Jacob Young



RichD said:
It's happening all ower the country, we can't stop young lads going
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This one's a bit different, he's 19 and out of contract. In our current division, we won't be able to match Hoffenheim's offer.

Helmerroids said:
There’s something not right when we have a category 1 academy but still can’t blood 1st teamers whilst in the 3rd division.
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19 year old CBs tend to not to be ready for first team duties. Looking at some of the shithouse forwards we played against last year, he'd have been a lamb to the slaughter.
 
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Reading that we offered him a deal and he turned it down. Fair play.

He's a 19 year old who's not looked like troubling the first XI. As many comparisons as that article might make, it's not the same as a Liverpool or Arsenal cherry picking our best players at 14-15 years old.
 
RichD said:
so how do you try and stop it ?
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There are so many ways Rich. Im not going to type out an essay or am I saying that this lad would have stayed had we done things better, but can you imagine how damaging an attitude of "it happens elsewhere, what can we do?" would be if it was held by the club?
 
It's a shame all these youngsters have left but I don't blame them. Who knows how good they will be and who knows how good we could have been as a team if they all stayed together.
 
Always a shame when players go to clubs higher up the pyramid. Overall I’m not that concerned, though. This is probably the first time in decades where we’ve been producing players that are in demand. I see no sign that these are specific cases. If anything, the reports of age group successes suggests that we’re generally getting it right in producing players at the moment. If some leave there will be more ready to take their place - and the reputation we are building up as a gateway will no doubt help our youth recruitment.

What should be of greater focus is the first team squad and the fact that its sheer size is an impediment to getting these players where we want them - in a red and white shirt. We need to clear the logjam in the first team and create more opportunity for these lads at our club. That way, the next time we have a Jacob Young on the fringes he might take the decision to stay and make his career here.
 

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