Youth policy

[Malangsob 1,264]

The youth system should be done away with and the money reinvested.

 

 

 

[Scott7 6,002]

1 hour ago, alexscottislegend said:

So why cannot WE do the same? I accept we cannot compete in the transfer market but surely our academy should be doing much much better.

There’s a much broader athletic demographic in England and a less ferocious drinking culture.

 

7 minutes ago, Malangsob said:

The youth system should be done away with and the money reinvested.

 

I’ve often thought that but it’s like a nuclear weapon. If you don’t have one and the other chap does, you lose.

[Malangsob 1,264]

4 minutes ago, Scott7 said:

I’ve often thought that but it’s like a nuclear weapon. If you don’t have one and the other chap does, you lose.

They call that keepin up with the Joneses.

You never realize how silly that shit is until you stop. 

Oh and the women's team and their 13 fans in comfortable shoes should be abolished as well.

 

No budget for empty calories my friend.

[compo 7,030]

 If it's run properly by people who know what they're doing it's a great asset unfortunately our attempts in this field have always been rather feeble if you take a look at Liverpool last night you will see the played plenty of  well coached well schooled youngsters and beat Southampton  

[Bill 13,717]

For me, it's a very straightforward situation. The money and effort invested in youth players has only one objective - to produce players for the first team squad. Either we up our game to deliver this objective or forget about it altogether. Youth football has become an ornament to hand round our necks. It doesn't deliver nearly enough and it takes resources from the first team. If there's to be an improvement it will come from a better calibre of leadership than we've seen in the past.

 

The women's team is entirely different. It's a conscious decision to participate in the SWPL and stands alone on its own merits. You also have to say the investment in women's football has been a considerable success so far.

[Devil's advocaat 1,541]

6 minutes ago, Bill said:

The money and effort invested in youth players has only one objective - to produce players for the first team squad

Mibbe 20 years ago, nowadays the big teams produce talent to use as makeweights in FFP, to fund buying other players, or to fulfil homegrown requirements. It's a complete racket, just look at how many homegrown players Man U or Chelsea had on the park last night. Liverpool have a decent youth academy, but they also have a team full of injured players, needs must. Chelsea could even buy players that they've sold on back, and still call them homegrown.

 

Sad state of affairs.

[Bill 13,717]

1 minute ago, Devil's advocaat said:

Mibbe 20 years ago, nowadays the big teams produce talent to use as makeweights in FFP, to fund buying other players, or to fulfil homegrown requirements. It's a complete racket, just look at how many homegrown players Man U or Chelsea had on the park last night. Liverpool have a decent youth academy, but they also have a team full of injured players, needs must. Chelsea could even buy players that they've sold on back, and still call them homegrown.

 

Sad state of affairs.

I've always felt we maintained a youth set up simply because that's the established thing that clubs do ... but I never saw any clear reason for it.

[ranger_syntax 4,320]

How much does it cost at present?

[JohnMc 2,750]

7 hours ago, alexscottislegend said:

Sorry to raise an old chestnut, but I watched Liverpool last night play 3 teenagers from their academy in a high-pressure cup match. We had Cole McKinnon on the bench; otherwise no sign of our youngsters. Why? If they not deemed 'ready' (as Clement recently claimed of Bailey Rice) then why not? Please don't tell me that there is too much 'must win' pressure at RFC; there cannot be any less pressure at L'pool and ManCity who can afford to spend at will. In fact Scottish clubs in general are too unwilling to play youth. McInnes didn't start with the outstanding David Watson v us, yet we have seen the impact Lennon Miller has had at Motherwell. Even those blighters from the East gave a debut to an 18 year old last night.

 

If our youths are really not good enough, then scrap the academy. I yearn for a Rangers team where at least half are home-grown and have been brought up with the club. The pride that young lad at Anfield felt, moving from Kop to pitch puts our 'policy' to shame.

We'd McCausland in the starting 11 last night. He's been the exception rather than the rule though, and I'm still not convinced he'll 'make it'. His game will need to improve to keep his place after the summer I suspect. 

 

Our ability to move players who were exceptional in the their mid teens on to become first team players has been very disappointing for years now. We're not alone with that, few Scottish sides are good at it. There's more than one reason for that, but in my opinion none of the reasons for it are being addressed and so this will continue. You have to question whether the B Team experiment has worked. I'm not sure playing youngsters in the Lowland League, or now in varied friendlies, is working. I saw Lowry play in a B Team game a few seasons ago and he was so much better than that level, however as we all know his career has stalled and would any of us be surprised if he left for good in the summer? 

 

On Liverpool I think you're being generous calling a home tie against a side from a division below as 'high pressure'. While Liverpool wanted to win it's certainly not their priority this season. It's exactly the kind of game they'd introduce young players in. It seems like Liverpool have a decent crop emerging, but time will tell how many actually make it. 

[compo 7,030]

Why not have a proper reserve league were you can field four players over twenty three and the rest down to fourteen year olds would also help players coming back from injury and could be played on a Saturday against the same opponents as the first team .