The success of John Stones.

[Toffeelover]

WE do have a good number of young players on the verge of coming through already.

 

[beachy]

What about getting Adam Forshaw back?

League One player of the season

 

[tonka1878]

In theory it is a good idea I'm just not sure how we'd be perceived going to the likes of MK Dons, Brighton and such and asking for loans.

 

[Zatara]

3 players across the u21s? Its not like we dont release a few each season as well and alot go on loan these days.

@MoutsGoat -- its like entrapment.

the ones in our youth set up would probably start to think whats the point if we kept bringing in loads from outside.

 

[Zatara]

The net would need to be widened to include european leagues.

At the very least its an option and players know they will get game time if they are good enough.

Agree with the buster here.

You can't say 'let's sign 2 of the best lower league players'.

Odds are they won't be a John Stones.

We might be in a position to get much better players too.

 

[Whitty]

As others have said - it's about identifying the right ones. When we spot them we need to have the courage to go all out for them though. For example, it was obvious Gareth Bales was going to be special, same with Aaron Ramsey. When a young player like that comes along we need to go for them. Hopefully with Roberto showing how he gives opportunities to young players and supports their development players like that will start choosing us more regularly.

Will Hughes will be worth £20m+ in 3 years time. We need to be in for him this summer.

Jamaal Lascelles would be a great long term partner for John Stones as well, or Joe Gomez at Charlton

 

[harris78]

The net would need to be widened to include european leagues.

At the very least its an option and players know they will get game time if they are good enough.

Is that not what was one of the big issues with the Greg Dyke report though. So much so they are going to tighten up the visa application for only truly exceptional talents. You would never get the youngsters into the country, well the ones who would need a visa anyway. What with the growing furore of not having enough young home grown players coming through, i wouldnt be surprised to see some kind of rule with regards to the academies also.

As a club we do seem to be one of the best for developing youngsters and now with Roberto in charge we hopefully should see more come through into the first team squad. Maybe we can add talented youngsters as and when, but it should not be a main focal point of our transfer strategy.

 

[Whitty]

Developing our own top young talent is obviously the way to go but we will obviously need to bring in top young talent from elsewhere as well (mixed with experienced older players but Roberto knows this).

With Stones, McCarthy, Barkley and ideally Lukaku that is a hell of a talented young spine to the team.
Hopefully add in Ledson and one or two others from the youth team in the next few years and the future looks bright. If we could supplement these with a couple of others of the likes of Lascelles and Will Hughes then even better.

As others have said Southampton's academy results have been amazing. It's such a shame that it looks as though the young team they've built up is likely to be broken up, when if they kept hold of them and added a couple of good signings they could really kick on.

I'd be gutted if we let Stones and Barkley go when we need to build the team around them. Developing youth is the only way we'll be able to compete against the clubs with vastly more spending power than we have over the long term.

 

[Zatara]

@Whitty couldnt have put it better myself.

Lascalles was meant to have been tapped up by us a couple of years back. Highes now seems to be the new young midfield star.

Are they both getting playing time for the national youth teams?

 

[Whitty]

@Whitty couldnt have put it better myself.

Lascalles was meant to have been tapped up by us a couple of years back. Highes now seems to be the new young midfield star.

Are they both getting playing time for the national youth teams?

Will Hughes is regularly in the U21 squad and has played through all levels of the england youth set up

Unsure if Lascelles has been called up by U21's yet but like Hughes has represented at U-18, U-19 and U-20 levels

 

[Zatara]

Will Hughes is regularly in the U21 squad and has played through all levels of the england youth set up

Unsure if Lascelles has been called up by U21's yet but like Hughes has represented at U-18, U-19 and U-20 levels

Is he first choice In centre midfield? How much is he rated at by derby?

 

[West]

Is he first choice In centre midfield? How much is he rated at by derby?

Can't say for Lascelles but Hughes is rated as the same level that wilshere and Barkley were. I would have no issue throwing a 15 mil bid for Hughes right now

 

[deipnosophist]

Can't say for Lascelles but Hughes is rated as the same level that wilshere and Barkley were. I would have no issue throwing a 15 mil bid for Hughes right now

money/cash is like confetti these days. One day, quite soon (5-20 years), it will be as worthless as a Zimbabwe Dollar. Prepare accordingly