Academy Retained List

[McRightSide]

Clear examples again of the gulf between U18 football and U23, we saw it before with Hirst and others who went before him.
 

Keep that in mind when asking for youngsters to be thrown in to the first team. We did it before and got relegated, we did it under Jos and - I think - would have got relegated but for a change of direction.

[cowl]

Is Conor Grant still contracted?

[gurujuan]

Just now, cowl said:

Is Conor Grant still contracted?

Yes

[cowl]

1 minute ago, gurujuan said:

Yes

 

But beyond the next week, right?

 

I don't recall seeing him signing a new contract apart from his first pro deal a couple of years ago.

[Etchesketch]

2 hours ago, WalthamOwl said:

We won’t have anyone left! Surprised about Preston and Borukov. 

Not surprised at all. Borukov has really struggled at U23 level, hardly scoring and in and out of the team. Preston is 22 soon and further away from the first team than two years ago. Good luck to both.

[Bluesteel]

59 minutes ago, pazowl55 said:

Maybe look like you can or will be able to cut it in the first team, and only Hunt has done that, apart from the keepers of course. Had it not been the situation we are in now we may have kept on a few more. But there is no point paying the likes of Stobbs and preston a few grand a week for a league cup appearance. 

To be fair I thought Preston looked a lot more comfortable than Stobbs did in the first team.

[pazowl55]

4 minutes ago, Bluesteel said:

To be fair I thought Preston looked a lot more comfortable than Stobbs did in the first team.

He did. But we dont see what he is like in training every day. The mangers we have had that all decided he wasnt good enough did.

[Etchesketch]

6 minutes ago, Bluesteel said:

To be fair I thought Preston looked a lot more comfortable than Stobbs did in the first team.

That was at the start of 18/19 when he played. Best part of two years and needed a loan move. 

[beswetherick]

26 minutes ago, gurujuan said:

Maybe there is a problem in the area? It’s true to say we’ve been extremely poor at developing young players, though our neighbours have been better. Sheffield itself doesn’t produce that many though, and it’s not like the best Sheffield lads are being snapped up by the big top flight clubs. 
It seems odd to say so at a time when Maguire, Walker and until recently, Vardy were all representing their country. There’s Calvert-Lewin and Cahill of course, but not much else, certainly not for a city the size of Sheffield. There was a time when Sheffield schools were dominating junior football, but even then it didn’t translate into a steady stream of professional footballers. A city the size of Sheffield should be producing so much more in terms of talent

 

Interesting point, especially considering the size of the Sheffield and District Junior Sunday League which I’m sure used to be one of the biggest in the world — might still be, I’m not sure. 

 

The pigs had a great run with some of the names you’ve mentioned but I don’t think they’ve had anyone come through in the past 3-4 years have they? 

 

I think the Brentford model is what we should be seriously considering — it’s been a few years now since they scrapped their academy and it’s paying dividends both on and off the pitch — but it only works if there’s a clear vision from the people at the top, and we aren’t exactly the perfect example of a forward-thinking, well-run club

[steelcityowlsfan]

Must be hard to unearth gems when PL academies get the cream of the crop. 
 

Having said that I can’t help but feel disappointed with our academy.  Didn’t they win the u23 league not so long ago? Where are the fruits of that labour?

 

If DC had any long term vision, he’d look to get the academy to category A. 

[belfast owl lad]

All the best to all the lads released today,chin up and we go again as they say.

 

Hope JOB continues to post on here too.

[McRightSide]

3 minutes ago, steelcityowlsfan said:

Must be hard to unearth gems when PL academies get the cream of the crop. 
 

Having said that I can’t help but feel disappointed with our academy.  Didn’t they win the u23 league not so long ago? Where are the fruits of that labour?

 

If DC had any long term vision, he’d look to get the academy to category A. 

If he had any long-term vision I would suggest he doesn’t look to get the academy to category A.

 

That’s akin to blowing all your cash refitting your bedroom to attract women when you have the World’s most eligible batchelor living next door.

[McRightSide]

FWIW the long-term strategy I would suggest is one that we already kind of use...picking up the best available / released talent from bloated PL academies

[cowl]

1 minute ago, McRightSide said:

FWIW the long-term strategy I would suggest is one that we already kind of use...picking up the best available / released talent from bloated PL academies

 

This allied with trying harder to get them fixed up with loan deals at clubs (i.e. by being prepared to pay most of the wages).

[beswetherick]

5 minutes ago, McRightSide said:

FWIW the long-term strategy I would suggest is one that we already kind of use...picking up the best available / released talent from bloated PL academies

 

We just need to work on the part where they develop to a good enough standard to play for the first team or be sold on for a fee. Keeping them in the U23s for 2/3/4 years without sending them on loan and then releasing them isn’t doing anyone any favours

[Inspector Lestrade]

51 minutes ago, McRightSide said:

If he had any long-term vision I would suggest he doesn’t look to get the academy to category A.

 

That’s akin to blowing all your cash refitting your bedroom to attract women when you have the World’s most eligible batchelor living next door.

