would love to have seen a bit more of Gislason but to be honest I think he got fed up waiting for his chance.
Must admit that it's a bit of a concern about the lack of youngsters that have come through in the last few years.
I wonder if we are alone in struggling to bring anyone through . Remember even though the big sides like united , chelsea and arsenal seem to be bringing guys through a lot of these are players they have brought in from other english and foreign clubs when they are close to being the finished article.
I remember reading the programme when we played united in the youth cup semis a few seasons back and next to pretty much every name it would say "signed from........."
We spend millions of pounds each year on an academy that is yet to produce a first team player. I think academies on a whole have failed at every club not just Charlton. Howard Wilkinson, who introduced the academies to English football, said that we would win the World Cup within 10 years of brining them in - and that was 10 years ago!!
Man Utd have been moaning about their academy lately. They spend £4m a season and hardly get anyone through it. Before the Academy was brought in, their own youth system gave them a lot of the team that won the treble.
Before our Academy was brought in, our original youth system produced loads of players, culminating with Parker and Konchesky.
The pressure of needing to stay in the Premiership - and the loss of income when you get relegated, as we're now finding out - doesn't seem to make it very conducive to blooding young players.
Stay in the top division for a few years and you get a fair amount to spend, as we ourselves have done in recent times, so there's even less chance for those coming through the ranks.
Maybe now will be the time to judge the success or otherwise of the Academy, but the fact that we're still signing young hopefuls from Denmark, Portugal, France (and Dulwich) doesn't seem to bode well.
Perhaps kids are now more interested in their Play Station than kicking a ball around in the park.
Meaning their just isn't enough top quality English kids coming through - and the very best are always going to be snapped up by the top Premier club in their area.
Comments
Must admit that it's a bit of a concern about the lack of youngsters that have come through in the last few years.
I wonder if we are alone in struggling to bring anyone through . Remember even though the big sides like united , chelsea and arsenal seem to be bringing guys through a lot of these are players they have brought in from other english and foreign clubs when they are close to being the finished article.
I remember reading the programme when we played united in the youth cup semis a few seasons back and next to pretty much every name it would say "signed from........."
Man Utd have been moaning about their academy lately. They spend £4m a season and hardly get anyone through it. Before the Academy was brought in, their own youth system gave them a lot of the team that won the treble.
Before our Academy was brought in, our original youth system produced loads of players, culminating with Parker and Konchesky.
Time for a re-think on Academys
Stay in the top division for a few years and you get a fair amount to spend, as we ourselves have done in recent times, so there's even less chance for those coming through the ranks.
Maybe now will be the time to judge the success or otherwise of the Academy, but the fact that we're still signing young hopefuls from Denmark, Portugal, France (and Dulwich) doesn't seem to bode well.
Meaning their just isn't enough top quality English kids coming through - and the very best are always going to be snapped up by the top Premier club in their area.