[Archived] Rovers Young Guns

[broadsword]

Is the problem with the quality of kids we're signing on to the academy, or what we do with them when they get there?

That's exactly what I've been wondering.

Doubtless all the best kids end up at Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and everyone else is feeding off the scraps.

We don't have a trasck record of bringing kids through, so maybe we're not attractive to prospective youth recruits?

You don't need amazing facilities tio make the best of yourself, you need a lot of graft. Maybe a bit of adversity would do more for them than having first class facilities.

[Majiball]

That's exactly what I've been wondering.

Doubtless all the best kids end up at Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and everyone else is feeding off the scraps.

We don't have a trasck record of bringing kids through, so maybe we're not attractive to prospective youth recruits?

You don't need amazing facilities tio make the best of yourself, you need a lot of graft. Maybe a bit of adversity would do more for them than having first class facilities.

The best kids go where they have the best chance of making it. Thats not with us. As I said before my kid will never play at Rovers because he probably won't make it, he stands a better chance at Tranmere than Rovers, even crewe and Derby would be above us, academy wise.

I honestly believe we are not giving kids a platform to improve. We've had good kids and they've all dissappearred, so is it what we do with them or is it just all the kids we have had are not good enough.

I know my own mind over this I have spoken to lots of coaches on the circuit and no-one has a good word to say about our system.

We've seen so many kids show promise and then dissappear, I'm glad we're starting to see some of them do well, elsewhere. Perhaps if some of our so called not-good enough players make it at other clubs we can start to point the finger more.

On the subject of accomadation the kids should all be with families, putting all those kids together means football football football theres more to life than football, kids need more, especially at 16. I know from speaking with Toni Kohelmain at AZ that this was the reason he left, now he's a starting right back with a champions league team. All because we don't think things through.

Even the FA have figured out that the scientific approach works with kids, all the new UEFA A Youth licences are based on research done by us at LJMU. Rovers need to wake up, this academy is our best bet for the future, given it would take a couple of years to show results and about 8 (just like the gunners) to start to get serious talent through.

If tranmere can produce Koumas and Taylor amongst others then why have we only managed Dunn. I'm fed up with excuses from our academy its defeatist and that doesn't wash with me, there too many other clubs, so what? does every club in that area hang in the towel no but we do.

Its time to bring our academy into the 21st century. Which hopefully once we stay up Sam will do, because it desperatly needs it.

ANYWAYS I'm looking for some help.

Someone on here must have been watching the youths over the last 10 years or so?

What I'm after is a list of kids who have played schoolboy level at the academy, when they played and when they left the club.

For example

Ciarian Donelly - england schoolboys CAPTAIN Under 13's 14's 15's 16's, whoops fell down a hole.

Thanks in advance.

[MCMC1875]

That's exactly what I've been wondering.

Doubtless all the best kids end up at Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and everyone else is feeding off the scraps.

We don't have a trasck record of bringing kids through, so maybe we're not attractive to prospective youth recruits?

You don't need amazing facilities tio make the best of yourself, you need a lot of graft. Maybe a bit of adversity would do more for them than having first class facilities.

Didn't Mark Hughes swap the 1st team and Acadaemy at Brockhall because he wanted the best facilities for the 1st team. That suggests the Academy had the best facilities for several years.

[Hughesy]

Majiball - did you mention all your points to JW?

If so, what did he say about what we will be looking to do about it?!

[LeChuck]

On the subject of accomadation the kids should all be with families, putting all those kids together means football football football theres more to life than football, kids need more, especially at 16. I know from speaking with Toni Kohelmain at AZ that this was the reason he left, now he's a starting right back with a champions league team. All because we don't think things through.

Kevin Pezzoni is probably a bigger loss. What happened with him? He's now making a decent career for himself in Germany and has a German U21 cap to his name.

From this Bundesliga article:

"19 year old Kevin Pezzoni is going to be a massive star in the Bundesliga. He is very solid in front of the back line and puts in some of the most crunching, yet legal, tackles in any league in Europe. In a game where a good DM is worth his weight in gold, Pezzoni is going to be a household name within two years."

Sounds just what we need at the moment.

[Majiball]

Majiball - did you mention all your points to JW?

If so, what did he say about what we will be looking to do about it?!

We spoke for almost two hours, mostly about the academy and most of the points here where mentioned. However JW did his best to answer them. He did try to get Tom Finn in on the chat as he is the director directly responsible for our academy but he was unavailable.

All that i can say is that a review will take place. I have no idea what that will entail, or who will do it.

I do not understand the logic of the club doing it, when we can't produce players.

LeChuck - you have to laugh two positions that we could do with Right back and a sitter and we let them go.

[Hughesy]

Which manager was in charge when he was allowed to leave?

Who makes the decision - the academy or the 1st team manager?

[Majiball]

Any decision affecting the academy is made by its manager Bobby Downes. !st team manager although he has input has no authority.

Bobby Downes has been with us for I believe 16 years, its definitly double figures.

[Exiled_Rover]

Mr Downes clearly needs replacing if that's the case.

