27-05-2024, 09:19 PM
So I get the constant reasoning behind the expense of bridging the gap from the academy to the first team with an U-21/3 side that has been made by Hughes. I don't get agree with it, particularly as most of the championship seem to have them, but I'm not an expert and Hughes has buckets of credit in the bank so I'm not going to argue.
However, since we have an academy that is recognised as almost impossible to bridge the gap to the first team, then why have an academy squad in the first place? Unless we unearth the calibre of say a Drew Talbot, Carl Tiler or Michael Owen then none of them will make a dent professionally for us. Given a choice, as a parent, would you choose to develop your kid at a club where a) we have no recent track record of bringing anyone one professionally and b) the club have admitted they don't have the current resources to complete the connection? It's like building a railway line from both ends and not completing it in the middle. All we are doing is training up kids that, at best, will benefit clubs that do have the resources to bring them further along.
I know the academy is important and not advocating getting rid. I just don't see the point in the short term to medium term.
However, since we have an academy that is recognised as almost impossible to bridge the gap to the first team, then why have an academy squad in the first place? Unless we unearth the calibre of say a Drew Talbot, Carl Tiler or Michael Owen then none of them will make a dent professionally for us. Given a choice, as a parent, would you choose to develop your kid at a club where a) we have no recent track record of bringing anyone one professionally and b) the club have admitted they don't have the current resources to complete the connection? It's like building a railway line from both ends and not completing it in the middle. All we are doing is training up kids that, at best, will benefit clubs that do have the resources to bring them further along.
I know the academy is important and not advocating getting rid. I just don't see the point in the short term to medium term.