People became good footballers before millions were spent on academies, no? A player's natural talent can't be influenced by money.
They did and it can be argued that academies have actually had a negative effect on natural talent, we are certainly seeing fewer type of players or different styles, but that isn’t why NUFC fail to produce any talent.
It is out there, but when they end up at the club a combination of poor facilities and coaching prevents them from developing and when they do get to 18-20 their chances of making it at the club is almost non existent and just as slim making it as a pro even lower down.
Players that have a bit more about them and do break into the first-team need a manager who values youth and who can develop thing in an environment that allows that.
Under Keegan and Sir Bobby to an extent where we had a team of good players and there was a pressure to win and challenge, unless a player was of undoubted talent, their route into the team would likely be blocked by a big money signing which is the kind of players fans demand and a team challenging needs.
Today, we could really do with a pool of talent coming through because we have an environment where we don’t have the kind of money to go and blow on certain positions and a manager that values youth and is renowned for developing it.
But our owner doesn’t care about any of that and as such our immediate future on the pitch is weakened by not having an academy or facilities up to scratch that young kids want to join (they opt for Boro or Sunderland more often than not) and if they do, they won’t develop to any decent standard anyway.
Andy Carrol and Dumett man
