Jim Cassell

[Dronny]

The great man himself is attending our Legends Dinner for the Mid Sussex Blues the night before the Fulham game, we also have Glyn Pardoe, Steve Mackenzie and an outside chance of Mike Summerbee and an unbelievably outside chance of Brian Kidd......I know, I know, I know the night before a game etc BUT he hasn't ruled himself out!

Anyways back to Jim, I seem to remember Jim being the subject of some division amongst the board when he was "promoted" or "pushed out t'door" to his new role. We always do a "Q&A" sesh with all the Leg Ends and I was wondering if anyone wanted me to ask Jim a question on their behalf.

Maybe we could clean up the infighting that reigned for many a day/week/month?

On the other hand it would prollee re-open it again, lol!!

Post your questions and then perhaps some mod could arrange a vote for the ones people want asked?? Or perhaps apathy will kick in and no-one can be bothered!

[BobKowalski]

An insight to what really happened would be interesting but more interested in what he thinks of the new manager and the change in emphasis to a more tactical approach in training, keeping our shape in matches, zonal marking, looking to be more organised etc. Obviously he is not going to be critcial or too specific but a feel for what he thinks in general would be good if possible. I guess if Kidd is there it may be him responding or not as the case may be.

Also Hughes wanted more control of the academy and its approach to mirror that of the main squad whereas JC wanted to keep it seperate (at least that is what I read) so how is the academy looking under Mancini; does he show an interest; give any input etc and hows does JC see the academy under ADUG in the years to come.

[Chinners]

I 'd like to ask Jim, "is it true that the only reason that you are here tonight and back in the country, is because Leslie is not at the club anymore?"

[Dronny]

I 'd like to ask Jim, "is it true that the only reason that you are here tonight and back in the country, is because Leslie is not at the club anymore?"

You scamp!

[Dronny]

An insight to what really happened would be interesting but more interested in what he thinks of the new manager and the change in emphasis to a more tactical approach in training, keeping our shape in matches, zonal marking, looking to be more organised etc. Obviously he is not going to be critcial or too specific but a feel for what he thinks in general would be good if possible. I guess if Kidd is there it may be him responding or not as the case may be.

Also Hughes wanted more control of the academy and its approach to mirror that of the main squad whereas JC wanted to keep it seperate (at least that is what I read) so how is the academy looking under Mancini; does he show an interest; give any input etc and hows does JC see the academy under ADUG in the years to come.

Couple of good q's there Bob, I guess the crystal ball q's will be less inflammatory than what occured in the past.

[ross.mcfc]

I would like to ask him when will the Academy produce a player of Champions League quality and not just churning out fodder for the Championship.

[Dronny]

I would like to ask him when will the Academy produce a player of Champions League quality and not just churning out fodder for the Championship.

Nice, Ross, suggest you pop down from town to Haywards Heath and you ask him that fucklin question!!

[bluej]

I 'd like to ask Jim, "is it true that the only reason that you are here tonight and back in the country, is because Leslie is not at the club anymore?"

Does Leslie know you're here?

[Stanhibbert]

Why didn't he get Joe Royle to sign Craig Bellamy, when i recommended him back in 2000. I said he was good.

[ant london]

I note that you are "Mid-Sussex Blues" Dronnosaurus.....

Are there separate, splinter group for Upper Sussex Blues and maybe those pesky Lower Sussex Bues?

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Why didn't he get Joe Royle to sign Craig Bellamy, when i recommended him back in 2000. I said he was good.

Errrr...... probably because he went to Coventry for whopping 6.5m. We were buying players for 65p's at the time.

[Chinners]

Ah the 65p days ... good times

[btajim]

I was chatting to someone in a Pub last Saturday and they claimed that Cassell wanted to retire after so many years at the Academy but City persuaded him to take a less stressful position with the new Academy in the Middle East. His influence and knowledge were very well respected at City and they wanted to keep that at the Club. Don't forget that Cassell helped appoint Andy Welsh to take over from him. I've never heard of anyone sacked who gets to help choose their replacement.

[john@staustell]

I would like to ask him when will the Academy produce a player of Champions League quality and not just churning out fodder for the Championship.

Hush your mouth. Dont you know that anyone who comes out the academy is not criticised like any other player, they are 'special'. However dire their performances they are 'the future of the club' until the day they are parcelled off to Chesterfield and the like.

But I reckon some of these new lads may be well on the way, mainly because we've poached them from all over the world rather than Rusholme. Nils Zander, Guidetti etc.