 

Thats the problem my neighbour has 

[Guest Grez Bez]

1 hour ago, malek said:

 

I would argue that Preston did more at U-23 level then Hunt did.

 

Preston was as 16 years old watched by most big clubs in country and last season got linked with move to Rangers. Think that club failed Preston as now at 22 years old he got very little involvement with first team here and wasn't sent out on loan.

 

I think he will get fixed with league club in the Summer.

 

Preston is way too inconsistent. No where near the player Hunt is.

 

In a player of that you are looking beyond only physical attributes

[Lucas Joao's Tooth]

1 hour ago, beswetherick said:

I think the Brentford model is what we should be seriously considering — it’s been a few years now since they scrapped their academy and it’s paying dividends both on and off the pitch — but it only works if there’s a clear vision from the people at the top, and we aren’t exactly the perfect example of a forward-thinking, well-run club

THIS!!! god knows how much the academy set up costs a year, i'd look to go that way personally, would cause a divide in the fanbase probably however like you said its paying off for Brentford. Smaller teams like them and Peterborough are showing us the way forward. Brentford have sold key player after key player and our fan base had a meltdown when it was rumored FF was going to leave for 3x what we paid for him. 

 

Pick up players from top academies that's not quite made the grade. We did it with Jordan Thorniley and he was probably the best youngster apart from the GK's that we've had to offer from our U23's, it's worked a treat for Brentford, i'd recommend people to actually go and research this and watch the videos on it all, very interesting stuff and philosophies. 

Questions need to be asked about our setup and development, Why have we sent Kirby out on loan for the season (one of the few we've sent out in recent times to a decent standard) to then release him from the Academy? Players like Kirby and Hunt were the ones rated, so why not send them both out on loan, why's Hunt plodded about training with first team and playing for Under 23's making a odd appearance here and there playing 10-20 minutes at a time, if he's that highly rated and thought of he should have been going out and playing regular football, not sat in the under 23's.

 

 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Lucas Joao's Tooth

[gurujuan]

2 minutes ago, Lucas Joao's Tooth said:

THIS!!! god knows how much the academy set up costs a year, i'd look to go that way personally, would cause a divide in the fanbase probably however like you said its paying off for Brentford. Smaller teams like them and Peterborough are showing us the way forward. Brentford have sold key player after key player and our fan base had a meltdown when it was rumored FF was going to leave for 3x what we paid for him. 

 

Pick up players from top academies that's not quite made the grade. We did it with Jordan Thorniley and he was probably the best youngster apart from the GK's that we've had to offer from our U23's, it's worked a treat for Brentford, i'd recommend people to actually go and research this and watch the videos on it all, very interesting stuff and philosophies. 

Questions need to be asked about our setup and development, Why have we sent Kirby out on loan for the season (one of the few we've sent out in recent times to a decent standard) to then release him from the Academy? Players like Kirby and Hunt were the ones rated, so why not send them both out on loan, why's Hunt plodded about training with first team and playing for Under 23's making a odd appearance here and there playing 10-20 minutes at a time, if he's that highly rated and thought of he should have been going out and playing regular football, not sat in under 23's.

 

 

Well the system is dependent on other clubs continuing with their academies, but yes it may well be the way for clubs like us to go The idea of our young players challenging themselves against older more experienced players may be of some benefit. That’s something even the bigger clubs are looking at. Not disbanding their academies, but setting up B sides, to ultimately play in the pyramid 
Could you imagine it though, us folding our academy, so all the young lads went to the piggies, especially if they are by then a category A set up Their B team might even be playing in the same league as us That might be pretty unpalatable

[Etchesketch]

18 minutes ago, Lucas Joao's Tooth said:

THIS!!! god knows how much the academy set up costs a year, i'd look to go that way personally, would cause a divide in the fanbase probably however like you said its paying off for Brentford. Smaller teams like them and Peterborough are showing us the way forward. Brentford have sold key player after key player and our fan base had a meltdown when it was rumored FF was going to leave for 3x what we paid for him. 

 

Pick up players from top academies that's not quite made the grade. We did it with Jordan Thorniley and he was probably the best youngster apart from the GK's that we've had to offer from our U23's, it's worked a treat for Brentford, i'd recommend people to actually go and research this and watch the videos on it all, very interesting stuff and philosophies. 

Questions need to be asked about our setup and development, Why have we sent Kirby out on loan for the season (one of the few we've sent out in recent times to a decent standard) to then release him from the Academy? Players like Kirby and Hunt were the ones rated, so why not send them both out on loan, why's Hunt plodded about training with first team and playing for Under 23's making a odd appearance here and there playing 10-20 minutes at a time, if he's that highly rated and thought of he should have been going out and playing regular football, not sat in the under 23's.

 

 

Kirby getting release seems the harshest to me from the outside. Did well at Macclesfield  according  to their fans yet doesn't  get the chance to prove himself with us. I think the season on loan will help a lot though when looking for a club.