As I've said before, as well as unearthing the odd top talent, a good youth system can also supply a number of players who are just good enough for the first team. This allows what money there is to be spent on problem position or in attack.
Look at ManU and the Class of 92. Yes it produced Beckham, Scholes and Giggs, but it also provided Butt, the Nevilles, Gibson who aren't world talents but they were just good enough for the first team that they didn't have to spend money on those positions. There's a whole raft of players that came through their academy like that, who when they moved on were shown to be not that great, but without them they wouldn't have been able to afford the Van Nistleroys or the Ferdinands. They knew how to play in the same team as each other because they'd been doing for years, but were pretty much lost when that safety net was taken away.
With our limited resources we should also be seeking to maximise this, every kid we can bring through into the first team is a few million less we have to spend on that position that can be spent where it makes a difference, up front.