However you still get the odd looney passing through who would prefer to see City playing 'all local boys' etc etc. Presumably in League 2.

As for JC I reckon all those conspiracy theories were tied up with Hughes-out campaigners (the number 43 bus didn't arrive, Hughes Out FFS). The theories may now disappear.

[ant london]

But I reckon some of these new lads may be well on the way, mainly because we've poached them from all over the world rather than Rusholme. Nils Zander, Guidetti etc.

I think that's a fair point....if you look at the nationality split of the current reserve side vs the academy side you can see that we are about to get the last UK focused batch through (although, there are some potential good ones in there still I think)

Reserves:

Scott Kay - ENG
Reece Wabara - ENG
Ben Mee - ENG
Karl Moore - IRE
Jack Redshaw - ENG
James Poole - ENG
Robbie Mak - SLOVAKIA
Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely - ENG
David Ball - ENG
Andrew Tutte - ENG
Chris Chantler - ENG
Tobias Johansen - NORWAY
David González Giraldo - COLOMBIA

Academy:

David Quinn - N IRL
Ahmad Benali - ENG
Harry Bunn - ENG
Douglas McCartney - ENG
Omar Elabdellaoui - NORWAY
Kingsley Grandison - ENG
John Guidetti - SWEDEN
Jérémy Helan - FRANCE
Emyr Huws - WALES
Emrik Hippias - FRANCE
Eirik Johansen - NORWAY
Tasos Kapsalopodas - GREECE
Loris Karius - GERMANY
Andrew Mitchell - N IRL
Conor Morrisey - IRE
Joan Angel Román Ollè - SPAIN
James Paris - MALTA
Bradley Robinson - ENG
Kim Skogsrud - NORWAY
Tom Skogsrud - NORWAY
Tom Smith - ENG
Sean Tse - ENG
Frederic Veseli - SWITZERLAND
James Wood - SCOT
Nils Zander - GERMANY

[Ted Hughes]

But I reckon some of these new lads may be well on the way, mainly because we've poached them from all over the world rather than Rusholme. Nils Zander, Guidetti etc.

I think that's a fair point....if you look at the nationality split of the current reserve side vs the academy side you can see that we are about to get the last UK focused batch through (although, there are some potential good ones in there still I think)

Reserves:

Scott Kay - ENG
Reece Wabara - ENG
Ben Mee - ENG
Karl Moore - IRE
Jack Redshaw - ENG
James Poole - ENG
Robbie Mak - SLOVAKIA
Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely - ENG
David Ball - ENG
Andrew Tutte - ENG
Chris Chantler - ENG
Tobias Johansen - NORWAY
David González Giraldo - COLOMBIA

Academy:

David Quinn - N IRL
Ahmad Benali - ENG
Harry Bunn - ENG
Douglas McCartney - ENG
Omar Elabdellaoui - NORWAY
Kingsley Grandison - ENG
John Guidetti - SWEDEN
Jérémy Helan - FRANCE
Emyr Huws - WALES
Emrik Hippias - FRANCE
Eirik Johansen - NORWAY
Tasos Kapsalopodas - GREECE
Loris Karius - GERMANY
Andrew Mitchell - N IRL
Conor Morrisey - IRE
Joan Angel Román Ollè - SPAIN
James Paris - MALTA
Bradley Robinson - ENG
Kim Skogsrud - NORWAY
Tom Skogsrud - NORWAY
Tom Smith - ENG
Sean Tse - ENG
Frederic Veseli - SWITZERLAND
James Wood - SCOT
Nils Zander - GERMANY

The fact that we feel we need to import that many young players from abroad means something in this country is desperately, hopelessly wrong.

[lets all have a disco]

Hasnt Jim been sacked.

[Ted Hughes]

Hasnt Jim been sacked.

Ages ago apparently. Paul Power's gone too.

[ant london]

The fact that we feel we need to import that many young players from abroad means something in this country is desperately, hopelessly wrong.

I agree actually. Despite the fact that it probably means that we will raise the bar in terms of the quality available soon to the first team it surely is a fairly damning indictment of the fact that the academy has not actually been doing that great a job.

Sure, in UK terms it has been outperforming most of the other UK club's efforts but vs overseas comparisons such as Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon or Ajax it has to be viewed as desperately average in terms of the output to date

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Hasnt Jim been sacked.

Ages ago apparently. Paul Power's gone too.

Has PP gone? I could have sworn I saw him with the 16's on Saturday!