Because it's one of those arguments that never go away.
Around 200 players in the history of Everton FC have made 100 or more competitive appearances for the club so had really cemented themselves in the first team for a concerted period of time. Of those 200, 51 or about a quarter were home grown and weren't bought from another club. (Though many more like Mercer and Wilson got their first professional games here.)
Of those 51 players, here are the managers to give them their debuts.
William Barclay (1 year): 1 (Johnny Holt)
[Poor language removed] Molyneux (2 years): 1 (Samuel Wolstenholme)
William Cuff (17 years): 4 (Harry Makepeace, Sam Chedgzoy, George Harrison, Bob Balmer)
W.J. Sawyer (1 year): None
Thomas McIntosh (16 years): 5 (Ted Sagar, Charles Gee, Jimmy Cunliffe, Albert Virr, Jack Jones)
Theo Kelly (9 years): 3 (Eddie Wainwright, George Saunders, Tony McNamara)
Cliff Britton (8 years): 7 (Tommy Jones, Jimmy O'Neill, Jimmy Harris, Eric Moore, Mick Meagan, John Parker, James Tansey)
Ian Buchan (2 years): 3 (Brian Labone, Derek Temple, Albert Dunlop)
Johnny Carey (3 years): None
Harry Catterick (12 years): 10 (Mick Lyons, John Hurst, Colin Harvey, Tommy Wright, Roger Kenyon, Joe Royle, Jimmy Husband, Terry Darracott, Andy Rankin, David Johnson)
Tom Eggleston (0.08 years): 1 (Mick Buckley)
Billy Bingham (4 years): 3 (Mark Higgins, George Telfer, Dave Jones)
Steve Burtenshaw (0.08 years): None
Gordon Lee (4 years) : 3 (Kevin Ratcliffe, Billy Wright, Steve McMahon)
Howard Kendall (10 years): 4 (Gary Stevens, John Ebbrell, David Unsworth, Kevin Richardson)
Colin Harvey (3 years): None
Jimmy Gabriel (0.08 years): None
Mike Walker (0.92 years): None
Dave Watson (0.08 years): 2 (Michael Ball, Danny Cadamarteri)
Walter Smith (4 years): 1 (Tony Hibbert)
David Moyes (13 years): 3 (Jack Rodwell, Victor Anichebe, Leon Osman)
I don't think there's any doubt that the production line of young talent that was there in the 50s and 60s has slowed significently. Catterick and Moyes and Kendall have all managed for similar times and yet Catterick produced more players from the youth team than the other two put together.
Having said we're producing no fewer first team players from our youth under Moyes than we have at any point since Catterick left or indeed then we were pre WW2.
Around 200 players in the history of Everton FC have made 100 or more competitive appearances for the club so had really cemented themselves in the first team for a concerted period of time. Of those 200, 51 or about a quarter were home grown and weren't bought from another club. (Though many more like Mercer and Wilson got their first professional games here.)
Of those 51 players, here are the managers to give them their debuts.
William Barclay (1 year): 1 (Johnny Holt)
[Poor language removed] Molyneux (2 years): 1 (Samuel Wolstenholme)
William Cuff (17 years): 4 (Harry Makepeace, Sam Chedgzoy, George Harrison, Bob Balmer)
W.J. Sawyer (1 year): None
Thomas McIntosh (16 years): 5 (Ted Sagar, Charles Gee, Jimmy Cunliffe, Albert Virr, Jack Jones)
Theo Kelly (9 years): 3 (Eddie Wainwright, George Saunders, Tony McNamara)
Cliff Britton (8 years): 7 (Tommy Jones, Jimmy O'Neill, Jimmy Harris, Eric Moore, Mick Meagan, John Parker, James Tansey)
Ian Buchan (2 years): 3 (Brian Labone, Derek Temple, Albert Dunlop)
Johnny Carey (3 years): None
Harry Catterick (12 years): 10 (Mick Lyons, John Hurst, Colin Harvey, Tommy Wright, Roger Kenyon, Joe Royle, Jimmy Husband, Terry Darracott, Andy Rankin, David Johnson)
Tom Eggleston (0.08 years): 1 (Mick Buckley)
Billy Bingham (4 years): 3 (Mark Higgins, George Telfer, Dave Jones)
Steve Burtenshaw (0.08 years): None
Gordon Lee (4 years) : 3 (Kevin Ratcliffe, Billy Wright, Steve McMahon)
Howard Kendall (10 years): 4 (Gary Stevens, John Ebbrell, David Unsworth, Kevin Richardson)
Colin Harvey (3 years): None
Jimmy Gabriel (0.08 years): None
Mike Walker (0.92 years): None
Dave Watson (0.08 years): 2 (Michael Ball, Danny Cadamarteri)
Walter Smith (4 years): 1 (Tony Hibbert)
David Moyes (13 years): 3 (Jack Rodwell, Victor Anichebe, Leon Osman)
I don't think there's any doubt that the production line of young talent that was there in the 50s and 60s has slowed significently. Catterick and Moyes and Kendall have all managed for similar times and yet Catterick produced more players from the youth team than the other two put together.
Having said we're producing no fewer first team players from our youth under Moyes than we have at any point since Catterick left or indeed then we were pre WW2.