Another proud day for the academy

[cambmike]

It’s an absolutely fantastic run and a brilliant achievement.
But, although our sustainability is largely dependent on our academy players, we shouldn’t be sidelined by that record.
Let’s do everything we can to protect and promote our academy but our L1 survival is important too.

Gary has said he will finish this season with players that will be with us next season. He will have difficult choices as he won't want to be the manager who broke the link in a match with the Academy.

 

[SEA Grecian]

Wonder what the figure is for Man Utd who apparently have copied our idea of playing Academy players ..........

Explained: United's incredible 85-year Academy landmark

Sunday will be a proud day for the club, as we celebrate an astonishing 85-year sequence.

www.manutd.com

 

[Antony Moxey]

Gary has said he will finish this season with players that will be with us next season. He will have difficult choices as he won't want to be the manager who broke the link in a match with the Academy.

I don’t think he’s worried about that in the slightest. He’s already said previously that he can‘t guarantee that he’ll be able to keep the run going and why should he just for the sake of a statistic? Of course we all want to see local talent in the starting line up, but it has to be there on merit not sentimentality.

 

[SEA Grecian]

Gary has said he will finish this season with players that will be with us next season. He will have difficult choices as he won't want to be the manager who broke the link in a match with the Academy.

I think he was referring more to players who are currently on the fringes of the first team like Alex Hartridge and Mo Eisa. It seems unlikely he's now about to drop Vil Sinisalo, Ryan Woods or Tom Carroll.

 

[SEA Grecian]

I don’t think he’s worried about that in the slightest. He’s already said previously that he can‘t guarantee that he’ll be able to keep the run going and why should he just for the sake of a statistic? Of course we all want to see local talent in the starting line up, but it has to be there on merit not sentimentality.

You may well be right but it's remarkable that it hasn't ended already given the numbers of time we've had only academy player in the starting line-up season. Personally, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't find a way to keep the run going till at least the end of the season, although clearly a lot depends on the state of Sonny's hamstrings. Giving Pierce a rest and picking Cheick can easily be justified without weakening the team too much and I'm not sure how fit Reece Cole is at the moment so Jake Richards could well start a game or two in midfield.

 

[Bridgy 81]

Gary has said he will finish this season with players that will be with us next season. He will have difficult choices as he won't want to be the manager who broke the link in a match with the Academy.

Yes he did say that but I assume he only meant it to a partial extent.
For example, he’ll still play Sinisalo, Woods, Harris and Carroll I’d imagine, all of who are unlikely or at least doubtful to be here next season.
I also agree that not picking an academy player will be a wrench when it happens but I recall Arsène Wenger becoming the first person to select an entirely non-British starting eleven and it didn’t appear to bother him.
But then again Arsenal’s financial future didn’t depend on it!

 

[andrew p long]

You may well be right but it's remarkable that it hasn't ended already given the numbers of time we've had only academy player in the starting line-up season. Personally, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't find a way to keep the run going till at least the end of the season, although clearly a lot depends on the state of Sonny's hamstrings. Giving Pierce a rest and picking Cheick can easily be justified without weakening the team too much and I'm not sure how fit Reece Cole is at the moment so Jake Richards could well start a game or two in midfield.

I think this is right. Though there is just the possibility that GC will think that, as the run has to end sometime (does it?) the best time to do it is when your form over the last 6 games is W4 D2 L0, 14 points. If it happened when we were in the middle of a 20 game non winning streak then GC would understandably get (many more) pelters for it. With 3 games in a week, Reece Cole struggling for fitness, Carroll not playing many 3 game weeks ...then I think GC may go for Richards.

 

[Pobbop]

I think the opposite, the accounts still show we are very much reliant on these players playing and making us money for the transfer activity you talk of

I obviously made a hash of my post, l had been in 'spoons all night, tbf. I meant that our survival in League one does mean we have to make money from transfers.

TBH, I don't worry as much as some of you about a period when we stop making money from this, because we keep doing it, it does seem that the current yoof team aren't as good as previous, but Richards exist, Cox and Diabate are in the team. Ever since I have been on Exeweb this chicken little refrain has been shrieked.

and actually our transfer activities outside of the yoof is hugely under-rated since the Trust took over, from Mackie, Golbourne, Dunne, TAH, Nombe, Stockley and so on. This despite inevitably losing out on many fees through Bosman.

Feel Cole and Aitchinson will be next.

Yes there have been many duds through those years, but so do every club, including pre-trust Exeter, when dealing with the bottom of the ladder.

 

[fred binneys head]

I don’t think he’s worried about that in the slightest. He’s already said previously that he can‘t guarantee that he’ll be able to keep the run going and why should he just for the sake of a statistic? Of course we all want to see local talent in the starting line up, but it has to be there on merit not sentimentality.

That’s right, and let’s not forget that we can make (and have made) very good money from players we sign too, not just academy players.

 

[iscalad]

That’s right, and let’s not forget that we can make (and have made) very good money from players we sign too, not just academy players.

Lloyd James