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Another kid has just pied us off - Charlie McNeill? Apparently he’s scored 600 goals in 6 years.

Why are we losing out after training these youngsters for years. Is it because they’re seeing Sancho’s success?

Do we have Gerry and Kate in charge of our youth development?!

Mase wrote:Why are we losing out after training these youngsters for years. Is it because they’re seeing Sancho’s success?

European clubs seem much more willing to take on English youngsters these days than they were 5 or 6 years ago. Either that, or players are more willing to move to the continent. That opens up a much bigger market for them - a few years ago if a player wanted to move from us for CL football, there were only 3 or 4 other clubs they could go to. Now they can pick from maybe 15-20. Like I said, I don't know whether it's players' willingness to leave or clubs' willingness to take, and it's something that I'd be interested in reading about to see what's actually changed.

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Mase wrote:Why are we losing out after training these youngsters for years. Is it because they’re seeing Sancho’s success?

European clubs seem much more willing to take on English youngsters these days than they were 5 or 6 years ago. Either that, or players are more willing to move to the continent. That opens up a much bigger market for them - a few years ago if a player wanted to move from us for CL football, there were only 3 or 4 other clubs they could go to. Now they can pick from maybe 15-20. Like I said, I don't know whether it's players' willingness to leave or clubs' willingness to take, and it's something that I'd be interested in reading about to see what's actually changed.

Probably both, but has to be more of a willingness to leave, otherwise we wouldn’t let them leave. We signed Patrick Roberts back up but we can’t keep some of these youngsters that are tipped for success?

I think a lot of them use our academy knowing full well it’s the best around, but they have no intention of fighting to get in to the first team, when they can move to another club and get straight in.

I’m glad Foden supports City.

While I don't particularly like to see young players leaving City (if they are any good), it has to be a positive for English football if more of our players move abroad and sample different playing and coaching styles. The development of the game was held back for decades by the insularity of our game, players never leaving England and English clubs appointing English dinosaur coaches. That started to change by foreign players and then coaches coming here, but another avenue of players going abroad is good.

Hutch's Shoulder wrote:While I don't particularly like to see young players leaving City (if they are any good), it has to be a positive for English football if more of our players move abroad and sample different playing and coaching styles. The development of the game was held back for decades by the insularity of our game, players never leaving England and English clubs appointing English dinosaur coaches. That started to change by foreign players and then coaches coming here, but another avenue of players going abroad is good.

Good for the England national team, but I could care less about them haha.

Kudos for the last line of your OP Mase, tickled me

I think we’re our own worst enemy where our academy is concerned - I don’t agree with the blaming Sanchos success sentiment - the fault lies with the lack of a clear path to the first team, our best academy products are getting loaned out to shit teams or lie well down in the pecking order of the first team.

Case in point, Garcia, look at how shit most of our centre backs were during Laportes absence- we even sacrificed our best defensive midfielder to play as a centre back, Garcia not even given a sub appearance in the PL (iirc? If he did it was a one off)

Wooders wrote:Kudos for the last line of your OP Mase, tickled me

I think we’re our own worst enemy where our academy is concerned - I don’t agree with the blaming Sanchos success sentiment - the fault lies with the lack of a clear path to the first team, our best academy products are getting loaned out to shit teams or lie well down in the pecking order of the first team.

Case in point, Garcia, look at how shit most of our centre backs were during Laportes absence- we even sacrificed our best defensive midfielder to play as a centre back, Garcia not even given a sub appearance in the PL (iirc? If he did it was a one off)

Agree 100%

He started a couple of Prem games over Xmas Wooders, agree with you about the pathway, I do think there's reason for cautious optimism given Foden and Garcia's involvement so far this season.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:He started a couple of Prem games over Xmas Wooders, agree with you about the pathway, I do think there's reason for cautious optimism given Foden and Garcia's involvement so far this season.

He started against Everton and Sheff Utd, we won both and then he was dropped.

Defo right re Garcia. Looked shit hot and during his best opportunity for us.

That's on pep though, one of the best. Cant blame the club

Nick wrote:Defo right re Garcia. Looked shit hot and during his best opportunity for us.

That's on pep though, one of the best. Cant blame the club

Every manager has done it since the takeover though

Wooders wrote:

Nick wrote:Defo right re Garcia. Looked shit hot and during his best opportunity for us.

That's on pep though, one of the best. Cant blame the club

Every manager has done it since the takeover though

Yep and Pep is the only one to actually give a couple of them more than a few run outs in the League Cup.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Wooders wrote:

Nick wrote:Defo right re Garcia. Looked shit hot and during his best opportunity for us.

That's on pep though, one of the best. Cant blame the club

Every manager has done it since the takeover though

Yep and Pep is the only one to actually give a couple of them more than a few run outs in the League Cup.

What decent youngsters did Mancini or Pellers have coming through that were considered on par with Foden, Sancho, Garcia etc?

Mase wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Wooders wrote:

Nick wrote:Defo right re Garcia. Looked shit hot and during his best opportunity for us.

That's on pep though, one of the best. Cant blame the club

Every manager has done it since the takeover though

Yep and Pep is the only one to actually give a couple of them more than a few run outs in the League Cup.

What decent youngsters did Mancini or Pellers have coming through that were considered on par with Foden, Sancho, Garcia etc?

Lopez, Rekik, Denayer.

Forgot about Iheanacho, Pellegrini tried with him.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Mase wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Wooders wrote:

Nick wrote:Defo right re Garcia. Looked shit hot and during his best opportunity for us.

That's on pep though, one of the best. Cant blame the club

Every manager has done it since the takeover though

Yep and Pep is the only one to actually give a couple of them more than a few run outs in the League Cup.

What decent youngsters did Mancini or Pellers have coming through that were considered on par with Foden, Sancho, Garcia etc?

Lopez, Rekik, Denayer.

Forgot about Iheanacho, Pellegrini tried with him.

Pretty much every City fan knew Denayer was awful and not suited for the Prem Lopez and Rekik were never considered on par with Foden, who according to Pep is worth £500 million

And Garcia is suited to the Prem?

Point is Pep has at least started a process where it looks like we may finally be opening that pathway.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:And Garcia is suited to the Prem?

He’s suited to Pep, yes. A ball playing CB.

Who knows, maybe it simply is club policy to not play kids all that much, and just use them as another revenue stream. After all, they have no real reason to be sentimental about any of them.

Scatman wrote:Who knows, maybe it simply is club policy to not play kids all that much, and just use them as another revenue stream. After all, they have no real reason to be sentimental about any of them.

Agree. Apart from Foden and Tommy Doyle.

You win some, you lose some.

Sancho has progressed hugely and his value has soared. How many of the others that we have had substantial fees for done same. Denayer, Lopez, Rekik, Diaz, Iheanacho have been sold for approaching £70+M in the last few years. Throw in the likes of Mooy, Huws, Matongo(? The Welsh lad sold to a German club), Celina and a host of others and we have probably cleared £130M maybe more. Possibly only Sancho has been a fuck up in terms of whether we should of kept him.

Things like sell on clauses and the like will further negate the loss and make the pill less bitter. But agree re Garcia. He looks the biz. But I can totally understand why his minutes have been limited. I dont necessarily agree with it, but I'm not privy to what goes on in training etc.

Foden is another. The next season will be his time to shine. But equally the players themselves need to really make the most of their opportunities and in such a team as we have that is not easy. Our standards are incredibly high and even seasoned pros have struggled at times.

But all in all, the Academy is doing what it's designed to do. Make us money and turn out the odd first teamer and a few squad players