by stmichael » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:45 pm
Well if you look at it, our youth side won the FA Youth Cup last year, so they are doing something right. The main problem I have is that when Benitez does give these players a chance he seems to play them out of position. Peltier at right back, Guthrie right midfield and Potter before him at right midfield. These guys are all central midfielders. I really don't think that helps them at all particularly against a team likely to expose them.
Basically, we've still got an academy based on the old model, where we scour Merseyside for youngsters and then try to develop them from 11 year olds into players who are good enough to get into their local team. Sometimes, when we produce a world class player like Gerrard, Owen or Carragher this still works. The current finacial dominance of the English game means that this system is no longer going to produce the required results.
Also, in comparison, Arsenal's "youth" team is in reality nothing of the sort (at least in thetraditional sense). Wenger has set up a large scouting network and rather than develop their own players they are poaching players from other clubs as promising 16 or 17 year olds (Fabregas for example). Thus they have widened the net from one small region of England to a worldwide pool of players.
Rafa is ringing the changes and starting to do the same thing but it is far too early to expect results.