Cunninglinguist Wrote: (20-09-2023, 05:05 AM)
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Unlike so many of the ‘experts’ on here, I know absolutely nothing about this subject and I’m struggling to understand how coaching a youngster in a Cat 10 academy is so wildly different from that in a super duper Cat 1 A++, shiny building, gold grassed facility.
Can someone explain to me, in terms that even I can understand, why you have to spend billions on teaching a youngster how to kick a ball?
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The spend is like any business - invest in the best facilities and infastructure and you will eventually attract the best talent - Coaches, supporting staff and then players (like the mantra - if you build it they will come)
Crystal Palace are in a 'high yield' catchment area of South London but surrounded by Cat 1 clubs (Chelsea, Fulham, West Ham, Arsenal, Spurs) all with fantastic facilities. The only way for them to compete was to match others offerings and so they invested in the Academy facilities and staff - they only have to sell on or promote to first team one or two Academy products per year and costs are recovered (receive transfer fee / save spending on transfers)
(the Palace tv programme was a bit of a farce and made interesting for TV - they kept all of their real prospects well away from the tv cameras)
As far as PL £ support - this is a little out of date but makes interesting reading
https://www.premierleague.com/news/2350343
Pompey have widened their nets - and have recently began picking up players released from Cat 1's at U16 age (released for free if they are not offered a scholarship by their parent club) - and not necessarily released because they are not good enough but because there is no pathway for their development in the Cat 1 Club - so Pompey do benefit from the system
As have Brentford and Huddersfield who also pick up most of their U18's from those released by other clubs.
I would think the next step for Pompey would be to introduce an U21's to better feed the first team and promote sell on's but that would take a substantial investment as all would need to be on pro contracts (higher wage bill) and also there is the issue of limited space at Roko
Maybe a promotion to the Championship and the increased funding from the PL that this would bring might make that next step a bit easier.