12-06-2024, 09:57 AM
firqdays, in light of all the available statistics and reports that state that less than 1% of academy graduates go on to make a living at the top level, how are we, amongst all the top level clubs, uniquely positioned to offer a better "dream" to players than anyone else.
It is a vile, hugely competitive marketplace that requires massive continued investment in infrastructure, coaches and so on. We, quite simply, do not have anything near the amount of money an entire oil rich nation can throw away on such a vanity project. Top level clubs from many countries scour for youth talent globally. What makes Portsmouth more special than all those? Because it's an island?!
Awford and Anderton would have been prospects in the late 70's/ early80's, Steve Foster (if that's who you mean) was a product of the Southampton schoolboy system even longer ago.
So your arguments are based on, at the latest, something we did for two players 40-50 years ago when there was substantially less investment in youth football and far less global competition than now.
I agree that it would be great but it's an emotional argument based on an unrecoverable past. The world has moved on.
It is a vile, hugely competitive marketplace that requires massive continued investment in infrastructure, coaches and so on. We, quite simply, do not have anything near the amount of money an entire oil rich nation can throw away on such a vanity project. Top level clubs from many countries scour for youth talent globally. What makes Portsmouth more special than all those? Because it's an island?!
Awford and Anderton would have been prospects in the late 70's/ early80's, Steve Foster (if that's who you mean) was a product of the Southampton schoolboy system even longer ago.
So your arguments are based on, at the latest, something we did for two players 40-50 years ago when there was substantially less investment in youth football and far less global competition than now.
I agree that it would be great but it's an emotional argument based on an unrecoverable past. The world has moved on.