Premierleague 08-09

[Digger]

[quote="BaaBaa."]Fair apart from the 2 Ferdinands bit. Anton is absolutely awful.

Have to agree (what a relief)i was amazed when Keane paid serious money for him as Spurs had money to throw away but went for Corluca.Perhaps someone can keep the WH acadamy post going.Was Glen Johnson another.Right about Jermaine though.I really liked him.

[BaaBaa.]

Perhaps someone can keep the WH acadamy post going.Was Glen Johnson another.Right about Jermaine though.I really liked him.

He was, as was Carrick.

Ferdinand. Johnson. Carrick. Cole. Lampard. Defoe.

[Wanderlust]

Just to keep you all informed, some of the current and future crop are Mark Noble, James Tomkins, Freddie Sears, Jack Collison, Zavon Hines, Kyel Reid and Jordan Spence. And watch out for 14 year old striker Robert Hall who plays for England U-16s tonight. Not all of them will make it (Noble and Sears are well on their way though) and many 'experts' feel that Tomkins could be as good if not better than Ferdinand (Rio that is!). I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Noble picked for the full England squad after the U-21 European Championships are over (possibly even before). Capello has been seen at most of West Ham's games so far this season.
I'd be interested to hear from all of you about the youngsters coming through at your clubs - one at Spurs I know a little about is Jamie O'Hara, although he has come into the first team at a difficult time it seems, but what about any others elsewhere (at the 'Big 4'' in particular)?

[Bamboo Grove]

Wonderslust, just look at the Arsenal team that beat Sheffield U 6-0 in the Carling Cup. It´s full of future starts, many of them already at the gates of the first team.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Henry Lansbury, Mark Randall and Jack Wilshire are the ones that come to my mind immediately.

[Wanderlust]

BG,
I was hoping you would respond! I applaud Arsenal's efforts, although I suspect that this sudden apparent interest in developing young English talent might have something to do with the proposed/coming changes in UEFA rules, as Wenger/Arsenal never seemed to be that interested in English players before.

[redzonerocker]

Wonderslust, just look at the Arsenal team that beat Sheffield U 6-0 in the Carling Cup. It´s full of future starts, many of them already at the gates of the first team.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Henry Lansbury, Mark Randall and Jack Wilshire are the ones that come to my mind immediately.

plus, luke ayling, luke freeman, sanchez watt, thomas cruise, kyle bartley, gavin hoyte, & jay simpson (league 2 player of the year on loan with millwall last season). all good prospects
watched the reserves v aston villa on afc tv the other night, villa have a superb youth /reserve team full of good young english players too.
they hammered us 1-4

[BaaBaa.]

Who's reserves and Academys have won the last few Leagues and FA Cups?

[redzonerocker]

Who's reserves and Academys have won the last few Leagues and FA Cups?

well i know villa won it last year as the commentator mentioned it

[BaaBaa.]

Yeah, Villa won the Academy League, Liverpool beat Villa in the North v South Winners Play off for the reserves.

I thought Liverpool won the last 2 FA Cups but it was Man City last year, Liverpool got the 2 before that.

[redzonerocker]

Yeah, Villa won the Academy League, Liverpool beat Villa in the North v South Winners Play off for the reserves.

I thought Liverpool won the last 2 FA Cups but it was Man City last year, Liverpool got the 2 before that.

for anyone thats interested,


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FA_Youth_Cup

[Bamboo Grove]

although I suspect that this sudden apparent interest in developing young English talent might have something to do with the proposed/coming changes in UEFA rules, as Wenger/Arsenal never seemed to be that interested in English players before.

Wonderlust, I´m sure you do realize that building up great young players takes several years. What Wenger and co. along with Chippy Brady have done throughout the years is beginning to show now. Wenger has been wise in not spending too much money on expensive old stars and at the same time building up youthful teams in which some players are still outside England but more and more from England.

[JD]

The Southampton Academy is one of the best in the country, bringing on many international players like
Northern Ireland - Chris Baird,
Wales - Gareth Bale
England - Wayne Bridge
England - Theo Walcott
England - Alan Shearer
Saving the best 'till last, England - Matthew Le Tissier
and many others that currently play Premiership and Championship football with other clubs but have yet to make the international grade.
Until they changed the set-up for the Reserve League a few years ago, Southampton were regular top 3 finish in this league.

Unfortunately, all Southampton have left are their reserve and youth team to draw on week in week out, sorry state of affairs now, even the academy has had to take dramatic cut backs.

Brighton are another team that had a great youth team set up that is now defunct.

[BaaBaa.]

Its a good list of players JD but its not exactly prolific is it.

[JD]

Its a good list of players JD but its not exactly prolific is it.

Well as I said, there are many others, Martin Chivers and Danny Wallace come to mind also. I'll have a think and let you know.

The point I was making though.

Since the Reserve League was changed to only allow The Premier League clubs to play in the Premier Reserve League, there is little incentive for talented youngsters to sign on with a non Premier Team Academy.

Teams like Southampton will always be 'selling' teams. They train their youngsters, bring them through the ranks to the first team and then sell them on.

When you finish third in the Premier reserve league, then the rules change, you get relegated (after finishing 3rd), because the rich bastard teams know they have to bring English Players through the ranks, they also don't want to start spending 10 mill up for youngsters.

[Guess]

.................
If Abramovich had bought Spurs (or Villa, Everton, Newcastle, etc, etc), would that team be where Chelski is now? If Abramovich asked for his money back, how long would Chelsea stay at the top?...

I haven't read the whole topic/thread but this leapt out.

Chelsea had reached 3rd and 5th in the premiership long before any football fan had heard of Abramovich.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs have always been the top London clubs, with QPR, Brentford, Wimbledon, Fulham, Watford and Charlton only ever having brief spells in the top flight. Now Chelsea are the top of the three for a change they attract the most flack. The strange thing is that most of the flack comes from the North. A bit of jealousy maybe.

Of course money makes a difference. look at AC Milan, Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid (they spent more than Chelsea in the same season Abramovich took over),

Abramovich took over Chelsea because they were the best option. Check the recent history of the club.

There is no doubt that Liverpool and Manchester United are great clubs and have long histories from the dawn of league soccer, in the region of North West England where it started. London was more a Rugby centre and only later became involved in soccer. Still today there are far less soccer clubs per capita in London than in Northern Cities. It's no surprise that these clubs have enjoyed success but things change over time.

I have seen a lot mentioned about transfer fees and wages. Most of it comes from media offices who supply information to the media. PR departments of the soccer clubs and their agencies agree on what information they wish to supply. Like in any other business (and soccer is a business), the information is only what they wish the public and the opposition to believe. At the end of the day, the internal finances of the club on a day to day basis are no business of anybody except the parties involved.

Transfer deals usually are part of complex three or more party deals between two clubs and an agent. The FA can also get involved when foreign (non EU) players are involved.

Part of the deal when signed will always include a non-disclosure clause.

I.e admin that get details of a transfer and leak it to the press can be sued in just the same way as a VW employee who sells details of finance to Ford can be sued.

I am not advocating the manner in which the business operates but that is how it is. There's big money in Golf, Tennis, Motor Racing and Boxing. Why should it not be the case with soccer which is the most popular spectator sport.