O'donnel..

[scram]

I don't think people realise how rubbish our academy is Scram. I'm sure it's a case of - "We are a big club, with decent training facilites, why don't we produce good players?" but they dont realise that it's much, much more complicated than that.

I do like that we have a poster who knows what it is all about. I know from previous postings that you have links with Watford - what do you think about their structure? Could it work for us?

Firstly Watford spend a significant amount of their budget on the academy - and pound for pound it is up there with the best in the country - but their 1st team wage budget is £4m and their academy spend is £1m per season - i doubt any other club comes close to spending 20% of their football budget on their academy

Their academy is unique and has been looked at by almost all the big clubs in europe - it's a totally different way of approaching player development to offer double the contact coaching time that any other academy offers and at the same time maintaining/improving academic attainment - and the results from their approach are showing the merits of the way they do things

It's not something that cannot be replicated with plenty of thought and motivation - but here again the staffing is crucial - and its why i think for us we need to sweep ouit everybody associated with the current youth/academy set up and start afresh with recognised quality development coaches who are untainted by the stench of mediocrity and failure that has been the mark of our system. That may be unfair on some of the personnel within our system but unfortunately new ideas and vision is better coming from people who bring that with them rather than trying to get existing people to change their modus operandi.

Watford have served as a model for smaller clubs with modest budgets and i know Brentford are revamoing to try to get academy status - as are Brighton and it's no surprise both clubs have poached some key staff from Watford in order to do it

Player recruitment - talent identification and methodology can go a massively long way when done correctly - and pay for itself many times over into the bargain

I have said for years now - there is no reason why we couldn't have a top class academy - it's not all about money - it's about willingness and vision - and absolutely not settling for mediocrity - that's where have fallen short and it needn't have been, nor be, the case

[trevdi9]

Like Scram says- without the structure and correct personel there, it doesn't matter who we find. The whole thing needs to work together for it to bring through players on a consitant basis.

Put more simply- Liam Palmer should be the rule, not the exception.

Couldn't agree more mate,What i am trying to say though is there are many young players out there, who possibly could make the grade,but are not given the chance Three months it took to get my lad through the doors ,which he then got 25 mins of trial time ,before he was taken out by a defender ,now how can you be assessed in 25 minuits , how many more have to go through this

and be discarded without taking a proper look ,as i say there are plenty out there that would and could reach the standard needed

to make a career in the game ,as you say about Scram that bloke knows what he is on about and i read his post on this subject avidly,and tend to agree in what he says about the setup here,it is crap, Young Palmer got through and looks a good bet ,but apart from him thats your lot ,So you see mate thats why i say they can't recognise good players at youth level,sorry if i,m rambleing just been nursing our lass for 48 hours and i'm knackered

[Last_Great_Hope]

Couldn't agree more mate,What i am trying to say though is there are many young players out there, who possibly could make the grade,but are not given the chance Three months it took to get my lad through the doors ,which he then got 25 mins of trial time ,before he was taken out by a defender ,now how can you be assessed in 25 minuits , how many more have to go through this

and be discarded without taking a proper look ,as i say there are plenty out there that would and could reach the standard needed

to make a career in the game ,as you say about Scram that bloke knows what he is on about and i read his post on this subject avidly,and tend to agree in what he says about the setup here,it is crap, Young Palmer got through and looks a good bet ,but apart from him thats your lot ,So you see mate thats why i say they can't recognise good players at youth level,sorry if i,m rambleing just been nursing our lass for 48 hours and i'm knackered

Fair play - seems like you have had more exposure to our system than I have. So, on short, our scoutings crap, our coachings crap and our facilities are average.

Seems like a miracle we can even bring League 2 / Conference standard players through!

[Guest Buxtonian]

What's the exact position regarding ROD? As far as I was aware, at the start of the season the pecking order was 1.Weever 2.ROD 3. Jameson. I thought the idea of ROD going out on loan was not to drop him down the order, but for him to get some actual Match Experience, which, to me seems the correct way of doing things. He'll learn ar more playing even for someone like Burton Albion than he will warming his rear portions on the bench. I was also under the impression that, on the day that Jameson made his debut, it was because ROD was carrying some form of injury/illness.

I consider that, from what I saw on Sat. on the TV., he does bring back memories of the Springett era (happy days) in the way he was starting to control his 6 yard area, and tell the defence what to do, by the end of the game.

Do please bear in mind that he is a young kid, it was his first game, he had an unusual defence in front of him (inexperienced in each other's ways) and was playing against one of the best forwardlines in the division. Even the great Ron was a little shaky at times early in his career. The lad is well worth persevering with, as is Jameson IMO.

I can however see the method in bringing in a loan keeper to provide cover until the season ends.

[Hawkeye]

if we werent in a relegation scrap, id be comfortable with blooding Jameson and ROD for the rest of the season.

Given how shaky our back four are, and that we are well and truly in this relegation battle, id feel more comfortable bringing someone in.

That said, perhaps having keepers that have trained with the first team all year might be the more sensible option. even if they are inexperienced.

[Last_Great_Hope]

What's the exact position regarding ROD? As far as I was aware, at the start of the season the pecking order was 1.Weever 2.ROD 3. Jameson. I thought the idea of ROD going out on loan was not to drop him down the order, but for him to get some actual Match Experience, which, to me seems the correct way of doing things. He'll learn ar more playing even for someone like Burton Albion than he will warming his rear portions on the bench. I was also under the impression that, on the day that Jameson made his debut, it was because ROD was carrying some form of injury/illness.

I think it's been Weaver > Jameson > ROD since the start of the season really.

I went to the majority of Preseason games, and for me Jameson performed better.

Not only has Jameson started The two games Weaver has missed, but he's the one who's been on the bench.

Loaning out the third choice keeper is a no brainer- second choice is on the bench for an emergency, and your third keeper is still getting games to hopefully improve.

[p.c guru]

O'Donnell should get the shirt against the Daggers.

[Last_Great_Hope]

O'Donnell should get the shirt against the Daggers.

Agreed. He did really well on Saturday.

[edinburghowl]

Well done Richard. I hope you get another opportunity on Saturday.