Reply To: Maidstone manager’s thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Academies don’t work.

Too many poor players just making the numbers up so as clubs can put a team out for the one or two ‘half decent’ players that they might have.

Applies from the top of the pyramid down to the bottom of L2.

Look to see how many first team players came through that clubs own Academy. Very, very few.

The big boys bring their ‘junior galacticos’ from overseas in as Apprentices – releasing their local boys who might have been there since age 6 or 7.

These released players then drop down to a smaller Championship club.

The Championship clubs then clear their decks and their released players turn up at L1 and L2 clubs.

Get released from a L2 Academy… where do you go?

End of the line!

They’ve created an ‘industry’ – jobs for the boys – old school network.
Let’s face it, most lower league clubs only run an Academy for the funding.

Parents are caught in the ‘bright lights’ with most fulfilling their or wanting to fulfil their childhood dream of being a professional footballer through their child.

So many think that their son is the next Kane, De Bruyne, Van Dijk or Schmeichel (Peter).

Players are released by Academies because they are deficient in one or more mandatory skill sets for that level.

It’s a filtration system.

Pugh came via Leeds – he might be at his level with us.

I doubt if more than one SUFC U16 & U18 releases have gone on to bigger things.

We pick up the ‘rejects’ from higher clubs. They are rejected (released) for a reason.
We then have to try to patch their deficiencies up with a bandaid.

You can’t make a silk purse from a worn flip flop… or summat like that 😂