Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 5:18 pm

I was reading somewhere today that another one of our most promising young players has left.

"John-Paul Kelly a.k.a Joxer has already returned home to Ireland after failing to overcome his 'homesickness' and it is looking increasingly unlikely that he will return".

As a midfielder, he was the top scorer for the Under-17 team last season - "and was rated as one of the most exciting young talents at the Academy".

Given what appears to be a poor return in recent years on the investment by the club (at least in terms of graduates making the first team) and the Reds' U-18 side poor start to the season... this may be a worrying sign.

Who is running the Academy now? and are the wheels in danger of falling off?

I'd be interested in your comments - as some of you may be closer to what is happening. There seems to have been too little co-ordination between policies at The Academy and the first team in the past... Now with Rafa rightly concentrating on sorting out the first team - who's driving our search for future stars?

by **Paul C** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 7:04 pm

Considering the money we spent on the academy we haven't produced too much home talent, we at least we haven't seen much in the first team, I heard that GH fell out with Steve Highway cos SH said GH wasn't giving the young players a chance

by **spud** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 7:41 pm

Paul C wrote:Considering the money we spent on the academy we haven't produced too much home talent, we at least we haven't seen much in the first team, I heard that GH fell out with Steve Highway cos SH said GH wasn't giving the young players a chance

Paul - I read and heard the same.

by **Ola Mr Benitez** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 8:22 pm

Topplayers are not ten a penny... think about the talent the academy has produced.. stevie g, michael owen, Carragher, Warnock, Fowler, McMananman... Unfortunatley for us millions of pounds worth a talent we either still have at the club or we didn't sell them at the right time

by **Paul C** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:39 pm

The Academy only produced Warnock and maybe SG out of that list as the others were in the first team before GH arrived :;):

by **LFC #1** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:57 pm

there are a few others who could turn into regular first teamers like Welsh, Raven, Foy. There is also the likes Of Otsemobor and Mellor.

The academy has been a backbone of the club in the last deacde or so producing the likes of Fowler, Macca, Owen and Carra to name a few.
I think producing young talent is so important for the club, and hopefully Rafa will make better use of th academy than GH did.

by **115-1073096938** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:26 am

If i could be arsed finding it i'd refere you to a far more sensible post you made on the academy a while ago while Houllier was still in charge.

Compare whats come out of ours to Uniteds over the last 10-12 years or whatever and and you'll see there isn't much of a difference in quality.

It will be the same over the next 10 years or so aswell imo.

You don't get great players through every day.

Imagine if we'd kept all our players and they all had filled there potential...

Owen
Fowler
Thompson
McManaman
Gerrard
Warnock
Carragher
Wright
Matteo....

For me the only ones there who got to there potential levels are Thompson, Owen and Carragher, the rest all could have been more than what they are today. I've probably missed someone off aswell...

by **LFC #1** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:59 am

stu_the_red wrote:Owen
Fowler
Thompson
McManaman
Gerrard
Warnock
Carragher
Wright
Matteo....

For me the only ones there who got to there potential levels are Thompson, Owen and Carragher, the rest all could have been more than what they are today. I've probably missed someone off aswell...

Gerrard couldn't be much more than what he is today could he?

by **Starbridge42** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:12 am

Rafa thinks he could get even better, plus he hasn't had a great time of it at international level...

by **XSD** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:50 pm

Warnock is a bit early to judge, he doesn't look like a premiership player yet.

by **Paul C** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:18 pm

I fell sorry for Otsemobor cos he played well when he got first team games but just disspeared, I think thats the typical stiry under Houllier

by **Redtribe** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:24 am

I think if he had come through under Beni he would be a right sided ashley cole!
But i think Houllier demolished the lads confidence by dropping him

by **Leonmc0708** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:29 am

The thing about the Academy is it is not set up to push thru three or four players into the first team every season, and it never has done that.

Even the great Liverpool sides relied on purchasing rather than home grown.

The idea is that every two maybe three years, an absolute gem (ie Stevie G, Owen, Fowler, Mcmanaman, etc...) is unearthed, and nurtured and then plays for the club, before being sold once we have seen the best of them. Stevie G has excelled, and was therefore thrown in earlier than usual, I expect one this season, and it may well be Warnock.

Otsemobor is good, but as yet unproven. Being out on loan will improve him and his chances, look at Warnock, Coventry's player of the year, and now pushing Harry Kewell, (arguably on of the best left wingers of the last ten years) every step of the way.

Stevie Highway is doing and continues to do a magnificent job along with his staff. Long may it continue.

by **Big Niall** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:00 pm

Usually when a young player comes in he is not quite good enough at that moment and takes a year or two to get to the required level i.e. learn his trade. I think that us fans are too impatient nowdays and want every player to be at a high level because if they aren't clubs like Chelsea will buy somebody who is.

by **taff** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:49 pm

What about what we used to do and get players from smaller clubs
Have our managers lately not been the great spotters or motivators we used to have

Have we relied on money?

Are British players too expensive to risk upon?

Is the pace that much faster and players need to be proven

Or is the reserves league not so high a standard as it was?

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