PeterParker wrote:Im_Spartacus wrote:I think the strategy behind the system is correct - given we need the best of the best to dislodge established players, our expectations should probably be along the lines of:
* Once a year, 1-2 players good enough to work with the main squad
* Every second year, one of those players becomes an established squad member
* Every third year we gain a member of the first team
* Every 5th year we might (if we're lucky) get a Foden quality player
For every first team member we create, we're like to end up with 1 or 2 squad players, and everyone else gets sold. In the current market wheremost of those who don't progress from the EDS, these players would as a minumum be good quality PL or top league in Europe, standard fee is going to be 5m+ as a bare minimum.
Many of those who leave will go on to do very well, primarily because they get an opportunity City can't give them - doesn't mean City were wrong to not give that opportunity, just that the timing/situation wasn't right for their stage of development and the team's needs.
Mostly agree, however, I think the only player who really made a mark was Foden. And that is not a good record.
I like Rico a lot, but I am starting to think he is not good enough. And Nico O, no idea what to say about him yet. So one established top player in 10 years is not that great. However, except Palmer, I don't think any of those mentioned by me in the first post are good enough to be here.
But we're talking about generational players, being the standard required to get into the first team of a club who is established in the top teams in the world
If you look at the current top 10 clubs in UEFA , and players signed before the age of 16 who made 20+ league appearances last season, it highlights just how hard it is to do what you seem to think we should be doing better at - when from those top 10 clubs, only 8 players I'm aware of met that criteria.
1. Real Madrid - None
2. Manchester City -
Phil Foden, Rico Lewis3. Bayern Munich - None
4. Liverpool -
Trent Alexander, Curtis Jones5. Paris Saint‑Germain (PSG) -
Zaïre-Emery6. Inter -
Bastoni7. Chelsea -
Reece James8. Dortmund - None
9. Barcelona -
Yamal, GaviAnd when you think of how many tens of thousands of kids are out there, how players develop at different paces, you can see it's beyond unlikely that clubs will produce a truly home-grown (signed before age 16) Foden, or Yamal more than once in a generation who develop at a rate that they can progress to being a genuine first team contender before 18, (vs having to be sold or repeatedly loaned).
The hit rate becomes a lot higher for most clubs if you factor in players signed at age 16, but that's not really indicative of the quality of youth system, as this is more about scouting players who are literally the best in the world at their age.