16-06-2024, 06:52 AM
(14-06-2024, 04:03 PM)mikey393 Wrote:(14-06-2024, 02:48 PM)bluetagagain Wrote:(13-06-2024, 09:09 PM)mikey393 Wrote:Why do we need to spend millions, yes millions on an academy? To produce what?, far better to have a ‘reserve ‘ team to keep players fit and checkout those players out of contract such as Cat 1/2 academy players that the big clubs have let go. There must be thousands.(13-06-2024, 10:40 AM)teeftwo Wrote: There are an awful lot of rose tinted glasses with regards the academy. If they were good enough to be at Cat 1 academies, they would already be there.
There are already over 3500 players in Category 1 academies. Realistically it is only products of Cat 1 that are going to make you any money. Academies now generally do not create players so they can advance the first team, they exist to produce product that can be sold based on potential.
Swansea City, with a Category 1 academy, made a grand total of £53 million in the last 10 years. They are 99th in the list of top 100 productive academies.
It is cheaper and easier to buy in players. There are far better things to spend money on to make the club successful than that.
So from your deductions we scrap all our teams except for the 1st team!
How short sighted a view is that?
The club needs the chance to rebuild the academy & apply for Cat 2 immediately then gradually work towards Cat 1.
Get in a top coaching team & improve the facilties which they are doing now.
The Academy was one of ME's areas to deliver on & I'm sure he will.
A Reserve Team would be good that plays in the U21/23 league.
They need to be competitive so they can step up when injuries occur which they will.
Mikey if we want to put a reserve team out & play in the reserve league we have to have cat 1 academy iirc.