KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Stephen Sama

Hounded is a bit dramatic don't you think?

No its not for this forum, since when do you get called things constantly for having a realistic viable point of view, and it not being a form of hounding?

Now to the point:

It is 100% realistic for that many players to come through into our first team and for that small minority group on here who hound people for saying something is realistically achievable, (just because they might not agree with it), does not make the point untrue.

We have THE most talented youth set up in the country AT THE MOMENT and a lot of that is down to Rafa's foundations and Rodolfo Borrell nurturing of the talent. (Mind you, our academy wasn't always this full brimming with talent, so credit to Rafa for getting it up and running in the 21st century)

We could not have brought in a better youth coach than Borrell, because he has been there and done this at Barcelona.

You look at that Barca first 11, 90% of them have been brought through, because the club as a whole made a conscience decision to do it this way, rather than spending the millions on players to come in. This has been proven to work and is 100% justified now in hindsight. Barcelona are now reaping the rewards.

Is it impossible for Liverpool Football Club to do the same? I'm not saying our youth are on the level of some of the Spanish clubs, but we obviously have SOMETHING right at the Academy at the moment.

Rodgers appointment is crucial because his philosophy will meet eye to eye at the pinnacle right through all the levels at the club. We needed a manager like this, so the players coming through the ranks don't just get to the top and end up playing a different kind of football to what they have been learning all the way to that point. This is crucial for it all to work.

Spain got it right because they've been doing it this way for a while and making sure all the ladders connect all the way up to biggest stage. In England and other country's, that progression is fragmented, we're starting to teach the youngsters the right way, but what good is it, if the manager of the football club (right at the top of all of it), doesn't believe in that same exact philosophy?

(An example of this is Hodgson managing England. It makes no sense!)

.....and finally, before some smart arse says "Yes, but who have we brought through to back up your view"

The answer is, nobody as of yet, but just wait and see over the next 3-4 years.

Craney, from what I remember, and my memory is sometimes off, you were suggesting that 7 or 8 of these players come into the first team THIS SEASON, and become regular starters. I argued and said that what you consider a realistic opinion, although possible, is not that realisitic, in that from youth teams, you are lucky if you get one player who becomes a regular starter. Two is good, Three is phenomenal. I can't remember a time ever where over one year, we took more than 3 players from the same youth.reserve side and they went in to the first team and succeeded at the club.

There is no evidence we have the most talented youth system in the country. We may have. But no evidence. The last to come from it are Spearing who is dire, and kelly who is good, Flanagan who looks average. There are others, but none have started more than a handful of games, and not big games either.

Eventually, we should get to where you're saying, and our academy should be as good as BArca's. That's got to be the aim. But is it right now? Unlikely. And is this generation that you're talking about as good? Well again, maybe, but I don't think so. Only Sterling and Suso look the business, the others need another year.

I think you are a bit sensitive and dramatic to claim to have been hounded, especially considering how you sometimes address people. But you are completely entitled to feel how you feel.

I personally believe expecting THAT many players to come through in such a short space of time is a tad unrealistic. Even barca and Ajax tend to only have 1 or 2 players hit the first team every year, and that is unheard of until they broke the mould. It is a truly incredible achievement.

Good point on borrell, he does seem to be doing a cracking job, and it is clear there is an improvement in the youngsters being able to bridge the gap between youth and reserve, and reserve and senior squad football. I still (personally) couldn't say we have THE most talented youth set up at the moment. I agree we have a very strong set of coaches and again very good point about BR being in charge means we have a style of footie running from the ground up which will help, just like how barca and ajax do it, and one of the reasons they are so succesfull. I also can't dispute we seem to have a sh!t load of talented youngsters but I've seen youngsters with incredible talent not make the step up many more times than I've seen them make it. Certainly a lot of reason to be optimistic, but our youth system still hasn't done anything yet so I can't claim it to be the best or most talented. If some of these players start coming through then thats a different story. Currently arsenal and utd are both producing more every couple of years. In utds case they tend to sell them and floor the PL with former Utd kids.

Like you say, the next 3 or 4 years will tell. Plenty of reason to be very very optimistic, but still nothing sound enough yet for me personally to claim our youth set up is the most talented.