Exciting Youth

[DelboyVilla]

I saw this one guy in the under 10s play the other day. He was superb. Let's start him against Man U on Saturday. :bonk:

Was he 'world class' or a 'once in a generation' player??

And now for the 'big' question.

Would he get into the Cheltenham Town Reserves??

[sir_gary_cahill]

give it a rest dbv

[barry'sboots]

Both look terrific prospects.

Hmmm, attack minded players aren't they? Eck will soon knock that out of them! :winkold:

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Graham's body shape when he recieves the ball (and occasionally when dribbling) is very similar to Ashley Young

Yeah I thought that, similar styles. Although I think different type wingers, (if that makes sense) they just look the same, not as much play the same.

[Foxy1]

So did we overestimate the current crop of young players or are they just being mismanaged? Do we just need more experience and quality around them?

I'm starting to really wonder about them - Albrighton and Bannan are so inconsistent. Delph is a liability. Clark can't get a game despite the Collins and Dunne calamity show. Fonz flatters to deceive.

Maybe we want them to succeed so much we can't see that they are not good enough?

[dudevillaisnice]

Albrighton and Bannan for me are good enough however I do not think the current management/tactics will get the best out of both.

[Big_John_10]

I think Clark is the only one who has the potential to play regular football for a top 8 premiership team.

Herd doesn't have the technical ability, albrighton is far too limited and I don't think the Fonz will perform consistently. Bannan has a slight chance IMO but again far too inconsistent.

Let's hope the Gardners, Johnsons and burkes are better.

[VillaRoy]

Decent little article in the Daily Mail giving our youth system a big thumbs up, including an interview with KMac.

Clash of the talent schools: How top clubs are following Barcelona's brilliant blueprint

Our youth system is something to be hugely proud of. Hope we see the fruits of it over the next few years.

[Rob182]

Nice to GG is still a 'one to watch'. I really hope he lives up to his reputation.

When you look at the youngsters that are getting in the side right now, and performing admirably, it's not crazy to think that in a few years, when Petrov is wheelchair bound, Heskey's relaxing in Leicester and Hutton is in prison, we could have a team of exciting youngsters mixed with a bit of experience:

--------------- Given --------------------

Lichaj ---- Dunne --- Clark --- Warnock

------ Gardner ------ Herd --------------

Albrighton --- Bannan ---------- Gabby

----------------- Bent --------------------

Dunne would be on his last legs, and Lichaj hasn't really had many games to prove himself, but I'm just speculating.

No-one likes cost-cutting, but I'd be quite excited to see a side built around our youth players, with a bit of experience thrown in (Bent, Gabby, Given, Dunne).

I'd actually be interested to see that side right now, if Lichaj wasn't injured.

I'm sure the majority of opinions would be that it would get ripped apart, but you never know. All of those players have played well in individual games against top sides (except for Gardner, who is meant to be one of the more promising players) so who knows?

[dudevillaisnice]

Hutton is in prison

[AndyBM]

as much as its good to see the youths coming through, and lets be honest, with previous managers they werent given the chance, i think now that we have too many in the first team, but that i dont believe is AMs fault, its just he cant strengthen properly, theres a few kids in the first team that wont make it, but theyre there to make numbers up

with the money being spent on the youth system, its only right we produce a diamond or 2 every season, as well as being able to sell a player or 2 that wont make it here, but will else where

for me, fonz, delph and lowry may be worth shipping out

clark has won me over, im a fan of albrighton, not sure about bannan yet, would like to see more of gardner and weimann

[TRO]

Not convinced in our youth at all.

See no one that makes a menace of themselves to the opposition.

will sit back and hope I'm wrong.

some of the younger fans would do well to watch footage of Little, Shaw, Cowans, Barry, gidman.

.....That was youth.

Ps our youth system produces a decent number of fairly average players that are destined for the lower echelons of the football league..... The idea of of a good youth system is to produce a few star players that will be to good effect in the first team.

pps There are so many myths written about our club its not even funny.

[villa4europe]

I dunno if you can't produce 1/2 superstars then at least we can produce a team, Clark/albrighton/bannan IMO all look better when playing together

it's a good article but I wish they'd highlighted man citys complete disregard for the whole thing and they didn't mention it being selected teams and say why it's us in there whilst utd/Chelsea/arsenal weren't

[smetrov]

Not convinced in our youth at all.

See no one that makes a menace of themselves to the opposition.

will sit back and hope I'm wrong.

some of the younger fans would do well to watch footage of Little, Shaw, Cowans, Barry, gidman.

.....That was youth.

Ps our youth system produces a decent number of fairly average players that are destined for the lower rechelons of the football league..... The idea of of a good youth system is to produce a few star players that will be to good effect in the first team.

pps There are so many myths written about our club it not even funny.

To me the youth systems should have 2 goals:-

to produce top drawer premier players. IE Gabby.

to be a source of revenue by selling those that don't fall into the category above.