[rover6]

Kevin Pezzoni is probably a bigger loss. What happened with him? He's now making a decent career for himself in Germany and has a German U21 cap to his name.

From this Bundesliga article:

"19 year old Kevin Pezzoni is going to be a massive star in the Bundesliga. He is very solid in front of the back line and puts in some of the most crunching, yet legal, tackles in any league in Europe. In a game where a good DM is worth his weight in gold, Pezzoni is going to be a household name within two years."

Sounds just what we need at the moment.

Pezzoni didn't impress many reserve watchers but then, he was mainly playing CB where his lack of pace was sometimes exposed.

I think the club recognised his talent (hence Pezzoni got into the reserves) however, from what I hear he was subjected to disciplinary action by the club and relegated to the academy side. Pezzoni left because of this, as far as I know.

I was shocked to hear that Faroe Isles U21 goalie Gunnar Nielsen was allowed to move to Man City for free. An U21 international keeper (albeit Faroes) who has excelled at the level, surely should earn Rovers money?

Majiball, did you speak to Toni Kolehmainen (sp?) as part of your research for the discussion with JW. Very impressive if you went to those lengths.

[Majiball]

Majiball, did you speak to Toni Kolehmainen (sp?) as part of your research for the discussion with JW. Very impressive if you went to those lengths.

Not really, Me and my mate spent some time at theirs and Ajax's academy, and as he was there and I have concerns over the academy, I had a chat, nothing more.

I get around alot, I'm off to Spain at the end of the month to Espanyol, Barcelona and Bilbao. I take every opportunity I can to get to the best academies in the world and use my tongue to gain their secrets, so I grow and in turn so do the kids I work with. Its a rather succinct way of looking at it but as a famous ex manager said "coaches are the best thief's".

Espanyol I've been to several times its the best academy in Europe, over 100 professional players in the top two divisions in Spain, phenomenal. Barcelona not as many but quality I'm keen to see their technical profile for recruitment. Bilbao because they operate within a self imposed boundary of only allowing Basque descended players at the club, and yet have produced some serious talent considering their pool is 3 million total. With Bilbao I'm keen to see if they do anything different because of the limited pool they have, its for something in the future. Given they even stay in the league is monumental.

This games all about knowledge and being one step ahead.

[AggyBlue]

I take every opportunity I can to get to the best academies in the world and use my tongue to gain their secrets,

Is it brown?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Interesting post though. What do you do for a living? Excuse me if you've already said.

[Dave S]

http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/sport/42...n_Rovers_glory/

Jim Furnell seemed to have the youth setup working

[Hughesy]

Just seen that - get the man out of retirement - look at the players he got through - Duff, Dunn, Wilcox, Beattie, Tiny

Since then we have had - ????

[waggy]

Just seen that - get the man out of retirement - look at the players he got through - Duff, Dunn, Wilcox, Beattie, Tiny

Since then we have had - ????

father of one of our better posters as well

[tonygreenbank]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport..._gets_90_minute

Rovers v.Sunderland Reserves report tonight.

[Hughesy]

father of one of our better posters as well

Who's that then?!

[67splitscreen]

Andreas Arestidou?? this is the lad who came in from Liverpool for a trail in the summer, is it not.

I didn't know we had kept him on, is he on loan or what?.

Sorry if I have missed something. Ignorance is bliss.

[jonv]

How do we only get 153 people down to watch a reserves game? With the talent on show last night you'd expect so much more. We get more down at our local amateurs games on a Sunday

[Parsonblue]

How do we only get 153 people down to watch a reserves game? With the talent on show last night you'd expect so much more. We get more down at our local amateurs games on a Sunday

Because our home games are a seventy odd mile round trip from Blackburn. Certain away games in the Reserve League are closer to Blackburn than Christie Park - the venue for home matches. When games have been played at Ewood Park the attendance has been much higher but, like most clubs, we rarely play reserve matches at our own ground to protect the pitch and also becasue of the increased costs in staging them at Ewood. I believe from a financial point of view it is cheaper to farm the games out to lower league or non-League grounds.

[jonv]

Ahhhh, that makes so much more sence. I couldn't figure how more than 150 people wouldn't want to watch some of those footballers in action for the fraction of the cost of a normal home game

Thanks!

[Majiball]

Is there not somewhere more local where the reserves could play?

Does Darwen have a ground?

[Hughesy]

Yes Darwen have a ground, and apparently rovers did once consider it - however the facilities were not good enough I believe.

Surely even Accy's stadium would be better for Rovers fans that all the way to Christie Park.

[den]

When Rovers first moved to Morecambe, it was part of a push to get the people of Morecambe into becoming Rovers fans. It was an area which wasn't dominated by any other club, so it was seen as an area of potential.

Don't think it worked.

[67splitscreen]

When Rovers first moved to Morecambe, it was part of a push to get the people of Morecambe into becoming Rovers fans. It was an area which wasn't dominated by any other club, so it was seen as an area of potential.

Don't think it worked.

Maybe it's time for a change, what about burnley, same situation.