I was just thinking how well our academy lads have done this season and the impact it could have on Cafc over the next couple of years,
The class of 92 for Manchester United was huge and made them a force I'm not saying we're gonna do what they done but to bring through a big group of players in one season was huge,
Man utd had Nicky Butt , g Neville , p Neville , D Beckham , Giggs and Scholes but I think what our academy have done this season is amazing bringing through , Dillon Phillips , Diego poyet , Harry Lennon , Morgan fox , jordan cousins and joe piggot along with solly and harriot in the last couple of seasons .
I just hope we keep hold of these lads and Holmes Dennis , K Grant and most importantly Gomez
The futures bright with this team and these youngsters !
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A fair amount of our Academy at the moment seems to have http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlton_Athletic_F.C._Academy#National_Team_Caps
In the case of Ajayi, I don't think Arsenal stole him - didn't he have a trial there because we didn't offer him anything?
I think it's clear that RD see's youth development as a key part of his business plan, and for that reason I feel quite optimistic about the club actively seeking a way of keeping these lads whilst they develop. It wont be easy...
Cousins and Poyet, in theory, could be at the heart of our midfield for years to come, along with Harriott if he can develop. Fox and Solly can also back this up. Academy players aside, let's not forget that the rest of the squad are very young and few of them are over the age of 30. Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Wiggins to name just a few amd even Astrit if we can get him on a permanent deal.
The trouble is, so many of them are out of contract this summer and the last two to three years will be wasted and we have to start all over again, which is a problem that could easily have been avoided by both regimes.
It also depends on RD's plans, which we'll find out over the summer. Will he tie the aforementioned players down to new, long-term deals or will he farm them off and bring over young players from across Europe and his networks?
And have you ever thought that we're not gonna play a pressing game all the time we have 2 games a week for several weeks ?
Anyway back to the youth fantastic that fox and Phillips has signed up just for the rest of them now , I think fox has done very well since coming in .
On the pressing game, that's a very good point you make, and I hope we adopt it next season.
Solly
Gomez
Lennon
Fox
Harriot
Poyet
Cousins
Holmes-Denis
Ahearne-Grant
Piggot
Bench
Edwards
Muldoon
Banjanu
Wilson
Phillips
I wonder how good these players will be in 4 years time and how many will still be with us. Not to mention Shelvey, Jenkinson, Palmer, Ajayi, Herbert and even McGinty who is young enough to still turn it around.
My guess is that at least 6 of the squad above will be PL which would be absolutely phenomenal (and slightly gutting if we are still in the champ/League 1 making big losses!
Ps I know I cheat a bit with Pope who is not technically a youth product and Banjanu who also is not and has not even signed for us, lol.