual first team fringe regulars JWP and Targett, they've got their own problems but Koeman's support.

Reed seems to be nudging the door open again. Stephens after two good seasons at Swindon moved to Middlesborough but was mostly a spectator and as a centre back needs to go to second tier team as a regular, Same for Turnbull next year. McCarthy good at Wycombe needs a step up next year as at least a div 1 regular.

 

The first team needs goals, that brings me to Gallagher who didn't score in the second tier. We cannot afford him in the Premier unless he adds goals and he doesn't look ready to do that yet, so in my book a loan at a level that makes him a regular scorer.

 

Seager by his record is a goal scorer, if we aren't going to use him in the squad then a loan with a good team in a decent league to see if he can continue scoring as he does at almost a goal a game in the U21's.

 

The others such as McQueen and the skilful Hesketh and even Sims maybe look at a step up loan otherwise stay in the U21's. I'm not sure how good the others are but the big right back/cb that is injured could also be one for the future.

 

If Koeman isn't going to play players, while they are being developed we should get them playing at the best level that matches their abilities to see if they can move forward.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Been thinking about Koeman's comments and they are harsh alright and a bit uncharacteristic which suggests to me they are not specifically aimed at the fans and the U21 players. I think he is sending a message to Reed and Co and telling them that perhaps they are now guilty of over relying on the Academy and it is not forever going to be a bottomless pit. I watched a lot of U21 games in the last year and the U18s in the FA Youth Cup and some of the organisation from the touchline looked a bit substandard. Koeman is not a mug, he knows his comments will cause a stir and I am thinking that's why he made them.

[Batman]

Been thinking about Koeman's comments and they are harsh alright and a bit uncharacteristic which suggests to me they are not specifically aimed at the fans and the U21 players. I think he is sending a message to Reed and Co and telling them that perhaps they are now guilty of over relying on the Academy and it is not forever going to be a bottomless pit. I watched a lot of U21 games in the last year and the U18s in the FA Youth Cup and some of the organisation from the touchline looked a bit substandard. Koeman is not a mug, he knows his comments will cause a stir and I am thinking that's why he made them.

 

probably to put a tiny bit more pressure on the board for a player this month. Im sure discussions about using one of the 'lads' instead was put forward

[Saint Charlie]

Been thinking about Koeman's comments and they are harsh alright and a bit uncharacteristic which suggests to me they are not specifically aimed at the fans and the U21 players. I think he is sending a message to Reed and Co and telling them that perhaps they are now guilty of over relying on the Academy and it is not forever going to be a bottomless pit. I watched a lot of U21 games in the last year and the U18s in the FA Youth Cup and some of the organisation from the touchline looked a bit substandard. Koeman is not a mug, he knows his comments will cause a stir and I am thinking that's why he made them.

Neil Ashton did tell us!

 

Can understand the club view but then its up to Reed et al to recruit better young players.

 

Koeman is right that very few are PL ready. Generally few Academy players become first team PL players, let alone average Academy players.

 

If fans aren't sold on JWP or Targett (our best players of that age group) then the likes of McCarthy, Gape, Little etc would likely be ripped apart in a PL game.

 

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?t=55008

Edited 8 January, 2016 by Saint Charlie