Paddy's Youth Set Up at City

[northbank123]

Do you think - maybe - that the way footballers are developed and academies are run has possibly changed in the 3 or 4 decades since those players came through so as to make comparison pretty redundant? If not it's pretty pointless trying to have a discussion with you.

Back in those days clubs simply couldn't afford to go out and buy a whole squad, and the scouting systems weren't in place to poach 16-19 year-olds from other sides (especially abroad).

[DB10GOONER]

Yep, everywhere else is brilliant and Arsenal is shit. Nice original thought for the day.

I've read plenty of interviews with people involved in our academy and they always talk about creating "good people" and keeping the lads grounded. The proof is in the pudding.

i wasn't suggesting United's youth system wasn't shite too....nor Liverpools or the Spuds.

our lads are 'grounded' ? lol. what like Jack and Frimpong ? Bentley, Pennant and Bendnter ?

and the fact that Upson excepted, our youth players never ever succeed in the top flight.....

We produced the only true world class English footballer of the past decade.

Couple of things there, mate. Cuntley was not grounded, nor was he "good people". He was a toe rag, even when he was with us. Puking on a bird whilst having sex? Telling her she should be honoured? Going on the piss with his chav mates 3 days before the biggest game in our history? Pimping himself to the chav for a move behind our backs whilst under contract? Utter scum. The "person" that graduated from our academy is nothing for us to brag about.

I will grant you he was a world class player though. But to equate ONE successful career like his with our academy being a success is delusional. One... in hundreds...

I'd also agree with whoever said not to read too much into what was obviously a PR stunt by Vieira and the Arabs. I wonder where all those talented lads with their contracts will be in 5 years time? My guess is the majority will be in Division 2 or the Championship being managed by the likes of Curbishly or Fat Sam.

[remigardeshair]

[ Puking on a bird whilst having sex?

Dont be such a prude

[DB10GOONER]

Puking on a bird whilst having sex?

Dont be such a prude

Outstanding.

[1989]

Yep, everywhere else is brilliant and Arsenal is shit. Nice original thought for the day.

I've read plenty of interviews with people involved in our academy and they always talk about creating "good people" and keeping the lads grounded. The proof is in the pudding.

i wasn't suggesting United's youth system wasn't shite too....nor Liverpools or the Spuds.

our lads are 'grounded' ? lol. what like Jack and Frimpong ? Bentley, Pennant and Bendnter ?

and the fact that Upson excepted, our youth players never ever succeed in the top flight.....

We produced the only true world class English footballer of the past decade.

Couple of things there, mate. Cuntley was not grounded, nor was he "good people". He was a toe rag, even when he was with us. Puking on a bird whilst having sex? Telling her she should be honoured? Going on the piss with his chav mates 3 days before the biggest game in our history? Pimping himself to the chav for a move behind our backs whilst under contract? Utter scum. The "person" that graduated from our academy is nothing for us to brag about.

I will grant you he was a world class player though. But to equate ONE successful career like his with our academy being a success is delusional. One... in hundreds...

I'd also agree with whoever said not to read too much into what was obviously a PR stunt by Vieira and the Arabs. I wonder where all those talented lads with their contracts will be in 5 years time? My guess is the majority will be in Division 2 or the Championship being managed by the likes of Curbishly or Fat Sam.

I was obviously on about the football side of things. As a person we all know he's scum.

[DB10GOONER]

Yep, everywhere else is brilliant and Arsenal is shit. Nice original thought for the day.

I've read plenty of interviews with people involved in our academy and they always talk about creating "good people" and keeping the lads grounded. The proof is in the pudding.

i wasn't suggesting United's youth system wasn't shite too....nor Liverpools or the Spuds.

our lads are 'grounded' ? lol. what like Jack and Frimpong ? Bentley, Pennant and Bendnter ?

and the fact that Upson excepted, our youth players never ever succeed in the top flight.....

We produced the only true world class English footballer of the past decade.

Couple of things there, mate. Cuntley was not grounded, nor was he "good people". He was a toe rag, even when he was with us. Puking on a bird whilst having sex? Telling her she should be honoured? Going on the piss with his chav mates 3 days before the biggest game in our history? Pimping himself to the chav for a move behind our backs whilst under contract? Utter scum. The "person" that graduated from our academy is nothing for us to brag about.

I will grant you he was a world class player though. But to equate ONE successful career like his with our academy being a success is delusional. One... in hundreds...

