Academy or reserves reaching the first team

[BernieH]

But we should be bringing a kid in every 2 seasons into the team. The last batch of kids have not been good enough, such as Kenny for example. Shouldn't we be getting rid of these lads once we know they wont make it and have a quicker turnover.

Who says they aren't going to make it though, us fans who demand our grads be the next Rooney or football coaches who know that players develop at different stages. Yes we make mistakes and the likes of Garbutt and Pennington quite frankly are a pee take but most of the U18s and U23s will be getting monitored and most will be released if not up to it.

If the academy hasn't got anyone capable of stepping up, it is what it is, it happens, it's very very difficult to make that stepup.

 

[Bluerobins]

Your memory isn't great for starters. Since Rooney there's been Anichebe, Barkley, Rodwell and Davies who meet your criteria.

Perfect. Thank you. I wanted to be corrected as my memory isn’t good. How many of those would be deemed to be successful? Just Ross maybe?

 

[TennesseeBlue]

Definitely harder with the talent pool going global.

I do wonder if the exponential inflation in the market will have an effect on this trend in the future though?

 

[18Chris87]

But we should be bringing a kid in every 2 seasons into the team. The last batch of kids have not been good enough, such as Kenny for example. Shouldn't we be getting rid of these lads once we know they wont make it and have a quicker turnover.

Kenny's been fine? Hasn't looked out of place, has had a few rough moments as every young defender does, got a fair amount of minutes under his belt and has had suitors from all around Europe asking for him on loan. Schalke is a good club to be at.

 

[Cameron Manning]

You can never predict who will it and who won’t, years ago anyone who watched Liverpool boys when Bill Kenny (snr) was playing, they would have been unlikely to predict his partner David Johnson would be the player to make the grade and not Bill Kenny, but that’s the way it turned out although Kenny did make the first team at Everton.

Anyway I’d have a bet Lewis Gibson, although bought from Newcastle, will be a very good centre back for the Blues.

 

[Cameron Manning]

Kenny's been fine? Hasn't looked out of place, has had a few rough moments as every young defender does, got a fair amount of minutes under his belt and has had suitors from all around Europe asking for him on loan. Schalke is a good club to be at.

Well said Chris.

 

[JimmyK]

Perfect. Thank you. I wanted to be corrected as my memory isn’t good. How many of those would be deemed to be successful? Just Ross maybe?

Depends what you mean by successful really? None of them have won trophies with us, some have won trophies elsewhere, some have won international caps, one is still only 21. It was your criteria so you tell me.