Kevin Ball and all Acadamy Staff


Status
Not open for further replies.

I've only been to a few reserve games so in no position to make a proper judgement call, but for example would there been a significant drop off if we brought someone line Gorrin (on trial with Dortmund last summer) on for the last 10 minutes rather than Vaughan, as was the case last year? I don't think so.
 
Kevin Ball is a club legend, whom has given nearly 20 years worth of service to this club through thick and thin!

He deserves more respect than that and one premier league player or not I really appreciate his contribution to this club and his genuine loyalty to us. I can't blame him for the situation, nationally our academies in this country are struggling and top talent is normally snapped up by the big boys

You can't 'make' talent out of shite, poyets reign here testifies of that!
While I imagine been paid very well he's had it hard the bloke is in his comfort zone here Mr Sunderland because he has it easy in the role he's in now
 
I don't think so mate. At the time the lad was already training with Newcastle, so they just stuck with them. As I said, now in elite squad and playing tournaments against other academies. He's now at age though, going to have to stop playing Russell Foster, school football and even kick abouts with his mates. Play for the academy and nobody else.


Why does he have to play for academy and no one else. Who told you this his dad ?
 
Its a good point that we may have made money out of players going to lower league clubs. Would be interested to know the facts.
The only Chesterfield academy player in the prem is Jordan Bowrey at Villa, who paid £500k for him. A lot of money for a club like Chesterfield.
Not sure a bout McArtney but with him being Irish I'm not sure hes a genuine academy product fro a young age.

Its McCarthy. Now Everton

Born and bred in Glasgow.
Plays for ROI due to his Grandfather.
Came through the system at Hamilton
 
Why would a premier league manager be inerested in the academy when he probably only gets 14 to 15 months on average in the job. The staff working in the academy are on a hiding to nothing.
Also am i right in thinking we have avsmaller catchment area to other clubs as we are on the coast and its done in so many mile radius of theground upto a certain age, similar to soton

Rubbish mate. Does Southamptons mythical huge catchment area reach to Wales for a 9 year old Gareth Bale or Kingston-upon-Thames (London) for an 8 year old Luke Shaw? The fact is they put great effort and expense in sourcing then more crucially developing the best talent....we can't even scout our local leagues properly??

The 90min travel rule ended with the introduction of the EPPP and even prior to that that were loopholes - Rangers had an satellite academy/development centre in Hartlepool. Leeds had a couple up here too.

The painful truth is that we don't look hard enough, and the talent we stumble upon isn't developed effectively enough to be fit for purpose. But what area of the club are we actually getting right???

We are failing these kids, and we are failing the future of this club.

I don't think so mate. At the time the lad was already training with Newcastle, so they just stuck with them. As I said, now in elite squad and playing tournaments against other academies. He's now at age though, going to have to stop playing Russell Foster, school football and even kick abouts with his mates. Play for the academy and nobody else.

Not true mate. School football comes before even Academy football in the warped FA scheme of things. If any Academy staff have told you this they want shooting with shit. And he should continue to play when available for his boys club just incase it doesn't work out, thats the guidelines.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Az*
Correct. But we can't claim (who would f***ing want to?!) that he's an Academy graduate seeing as he signed as a 17yo?
Presumably he'll have signed on as an apprentice at 16? Liked him first time around, but the less said the better about his second stint. Never go back eh...
 
Presumably he'll have signed on as an apprentice at 16? Liked him first time around, but the less said the better about his second stint. Never go back eh...

Aye never go back is right!

16 or 17 he didn't come through the Academy structure. Straight into the youth team which is separate from the Academy....much like the Development Squad is now!
 
Chelsea would be knackered if they only played 6 footers[DOUBLEPOST=1397021231][/DOUBLEPOST]

Paul Scholes 5 foot 6 did him nee harm[DOUBLEPOST=1397021293][/DOUBLEPOST]

Tevez 5 foot 6
Alexander the Great dumpy little five footer
 
I don't go to Academy games,but there are some on here who regularly do. I've never seen one post from any of them indicating there is a lad who has enough quality to genuinely push for a place in the first team. I've seen some comments saying one or two look better than some of the others,but that's not the same thing.It might be that it's one of the reasons the first team players are content to serve up the dross they do........they know there is nobody pushing them. When you're a PL team,the lads coming through have to be PL quality.......and,apart from JH and,sometimes,JC.....there haven't been any. I'm also pretty sure that,given our current crop of players,if there had been anyone during the time of the managers you mention that was anywhere near to staking a claim,he would have been given a chance.

Surely you improve when you play with better players and against better opposition. We can provide the better opposition.
 
Surely you improve when you play with better players and against better opposition. We can provide the better opposition.