Gardner I haven't yet seen, Clark I like - but his progression has slowed. Herd is currently playing very well - but as we have seen countless times one good run in the first team doesn't guarantee future performances of this level..latest example Albrighton.

Bannan, Albrighton are very inconsistent - and IMO are not up to it at this level - they may stick around as they are cost effective - and will have the odd good game.

[TRO]

what has happened at Barcelona has been nutured over years of development.... sourced from the Rinus Michels days influenced by Ajax.

There is clear evidence in their first team of the development of their Youth system.

I have seen little evidence in our first team of the fruits of our youth system.

Marc Albrighton is a talent, but is yet to show the consistency that would allow you to say he is a regular first teamer.

Barry Bannan has the silky skills but is yet to show the consistency over 90 mins and to show the effectiveness to trouble the opposition.

Ciaran Clark, The jury is still out for me need to show more to secure a regular place.

Chris Herd, shows a more resilient side than the others don't but is limited in his on the ball skills, it would be a little harsh to say a plodder, but, if you get my drift.

Delfounso, shows little "eye of the tiger" or a burning desire to win, seems to run in to innocuous positions and is looking around for help to often for my liking.... seems to just go through the motions for me.

Gary gardner, I have not seen enough of him to know... but he cannot be a youth player for ever.... There is a tendency in some of them to be "potential" for ever.

If they are serious about making a first team place there own.... They must push everyone out of the way and make the sort of impressions that leave everyone under no illusions of their worth.

They are learning yes, so was Andy Gray, Brian little, Trevor Francis, Alan shearer at 18-19 they were pulling up trees

Thats the benchmark we should be courting.... sorry its a tough old world, thats why they get paid so well.

[TRO]

The premier league is not for the faint hearted.

Its a tough, demanding league, where only the very best will prosper.

we have to get away from this pussy footing around with passive statements about our youth players and benevolent statements about their likely hood of making it.

we are looking for players with the X/ WOW FACTOR.

Nothing else will do.

[VillaAlex]

Do people realise that young players are supposed to be inconsistent...

There is barely a player around the world under the age of 22 who is consistently excellent week in week out, and usually they are called international class players.

I guess that's what happens when we rely on youth so much.

Not every player is going to be a Alan Shearer, Gordon Cowans etc...

If kids like Albrighton and Bannan can perform in 1 out of 3 games they are similar to a lot of Premier League players, we can't expect every youth player we produce to do better than that. As long as they can offer something to the squad they are good enough for Aston Villa. We should be focusing on signing players externally to provide consistency and then in time the kids can develop and in the future provide that too.

[TRO]

Do people realise that young players are supposed to be inconsistent...

There is barely a player around the world under the age of 22 who is consistently excellent week in week out, and usually they are called international class players.

I guess that's what happens when we rely on youth so much.

Not every player is going to be a Alan Shearer, Gordon Cowans etc...

If kids like Albrighton and Bannan can perform in 1 out of 3 games they are similar to a lot of Premier League players, we can't expect every youth player we produce to do better than that. As long as they can offer something to the squad they are good enough for Aston Villa. We should be focusing on signing players externally to provide consistency and then in time the kids can develop and in the future provide that too.

I understand that by definition the youth players are inconsistent, it goes with the territory of developing.

but when was the last time one of our youth players sent us home drooling.

My point is they are passive, there is no " eye of the tiger" as of now they are not good enough in my opinion. I am talking generally there is the odd moment or flash of the standard required.

sorry.

[VillaAlex]

Well if you compare them to players of the same age in the division you will find there are only about three or four who get people drooling, and most of them were signed for big money.

Comparing them to players in their age group in the UK I'd say there are only a couple of standouts. They are:-

Sturridge

Jones

Smalling

Wilshere

Walker

Surprise, surprise they all play for a top four team pretty much. You then look at players such as Henderson, Carroll, Welbeck, Rodwell and Gibbs and they are all extremely inconsistent too.

Just because they aren't top class doesn't mean they're good enough. Milner was extremely inconsistent for us under DOL yet we ended up selling him for massive money several years later. You could say the same thing about Ashley Young who was inconsistent in his first PL season at Watford.

[quizme]

Well if you compare them to players of the same age in the division you will find there are only about three or four who get people drooling, and most of them were signed for big money.

Comparing them to players in their age group in the UK I'd say there are only a couple of standouts. They are:-

Sturridge

Jones

Smalling

Wilshere

Walker

Surprise, surprise they all play for a top four team pretty much. You then look at players such as Henderson, Carroll, Welbeck, Rodwell and Gibbs and they are all extremely inconsistent too.

Just because they aren't top class doesn't mean they're good enough. Milner was extremely inconsistent for us under DOL yet we ended up selling him for massive money several years later. You could say the same thing about Ashley Young who was inconsistent in his first PL season at Watford.

Good post, I have high hopes for almost all of them. It´s probably just Delfouneso and Delph that I have questionmarks for.

The kids are our hope to compete at a decent level in a few years.