I'd also agree with whoever said not to read too much into what was obviously a PR stunt by Vieira and the Arabs. I wonder where all those talented lads with their contracts will be in 5 years time? My guess is the majority will be in Division 2 or the Championship being managed by the likes of Curbishly or Fat Sam.

I was obviously on about the football side of things. As a person we all know he's scum.

Yeah, I kinda knew that was the case, but I lazy quoted and addressed you and a couple other posters too!

[officepest]

Couple of things there, mate. Cuntley was not grounded, nor was he "good people". He was a toe rag, even when he was with us. Puking on a bird whilst having sex? Telling her she should be honoured? Going on the piss with his chav mates 3 days before the biggest game in our history? Pimping himself to the chav for a move behind our backs whilst under contract? Utter scum. The "person" that graduated from our academy is nothing for us to brag about.

I will grant you he was a world class player though. But to equate ONE successful career like his with our academy being a success is delusional. One... in hundreds...

I'd also agree with whoever said not to read too much into what was obviously a PR stunt by Vieira and the Arabs. I wonder where all those talented lads with their contracts will be in 5 years time? My guess is the majority will be in Division 2 or the Championship being managed by the likes of Curbishly or Fat Sam.

Yep.

Remember Michael Johnson? Touted as the great white hope back in '08/09 (A few years ago anyway) and he's now flipping burgers, or playing in the Conference North - can't remember which.

I'd be surprised if their academy produces anyone of note as the temptation to throw money at a ready-made player will prevail.

Maybe one or two will hang around to fulfil homegrown quotas but the chance of getting a game will be somewhere between fuck and all.

[rigsby]

I wonder how many of these will actually ever play for Man City? I doubt any. Same with Chelsea. They are clubs built on a demand to keep winning. You would never be able to throw 4 young players in and go through a bit of a dodgy period whilst they found their feet.

[DB10GOONER]

I think the main reason that most youth academies don't deliver a huge number of brilliant players that go on to have very successful careers is that the law of averages is against most young players ever hitting the top level in general.

The attrition rate is just massive. I read somewhere years ago that out of all the players that sign up to a youth academy (or it might even have been apprenticeships - was it THAT long ago??!! ) about 1% end up playing professionally and only 10% of them will play in the top flight? Some mad figures like that anyway!

[rigsby]

I get that DB10, but if you look at Chelsea, since John Terry they have had absolutely nobody even given a sniff from their youth set up. Nobody has even played where you could say 'Well he didn't cut it' Same with City. Do you think City will ever give someone even a sniff? I just doubt it.

[DB10GOONER]

I get that DB10, but if you look at Chelsea, since John Terry they have had absolutely nobody even given a sniff from their youth set up. Nobody has even played where you could say 'Well he didn't cut it' Same with City. Do you think City will ever give someone even a sniff? I just doubt it.

Absolutely rigsby, I put you as bang on, but I think that's a slightly seperate issue in that those two will almost always now buy in talent for tens of millions, so the homegrown kids will have that to contend with as well as the law of averages being against them.

[LDB]

Yep, everywhere else is brilliant and Arsenal is shit. Nice original thought for the day.

I've read plenty of interviews with people involved in our academy and they always talk about creating "good people" and keeping the lads grounded. The proof is in the pudding.

i wasn't suggesting United's youth system wasn't shite too....nor Liverpools or the Spuds.

our lads are 'grounded' ? lol. what like Jack and Frimpong ? Bentley, Pennant and Bendnter ?

and the fact that Upson excepted, our youth players never ever succeed in the top flight.....

You've missed my point. I'm not saying our academy does or doesn't keep these kids grounded but words are cheap. My point is that I could unearth plenty of programme interviews from our academy people who say the exact same thing, this article has no extra credibility until the new City academy starts producing. You're just lapping it up because it's another boring stick to beat the club with.

P.S. Sidwell?

[clockender1]

. My point is that I could unearth plenty of programme interviews from our academy people who say the exact same thing, this article has no extra credibility until the new City academy starts producing. You're just lapping it up because it's another boring stick to beat the club with.

P.S. Sidwell?

fair point about no results yet, but if there are in five years then we've missed the boat haven't we ? - youth set ups take time to bring results. our set up hasn't produced, so why not try the alternative ? whcih by the way is very very simlilar to the Dutch and German models, which consistently produce good year classes.

and yes i think the club deserves to be beaten with a stick for diaby, denilson, djourou, bendtner, frimpong, etc etc.