Not really. The huge step in a young players development is learning to to see the detail or game craft....good coaching can help with this, especially at an early age but when the senior players as a collective are flawed in attitude, aptitude as well as technically and tactically it would be foolish to place a promising player in that environment and expect him to thrive.

I would contest this is the reason young players are able to make an impact at better coached clubs - they know the role they are being asked and know the roles of those around them so have the confidence to feel in control. We are not well coached. We have no discernable pattern of play. Any and every player struggles in any of our "systems" so an inexperienced albeit talented kid has no chance unless he is exceptional. We have no exceptional talents.

McNamee has robbed a living for years.

Agreed. But not to the extent Dickman has. Head of Coaching?!
 
This was posted on another thread by @sunlansthebest about the alleged academy nepotism and mismanagement:

"The Academy set up is very much a job for the boys and girls !! McNamee is Godparent to Elliott Dickmans kids and the are basically best friends and some of the stuff that goes on in that place is scandalous. Anyone who upsets or disagrees with either one either loses their jobs or fears for their job, they really do dominate the whole place.

Elliott Dickman has his brother Lewis working full time as 12-16 coach, his wife is Assistant Academy secretary to McNamee's wife's best friend, and his younger brother Jonjo working with the u10's down. The 2 other full time coaching members of staff in the set up are basically long term friends of Dickman. (Brightwell and Atkinson!!)

McNamee has his son who is woefully poor protected by himself and Dickman, it is a standing joke with other players and staff how bad he is. ( A friend of mines son played in the same team as him for 2 years and the players apparently used to laugh at how technically poor he was, but they all knew he would get a contract)

The place really is that poor and needs a total overhaul."


Utter disgrace if true, and no doubt part of what Gus is alluding to about the rottenness of the club.
 
Last edited:
This was posted on another thread by @sunlansthebest about the alleged academy nepotism and mismanagement:

"The Academy set up is very much a job for the boys and girls !! McNamee is Godparent to Elliott Dickmans kids and the are basically best friends and some of the stuff that goes on in that place is scandalous. Anyone who upsets or disagrees with either one either loses their jobs or fears for their job, they really do dominate the whole place.

Elliott Dickman has his brother Lewis working full time as 12-16 coach, his wife is Assistant Academy secretary to McNamee's wife's best friend, and his younger brother Jonjo working with the u10's down. The 2 other full time coaching members of staff in the set up are basically long term friends of Dickman. (Brightwell and Atkinson!!)

McNamee has his son who is woefully poor protected by himself and Dickman, it is a standing joke with other players and staff how bad he is. ( A friend of mines son played in the same team as him for 2 years and the players apparently used to laugh at how technically poor he was, but they all knew he would get a contract)

The place really is that poor and needs a total overhaul."


Utter disgrace if true, and no doubt part of what Gus is alluding to about the rottenness of the club.

I think thats a big part of it as well tbh. Hopefully Congerton will be given free reign to get rid of anyone he wants to and completely restructure the whole thing if needed. Poyet (or whoever replaces him) should have free reign to do the same with the first team squad and structure
 
Are we developing players in the background? With a view to bringing them through?

There were a few decent prospects imo, including the lads signed in the summer, they should be ready to go next season.
 
McNamee has robbed a living for years.

Might have already been said earlier in this thread, but wasn't this bloke prepared to get rid of Henderson until Roy Keane intervened?

Are we developing players in the background? With a view to bringing them through?

There were a few decent prospects imo, including the lads signed in the summer, they should be ready to go next season.

Reports are that they've mainly looked pretty poor for the development squad.

Add to Wickham being a big disappointment, you've really got to question what these blokes are actually doing. The lads out on loan from the Academy are hardly attracting a decent calibre of club as well.
 
Last edited:
Rubbish mate. Does Southamptons mythical huge catchment area reach to Wales for a 9 year old Gareth Bale or Kingston-upon-Thames (London) for an 8 year old Luke Shaw? The fact is they put great effort and expense in sourcing then more crucially developing the best talent....we can't even scout our local leagues properly??

The 90min travel rule ended with the introduction of the EPPP and even prior to that that were loopholes - Rangers had an satellite academy/development centre in Hartlepool. Leeds had a couple up here too.

The painful truth is that we don't look hard enough, and the talent we stumble upon isn't developed effectively enough to be fit for purpose. But what area of the club are we actually getting right???

We are failing these kids, and we are failing the future of this club.



Not true mate. School football comes before even Academy football in the warped FA scheme of things. If any Academy staff have told you this they want shooting with shit. And he should continue to play when available for his boys club just incase it doesn't work out, thats the guidelines.


Correct
 
acadamies will never work - managers jobs rely on results and they will never promote from the youth set as the players will need time to settle in to the 1st team etc. IMO that's why managers always buy established players as they should be able to fit in straight away
They won't work in the premier. Southampton had a few seasons away from the top flight and IMO it's why it's looked better than most.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top