Youth potential

[Legend10]

Friend of mine went to watch his cousin play for Cambridge(I think) under 14's against Spurs under 14's at the training ground last week. Spurs had a long haired lad playing in midfield and he thought the kid was brilliant so he asked somebody who he was. Anyway turns out the kid is Mexican, was spotted by the club in Mexico and they have brought him and his entire family to England.

Some serious investment would seem to be going into the youth set up.

 

[Marty]

Kane, Carroll, Bentaleb, Veljkovic, Pritchard, McEvoy, Coulthirst all have the potential to make it as PL players IMO. When you add Livermore, Rose and Townsend who are already at this level to that mix, that really is an incredible amount of talent in just a few years.

What's more, is that having seen the U-18's a few times this season, I actually think they might have even more potential. If these are to be our academy's golden years, which they could well be, it is imperative that we give them the opportunity to make that breakthrough.

Hopefully, with the foundations we now have in place, these years will be long, and ultimately, prosperous.

And whether Sherwood has or hasn't played an integral role in their actual training and development, he knows everything about these players. I'm warming more and more to the idea of Sherwood the more I think about it...

 

[Mouse!]

Friend of mine went to watch his cousin play for Cambridge(I think) under 14's against Spurs under 14's at the training ground last week. Spurs had a long haired lad playing in midfield and he thought the kid was brilliant so he asked somebody who he was. Anyway turns out the kid is Mexican, was spotted by the club in Mexico and they have brought him and his entire family to England.

Some serious investment would seem to be going into the youth set up.

When I hear things like this, I get some serious optimism for the future. At least our club is getting things right at this level. Thanks for sharing!

 

[jambreck]

I like Livermore, if I could choose one player to make it at Tottenham long term it would be him, mainly because he genuinely is a Tottenham man.

I don't think he will though but that still doesn't mean he has not been important to the club.

Bringing through our own players, giving them a chance not only with us but at forging themselves a good career, is always a good thing. It shows other youngsters it can be done with us and if ( when ) he gets moved on he brings in a decent transfer fee too.

I always keep an eye on our ex youth. Its good to see them making a career in the game even if its not to be at Tottenham. It shows we are doing something right.

Agreed.

Only thing I'd add is that Townsend is also a Tottenham man through and through.

 

[yojambo]

I know everyone wants to get in the CL and win the League, but what would mean more to me would be to have a first team made up of mostly academy players. The likes of Townsend, Carroll, Kane, and Bentaleb. You might not win every match but it would be a team you would feel connected to and incredibly proud of.

 

[mpickard2087]

I know everyone wants to get in the CL and win the League, but what would mean more to me would be to have a first team made up of mostly academy players. The likes of Townsend, Carroll, Kane, and Bentaleb. You might not win every match but it would be a team you would feel connected to and incredibly proud of.

I think as well you would very much hope that players coming through the ranks play football the right way, and understand the system/philosophy (providing we are playing the same way at all age groups) in place and so its an easy transition for them to come in when players brought in may take longer to adapt.

 

[yojambo]

I think as well you would very much hope that players coming through the ranks play football the right way, and understand the system/philosophy (providing we are playing the same way at all age groups) in place and so its an easy transition for them to come in when players brought in may take longer to adapt.

Yeah, i remember a few years ago Pedro at Barca was being picked ahead of a more established star (maybe Henry?) because Guardiola said although Pedro wasn't as good a footballer, after coming through youth set up he knew the system and philosophy better so he could offer the team more.

 

[StartingPrice]

Walker wasn't brought through our youth setup. But yeah, can't wait to see more of the likes of Bentaleb and Kane in particular. Hopefully they'll still get some game time in the Europa.

He did. It is something that is often repeated, that I believe is a mistake. The academy is a part of our youth set-up. The youth set-up includes the Under 18 and Under 21 teams, and the loan system for blooding younglings. While some exceptional players may get introduced to the 1st team before completing this stage (Bentaleb, apparently), the Rooney's of this World are the exception, not the rule. Walker arrived at the club at 17 YO - he didn't play his first season of 1st team football until he was 21 YO. In the interim period, he was part of the youth set-up, even when though for most of it he was out on loan as he hadn't played in the first team and he was following the route many of our youth players follow before being either integrated into the 1st team squad, sold or released. He came through another team's academy (Sheff Utd), and joined our youth set-up in the intervening 3/4 years before he was deemed matured enough for the 1st team squad.

That is how I see it, anyway - but I read this claim often that we haven't produced many players through the youth set-up, or so-and-so player didn't come through the youth set-up, when really what is meant is the academy.

 

[StartingPrice]

Kane, Carroll, Bentaleb, Veljkovic, Pritchard, McEvoy, Coulthirst all have the potential to make it as PL players IMO. When you add Livermore, Rose and Townsend who are already at this level to that mix, that really is an incredible amount of talent in just a few years.

What's more, is that having seen the U-18's a few times this season, I actually think they might have even more potential. If these are to be our academy's golden years, which they could well be, it is imperative that we give them the opportunity to make that breakthrough.

Hopefully, with the foundations we now have in place, these years will be long, and ultimately, prosperous.

Exactly.
This began when Dan Levy took a year after the Glenda sacking and instituted a top-to-bottom reform of the club. Reacting to a critique of English youth and grass-roots football he hired Frank Arnesen to implement a more Continental system - funnily enough this included the DoF/Head Coach system that has been under such scrutiny since AVB's dismissal/Skedaddling.

The youth level changes were always going to take a while to come to fruition - if you think about the age that would benefit most it makes sense to look for improvement for youth players of about 13 - 14. That was 8 years ago - so that age range would be 21 - 22, and, as the process was implemented you would expect the expertise, and, therefore, the yield, in terms of quality and volume, to increase. And what we see, already, is players of that age range looking like they can genuinely break into the 1st team squad, or, at least earn us some handy income (and that is an important part of it, as well, we can't expect to keep every player we produce).

