Mart-L7 Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 I don't really follow our academy players but from what I read it's mostly all good stuff which makes me think about a few things. 1, if we've got no money why are we spending money on players from teams most of use have never heard of if some of our own youth players are looking the part? 2, are our youth worse than some of these players we are bringing in? I just don't understand why we are buying in these untested players when we already have a good handful of our on lads probably willing to do anything for a chance, it can't be good for their confidence knowing these players are coming in from nowhere and playing poorly and getting a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 I don't really follow our academy players but from what I read it's mostly all good stuff which makes me think about a few things. 1, if we've got no money why are we spending money on players from teams most of use have never heard of if some of our own youth players are looking the part? 2, are our youth worse than some of these players we are bringing in? I just don't understand why we are buying in these untested players when we already have a good handful of our on lads probably willing to do anything for a chance, it can't be good for their confidence knowing these players are coming in from nowhere and playing poorly and getting a chance. Think about it:- The premiership attracts the best players from around the world - its really is the cream of the crop By the law of averages how many of the best players in the world are going to be found on your door step If your academy unearths one or two players that can be sold on for £1 - £3m - that IMO in a success. Expecting to unearth the backbone of a premiership team is stupid expectations. Our academy is ok - but the level of what is expected is wrong.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mart-L7 Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 But the players he's buying in at the moment can't be any better than we've already got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Con Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 But the players he's buying in at the moment can't be any better than we've already got. Specific examples? Go through the team. Be precise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 When i constantly hear cries of they are not ready yet, or in a few seasons he will be one hell of a player that one, he's the new Steven Gerard you know, blah, blah...some of ours are in their 20's they are not going to make the Premier league..wake up and smell the coffee when you see the likes of Adnan Januzaj at 18 thats the bench mark or Ross Barkley at 19 our academy does well as a team, but at that level you want individuals to be outstanding not necessarily trophy winning teams. There is only one team in a football club the FIRST team.....all the others are there for development of individuals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 But the players he's buying in at the moment can't be any better than we've already got. But thats a totally irrelevant benchmark. The bulk of our academy players are well below premiership standard. The bulk of our purchases are perhaps slightly below premiership standard.......not really much of a choice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandaq Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Barkley is also the highest rated youngster they have had there since Rooney and well...he left pretty quickly. Look at Baxter for example which they had, also very highly rated and was loaned out. There is a lot of things you can do to develop a player but in many ways you can`t. Some will turn out better than others, specially at this level. If you think this football is bad, watch some other leagues and you will see it`s actually not as bad as you might think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulver Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Some are ok, some aren't. I think winning the Next Gen trophy whilst playing some pretty bland football fooled a lot of people into believing they were some sort of golden generation when they certainly weren't. Sadly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Con Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Some are ok, some aren't. I think winning the Next Gen trophy whilst playing some pretty bland football fooled a lot of people into believing they were some sort of golden generation when they certainly weren't. Sadly Which players are you talking about? The 2013 Next Gen winners have not appeared for the first team yet. The Golden Generation is the older group who were winning the reserve leagues. Clark, Gardner, Bannan, Weimann, Albrighton, Baker, Herd. That's seven players and whilst they've not reached Bale or Walcott standard they have all played in Premier League and not got the club relegated yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulver Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 I was referring to the current youngsters not our first teamers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Con Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 I was referring to the current youngsters not our first teamers. who said they were a golden generation and what have we got to judge on yet that you can say they are "not" a golden generation? it's saying I don't like what you've given me for christmas before you've unwrapped the present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyM3000 Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 We will never know if they are ready unless they are given a go and none of the managers we have had seem to want to do that. Lambert has been forced to play a few but I would class them as reserves rather than youth team players. Houllier was the only one from my memory who gave our youth players a proper chance, that is when the current crop came through I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted December 22, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted December 22, 2013 We have good youth but they should not be relied upon to carry the team. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Some are ok, some aren't. I think winning the Next Gen trophy whilst playing some pretty bland football fooled a lot of people into believing they were some sort of golden generation when they certainly weren't. Sadly Complete nonsense. Did you actually watch it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mart-L7 Posted December 22, 2013 Author Share Posted December 22, 2013 Ok let's take Tonev at the moment he's been pretty crap, doesn't Jack Grealish play In the same position?. I'm just sick of all these 1 and 2 millions on unknown untested players when we already seem to have a few of our own home grown probably willing to chop their own balls off for the chance he's giving some of the lads he's buying in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillanousOne Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 It sounds like the main issue with our current crop is none of them are physical enough to deal with the Premiership, although I always though if a play is quick footed enough and can move the ball on at speed they don't need to be a hard tackling behemoth. The one thing we know is that for all his 'young hungry players who want to be here' bullshit - Lambert has shown absolutely no faith in the youngsters we have coming through, maybe rightfully so because they are not good enough. From the last crop we have managed to get a half decent player out of Clark and if he returns to form Weimann, at a push Albrighton if he stays fit...... the rest are either rubbish or injured too often. So far the loan crop haven't done anything to suggest they are good enough, not saying they won't but as it stands the loans haven't shown us anything. Delf is so good Blackpool barely ever play him, Carruthers rarely starts also, Grealish has shown glimpses...........at an awful league one club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjaacckk91 Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 they won the next gen last year, that's not long ago, maybe it's better for their development to be on loan/with the reserves at the moment instead of very few apps in our first team.which is better for us in the future surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Con Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 (edited) Carruthers always starts for MK Dons, when he's fit. He started this weekend. He's been injured so has been out, and on the bench returning. Ok let's take Tonev at the moment he's been pretty crap, doesn't Jack Grealish play In the same position?. I'm just sick of all these 1 and 2 millions on unknown untested players when we already seem to have a few of our own home grown probably willing to chop their own balls off for the chance he's giving some of the lads he's buying in. The idea is to give our young players their first experience in a professional league in the lower divisions. This will benefit them more, give them more playing time, than being thrown straight into a poor Villa XI. Tonev is a gamble filler until Grealish is ready for the first team. Edited December 22, 2013 by Con Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Unlike the original poster I do watch dozens of youth and U21 games each season There has been thread after thread after thread about this - If they were good enough Lambert would play them, why wouldnt he?? Someone like Baker who is struggling in the prem would look like Vincent Kompany in the U21s Some will come through but they're not quite ready - next season will be a different story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Winning reserve football is too easy really, half the teams don't even bother with reserve teams anymore. That's been a problem with the likes of Baker, Clark, Bannan, Albrighton imo. They went from winning every week in the reserves straight to the premier league without having some loans first like Everton have done with Barkley. I do think Lambert is getting it right in this area now with Graham, Carruthers and Grealish all out in the lower leagues learning their trade rather than just the comfy surroundings of the reserve team. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts