- Oct 25, 2004
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The age old problem is that young players need opportunities in order to develop and prove their worth. Kane never looked like he was going to be a top player. When you play with and against top players under real game pressure, you sink or swim.I don't think he played for Chelsea in their title winning season did he? Decent example but Chelsea are looking for a new CB this window as well which suggests that they also might not view him as good enough.
In any case my point isn't that youth players don't come through into the first team, but that hoping one does in the position you so happen to need them to isn't very wise. It's better imo to fill in the gaps in the team in the transfer market and then if youth players prove to be at an equal or better level then that's a bonus.
I do agree that regardless of all of that, 99% won't make it because they just aren't good enough.
I always use Modric as an example. He is arguably the best midfield player in the world and has been for the last 5 years. Ever since he was 18 or 19, people have raved about him. He has obviously got better over the years, but he has always had it. If it were simply a case of giving youth a chance, there would 10,20 50 Modric's coming through every year. But there aren't, because players of that quality are very rare.
Because of the way that we operate, we have been very lucky in that we have produced a number of top players via our youth system. Kane, Rose, Walker, Winks, Dier, even Townsend! But we are kind of a special case. We are big enough to attract young players from other clubs eg Dier, Rose, Walker, but because we have developed so well over the last decade yet still can't afford to buy whoever we want, those players have had the chance to flourish.
You could argue that it has worked for us thus far, but, I feel that in order to make that next step we need to buy top quality.