And the feeling is, and I've watched a bit of the under-18's, too, is that the quality is improving. Last season, both our Under-21's and Under-18's were very impressive. When Liam Brady left his job with the Arse*al youth set-up he said without hesitation that we had the best youth personnel in the country. Someone posted an article/report on here not so long ago saying that right across London whenever the Goons/Chelsea scouts got to a highly regarded young player they found our lot there already, signing the lad up (or something like this).

We weren't the first team to follow this route - the first, interestingly enough, was today's opponents, Southampton. When they were relegated, realizing they would just get into a process of promotion/relegation if they didn't change things in the club, rather than fussing over immediate promotion they hired a crew of highly rated young Dutch coaches and let them do their thang. The result is clear for all to see, and that is after selling the likes of Bale, Oxlake-Chambermaid and Walnut to help fund their gradual climb back to top flight status.

We weren't the first, but we were the first big club. This has been going on below the surface, and is something that needs to be taken into consideration when assessing Daniel Levy's time at the club. We could be reaping the rewards of this for years to come.

 

[DFF]

Friend of mine went to watch his cousin play for Cambridge(I think) under 14's against Spurs under 14's at the training ground last week. Spurs had a long haired lad playing in midfield and he thought the kid was brilliant so he asked somebody who he was. Anyway turns out the kid is Mexican, was spotted by the club in Mexico and they have brought him and his entire family to England.

Some serious investment would seem to be going into the youth set up.

Impossible. Did we rent out a hotel for this piece of extravagance?

 

[Marcus_spur]

The only 'party' that wouldn't benefit from Naughton moving on would be the club he joins!!!


Sorry Kyle...

Funny, but to be fair he did very well at Norwich.

 

[DaSpurs]

And whether Sherwood has or hasn't played an integral role in their actual training and development, he knows everything about these players. I'm warming more and more to the idea of Sherwood the more I think about it...

DaSpurs Stamp of Approval. Was waiting for someone to finally acknowledge the fact that our current "caretaker" is heavily responsible for the recent successes of our training academy.

 

[PrettyColors]

McEvoy too, I think the kid has Lennon (with end product) potential

 

[rabbikeane]

Heard mixed bag feelings on smith, but I think fredricks showing the other week may limit his opportunities, seems were stacked at right back. Maybe moving naughton on may be the best thing for both parties.

Fredericks got speed to burn, but there's far more quality in Smith.
I'd keep Smith around, sell Naughton (or loan with hope to sell), and send Fredericks out on loan to see how he handle first team football. Soon 23 year old Smith has more than 100 first team games behind him and should take that final step up to test himself at Spurs.

 

[DaSpurs]

Fredericks got speed to burn, but there's far more quality in Smith.
I'd keep Smith around, sell Naughton (or loan with hope to sell), and send Fredericks out on loan to see how he handle first team football. Soon 23 year old Smith has more than 100 first team games behind him and should take that final step up to test himself at Spurs.

If we do sell Naughton, and I agree that we should, it'd be extremely risky to allow Fredericks out on loan while testing Smith. That's a perfect recipe to get ourselves into our current debacle that started with rollin into the season with one senior left back. I would love to feel confident we've learned from that mistake.

 

[rabbikeane]

Think that's very unlikely, that we'll pick up injury to two so young and fit guys like Walker and Smith.
If we do there could be recall option, we might have a senior that could play there (Chiriches? Third choice option should be really desperate times to be honest), and if it's up to me I wouldn't be afraid to use the next in line McQueen (born 95) neither.

 

[DaSpurs]

Think that's very unlikely, that we'll pick up injury to two so young and fit guys like Walker and Smith.
If we do there could be recall option, we might have a senior that could play there (Chiriches? Third choice option should be really desperate times to be honest), and if it's up to me I wouldn't be afraid to use the next in line McQueen (born 95) neither.

It's not necessarily injuries to both that's a concern, it's Smith not performing well in the event Walker is hurt. And it's true we could send Fred out couple with an immediate recall option, but as I'm sure you know most clubs are very reluctant to take a player on with such an option. They will almost always neg the deal and turn to another bigger club for options.

 

[eddiebailey]

This has been going on below the surface, and is something that needs to be taken into consideration when assessing Daniel Levy's time at the club. We could be reaping the rewards of this for years to come.

Martin Jol deserves some credit too for changing our approach to coaching by bringing in Moniz, apparently in the face of much scepticism from Levy.

 

[eddiebailey]

No one has mentioned Mason. He is on a new three year deal and if he can stay injury free he could still be a big player.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Ideal scenario would be to be able to start bring some of these kids through so they can be decent PL players to either play for us or sell on for a decent amount.

Quite a few people don't rate Livermore but the fact is he is playing EPL football and even if he doesn't make it with us but we sell him on for £4m+ then that is a massive success.

Also nobody has mentioned Caulker who we sold (wrongly imo) for nearly £10m. Another success for our academy.

Would be good if we could bring through a lot of our own players and then just spend big money on proven quality to supplement the home-growns.

It will be interesting to see how our relationship with Swindon develops next season, could be a good place to send players like Mccevoy. Or if somehow they make the play-offs and get promoted maybe Ceballos could go there. He's currently in Portugal at Arouca and while he plays now and then it's difficult to see how that's going to benefit him getting used to the English game. Considering how much TS played Ceballos for the youth teams I'm now wondering if it was even his decision to send him to Portugal, seems like it would have been more of an AVB link. But I'm just guessing about that.